7 March 2008 Link to this update Original B.net link Return to main page

<<

17 June 2011 10 June 2011 3 June 2011 27 May 2011 6 May 2011 29 April 2011 22 April 2011 15 April 2011 8 April 2011 1 April 2011 25 March 2011 18 March 2011 11 March 2011 4 March 2011 25 February 2011 18 February 2011 11 February 2011 4 February 2011 28 January 2011 21 January 2011 14 January 2011 7 January 2011 17 December 2010 10 December 2010 3 December 2010 19 November 2010 12 November 2010 5 November 2010 29 October 2010 22 October 2010 15 October 2010 8 October 2010 1 October 2010 24 September 2010 17 September 2010 10 September 2010 3 September 2010 27 August 2010 20 August 2010 12 August 2010 6 August 2010 30 July 2010 23 July 2010 16 July 2010 9 July 2010 2 July 2010 25 June 2010 18 June 2010 11 June 2010 4 June 2010 28 May 2010 21 May 2010 14 May 2010 7 May 2010 30 April 2010 23 April 2010 16 April 2010 9 April 2010 2 April 2010 26 March 2010 19 March 2010 12 March 2010 5 March 2010 26 February 2010 19 February 2010 12 February 2010 5 February 2010 29 January 2010 22 January 2010 15 January 2010 8 January 2010 18 December 2009 11 December 2009 4 December 2009 20 November 2009 13 November 2009 6 November 2009 30 October 2009 23 October 2009 16 October 2009 9 October 2009 2 October 2009 25 September 2009 18 September 2009 11 September 2009 4 September 2009 28 August 2009 21 August 2009 14 August 2009 7 August 2009 31 July 2009 24 July 2009 17 July 2009 10 July 2009 3 July 2009 26 June 2009 19 June 2009 12 June 2009 5 June 2009 29 May 2009 22 May 2009 15 May 2009 8 May 2009 1 May 2009 24 April 2009 17 April 2009 10 April 2009 3 April 2009 27 March 2009 20 March 2009 13 March 2009 6 March 2009 27 February 2009 20 February 2009 13 February 2009 6 February 2009 30 January 2009 23 January 2009 16 January 2009 9 January 2009 2 January 2009 26 December 2008 19 December 2008 12 December 2008 21 November 2008 14 November 2008 7 November 2008 31 October 2008 24 October 2008 17 October 2008 10 October 2008 3 October 2008 26 September 2008 18 September 2008 12 September 2008 5 September 2008 29 August 2008 22 August 2008 15 August 2008 8 August 2008 1 August 2008 25 July 2008 18 July 2008 11 July 2008 3 July 2008 27 June 2008 20 June 2008 13 June 2008 6 June 2008 30 May 2008 23 May 2008 16 May 2008 9 May 2008 2 May 2008 25 April 2008 18 April 2008 11 April 2008 4 April 2008 28 March 2008 21 March 2008 14 March 2008 7 March 2008 29 February 2008 22 February 2008 15 February 2008 8 February 2008 1 February 2008 18 January 2008 11 January 2008 4 January 2008 21 December 2007 14 December 2007 7 December 2007 30 November 2007 16 November 2007 9 November 2007 2 November 2007 26 October 2007 19 October 2007 12 October 2007 5 October 2007 28 September 2007 21 September 2007 14 September 2007 7 September 2007 31 August 2007 24 August 2007 17 August 2007 10 August 2007 3 August 2007 27 July 2007 20 July 2007 13 July 2007 6 July 2007 29 June 2007 22 June 2007 15 June 2007 8 June 2007 1 June 2007 25 May 2007 18 May 2007 11 May 2007 4 May 2007 27 April 2007 20 April 2007 13 April 2007 6 April 2007 30 March 2007 23 March 2007 16 March 2007 9 March 2007 2 March 2007 23 February 2007 16 February 2007 9 February 2007 2 February 2007 26 January 2007 19 January 2007 12 January 2007 5 January 2007 29 December 2006 22 December 2006 15 December 2006 8 December 2006 1 December 2006 17 November 2006 10 November 2006 3 November 2006 27 October 2006 20 October 2006 13 October 2006 8 October 2006 29 September 2006 22 September 2006 15 September 2006 8 September 2006 1 September 2006 25 August 2006 18 August 2006 11 August 2006 4 August 2006 28 July 2006 21 July 2006 14 July 2006 7 July 2006 30 June 2006 23 June 2006 16 June 2006 9 June 2006 2 June 2006 26 May 2006 19 May 2006 12 May 2006 5 May 2006 28 April 2006 21 April 2006 14 April 2006 7 April 2006 2 April 2006 31 March 2006 24 March 2006 17 March 2006 10 March 2006 3 March 2006 24 February 2006 17 February 2006 10 February 2006 3 February 2006 27 January 2006 13 January 2006 6 January 2006 16 December 2005 9 December 2005 2 December 2005 18 November 2005 11 November 2005 4 November 2005 28 October 2005 21 October 2005 14 October 2005 7 October 2005 30 September 2005 23 September 2005 16 September 2005 9 September 2005 2 September 2005 26 August 2005 19 August 2005 12 August 2005 5 August 2005 29 July 2005 22 July 2005 15 July 2005 8 July 2005 1 July 2005 17 June 2005 10 June 2005 3 June 2005 27 May 2005 20 May 2005 13 May 2005 6 May 2005 29 April 2005 22 April 2005 15 April 2005 8 April 2005 1 April 2005 25 March 2005 18 March 2005 11 March 2005 4 March 2005 25 February 2005 18 February 2005 11 February 2005 4 February 2005 28 January 2005 23 January 2005 14 January 2005 7 January 2005 30 December 2004 17 December 2004 10 December 2004 3 December 2004 19 November 2004 12 November 2004

>>

Bungie Weekly Update: 3/07/08

Posted by lukems at 3/7/2008 4:28 PM PST

In this week's Weekly Update you will not find:

• An announcement of Bungie's next project
• The unveiling of a never-before seen map
• A series of 60-word teases, tickles and vagaries about maps you haven't seen and won't see for many moons
• New Screenshots from Ghost Town, Moonlight Sonata or Cotton Balls
• Apparently too subtle interviews about the evolution of a control scheme that gives insight into Bungie's workflow and creative process
• Announcement of a relationship between Bungie and some near-equally rad company
• Pictures of cats
• Mister Chief
  

The Ides of March

Earlier this week, we detailed a bunch of changes that slammed face first into Matchmaking. Here's a quick retread of the changelist and what that should mean to players.

• Fixed map exploit on The Pit
• Fixed map exploit on Construct
• Fixed map exploit on Epitaph
• Reduced Ranked Big Team Battle "Large party" size to six players and increased Big Team threshold to two*
• Fixed Spartan Laser occasionally falling through map on Sandtrap
• Fixes to matchmaking to allow more even leveling for players
• Disabled Mixed Skill restrictions for RBTB and Team Slayer**

*The reduction in "Large Party" size for Ranked Big Team battle does not affect the total amount of players in a given game, but rather is a change to the system and what it "considers" a big party. A few weeks ago we changed that number to seven and found that it did not decrease matching times significantly, and so we're adjusting that number. Ultimately, we want to have Ranked Big Team evolve into a playlist where you go as a large team to fight other large teams -- now we've changed the system so that Large Teams are considered parties of six or more instead of seven or more.

We've adjusted the threshold to allow teams of six to now match with teams of six, seven, and eight players, where before, an eight-player team would only match against a team of seven or eight, now an eight player will match against a six, seven or eight player team. We're still keeping some restriction because we don't want the Ranked Experience to be a bunch of "organized teams" steamrolling a collection of solo players. We hope that these two changes (along with the below change) will improve the Ranked Big Team matching experience. We'll be monitoring this closely, going forward.

**Parties are considered "Mixed Skill" when there is a spread between the highest skill and lowest skill is greater than 10 levels. In matchmaking, when your party has mixed skill the system tries to match you up with similarly mixed skill parties. Now, in Ranked Big Team and Team Slayer when your party is "Mixed" you will be able to match against parties that do not have "mixed skills" associated with them.

A bunch of folks asked about the "fixes to matchmaking to allow more even leveling for players" and since we didn't give an asterisk'd explanation of it here's some more information on that change:

Previously, the Skill assessment system (the one that is determining your rank) would devalue games that took place in Mixed Skill conditions to discourage the rapid boosting that was pretty prevalent in Halo 2. In a Mixed Skill scenario the value of the game quality (think of it like the amount of points you'd "earn" toward your next level) was previously 1/100^th of what it would be in a situation where you were not in a Mixed Party. The net result of this is extremely slow advancement of the displayed Skill.

The fix significantly eases the restrictions on Mixed Parties, meaning that players will level quicker than they were previously.

Right now, folks are online playing Grifball - the RvB-Forged game and map variant in one of our new DoubleXP Weekend Playlists. As previously stated, you do need to have acquired the Heroic Map Pack in order to play in this week's DoubleXP Weekend playlist. This month's second DoubleXP weekend, Team SWAT (beginning March 20^th at noon) will not require the Heroic Map Pack.

Each week (beginning late next week and continuing through March) here on Bungie.net we'll have new information, images and details from the rest of the Legendary Map pack.

It's Raining Maps

We're not announcing a specific date just yet, hints, allegations and things left unsaid are still hanging in the air like the echo of a bad chorus from a Collective Soul song, but the Legendary Map Pack, which includes the recently-discussed Ghost Town will be coming to Xbox Live Marketplace soon.

Additionally, once the Heroic Map Pack becomes free, we've decided that in order to increase the frequency of appearance for these maps in regular matchmaking - there's no way to "force" all players to download the maps, but we can limit access to hoppers based on content detected on your Xbox - players will be required to have the Heroic DLC maps in order to access the following announced playlists: Ranked BTB, Social BTB, Team Slayer and Rocket Race.

We're ramping up the DoubleXP weekends in March and continuing that trend in April and pending the success of Grifball and SWAT, it's a safe bet that both of those gametypes will see returns. Additionally, folks have asked to see a weekend of Infection return and right this very moment we're trying to find some good community Zombie maps that we could possibly incorporate (feel free to shoot me a PM here on Bungie.net if you have a particularly devious Infection map).

In the frothy wake of the Legendary Map Pack's  release, we'll be launching a weekend-long DoubleXP playlist that requires the Legendary DLC for the experience.

Just like Grifball is and SWAT will be, these DoubleXP Weekend playlists are also another opportunity to receive the Reconnaissance Raiment.

---

A few weeks ago we pointed users to MLG's first ever ESPN Halo 3 Top 10 and we were interested in Strongside's creation of the Halo 3 Spawn Trap (it's number two on the countdown and in Bungie Favorites right now [slot 14]), was the film an exposure of a bug? Multiplayer designer Tyson Green investigated and sent this info-heavy report back:

"A clip of this film was graciously supplied to us, and we've determined that everything is operating By Design.

What happens here is that Blue lost four players in the shotgun corner almost immediately prior to the spawn camp. This resulted in that corner having an extremely negative weight (-2000), ruling it out as a spawning area. Meanwhile, a red player was crossing the middle to grab the flag, ruling out those spawn points too (-1000, plus an additional penalty from his enemy bias, so probably -1100). Another red player was standing on top of their sniper tower, so those points are also off limits (-1000 to -1100).

The following happens in rapid succession:

1. One blue player spawns in the spawn trap, and dies. Those points are now -500.
2. A second player spawns, but because all of the other points are -2000 or -1000, he spawns on the -500 points. He dies immediately. Those points are now -1000.
3. A third player spawns, but the -1000 points are STILL better than any other available points. However, because he's there, his teammate positive influence is bringing these points up to -900.
4. A fourth player spawns at a -900 point. The third player dies literally 2-3 frames later, followed by the fourth player. These points are now -2000.
5. A blue player spawns back in their base, where we'd expect him to. The cycle is broken.

The dead teammate influences have a duration of 20 seconds, so they are starting to decay towards the end of this episode, and I expect spawning has returned to normal at this point. It's basically a perfect storm of Red dominating the Blue team.

Note that on the default version of this map, the respawn zone is larger, and there are some backup points above the flag that likely would have come into play."

Droppin' Knowledge

Frank took a break from his restful afternoons in the Northwest's only Turkish bath to send this along:

"The More You Know: Plasma Pistol

Did you know... that when you charge up your Plasma Pistol (for that noob combo you're workin' on) you can actually let off the analog trigger very gently and slowly - and the Plasma charge is extinguished safely. This doesn't have many practical applications, but it does mean that you don't have to give away your position to everyone in the map with an unwanted Plasma burst. Adrian Perez implemented this feature during the Beta on the request of Swah and Jaime Griesemer. The most interesting thing of all is practicing it - it's a lot harder to pull off than it sounds. Give it a try next time you play.

The More You Know: Screenshots

Everyone knows our hi-res screenshots get a boost in size and quality when they are uploaded to the website. But if you've ever wondered how and what, then read on.

Bungie graphics engineer Chris Tchou talked me through some of that technique.

Halo 3 screenshots are just hi-resolution renderings, directly from the normal game engine.

The initially rendered resolution is 3840 x 2160, but as you'll see, that's not what you end up with.

The 360 doesn't have the memory to render at this resolution (especially while the game is running), so we render the image in 16 tiles and then crop and stitch them together.  The final image is converted to the standard PC color space (from our 'special' 360 color space), downsampled to 1920 x 1080 (with a simple box filter), compressed to a jpeg on your xbox, and transmitted to bungie.net. That downsampling is where much of the "anti-aliasing" comes from.

The only tricks that are played during the rendering are to do with that jumbo magnification. The bloom filtering switches to a smooth bspline instead of bilinear - this gets rid of a subtle blocky appearance of the bloom on super bright lights which becomes more apparent in a high resolution shot.

Some textures are bumped to use 8x or 16x anisotropic sampling - this makes some ground and wall textures more detailed at farther distances, though it also has the side-effect of making tiling patterns more obvious. All of the post-processing is simply designed to make the big uploaded images function, and not be janky messes of obvious tiling.

Almost all of our LOD (Level of Detail) is based on the size of the pixels in an object.  So when you are rendering at higher resolution, everything renders with more pixels, and will therefore use a higher LOD.

All of this will be old news to PC owners, who've been seeing roughly the same thing for about 12 years.