Chronique:BWU 30/06/2006

Posted by Anonymous User (Deleted) at 6/30/2006 4:43 PM PDT

A few bits and bobs about Multiplayer and Single player, good news about the Graphic Novel and your favorite: Sad letters from the gurney in the back of the Bungie Waaahmbulance.

Frankie writes:

Bungie Weekly Update

Multiplayer, single player, you name it, folks are playing it. The lab formerly known as the multiplayer lab is now also the single player lab, where folks may go in at just about any time and start playing through a selection of single player Campaign missions.

At this point, they're testing out the new AI and encounters as much as anything else. The graphics range from completely untextured placeholder surfaces, too brilliantly lit and detailed objects. But again, this is a gameplay test, not a graphics one. Lots of folks focus on what technology can do for the appearance of a game - but the 360's prodigious horsepower can also be applied to AI - the behaviors, movements and reactions of computer-controlled characters. That counts for your human allies, but it's more noticeable at this early stage in the behavior of your opponents.

Today, I swear I saw some Grunts do a classic pincer-movement to trap me in a narrow canyon. I was battling um, something bigger than a Grunt, and suddenly, I'm being peppered by a second group of jerks, mostly Grunts, who'd been sent in around my flanks to take me out. Grunts are still grunts though, and once I showed some serious opposition, a couple of them panicked and fled, but they nearly had me and it was quite a shock.

When the single player guys file out (or as is often the case, stay put) then the multiplayer sessions begin in earnest. We were trying out a new multiplayer game type - and it is super fun, yet utterly terrifying at the same time. I have never, ever heard so much frightened screaming during a play test of anything. And plenty of laughing too.

The kinks and bugs related to how our trailer looks with the new Dashboard video codec have been ironed out at last. Some viewers saw some ugly glitches in the Halo 3 teaser after they downloaded the Spring Update for their dashboard. This basically caused some slight incompatibility with the trailer that was already up there (or on your hard drive) and we've been slowly trying to fix it ever since. Apologies for the delay.

The good news is that Curtis has it re-encoded, and as a result was able to encode the "making of" documentary too, both of which should be up on Xbox Live marketplace in the next week or two. Given that it's Fourth of July weekend, and the American staff are celebrating their unfortunate decision to distance themselves from Scotland (although I totally understand the bit about the tea and the English) you can expect things to happen at a less than lightning speed. But we're on it.

Lorraine literally just arrived back from Marvel's printer with the very first copy of the Halo Graphic Novel which goes on sale in July. We'll be launching it properly at the ComicCon in San Diego at the end of that month, and Bungie will be there in full force, signing stuff and having a blast.

Tom Doyle, Street Fighter III: Third Strike expert, and perhaps more importantly, weapons designer, is working on a bunch of new stuff I can't mention, but also on rebuilding olde Halo weapons to take advantage of the new engine and the new level of detail. Tom uses the Covenant sniper as an example, saying, "I wanted to go back and make everything better. The Covenant sniper is one of my favorite weapons - it just feels so powerful. I wanted to emphasize that in the new version, so we're adding some detail that will really show off the building energy in the weapon."

We're excited to announce a new project that we're working on for matchmaking playlists. We will be selecting various organization and communities to participate in a program which will produce playlists which are designed by the fans! As always, we will continue to gather feedback and make changes to our existing lineup, these fan created playlists will be temporary and their lifespan will be determined by popularity.

That means that your guys all have the chance to submit your clan, team or organization's list. We'll pick them based on roughly the same conditions as we do Humpday Challenges, that is to say, whatever and whoever we feel like .

The best part is that it's a democracy. If people like your list, we'll keep it up for longer and if they hate it, we'll yank it like it was Roseanne Barr singing the National Anthem live at the Apollo. This should be fun, and don't worry, we fully expect some terrible, terrible game types, including Tower of Power (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!)

This thing is a long way out and playlists take a long time to test, so don't hold your breath. We will however keep you up to date as the thing progresses.

We've gotten a lot of mails from kids thinking we banned them, when in fact, we haven't at all. If you guys see the following messages and they don't go away, you have not been banned. Rather, there's a problem with your Xbox Live connection, or possibly with your router.

"We've failed to update some configuration files required for matchmaking. Sign out of Xbox Live, then sign back in to fix this problem."

OR

"We're in the process of updating some configuration files. Please wait a moment, then try again."

If the messages persist and you can't connect, you need to call 1800 4my Xbox for help troubleshooting the issue. Again, it has nothing to do with Bungie or the Banhammer - it's a networking issue that is often easily resolved.

Another glimpse into the minds of Halo players who've been banned for cheating, modding and other naughty antics and as usual, they're neither happy nor terribly literate…

Do not put this on your site.

I would like you to un do my ban. I was not cheating you probley not going to belevie this anyway knowing the replys you post on your site but, My standby button witch I just found out had been hitting the top of a shelve under my computer. Thats all I want to tell you my gamer tag is [Withheld]. If you won't belevie me then thats ok if you don't I would a apreicate if you did not put this on your site.

Respectfully, [Gamertag Withheld for maximum apreicate]

We promise not to put this on our site.

Snitch!

i can name two guys i have played with who cheated
i am doing this because we were stand bying and i got banned. the other two didn't. one was bridging the other guy host who was stand bying. i was just in the party. im not trying to beg for my account back. i know that i was cheating and it was wrong. im just pissed that they didnt get caught when i did. here are their names [Hey man, on the streets, we don't snitch on each other. Besides, they were already caught.]

Snitch!

Chalange Accepted!

Dear Bungie

Why did You ban me from Mother ****** I did not do anything but chalange you

If you think that is right if i said you are going to jail. Is this because you are . i just want to play halo 2 and look on there website is that all. After that since i didn't do any thing you should add me to the team swat tornament

I am so mad because i didn't do anything

Well we won't unban you but we will try to add you to your imaginary "tornament."

Of course, fun stuff happens on the forums too. We occasionally give people a short break for offensive messages, or terms of use violations. They can still message us to protest, but it's funny how the first call of action is always to involve the Supreme Court.

The title of my post was MLG dont have skill......

You should READ IT and then fire the guy who banned me and/or un-ban me or I will take legal action for your company violating the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. As you will see I did not use any vulgar language or any other means of dicriminating words or anything. And if you decide to comply, please put my post back up so others can read and respond, thats why we live in America. If America acted like your moderators, ones that are drunk with power and use persoanl anger to rule, then this world would end in a very short time. I hope you use common sense when replying to this e-mail.

OK, we'll get right on it…

Sweary Mary

hey how about u dumbasses stop putting [censored] [censored] games on [censored] halo2. You have some of the [censored] ideas. instead of new games how about gettin off ur lazy asses and making new maps [censored]

Sadly, and I hope some parents and teachers are reading this - we often (and I mean dozens of times per day) receive emails that contain this kind of sentiment and language.

I Used to Think it Would Be Cool

About 6 months ago i modded my xbox because i thought that it would be cool to be able to jump in the air and fly around ect. my gamer tag is [withheld to protect privacy and because it's offensive] no quotes with the two spaces. about a month later i realized this wasnt fun to cheat and have people pretty much hate me. I never got my level up. I would just do custom games with friends. I took off my mods and have gotten rid of my xbox. i bought a 360 about a month ago and love it to death. i was just wondering if there was any way for me to get unbanned from halo 2 matchmaking. Because i have done something you guys try so hard to keep out and i realize that and am right there with you i dont care if you reset my stats and levels on any and all gametypes. I am asking you to please unban me and am also wondering if i will be able to play halo 3 matchmaking if you don't unban me. Thank you.

Nope.

The one where selling your old Xbox didn't save you in time.

I HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM MATCHMAKING !!!!!, IM REALLY MAD BECAUSE I BOUGHT A 360 JUST TO PLAY HALO2 AND UPCOMING HALO3 AND IVE BEEN BANNED!!!! I HAVENT DONE ANYTHING TO GET MYSELF BANNED, I HAVENT MODDED I CANT DO THAT, NOT ON THE 360 !!!!!!! I DONT HAVE AN XBOX THAT WHY I GOT A 360 !!!!!, I HAVE BEEN MATCHED WITH MODDERS ON THE SAME TEAM HAS ME!!, BUT IVE LEFT THE GAME WHEN I GOT PUT IN THE SAME PARTY HAS THEM!!!, WHY SHOULD I BE PERMENTLY BANNED FROM MATCHMAKING WHEN I DIDNT DO ANYTHING!!!! THAT IS BULLCRAP THAT I HAVE BEEN BANNED FOR SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NOT DONE!!!, I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS CAN REALLY FIX THIS, I REALLY HOPE IT WAS JUST A MISTAKE.... THEN THERS THIS OTHER THING, A BRIDGER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO LOGG ONTO MY PROFILE AND GET ME BANNED WITH THE IP ADDRESS THAT HE STOLE FROM ME IF I REPORTED HIM FROM CHEATING, I REPORTED HIM, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT HE DIDNT GET ME BANNED I DONT KNOW HOW, BUT I SHOULD NOT BE BANNED FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING......

Do you think it's fair to ignore a plea based solely on the ALL CAPS rule?

I didn't cheat only I did cheat but I didn't cheat. And I've been suspended frequently enough to expect things to go a certain way.

Yes, my Gamertag was suspended. Im not even going to whine or do anything, I know i did not standby and you guys aint going to belive me so whatever.
All im going to ask for is how long my Gamertag [withheld] is suspended from Halo 2 Matchmaking. Also what am i suspended for? If its suspended for cheating, then i used to cheat and i admit to that and i got suspended twice before but then i was done with standbying.
Now i get suspended a 3rd time and i've waited a week, how usually a suspension is and its ridiculous. Its not worth it to go "OMG DUDEZ, MY ACCOUNTZ IS LIKE SUSPENDED!!!!1111" Heh, well thanks.

ZOMG Dudez, You're welcome!

Homeschooled

I do not know if this is the right place but I need answers on a problem that keeps occuring. My son bought a 12 month account around February and set it up fine and played for a few hours, and within the first night he had it, the account was permanently suspended without any notices or any bans, it seems you jumped straight over everything right to permanent suspension. We spent numerous hours on the phone with microsoft trying to fix the problem and they linked it to Bungie. After a stressful week of trying to figure it out, I sent a message to Bungie and was told the same thing over and over again that Bungie couldnt help. Eventually Bungie responded saying they didnt know why his gamertag ********* was band and a little later, Bungie said he was suspended for playing on a modified x box, and my son knew nothing about cheating because he had just gotten live and played for 3 hours, and if you work off of feedback, how could he achieved so much cheating feedback in 3 hours when he was doing absolutely nothing wrong. So Bungie didnt do anything to reemberse the no reason suspension so we just decided to let it go. And by the way the xbox was bought new 4 months before and was not "modded" or fixed in any way. So we decided to give up from the lack of help. Then on easter, he recieved a two month account and played fine all the way until june 29, and again after no ban warnings or notices, he was permanetely suspended again, and once more he has not cheated or fixed his xbox in any way, and right after a payment was made to extend the account also. For some reason Bungie keeps suspending my sons account when he has done nothing or recieved any bans or warnings. I would like to know why he has been suspended again, why this keeps occuring, and why my money, used to buy your products, products that I have been told good of, is being wasted for no apparent reason. I would like these questions to be answered and i would like something to be done to make up for all the money and stressed that has been encountered while using your products. The second account to be suspended was

This one is especially hilarious because almost every single person on his friends' list was banned for modded content too. If he were innocent, he would be the only one on his friends' list who was. And if that's really his mom, I hope she's trusting it to the school system to teach him spelling and grammar…

Get it Back for Mew!

!!!! Why the hell was my account banned from x box live !!! it wasnt even my fault my friend .... well so called friend stole the memory card it was on please unban it this is ridicuals come on !!! what the hell i just want to play matchmaking on my account that i pay for and that he stole and runiend for me please get it back for mew in some sort of way!!!

Who is Mew?

My cousin's sister dropped it out of the window.

I'm not exactly sure i was suspended on halo 2...my gamertag is [Withheld for great shame]...i have played every game clean and legit. it may have been my cousin who was sheating...i guarentee if u check all the ip addresses that my gamertag has logged onto...you will find more than one...the most used one is my house...but as my cousins sister dropped his out of a widow, i let him borrow mine because i was away from home for a week. and when he comes over i let him play XBL in matchmaking because he is pretty good but i had no idea he was cheating until i asked him and he thought it was okay for him without asking me so please lift my suspension. i cannot go on halo 2 without matchmaking. i dont have many frinds so i cant really go anywhere so halo 2 is my form of fun and i cant do anything anymore because everyone else on my F/L are always in matchmaking and the only ones that do play with me are mean and leave after i start beating them by 3...so please consider lifting my suspension. not on my saying that i wasnt cheating, but that it was not me cheating...it was someone else. I for one hate cheaters with a passion. if u thnink about it. wouldnt i be higher than a 28 if i was cheating. i will help u find cheaters. if i could work for bungie. that would be my job because i hate cheaters so much that ill spend a whole day taking down one cheater if i have to. so please lift my suspension.

Most complicated use of family and accident thus far.

I Put my Gammer

ok i dout there is any thing you can do and if so o well. ok this happend a wile ago but i have not had the time to come here i had an xbox and it brock so i bout a used one because i did not have the monney to i gat home and put my gamertag on the xbox and when on live when i gat on it seid i was band from match making. i was wondering why. then i gat a xbox 360 a few days ago and put my gammer on there thinking it was just that xbox was wierd or something but it told me the same thing. i was just wondering if thiers any thing i can do? my gammertag is [withheld] thank you

p.s. sorry i cant spell im only 13

Well, at least you apologized for that spelling. Is this typical spelling for a 13-yeard old? Folks?

I'm Not Even Me!

Bungie, you guys should unban [withheld] because its not even my account. It is really one of my friends account. I took the softmods off my xbox but forgot to redownload the maps. Look at the stats, I was not cheating for rank, modding for rank is so stupid, I dont see the point. On other accounts I have modded for fun and to listen to the all the kid's reactions to getting modded. You guys need to focus on the bridgers, not the people who modify the maps for the fun of it, go after the peopole who mod so they can see a number go up. A bridger can get away with it for months but as so as I sign with mods that dont hurt anybodys rank, I get banned in a few hours. Look at nacho's scores and you will see I wasnt modding for rank. Besides Im playing on a dial-up connection so there was no way I could have gotten host so the mods didnt even matter.

Wow, it must have been a blast to play against a modder who was also using a dial up connection. In a very real way, Xbox Live is a worse place without you. I hope you figure out a way around the ban, so that you can make everyone's gameplay experience a tremendous joy again.

If Memory Serves me Well…

I have recently tried to play matchmaking after a 6 month hiatus. However, they said that I cannot play matchmaking because I am suspended. I have never re-called cheating ever, with the exception of my friend using stand-by on my account. I would like to know what's going on.

Have your "friend" buy you a new account.

And finally, here's a sneak peek at what will end up being the greatest Mister Chief of all times. This is just a corner. More will be revealed in July.