It is pretty good, the covenent and the humans have very few similarities in gameplay style, I like it.
What difficulty did you play it on - I found normal to be too easy, heroic seemed about right - I suspect there will be a legendary difficulty in the final game (which I have now pre-ordered =p)TheHorizon said:Beware of Halo Wars!
About the time I built my second base on the defeated Covenant base things got really really easy.
I hope this is overcome later in the game, as at that point the enemies were softer than butter. Melted in Mount Doom.
I see your point that it was made specifically for the controller, but my question is this: "Why not release it on the PC as well?" Ideally, game developers want to release their software on as many systems as possible, right? If a game is released for X-Box 360, PS3, and PC, then X-Box 360 gamers, PS3 gamers and PC gamers alike can all play the game. The only reasons that come to mind to not release a game on multiple platforms are red-tape issues (usually on "who owns the franchise") and if it costs too much money to modify the game to run on a different console.Anton P. Nym said:No. It's not.KeithA45 said:Seriously? Wow... =(curlycrouton said:Apologies for the rant, but which phenomenal retard decided that this game won't be released on PC? They clearly haven't thought this through.
I guess they're fore-going selling more copies and satisfying more customers to try to get convince people to play RTS games on a console. While I think CurlyCrouton comes on a bit strong, he's right: it's a stupid move.
The game was built from the ground up to use the controller and HD/SD TV displays. It was deliberately designed to be a console RTS, to be the RTS version of Goldeneye. Porting it to the PC both defeats that purpose and is probably going to make for an inferior experience for PC players. Besides, there are already so many PC RTS games out there that work just fine... releasing yet another one won't make nearly as big a splash as releasing a dedicated-to-console title.
But of course I doubt that pointing this out will change anyone's mind, because after all random forum posters who may or may not have graduated from high school yet know so much more about software design, UI engineering, and marketing than professionals in the field.
-- Steve
There's an auto-lock function that automatically locks your cursor onto whatever unit is close to it. Also, your cursor doesn't have to be directly over something, it just has to be near it. And you can use the D-Pad to instantly jump to one of your bases, your leader, or your units. I found it very easy after half an hour. I was playing as the covenant all last night. Got 2 scarabs, regret, and 8 constructors.Sweep117 said:Yes. Halo Wars was good. Not great, but good. The controls were better than I expected. Using a joystick to control the cursor across the screen does not begin to compare with a mouse in your hand but it works well enough. I find I have to tone the speed down so it's humanly possible to stop on a specific unit but it's cool.
Yea, it's one of the best RTS games I've ever played simple because I can form an army of super powerful hunters with the lasers from Halo 3 or I can have 2 scarabs. And I can use an orbital bombardement that puts the mac gun to shame since you can use it as long as you have resources. I took both of the neutral bases on either side of the map, upgraded them to citadels (largest base available), and put blessed warehouses (upgraded Warehouses) on every build slot. Then I set up a blockade with the 2 scarabs and just waited. Once I had enough resources, I started sending regret around to the enemy base to use the orbital bombardment. When it was too much for him to handle (which only happened a few times), I used the d-pad to center my camera on the base, then I made him teleport back to the grav-lift where the constructors healed him in seconds and he was off again.Sweep117 said:Aside from the controls, which, it seems, is the only real complaint people have had, it's fantastic. Any Halo fan who also enjoys RTSs(namely, me) will love it. The levels are well constructed and the various units/unit options are pretty well rounded.
I never mixed up the right and left bumpers when I was playing. Also, whenever you select any group of mixed unit types, you can cycle through them one by one using the right trigger and issue commands to just a certain group of units at a time. You don't have to select them manually, just select local units and then select whatever unit you want with the right trigger. It's easy. Hope that helped.Sweep117 said:One thing I really don't like about it is the lack of the ability to form my own units. For example, in AoE, I could make a unit of twenty infantry and assign it to the #2 key, make a unit of cavalry and assign it to the #3 key, and so on... The "Select All Units" and "Select Local Units" options get annoying. If I post some Marines to guard my main base, I don't want them to trudge across half the map to help take out a few Grunts when I have a Warthog or two much closer. I think that if they had given a trigger the same use as the CTRL key when selecting files on a computer, if could've helped out a lot.
Yea, that or selecting all local units or all units and then selecting the unit type you want with the right trigger. Ensemble have done a great job with the controls. If someone doesn't like them, it means they don't understand how to use them fully.Kuweekee said:If you hold your cursor over a unit and you doubletap the A button, you will get all the units of that type, so that wasn't really an issue for me.Sweep117 said:One thing I really don't like about it is the lack of the ability to form my own units. For example, in AoE, I could make a unit of twenty infantry and assign it to the #2 key, make a unit of cavalry and assign it to the #3 key, and so on... The "Select All Units" and "Select Local Units" options get annoying. If I post some Marines to guard my main base, I don't want them to trudge across half the map to help take out a few Grunts when I have a Warthog or two much closer. I think that if they had given a trigger the same use as the CTRL key when selecting files on a computer, if could've helped out a lot.
The only thing that I had a problem with control wise was the circle to select units, it's not big enough and when you want to enlarge it you have to move your screen. But that could also be because I'm used to dragging around the units to select them.
Or maybe Microsoft (who are publishing the game) told them to make it 360 exclusive to sell more Xbox's?KeithA45 said:The only thing that comes to mind would be an attempt to push gamers to play RTS games on the 360, and if that's true then they're sacrificing profit for a political move. That's what I was trying to say before that seems just well... the only word I can think of is stupid.
Yes, you'll switch back and forth between the UNSC, Covenant, and possibly, the flood. The Covenant are also available for play in skirmishes and multiplayer. Try out a few skirmishes as the covenant to see how they play. I think they're the most fun since they get hunters which are powerful against everything except air units. They're invincible against anything other than air units, it's crazy awesome.-bladerunner- said:Played it and it looks great however I am concerned that you only get to play as the UNSC. Will you be able to play as any other factions in the game? This may be it's one weak point as I thought the rest was brilliant.
Actually, they aren't sacrificing anything. This will be what pushes a lot of people to get their first 360's. That will pay off in the long term. If the 360 is the first console to have a truly solid and streamlined RTS, people will want in on it. The part where said RTS lets you rampage around the map with 2 scarabs, 16 hunters (8 pairs of bond brothers), and the prophet of Regret in a hover throne or whatever other combination of units from Banshees to Ghosts to Wraiths to Jackals to Elite Honor Guard troops (energy swords and cloaks) certainly helps out. So does the part where said RTS is a truly awesome game.KeithA45 said:The only thing that comes to mind would be an attempt to push gamers to play RTS games on the 360, and if that's true then they're sacrificing profit for a political move. That's what I was trying to say before that seems just well... the only word I can think of is stupid.
Yea, just think of all the DLC those people will buy. All the 360 games they'll get, think about all those Xbox Live subscriptions, name changes, etc... This will pay off in the long term.D_987 said:Or maybe Microsoft (who are publishing the game) told them to make it 360 exclusive to sell more Xbox's?KeithA45 said:The only thing that comes to mind would be an attempt to push gamers to play RTS games on the 360, and if that's true then they're sacrificing profit for a political move. That's what I was trying to say before that seems just well... the only word I can think of is stupid.
Same reason Goldeneye or Jet Force Gemini were never released on the PC. They were entirely designed for a controller. It wouldn't be just translating the code and mapping a few controls, they would need to entirely redesign the user interface. It is a lot of work to port a game, it is essentially taking code from one programming language and writing equivalent code in a different language. Not devoting resources to that means that more people can focus on making the game better in general. Some lost profit is worth making a better product to developers (well, the benefits of improved reputation are null in this case but at least the creators will be happy).KeithA45 said:I see your point that it was made specifically for the controller, but my question is this: "Why not release it on the PC as well?"
Gah! They're called Engineers (or Huragok), not constructors.Eipok Kruden said:There's an auto-lock function that automatically locks your cursor onto whatever unit is close to it. Also, your cursor doesn't have to be directly over something, it just has to be near it. And you can use the D-Pad to instantly jump to one of your bases, your leader, or your units. I found it very easy after half an hour. I was playing as the covenant all last night. Got 2 scarabs, truth, and 8 constructors.Sweep117 said:Yes. Halo Wars was good. Not great, but good. The controls were better than I expected. Using a joystick to control the cursor across the screen does not begin to compare with a mouse in your hand but it works well enough. I find I have to tone the speed down so it's humanly possible to stop on a specific unit but it's cool.
Yea, it's one of the best RTS games I've ever played simple because I can form an army of super powerful hunters with the lasers from Halo 3 or I can have 2 scarabs. And I can use an orbital bombardement that puts the mac gun to shame since you can use it as long as you have resources. I took both of the neutral bases on either side of the map, upgraded them to citadels (largest base available), and put blessed warehouses (upgraded Warehouses) on every build slot. Then I set up a blockade with the 2 scarabs and just waited. Once I had enough resources, I started sending truth around to the enemy base to use the orbital bombardment. When it was too much for him to handle (which only happened a few times), I used the d-pad to center my camera on the base, then I made him teleport back to the grav-lift where the constructors healed him in seconds and he was off again.Sweep117 said:Aside from the controls, which, it seems, is the only real complaint people have had, it's fantastic. Any Halo fan who also enjoys RTSs(namely, me) will love it. The levels are well constructed and the various units/unit options are pretty well rounded.
I never mixed up the right and left bumpers when I was playing. Also, whenever you select any group of mixed unit types, you can cycle through them one by one using the right trigger and issue commands to just a certain group of units at a time. You don't have to select them manually, just select local units and then select whatever unit you want with the right trigger. It's easy. Hope that helped.Sweep117 said:One thing I really don't like about it is the lack of the ability to form my own units. For example, in AoE, I could make a unit of twenty infantry and assign it to the #2 key, make a unit of cavalry and assign it to the #3 key, and so on... The "Select All Units" and "Select Local Units" options get annoying. If I post some Marines to guard my main base, I don't want them to trudge across half the map to help take out a few Grunts when I have a Warthog or two much closer. I think that if they had given a trigger the same use as the CTRL key when selecting files on a computer, if could've helped out a lot.
Or a subset of your second point; if, in order to make the gameplay satisfying on the new platform, the game would have to be so substantially changed that it might as well be an independant title.KeithA45 said:The only reasons that come to mind to not release a game on multiple platforms are red-tape issues (usually on "who owns the franchise") and if it costs too much money to modify the game to run on a different console.
They look like reverse engineered forerunner constructors with new AI protocols and purple paintjobs in the game, lol. And you can't zoom in close enough to see well. But right, they're Huragoks. Although they were also developed by forerunners, just like the constructors. Except the Huragoks are genetically engineered and the constructors are mechanically engineered. I know too much... Sometimes I scare myselfEldritch Warlord said:Gah! They're called Engineers (or Huragok), not constructors.Eipok Kruden said:There's an auto-lock function that automatically locks your cursor onto whatever unit is close to it. Also, your cursor doesn't have to be directly over something, it just has to be near it. And you can use the D-Pad to instantly jump to one of your bases, your leader, or your units. I found it very easy after half an hour. I was playing as the covenant all last night. Got 2 scarabs, truth, and 8 constructors.Sweep117 said:Yes. Halo Wars was good. Not great, but good. The controls were better than I expected. Using a joystick to control the cursor across the screen does not begin to compare with a mouse in your hand but it works well enough. I find I have to tone the speed down so it's humanly possible to stop on a specific unit but it's cool.
Yea, it's one of the best RTS games I've ever played simple because I can form an army of super powerful hunters with the lasers from Halo 3 or I can have 2 scarabs. And I can use an orbital bombardement that puts the mac gun to shame since you can use it as long as you have resources. I took both of the neutral bases on either side of the map, upgraded them to citadels (largest base available), and put blessed warehouses (upgraded Warehouses) on every build slot. Then I set up a blockade with the 2 scarabs and just waited. Once I had enough resources, I started sending truth around to the enemy base to use the orbital bombardment. When it was too much for him to handle (which only happened a few times), I used the d-pad to center my camera on the base, then I made him teleport back to the grav-lift where the constructors healed him in seconds and he was off again.Sweep117 said:Aside from the controls, which, it seems, is the only real complaint people have had, it's fantastic. Any Halo fan who also enjoys RTSs(namely, me) will love it. The levels are well constructed and the various units/unit options are pretty well rounded.
I never mixed up the right and left bumpers when I was playing. Also, whenever you select any group of mixed unit types, you can cycle through them one by one using the right trigger and issue commands to just a certain group of units at a time. You don't have to select them manually, just select local units and then select whatever unit you want with the right trigger. It's easy. Hope that helped.Sweep117 said:One thing I really don't like about it is the lack of the ability to form my own units. For example, in AoE, I could make a unit of twenty infantry and assign it to the #2 key, make a unit of cavalry and assign it to the #3 key, and so on... The "Select All Units" and "Select Local Units" options get annoying. If I post some Marines to guard my main base, I don't want them to trudge across half the map to help take out a few Grunts when I have a Warthog or two much closer. I think that if they had given a trigger the same use as the CTRL key when selecting files on a computer, if could've helped out a lot.
I'm going to pre-order once I get the chance.D_987 said:Anyone pre-ordered? - you might as well get the limited edition which actually looks worth the extra £10. Especially if you play Halo 3.
I don't think anybody is going to buy a 360 because of Halo Wars. Unless someone is obsessed with the Halo IP (In which case they should already have a 360), they'll easily be satisfied with PC RTS's and not require a 360.D_987 said:Or maybe Microsoft (who are publishing the game) told them to make it 360 exclusive to sell more Xbox's?KeithA45 said:The only thing that comes to mind would be an attempt to push gamers to play RTS games on the 360, and if that's true then they're sacrificing profit for a political move. That's what I was trying to say before that seems just well... the only word I can think of is stupid.