- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
The most striking thing about the Halo 3 trailer (all in-game engine, mind you) was the Oblivion-scale draw distance. Although a fog is used to mask extremely distant objects, this is probably out of effect then due to hardware constraints. Also, the number of banshees, phantoms, and cruisers rendered on the screen at once was astounding. Vehicular battles in halo 2 had 5 or 6 vehicles on screen at once, but the size of these battle fields and the number of shown vehicles creates ENORMUS potential.
Imagine! The chief jacks a banshee and heads to the artifact. The result is a massive arial battle with SWARMS of enemy vessels! THINK! How awsome would it be to have the arbitor trapped in a room fighting HUNDREDS of flood off (i like the arbitor, but still, it would be awsome!).
To comment on the trailer itself, notice how the banshees make no effort to attack the chief. Looks like Earth is so secure nothing can stop Truth now. Also, where those Elites or Brutes in the banshees?
Edit:
Because textures and maps dont need to be stored in the 360's ram, that opens up more room for AI routienes. These battles could have many sides at once! The thought of Sentinels, Guardians, Flood, and other factions duking it out in a region that is not a narrow gorge makes me salivate. Although well concieved, the outdoor environments on the XBOX were very confined.
[Edited on 5/9/2006]