Well A50 is sort of a Stealth Mission.. I could picture it in b40 maybe replacing the tank event, maybe have it laying around in c40 too

I should have clarified, so that's on me. I meant that as a sort of "It doesn't have to strictly follow the story, so long as it plays well."

wouldn't it make sense to send them down before hand?

wouldn't be the first time

Ah, good old UNSC, always a step slow

mantis vs scarab in b40

best mod ever.

even though i'd choose a grizzly over a mantis any day
Edited by Delicon20 on Mar 1, 2013 at 05:34 PM

I think I like the Mantis' predecessor better.



The Mantis seems a bit odd to use in a50.

It's does add something new to gameplay but I think it should be more like an easter egg.

Find it and it is yours to demolish enemies with.
Edited by Dumb AI on Mar 1, 2013 at 09:24 PM
Edited by Dumb AI on Mar 1, 2013 at 09:25 PM

This... would be so badass to have.
This > Mantis

Eh. I'm personally not a big fan of the whole mech suit thing. I wouldn't want to waste time trying to model a larger suit around the Chief. Not to mention the addition of nodes that would be required to move both the body of the the Chief and the suit, it would turn in to a mess very quickly. Much easier to throw the the Chief in a chair and animate a large robot around him. That may come off as lazy, but we get enough complaints as is for taking too much time with projects. As for the argument about cannon, just because I modeled it that way, doesn't mean that it's going to look exactly like the Mantis in the final version. It was simply modeled that way to get the point across of what we were trying to do. It could just as easily be a prototype version not seen before Halo 4. I would welcome any ideas for a prototype Mantis. Drawings, ideas, what it would look like, whatever the case.

I think the arguments of the Mantis being thrown in a50 are mostly valid. However, I'll remind everyone of what I said earlier. We play around with ideas, if they're fun, then we keep them, if not, they get scrapped. You need not worry yourselves on if it's fun or not. We have testers to do that, and if they don't like it, they'll let us know. We are always looking for ways to change up gameplay in some way. If adding a Mantis to a certain part in the level is fun, and feels fresh, then we'll go with it, if not, like I said, it'll be gone before any of you lay eyes on it. It's beyond me why Masterz showed off the Mantis in that level, other than he had talked about wanting to do it, none of us have actually played with it, or at least not our testers as of yet.

As for being unoriginal, I can see where that comes from. But I don't think of CMT as a group who ever promised anything completely original. Since SPV1 CMT has always been about bringing the best parts from the Halo series and trying to remake Halo CE in to the most fun experience it can be. Although a lot of you are new here, back with CMT first announced SPV1, it was impressive. A lot of us were excited, it was something new and different. I feel as if the problem with CMT is that a lot of us are a lot older now, and at this point the goal is really to finish what was started, rather than to re-invent the game. And who knows, down the line maybe we can gather the team to do something really exciting and original, but for now, we really should be focusing on what we've started and how we can give the players the best experience possible. That being said, I think you'll be excited with what b30 Evolved brings to the table.

Anyway, I'm not really trying to kick the hornets nest by any means. But rather to calm some tension. Masterz has a habit of coming in here and saying what he's doing with SPV3 without really talking about much else or taking it up with all of the team. Masterz is mostly in charge of SPV3, but the final gameplay and what you play will be left up to our testers. So take everything with a pinch of salt, and try to trust the rest of us a bit more than you might trust Masterz.

We put a suit in your suit so you can use your sweet suit while you suit your suit for your suit in your suite.

- UNSC

I'm afraid you shouldn't rely on your testers too much. The previous A50 had terrible weapon balance and just wasn't very fun to play. Flimsy weapons, that's how it felt.



Not really, another unoriginal remake of an existing level. Should have been an entirely custom level, truely a waste of resources honestly.


This is the real problem here. I know from other CMT members that they weren't exactly terribly excited to have Masters back in charge. They know who they are. Also, I thought initially Teh Lag was supposed to be in charge of SPv3 this time around, as he's a much smarter person and alot more likeable leader than Masters.

Lag has been a little busy lately, he does not have as much time to work on the project as he had before, where as masterz is around usually and has time to put into the project I'm pretty sure (haven't talked to him in a couple days).

TBH that happens from people NOT listening to the testers.

Like Bob said, we play around with stuff, and like I said, this is still something super early in development. If people find it not fun and breaks the level, it'll simply be removed. But it's a mantis, and it's awesome, and the people who have gotten to use it all love where it is going.

You should listen to the people of this forum over your fanboy testers, just super sayan.

Are you suggesting that our opinions after viewing images and a rushed beta map are more likely to be correct and reliable than the opinions of those who consistently test the latest versions of the mod?

Though more reliable testers could likely be found, I don't see how such a suggestion could possibly be correct.

How much is the fish?
That should answer your question.

Pardon me, but will this project feature anniversary soundtracks? Or a mix between classic and remastered?

I think it should be a hybrid, the remastered version packs more oomph, but I don't like some of the things that were added in with the new version of certain tracks

Last I heard, you get valid responses from people who actually play the mod, rather than people going off of screenshots.
Edited by a bullet on Mar 2, 2013 at 02:33 PM
Edited by a bullet on Mar 2, 2013 at 02:34 PM

While I can't wait to see the mantis implemented in this game, I would have to agree with those who say A50 isn't the most appropriate place to put it.



That sounds awesome, but does it really fit A50's stealth-oriented feel? Couldn't you just recreate a similar Grav-lift siege encounter in a later, more scale-oriented map? For example, instead of trying to infiltrate the ship, after having destroyed waves descending forces and securing the landing zone, have a pelican swoop in and drop off a nuke on the pad. You can imagine what happens next.

As for B40, I've grown attached to the tank. "Walking Thunder" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Though, a flamethrower-mantis is exactly what C20 needs.

Finally, I'd like to add that a cool thing Bungie did (and really most games do) is excite the player by hinting at future gameplay. In A10, there was a massive cutscene where you saw the vehicle bay filled to the brim with scorpions and warthogs well before you could actually pilot them. Or how Hunters pairs, initially like mini-bosses in A30, become regular enemies in B30. This effect would be easy to re-create with unlivable vehicles as scenery tags, say a deactivated mantis inaccessibly perched atop one of a10's cargo storage's. It's already done with the Deactivated wraiths in A30.
Edited by WWLinkMasterX on Mar 2, 2013 at 04:16 PM

Your a smart man Link.

I'd describe A50 as a stealth mission up until you get to the grav lift, which when it then in stock really turns out into a full scale battle with dropships coming in from both sides, and then the covenant throwing everything they have at you as you at the grav lift and then inside the ships muster bay. I see the mantis being added as more as an extension of an an already escalating battle.

I agree with LinkMaster. A50 is not a good place for the Mantis. Now B40 on the other hand is perfect.

A50 is an entire mission designed around stealth. Unless your changing the entirety of the mission to start out stealthy and then become a huge battle, it seems really unfitting and could be put somewhere else for a much better intro.

Oh it's not being introduced in A50. It's going to be part of the Alpha Base defense area in A30, and like Link suggested I'm going to try to put them somewhere in a10 as scenery.

Maybe using it to attack the beach?

That would ruin the original beach assault scene which is pretty much the most important scene in the entire game gameplay-wise. It introduces the player to real combat as well as introducing the warthog and the UNSC formally. (face it, A10 and A50 are only a taster of Halo's combat. First you get introduced to basic combat. Escaping from the PoA is easy, even on Legendary. Then you get to sneak your way through a level, which is also easy even on Legendary. Then at last, B40 introduces you to real combat. Full scale combat, around an extravagant level)

I think the Mantis would be better suited for a new BSP. There isn't really anywhere in the vanilla campaign where it would fit and actually have a more appropriate place than what was formally present, now that I think on it.
That is assuming there will be new BSPs, CMT?

Personally, from my stand point, it should be intro-ed much further into the game... Think about it, almost every game does this, throughout the levels they introduce new things... We all know you guys like to extend the levels and all, but if your throwing as much new content into every level as possible then there's nothing new to look forward to the next, other than a repeat of what happened before in the previous level except for some different settings and encounters. While this is still okay, there's no real build up in gameplay. The Mantis is a new vehicle (at least to your mod), and I personally see that as something that could be introduced further into the game as a whole to keep the player entertained.

Translation: "We're going to shove the Mantis in as many places/levels as possible without putting much thought into it. Halo is a mech game after all!"

Lodeman at your service, free of charge!

Isn't it possible that a script can be made so that if the player is in the biped at a certain point, different situations can be made for whether a large battle will occur if you were in the biped at that time, or a smaller battle if the player wasn't in it?

Its possible, but I don't see the worth in making two different scenarios based on if the player gets in the mantis. Better just to save it for a naturally large-scale battle.

I would also save the mantis until after b30. Introducing it later I think would make more sense

maybe you can introduce it in AOTCR, but beef up the covvy air support

Or give the troops more firepower.

The Mantis is just a bad idea in general. Even in the "larger scale" tank battles, it wouldn't be that spectacular to use unless you shove it full of stuff to shoot...but that'd make it unrealistically chaotic. Just cut it, I say. Unless you plan to make a custom BSP for it, filled with vehicles to shoot up. That said I never liked any mechs in my Halo, I didn't like that suit they added in Halo Wars, and I dislike the Mantis. It just doesn't feel UNSC.

I think filling it with something to shoot is necessary, regardless to the situation. IF you want a good mantis section, I'd try the ending of the MAW level and replace the warthog with it at the final stretch (after the jumps).
That way, you still feel powerful but it's controlled power. And in Aotcr, havoc is the main point of the level. I don't think you could do any justice to the level if you didn't have one... There's what; 10 ghosts and 4 wraiths?

Needs moar Grizzly tank.

It wouldn't really be that much, just a block of script for the shorter battle, and a block for the longer battle, with the same scripts following at the end of each block.

e. post 4444 in this thread, what do I get?
Edited by Invader Veex on Mar 3, 2013 at 08:28 PM