Official Halo 2 Thread

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-11-12 11:32am

Clone Sergeant wrote: -Hunters: Almost unfairly hard to kill. Shooting them in the soft flesh doesn't kill them any more. They can actually melee attack enemies behind them. They are a serious threat when they show up in a battle. Plus the fuel rod gun they carry is a contiuous beam now and they tend to use it the less.

They are still fairly easily to handle, since you can jump clear over the top of them. And the backwards lunge is trivial to avoid, just dont try the old trick which worked in Halo 1.

Keep close enough that they dont use their beam weapon, but far enough away so they dont hit you with their melee attack. Obstacles are very important in not getting ripped the shreads by those beam weapons.

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2004-11-12 07:28pm

Delurk:

It's old hat, but by now you should know you can unlock a new MP level ("Foundation", a really cool "Wizard"-like level in Chicago) by beating the last level of the game (use Easy to make it quick and painless).

If that doesn't work because of some coding errors Bungie had, create a new profile and co-op with yours that's beaten the game, and ONLY let the new player into the banshee, not the old one. Don't boost or barrel roll or loop until the "tutorial" thingy tells you you can do it, and make sure to do all the actions at least once after it tells you to [IE- act like you can't fly the banshee well without the turotial]. Beat the game, and it'll usually appear.

More interesting and newer are rumors of other levels that come from beating it on Heroic or Legendary using the same methods. I'll investigate the Heroic one, but Legendary on Co-Op is almost impossible without 2 halo vets and lots of backtracking for ammo.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2004-11-12 08:28pm

Has anyone been looking at the online stats that are available on bungie.net?

There's some real cool play by play breakdowns of all your matches, shows a graphical overview of the level, with who killed who, where, and what with, yuo can zoom in to show various other game areas.

Hell, I'm just playing matches at the moment precisely so I can geek out over what happened (and I've even got a few wins, but I'm still only rank 3-4)

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-11-12 08:39pm

Okay, double Brute Plasma Rifles = sex. Seriously, I picked 'em up at the start of the MC Covie ship level, and just kept replacing them as they got down low... only switched to my sword for a couple charging Brutes, and to blast some Hunters with rockets.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-11-13 12:24am

Dammit, this game is so fucking addictive. The multiplayer is ridiculously better.

BlkbrryTheGreat · Post by **BlkbrryTheGreat** » 2004-11-15 12:22am

Joe wrote:Dammit, this game is so fucking addictive. The multiplayer is ridiculously better.

Actually, I find that SP was more enjoyable.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-11-15 03:35am

I'm sick of the Flood. I wish they hadn't shown up in this version; now we have a situation where the galaxy is seemingly littered with countless Forerunner installations, all of which seem to contain the Flood. It's a wonder the fuckers weren't released before.

They could have made the story arc work just fine without the Flood, by simply replacing them with some rebellious splinter group of the Covenant. I'm sick of those goddamned puffers, I'm sick of those annoying bug-things, I'm sick of those gutteral growling sounds and mindless swarming attacks.

Did I mention that I'm sick of the Flood?

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-11-15 07:38am

Apparently, Legendary mode has a new type of Elite with silver armor which is damn near unkillable. Stuck a plasma grenade? All you've done is piss him off. It took two rockets to the chest just to bring this bastard's shield down, and then he STILL killed me.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-11-15 08:17am

Losonti Tokash wrote:Apparently, Legendary mode has a new type of Elite with silver armor which is damn near unkillable. Stuck a plasma grenade? All you've done is piss him off. It took two rockets to the chest just to bring this bastard's shield down, and then he STILL killed me.

Those arent just in Legendary. I ran into one of the suckers in normal difficulty. Thankfully it was just one. I bet you run into a lot more of them in the higher difficulties were that one is in normal.

Darth Wong wrote:I'm sick of the Flood. I wish they hadn't shown up in this version; now we have a situation where the galaxy is seemingly littered with countless Forerunner installations, all of which seem to contain the Flood. It's a wonder the fuckers weren't released before.

They could have made the story arc work just fine without the Flood, by simply replacing them with some rebellious splinter group of the Covenant. I'm sick of those goddamned puffers, I'm sick of those annoying bug-things, I'm sick of those gutteral growling sounds and mindless swarming attacks.

Did I mention that I'm sick of the Flood?

The flood are anoying. Shielded flood is just plain wrong. Thankfully there are large chunks of the game with no Flood.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-11-15 08:23am

If Halo 3 is made, they'll definitely be back, unfortunately.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-11-15 08:26am

Joe wrote:If Halo 3 is made, they'll definitely be back, unfortunately.

Hell, they are practically the crux of the tale after a point. I mean each and every HALO out there is nothing more then a lovable colony of these little critters running around in.

I liked the whole Covenant breaking down around their ears above the return of the space ameboas.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-11-15 09:56am

ggs wrote:
Losonti Tokash wrote:Apparently, Legendary mode has a new type of Elite with silver armor which is damn near unkillable. Stuck a plasma grenade? All you've done is piss him off. It took two rockets to the chest just to bring this bastard's shield down, and then he STILL killed me.
Those arent just in Legendary. I ran into one of the suckers in normal difficulty. Thankfully it was just one. I bet you run into a lot more of them in the higher difficulties were that one is in normal.

Oh, I remember fighting the Ultraelite on the Scarab on normal, but even then he wasn't capable of taking a direct hit from the rocket launcher. It's freaking ridiculous how hard the game is, and how the description actually fits the difficulty: "your opponents laugh in alien tongues at your pitiful attempts to survive. This is suicide." Something like that, haven't actually looked at it in a while.

Not sure if I like what they did with the co-op, though (if one person is killed you go back to the checkpoint, no respawning like in Halo 1).

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-11-15 11:17am

The no respawn is for legendary only, apparently.

As for the Flood... why did they keep them on all the Halos, if the point of Halo was to eliminate the Flood? Isn't that counter-intuitive?

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2004-11-15 11:35am

That ending was somewaht between really cool.. and something so annoying that it should be put down.. grrr...

*points at Bungie HQ* "May you be ripped to shreds by a hord of rabid Haloites!!!!"

also: could somone teach those Hunters what the use of a door is?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-11-15 12:06pm

As for the Flood... why did they keep them on all the Halos, if the point of Halo was to eliminate the Flood? Isn't that counter-intuitive?

There are a number of theories as to why the Flood was kept around...one is that the Flood is nigh impossible to completely wipe out, even with the Halos. The Halos were supposedly fired eons ago, but the Flood was not eradicated. So the correct way to do control the Flood is not to attempt to destroy them, but to contain them and starve them out, something that the Halos and the Forerunner installations were doing quite well until the events of Halo. Also, to properly control the Flood, you need to be able to study and observe them to find out what works best, so obviously you have to keep some of them around, which might be why Guilty Spark was glad that some of them survived. Of course these theories have holes in them and there is no real satisfying explanation as to why the Flood was kept around.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-11-15 12:16pm

Losonti Tokash wrote:Oh, I remember fighting the Ultraelite on the Scarab on normal, but even then he wasn't capable of taking a direct hit from the rocket launcher. It's freaking ridiculous how hard the game is, and how the description actually fits the difficulty: "your opponents laugh in alien tongues at your pitiful attempts to survive. This is suicide." Something like that, haven't actually looked at it in a while..

This wasnt the Ultraelite on the Scarab. But one of the Elites in all white from the Mausoleum of the Arbiter.

I emptied a clip of a Fuel Rod Cannon(~6 shots), a 1/2 of my plasma rifle clip and then finally tagged him with a plasma grenade. He took a lot of killing.

And that was on normal difficulty.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-11-15 12:35pm

Joe wrote:There are a number of theories as to why the Flood was kept around...one is that the Flood is nigh impossible to completely wipe out, even with the Halos. The Halos were supposedly fired eons ago, but the Flood was not eradicated. So the correct way to do control the Flood is not to attempt to destroy them, but to contain them and starve them out, something that the Halos and the Forerunner installations were doing quite well until the events of Halo.

That makes no sense; if they had them all contained, they could easily incinerate them and wipe them out forever. No, they had some perverse motive behind keeping some of the Flood around.

Also, to properly control the Flood, you need to be able to study and observe them to find out what works best, so obviously you have to keep some of them around, which might be why Guilty Spark was glad that some of them survived.

Actually, he said he was glad that some of the Forerunners survived, not the Flood. And if you exterminate them, you obviously eliminate the need to work up more countermeasures against them. Besides, they must have already had time to extensively study them if they could build 7 of these giant Halo structures just to kill them.

Of course these theories have holes in them and there is no real satisfying explanation as to why the Flood was kept around.

On that we can certainly agree.

FireNexus · Post by **FireNexus** » 2004-11-15 01:52pm

Is it just me or does Halo have some hardcore biblical references to it? The ark, the covenant, the flood, even Halo itself. Apparently humans are forerunners. It seems to me that the story of the great flood in the haloverse, along with the ark, has some truth. But the flood wasn't water...

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-11-15 03:32pm

Darth Wong wrote:That makes no sense; if they had them all contained, they could easily incinerate them and wipe them out forever. No, they had some perverse motive behind keeping some of the Flood around.

Trouble is, the Forerunner didn't have an easy time killing the Flood. GS tells the Arbiter that the Halos were a last resort and were only fired after all other strategic options had been exhausted. Of course, he doesn't bother to tell you what they tried before committing suicide. As for why the Flood are on all these Forerunner installations, there's several theories. One could be that the Gravemind knew what they were for and tried to stop them by swarming over them with every Flood in the galaxy. Also, the Flood may have flocked to them after they were fired in an attempt to find more hosts (after all, if you can't find your enemies at their fortresses, where else will they be?). The latter seems more likely, since the Flood do appear to have a group consciousness. IMHO, they're both bullshit until Bungie explains it, but whatever.

Actually, he said he was glad that some of the Forerunners survived, not the Flood. And if you exterminate them, you obviously eliminate the need to work up more countermeasures against them. Besides, they must have already had time to extensively study them if they could build 7 of these giant Halo structures just to kill them.

I personally think GS is way too vague when he says that. IIRC, it's not clear from the context since he wildly jumps between subjects (going insane might do that to you). Also, HBO has at least 3 different theories on that one that are somewhat plausible.

Agent Fisher · Post by **Agent Fisher** » 2004-11-15 03:57pm

FireNexus wrote:Is it just me or does Halo have some hardcore biblical references to it? The ark, the covenant, the flood, even Halo itself. Apparently humans are forerunners. It seems to me that the story of the great flood in the haloverse, along with the ark, has some truth. But the flood wasn't water...

Yes it does.

VF5SS · Post by **VF5SS** » 2004-11-15 04:02pm

Well, at least the Flood are the coolest space zombies you could ever hope to fight =D

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2004-11-15 04:31pm

Supposedly, since Elites are promoted based on their kill ratios against the enemy, the Praetor you see in High Charity (Was that the level name? For clarification, the Praetors are the silver ones with the headdresses that whisper to eachother during the Council meeting in the first Cutscene.) must be the most badass Elite ever.
Still doesn't matter, through, because I saw him, flipped out, and went hog wild with the Plasma Nades and the Sword before he even got done noticing me. Thankfully it was on Normal mode.
Is said Silver Elite in the last MC level better or worse than the Uber White Elites?

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2004-11-15 07:33pm

MRDOD wrote:Is said Silver Elite in the last MC level better or worse than the Uber White Elites?

See my post above about it taking rockets to the face and being pissed.

thecreech · Post by **thecreech** » 2004-11-17 03:02pm

Sorry i am coming in late to this but i haven't had much of a chance to play Halo 2 yet. I must say that i love the way the story is being told ( haven't finished it yet) and second CTF on Water Works is so much fun its not even funny. Anyone else select the option of not allowing the flag carrier to drive vehicals. It is fucking hard to get the flag to the base. It once took me 20 minutes to get from one base to the other because i was hiding so damn much. Most intense. Anyone elses thoughts?

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2004-11-18 04:38am

Finaly got my hands on the game, three hours later I'm on the second BIG 0 and pissed as hell they did not start bombarding it the second they saw it