Chronique:BWU 06/01/2006

Posted by Frankie at 1/6/2006 3:55 PM PST

A tender, loving update, full of joy and Bentllama, with a little news on the Vol. 2 soundtrack, no news on our next project and some news on Spartan 458. Humpday challenge on DOA4? Maybe.

Short and sweet this week. And likely to stay that way 'til we announce our next project (which is coming along very nicely, by the way).

So, we all got our copies of DOA4 in the office. Mr. Itagaki was kind enough to send more than enough for each and every employee in the office, even Shishka (who sold his to buy hot dogs). So every night this week, we've been logging on to kick some Spartan, Ninja and Mermaid butt (you'll figure that last one out eventually). I haven't played as much as I'd like to, since my Philips LCD HD set is out of commission until they fix it, but when it comes back, I'm going to start some historical and hysterical ownage (or be on the receiving end of same).

The unlocking of the Spartan is straightforward, but tough - thanks to the improved single player AI and the especially vicious final boss - Hint: you can beat her reliably with most characters doing this - wait 'til you hear the teleport sound "Ziiimmm!" and immediately launch your favorite, fastest combo. She will dodge it occasionally, but many times you can get in two or more combo strings.

The lobby system is either a work of genius, or a creation of pure madness. Panda in cowboy hat in a spaceship says what?!!

Rob McLees made a Warthog out of Lego for a little feature in an upcoming issue of Wired magazine. Rob used a new online tool that lets you pick existing and previously unavailable Lego parts and collate them into the exact set needed to build whatever the heck you like. No more making Imperial Star Destroyers out of six inch rectangles of Lego grass. Customize, baby!

You can read more about Rob's adventures here: Rob's Crazy Lego Warthog . He says the software is tough to use, but cool - and how else are you going to create a set of Lego ingredients from scratch?

Max and Colm (multiplayer and UI respectively) brought a very nifty, and hopelessly underused feature to my attention: Handicapping. Joe Tung cruelly notes that he NEVER uses handicapping, and insists on playing his seven year old niece to make himself feel more "awesome."

Max Hoberman says, "I've used the handicap feature when I'm playing with a small group (4 or less) with mismatched skills. Usually split screen, but sometimes networked. I think I've always been the best player in these scenarios, so I set a handicap on myself to even the playing field. The setting I use depends on the skill and number of my opponents, but it's usually moderate or even severe. Severe is damn hard though, especially playing Rockets! Anyway, I usually end up playing a Slayer variant, some FFA and sometimes me vs. everyone else. The other players have fun because they're getting kills and not just getting reamed, I have fun because it's more challenging to stay alive and to get kills. I've even played where multiple people had handicaps, roughly equivalent to their skill levels, and the new player ended up winning the game as a result.

Colm tells me that you can also balance for skill through more creative choice of games. I know he mentioned playing Team King, you vs. everyone else, and maybe Oddball too. Combine this with the handicap and you'd have quite a challenge. You might ask him about this, or even Dave C., I think he uses the setting too.

One warning about the handicap setting ... don't forget to turn it off before you go back to your regular gameplay! Sucks to play matchmaking with a handicap turned on.

I think the mildest handicap setting reduces shield strength and damage by 25%, the moderate by 50%, and the severe by 75%."

So there you have it, a feature lots of folks forget even exists and a great way to even the playing field among friends.

No, words...should have sent a poet....

Amazingly, the Halo Soundtrack, Vol. 2 is nearing, cold, hard, CD reality. We now have a Spring release "window" which technically is any time from tomorrow until June. But as a teaser, here's the track list (which is still subject to change). Lots of folks have asked if it's really just a rehash of the original, but Vol.2 is quite different.

Definitely for collectors rather than casual fans, but for serious Halo music fans, this is an excellent collection. And if you didn't already pick up the original and only want to buy one, this is a perfectly good alternative. It has a different overall feel than Vol. 1, but definitely encompasses the spirit of the game.

Marty is a genius. He's old and crazy, and he smells faintly of mothballs, but he's still a genius. And more importantly, he's OUR genius.

Halo 2 Soundtrack Volume 2 70:06

1. Prologue 2:35
   1. Rising :20
   2. Cloistered Expectancy :25
   3. Weight of Failure 1:50
2. Cairo Suite 9:42
   1. Cold Blue Light 1:54
   2. Waking Spartan 3:36
   3. Jeweled Hull 2:03
   4. Chill Exposure 2:09
3. Mombasa Suite 6:41
   1. Metropole 1:29
   2. Broken Gates 2:47
   3. Encounter 2:25
4. Unyielding 3:04
5. Mausoleum Suite 8:10
   1. Destroyer’s Invocation 4:36
   2. Falling Up 1:49
   3. Infected 1:16
   4. Shudder :29
6. Unforgotten 2:09
7. Delta Halo Suite 11:26
   1. Penance 2:32
   2. Wage 2:42
   3. Leonidas 2:28
   4. Dust and Bones 3:44
8. Sacred Icon Suite 7:26
   1. Cortege 3:38
   2. Opening Volley :28
   3. Veins of Stone 3:20
9. Reclaimer 3:03
10. High Charity Suite 8:27
    1. Rue and Woe 1:30
    2. Respite 2:17
    3. Antediluvia 2:22
    4. Pursuit of Truth 2:18
11. Finale 3:10
    1. Great Journey 1:15
    2. Thermopylae Soon 1:55
12. Epilogue 3:49
    1. Beholden 1:03
    2. Road to Voi 2:19
    3. Subsume :27

And finally, someone asked me if Mister Chief was hidden in DOA4. The answer is, MAYBE! And also no.