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Subject: Idea: Hyperspectral Imaging and Active Camo
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Okay, I think we all agree that the Master Chief is one bad mutha, but what's up with that sissy flashlight? Seriously, it's 2552 and humanity's last hope and pinnacle of technology is using a flashlight in combat?

So, my proposition is this;

Replace the flashlight with a hyperspectral imaging vision mode. Basically, what hyperspectral imaging is is a compilation of infra-red, thermal, optical, X-ray, and electro-magnetic imagery collected and analyzed by a computer and labelled and colored in a useful manner. Currently, only cutting-edge US surveillence satellites use it (they can see you in your home - better put those AKs under a slab of lead), but hey, the Chief has 5 centuries on us. This vision mode would provide light amplification (night vision), and show Covies as very dark, humans as burning brightlly, Flood with white outlines superimposed onto them, and robots and vehicles as warm yellows with a "TV snow" overlay representing their EM emissions. This vision mode would allow you to see for 15 meters through walls, provide at least 2x zoom even for unscoped weapons, and would show discrepencies in the environment (perhaps weak areas of wall that could be used as impromptu booby traps). Of course, it would drain the battery much faster (does 4x sound right?) than the old flashlight. Getting shot in the head with plasma could cause it to overload and instantly drain all power - people with plasma weapons in multiplayer could be useful against snipers using this vision mode.

So what do you think?

  • 05.31.2004 5:57 PM PDT
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My other suggestion: allow for toggleable active camo in multiplayer. Instead of making it a pickup, activating the camo would simply drain your shields so it could only be used for short periods of time and being detected would actually be a problem for a cloaked player (now it doesn't mean -blam!-).

[Edited on 5/31/2004 5:58:50 PM]

  • 05.31.2004 5:58 PM PDT
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Simple answer - It isn't halo-style. If you want a stealth game go buy Splinter Cell or something.

  • 05.31.2004 6:01 PM PDT
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Toggleable active camo, thats changing too much
if it ain't broke, don't fix it

  • 05.31.2004 6:02 PM PDT
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yea but the vision i def agree with... at least give him night vision or something, a flashlight is just weak... at least give him one with a SLYVANIA bulb in it!!!!! i mean jeeez

  • 05.31.2004 6:43 PM PDT
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I like the flashlight. It makes the game feel more real. I don't want no hyperwhatmajigger thing to mess with. The flashlight fine with me.

  • 05.31.2004 7:08 PM PDT
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Posted by: Terran Grunt
Okay, I think we all agree that the Master Chief is one bad mutha, but what's up with that sissy flashlight? Seriously, it's 2552 and humanity's last hope and pinnacle of technology is using a flashlight in combat?

So, my proposition is this;

Replace the flashlight with a hyperspectral imaging vision mode. Basically, what hyperspectral imaging is is a compilation of infra-red, thermal, optical, X-ray, and electro-magnetic imagery collected and analyzed by a computer and labelled and colored in a useful manner. Currently, only cutting-edge US surveillence satellites use it (they can see you in your home - better put those AKs under a slab of lead), but hey, the Chief has 5 centuries on us. This vision mode would provide light amplification (night vision), and show Covies as very dark, humans as burning brightlly, Flood with white outlines superimposed onto them, and robots and vehicles as warm yellows with a "TV snow" overlay representing their EM emissions. This vision mode would allow you to see for 15 meters through walls, provide at least 2x zoom even for unscoped weapons, and would show discrepencies in the environment (perhaps weak areas of wall that could be used as impromptu booby traps). Of course, it would drain the battery much faster (does 4x sound right?) than the old flashlight. Getting shot in the head with plasma could cause it to overload and instantly drain all power - people with plasma weapons in multiplayer could be useful against snipers using this vision mode.

So what do you think?



Sad as it may be the X-Box is already being pushed to the limits of what it can do by Bungie's development team, I dont think that hyperspectral imaging would go over well with the processor or video card, especially on X-Box Live.

  • 05.31.2004 7:21 PM PDT

My thumbsticks will be your Doom.... sorry 'bout that.
My Stats

You know I used to post all the time how the Chief uses IR vision in the books (i think it was with the early versions of the MJOLNIR, the ones without AI carrying capability) and how they should atleast have it in the game, and people always say "yeah it would ruin the game, it would become the main viewing mode cause you could see everything" (-especially the cool blue of a Grunts methan pack-) but you came up with a good idea. Make it dependent on a battery like the flash light but have it drain the battery way faster, beleivable since it has to deal with a wider spectrum and process it whereas the flash light is just a bulb. The amount of time you could use it would have to be fairly short and the recharge maybe slow and it'd snap out when your hit like the zoom.

I dunno, i am cautious, just like the purists, of how Halo should be changed. Especially things like the flashlight but I figure hey Bungie wont screw up their game would they? It doesn't seem so from what I've seen and heard so far. Let them try an IR vision. Make it a MP option. Heck, make it an option in Campaign along with the other cool gagdets the Spartans get in the books (FS)!!!
I'm not sure if an overlay of colors according to certain markers on objects and environments would be a huge deal for the programmers, but I'm not a programmer so I wouldn't know.

[Edited on 5/31/2004 7:40:52 PM]

  • 05.31.2004 7:35 PM PDT
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I like the research you did, geez, good for you. I'm impressed, I'll be honest. The Hyperspectral Imaging sounds intense, and definitely would make sense for that to become more standard issue in whatever time Halo takes place (2552 I know, but is that 2552 A.D.?) Anyway, I'd like to bring up that the Mark VI armor is supposed to be an upgrade to most of the specs., so maybe Bungie has something in mind already. After all the HUD would get an upgrade also which means that the visuals displayed would be upgraded, such as to toggle between IR, or Nightvision. Cool, eh?

  • 05.31.2004 7:40 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

or maybe some vision modes like in Splinter Cell:PT.Electromagnetic and motion tracking.or maybe just the conventional night and thermal vision

[Edited on 5/31/2004 7:59:10 PM]

  • 05.31.2004 7:58 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

and speaking of HUD's,dont you think that in multiplayer,the Elites' HUD should be different than the Spartans' HUD?in one of IGN's hands-on previews,it says that they look exactly the same,even though the Covenant and human technology are very different.

  • 05.31.2004 8:01 PM PDT
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nedus, you are not 100% right about them being the exact same. the spartains' hud is blue, while the elites' is purple. its all in the paint job, my friend.

:)

[Edited on 5/31/2004 8:47:58 PM]

  • 05.31.2004 8:47 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

well the game is still in development.

  • 05.31.2004 8:51 PM PDT
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Active Camo. . .good idea, but I don't like it personally. It does take some of the challenge out of the game. I mean, when you can just turn semi-invisible whenever you want at the expense of your shields. . .sounds a little wussy if you ask me. Some of the people I play with would use that all the time trying to sneak up on somebody. I still like it the way it is.

Hyperspectral Imaging. . .yet again, another good idea, but I don't like it personally. Having the flashlight is just part of the game. It makes it more challenging. The imaging would make it too easy if you ask me. Standing outside a door and turning it on to see who or what is on the other side doesn't sound very brave. Run in guns blazing when in doubt. Use common sense on deciding what's waiting for you. And, it wouldn't test your ability to listen and sneak. Stand outside doors, hear your enemy's footfalls and noises. Peek around corners to see how many there are to kill.

I don't know. Great ideas though! Kudos to you and your original ideas.

Oh, here's another idea to complement the extra bells and whistles. What if in multiplayer you can customize your armor with different mods. I realize it's not vere Halo-esque, but it would make some people happy. Have two interface ports where you can plug in the Hyperspectral Imaging, Active Camo, Telescopic Vision, Performance enhancer, or others, or none if you so choose.

On Performance Enhancers:
I realize MC already has performance enhancers surgically grafted and built into his armor, but I'm talking about temporary boosts. Increase of speed, jumping, firing, grenade throwing, punching, etc. Just when you use it, it takes one bar out of your health. It would only last for about thirty seconds so it would be an idea to use when you run into a base as a first wave, or when running away from an enemy base back to yours where there are health packs. Just another idea.

  • 05.31.2004 9:10 PM PDT
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One question, why the heck would you hide AK's?

  • 05.31.2004 9:28 PM PDT
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Posted by: Sporndog

On Performance Enhancers:
I realize MC already has performance enhancers surgically grafted and built into his armor, but I'm talking about temporary boosts. Increase of speed, jumping, firing, grenade throwing, punching, etc. Just when you use it, it takes one bar out of your health. It would only last for about thirty seconds so it would be an idea to use when you run into a base as a first wave, or when running away from an enemy base back to yours where there are health packs. Just another idea.


Dude, you play waaay too much Starcraft

  • 05.31.2004 9:43 PM PDT
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Yeah.... to Starcraft-like. Kudos, like most everyone, to the two original ideas of this thread... but I think that John-117 was using a flashlight because they're cheap and easy to make. The Master Chief isn't complaining, why are you?

  • 05.31.2004 9:57 PM PDT
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It's a video game, and adding a change like that would dramastically change the style of play and the feel of halo. I'd recommend Metroid Prime or something like that, that has alot of the same elements that it looks like your looking for. But lets face it, nothing's Halo.

  • 05.31.2004 10:01 PM PDT
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I love the multiplayer attachment idea, Sporndog. Unfortunately everyone likes the flashlight...

  • 06.01.2004 4:19 AM PDT
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Read "First Strike" the chief use a night vision system and he see all the things in a green spectre,so the only additional equipment he can have,is the nightvision! So,why not in the game when in the book!

  • 06.01.2004 4:26 AM PDT
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Dude, I have NEVER played Starcraft. That's one thing I can be proud of! People tried to get me to play, but I never really liked the game. Now, Command and Conquer series is another can of worms. Love em. But I really have never played Starcraft and have no idea what you're talking about.

I just thought since there are so many people with mixed feelings about upgrades, changes, and stuff, mix it up in Multi. Have certain maps with dark spaces where somebody can hide and snipe somebody when they walk in, have a level played at night, etc. Also, if they put those upgrades and stuff in the game, they might mix them up in the campaigns. Much like when you get the ungodly ammount of ammo for the sniper rifle in T&R, you can get different mods added to your armor before being dropped for a new mission. Then Cortana would brief you on what changes have been made, tell you how to use them, etc. She'd say something like, "This hasn't been field tested yet, but I figured you could use it. I'm sorry if it blows up in our face."

  • 06.01.2004 10:56 AM PDT
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Posted by: Terran Grunt
I love the multiplayer attachment idea, Sporndog. Unfortunately everyone likes the flashlight...


I love the flashlight too. But make it default. If you get an image enhancing upgrade, the flashlight goes null and void. But otherwise, you keep the flashlight and get two upgrades, i.e. Performance Enhancers, telescopic vision (Well, that's vision enhancing, but I meant in the way of night vision, HPS Imaging, etc.), active camo, etc. But again, just an idea. I'm not trying to rally people to my cause.

  • 06.01.2004 11:01 AM PDT
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I dont like either of those ideas, I really dont want Halo becoming splinter cell or some stealth game, i want it fast paced and intense, not slow and cumbersome, and you DO get night vision in halo, just zoom in with the sniper rifle and press the flashlight button, thats good enough.... KEEP THE FLASHLIGHT! but make it brighter or longer ranged

  • 06.01.2004 11:54 AM PDT
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Well, the active camo thing was kind of just an afterthought, an optional multiplayer setting for people who want some diversity in play styles other than the classic 3 (sniper, brute, driver). Anyways, I don't see how this vision mode would detract from action gameplay, in fact it wouldn't favor stealth at all seeing as how people would simply detect you with it. I would never invent something like that, I hate stealth gameplay...

  • 06.01.2004 12:05 PM PDT
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Yo my vote goes for Terran Grunt. In campaign it would be awsome and if it was for multiplayer they could just set it on or off. Then everybody's happy. But I agree the flashlight has to go.

  • 06.01.2004 12:20 PM PDT

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