Modcast Episode 20 was probably the greatest podcast the world has ever – will ever – hear.
That, or it was CruelLEGACEY very graciously giving me the chance to talk about Reactive Bias and some things I’m really looking forward to in Halo 4.
Probably the latter.
Anyway, a HUGE thank you to Nevin for allowing me to be on and pretty much sent the agenda.
I could go lame and say, “I hope you have as much fun listening to this as we had recording it,” but I’m going to rest on higher ground:
“I hope you have as much fun listening to this as we had recording it.”
Enjoy – and be warned that the below points and quotes are unashamedly self-serving 🙂
Appreciated Points:
Waypoint Community Spotlight Feature – CL has started a “someone who’s doing really cool stuff” feature on Waypoint, and he’s looking to highlight members of the community. So bust out your creativity, because be it machinima, blogging or art, you could be featured.
If you’ve been sitting on ideas that you just haven’t put into motion yet there’s never been a better time. Seriously. With Halo 4 coming soon, best-selling books, first web series (Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn) – Halo is in the air and NOW is the time you can be heard! Huzzah!
Sorry – got a little carried away at the end there
What is Reactive Bias? Reactive Bias (reactivebias.wordpress.com) is my site, and what you’ll find there is the Halo Universe as seen through my point of view.
Writing about all the good times I have in that universe not only gives me a chance to sort through what they mean to me, but also lets them be remembered. The good times are always over so fast – but getting something down on (virtual) paper lets me hold on to them a little while longer.
If you’d like to know more check out my first post here and a run-down of what I write about here. Thanks!
I appreciated when CruelLEGACEY said that he never knew what he was going to get when he came to the site – it’s just whatever part of my brain Halo happens to hit on that day.
Art Corner – We waxed philosophical for a few moments and covered a lot of ground, including:
- Holding back – If you have any good ideas that you’re saving for a rainy day, stop saving and get them out there! That forces you to think of something even better, or to realize your idea wasn’t that good to begin with.
- Yeah, but you didn’t – CL’s mom makes her first appearance on the Modcast (in spirit, anyway) with this display of wisdom: visiting an art gallery, when someone beside would deride the art and say something like, “I could do that”, her response was “Yeah, but you didn’t.” In many ways, that’s what the difference between the people on display and those who are not is – they actually did what they said they were going to do.
- Practice makes better – When you keep producing content, you often learn more than if you would have worked on one thing for years and years. You learn more by getting something out there and getting feedback on it than just your own mind pouring over the same idea over and over. And speaking of feedback …
- Get’cha some feedback – One of best things about the Halo Community is the feedback it can give you; there’s a passion around this franchise and that means you’re going to get people out there who are looking to see you do well, no matter what part of the universe you’re involved in.
The Maps of Multiplayer – Halo 4 will be here before we know it and few things get me more excited about it then talking about the new multiplayer spaces – epic battles will be fought in various forms across the stars, and it’s a strength of Halo that I look to see continue in the next trilogy of games.
I love any map with snow on it, so “Longbow” is high on the list for me. It gets me excited for Big Team Battle, with the sizable landscape and the larger-scale battles and everything going crazy … man – Nov. 6 needs to get here!
That got us going on a discussion of maps across the franchise, and some of my favorite BTB maps have been “Avalanche” (Halo 3) and “Waterworks” (Halo 2).
The big maps let you take that breath before the action starts/stops, and that’s something I love about them – the anticipation of awesome.
CruelLEGACEY mentioned the waves of chaos and then silence, where both teams try to be sneaky in how they get creep over to get the flag.
“Ascension” (Halo 2) was a map he mentioned specifically as one where you tried to make the crazy happen – the banshee flying just over under the main part of the map and everyone trying to board it, but mostly ending up in oblivion. Nice!
A nemesis awaits – Based off a line from BS Angel in this bulletin, the idea of Chief being faced by a personal nemesis is exciting (a more in-depth post here) as this is something Halo hasn’t really had. The idea that the games star him but aren’t about him may be changing; will there be some kind of final fight? We’ll have to wait and see.
This let CL segue perfectly into one of the many reasons he loves Halo 2, and that’s the Arbiter/Tartarus conflict. They are truly a nemesis to the other, and it brought you into the story in a more personal way. Will the same thing happen with John-117?
And how will the Chief relate to the rest of the UNSC? He’s always been the soldier, making critical decisions but never in charge. Cruel wondered if the dynamic will still be the same in Halo 4 – how long will he be the savior of humanity before someone sees the respect he receives as a threat?
Abilities of Armor – As someone who uses Sprint nearly all the time, I’m looking to Halo 4 as my chance to get some more variety in the armor abilities I use.
LEGACEY brought up that using the abilities usually can only be at their best when the game is a team effort, and that’s hard to do with randoms.
It’s going to be great to see how their new takes on the abilities play out; I’m personally hoping for some kind of “Flying V” formation with the light shields.
Plays well with friends – With all this talk of multiplayer and how the game will be affected, who you play with is just as important. I gave a harrowing tale of caution when you think you’re playing with randoms and you’re not, and CL pointed out that when a random accidently splatters you it’s the end of the world, but when a friend does it’s hilarious. Truth.
So the goal should be to turn those randoms into friends, and CruelLEGACEY’s advice was to leave that mic on! Yes, you’ll have to wade through some crap to find them, but like-minded gamers are out there.
Look at it this way – each time you make a friend, it’s one less jerk you have to deal with.
The fresh smell of Spartan Ops – Everyone’s excited about all the sweet Spartan Op content heading our way, but how will they keep it fresh? CL had the answer – different enemies (even the factions), load out, and maps as well as changing up the objectives give you a lot of possibilities.
Add in the fact that you can go in to the mode with different groups of friends – who approach the game differently – and you’ve got fresh plate of variety served up hot. With bacon.
A Very Audio Cryptum– If you haven’t had a chance to read Cryptum yet, let me highly recommend the audio version. It’s great to let your mind wander as Greg Bear’s words gently drift through your ear holes, and you get a great sense of the grandness of the Forerunner existence before the games take place. Check it out if you can!
Next up – The next Halo Waypoint Community Spotlight Feature will highlight Dust and Echoes, so stay tuned. (If you were disappointed with this highlight, at least it won’t happen twice in a row 🙂 )
Quotes Worth Repeating:
“You guys know that’s not real, right?”
Talk about missing the point. I just listened to you spend the past half hour talk about the TV show you’re invested in
While we all rely on our coworkers, CruelLEGACEY reminds us of another fact – some of them just don’t get it
It’s never as perfect as when it’s in process
When you never finish something, that lets you imagine how amazing the project could be rather than finishing it and possibly being disappointed.
People are looking to give you feedback, and to give you real feedback – not “family reunion” feedback.
You know what I’m talking about – those questions you answer every year, followed by, “You know what you should do … “
“Big Snow” was the placeholder name; not a lot of people know that
Was it really?
No
If I got to pick the placeholder name, that’s what it would have been. CL said I should have stuck with it – he would’ve believed me
There was a devilish sense of humor in the design of some of those maps
CL referring to “Avalanche” and how the man-cannon’s launch you just right, both at the base and back so you can crush campers
I should be able to do something awesome here
Halo’s ability to make you think you can pull of craziness, and when you do it’s amazing
He [Master Chief] is the highest possible rank you can possibly be in the UNSC military while still being expendable
LEGACEY on a point I had never considered – will everyone in the UNSC be happy to see Chief survived?
I know I don’t use Armor Abilities to the best of … my … ability. Ugh. I’m sorry. That was not on purpose!
When_language_fails_us.com
I’m not good at the talkies
Flushtacular!
CL is the official announcer for the Latrine Duty game type for Spartan Ops. 343 can neither confirm nor deny the existence of such a mode at this time
They host the best podcast on the internet
Cruel’s take on Dust and Echoes – and it’s legit.
I don’t know if you heard that sigh? That was because I don’t have to deal with those threads.
CL was outlining all the work that would be coming his way when Halo 4 comes out, and I had to gently remind him how awesome it is that it’s not my problem
I’m not even going to play Halo 4 so my opinions will always be right
How do I plan to ensure my superiority over other’s opinions on Halo 4? See above quote
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Knightlys Nexus 