Cortana

[Pooky]

WHAT THE FUCK

So I was thoroughly enjoying my Halo 3 Legendary experience, then I got to this map.

I doubt I can say anything that hasn't been said before about it. It looks like the inside of goatse.

Any of you guys know any tips or strategies to make it through this god-awful level, like how you could trigger the Flood spawns one at a time in The Library?

[Lex1337]

Try to rush through the level safely till you reach the part where you'll be able to pick up the camo. Then you can rush in as fast as you can and when you're about to die just hit the X button. Doing it this way take about 30 min-1hr

If you're not sure you can do it this way then go through the level slowly. Go through the level by killing every swarm of flood and stack up some ammo before going in the next checkpoint. Also when you get the camo you can do the same as above. It takes about 2+ hrs this way.

[Con]

I always do it slowly one step at a time.

[NuggetWarmer]

I honestly can say that Cortana is my favorite level.

[Disaster]

I always do it slowly one step at a time.
Same here. Keep it clean simple.

[Heathen]

Take it slow and make sure you can always back up.

[Sever]

You just have to take the whole level slow at most times. There are two very pivotal points at which I've found it beneficial to just rush through enemies as quickly as possible to get to pivotal locations, however. The first is your approach on Pelican Hill. You should aim to get to the actual crash site as quickly as possible by flanking left and using crowd-control methods (block the enemies' lines of sight with other enemies, use grenades on clusters, herd enemies towards bottlenecks and other obstacles, etc.). Once there, the Rocket Launcher should help out with clearing out the seemingly endless hordes of Flood. The other important point is the Bridge. The area behind the purple energy battery and transparent display on your left is your goal, due to the Deployable Covers and extra ammo at that location. From there on, you'll just have to spray and prey in areas that house Ranged Forms, and be sure to pause longer every so often to let your health recharge. The Reactor Room shouldn't pose a problem if you've made it that far, and the return journely should be the same difficulty, just with different hazards in different areas.

If you need a hand beating it on Co-Op Legendary, I'm up for it. If you're trying for Single-Player, however, feel free to ask me more specific questions. I don't know why, but I don't find that level unbearable now that I've beaten it on Single-Player Legendary.

e: 2+ hours!?!?! I beat it on Legendary in under one hour!

[Kornman00]

Take it slow and make sure you can always back up.
:-3

just :-3

[DEElekgolo]

I honestly can say that Cortana is my favorite level.
First time I actually felt a survival like feeling.

[SnaFuBAR]

i like to take my time and kill everything

[FluffyDucky™]

I run away, those things are annoying and ugly and I didn't like the level. Don't like flood. Unless it's Dane's massive flying one.

[Evil_Monkey]

I really disliked the Cortana level for some reason. I usually take it slow though so I can back up if I need to regenerate.

[Heathen]

:-3

just :-3

:XD:

[musicman888]

Here are a few tips that helped me out on Legendary.

Use the BR! To me it was my friend in this level and my key to survival, the only thing I had to do was keep its ammo stocked and learn how/where to headshot flood. To me the Pure Forms are hella hard to headshot but I am going to figure it out, but when I did it, I also kept either an energy sword, gravity hammer, shotgun, rocket launcher, or some other pieces of destructive power for the use of flood control.

If you don't want to use the BR for some reason, then dual wield Plasma Rifles. I noticed those tend to cut through flood on lower difficulties and if memory serves, it does it on higher difficulties as well. Also there are more than enough PR's on that map to keep full batteries with.

Just my input and helpful tips.

[Pooky]

Here are a few tips that helped me out on Legendary.

Use the BR! To me it was my friend in this level and my key to survival, the only thing I had to do was keep its ammo stocked and learn how/where to headshot flood. To me the Pure Forms are hella hard to headshot but I am going to figure it out, but when I did it, I also kept either an energy sword, gravity hammer, shotgun, rocket launcher, or some other pieces of destructive power for the use of flood control.

If you don't want to use the BR for some reason, then dual wield Plasma Rifles. I noticed those tend to cut through flood on lower difficulties and if memory serves, it does it on higher difficulties as well. Also there are more than enough PR's on that map to keep full batteries with.

Just my input and helpful tips.

Well the BR would be bad if I wanted to take it slow because infection forms would just reanimate everything... but for rushing through it could be a good idea.

[Rob Oplawar]

I honestly can say that Cortana is my favorite level.

I really disliked the Cortana level for some reason.
I find it interesting how much the level Cortana is a love it or hate it deal. Personally it's my favorite level. I like the story of it, and I can really appreciate the level design. Say what you will; I say the areas are well suited to flood combat, that they are each unique and flow well from one to the next, and that the level is gorgeous in a grotesque sort of way. I think it's the best designed level in the game.

[Zeph]

I got lost on that level. I wound up going in circles over and over again.

[Rosco]

plasma rifle/melee combo works really well on normal forms, for a juggernaut you might need a sword or rocket, and grenades.

[Hotrod]

I enjoyed the level Cortana. Well, I can't tell you any advice that the others didn't already say, so listen to them.

[teh lag]

What pissed me off on this level wasn't the combat, or even the design - it was the copious lack of checkpoints. Not only for combat, but also after the Cortana/Gravemind mindfucks. It is horribly, horribly annoying to have to replay more than 3 minutes of gameplay, especially hard gameplay, (or listen to the same piece of dialog over and over) because you didn't get a save when you really should have. That's really what stops the level from being fun imo.

[Pooky]

What pissed me off on this level wasn't the combat, or even the design - it was the copious lack of checkpoints. Not only for combat, but also after the Cortana/Gravemind mindfucks. It is horribly, horribly annoying to have to replay more than 3 minutes of gameplay, especially hard gameplay, (or listen to the same piece of dialog over and over) because you didn't get a save when you really should have. That's really what stops the level from being fun imo.

Agree 100%. After hearing the same fucking Cortana whining shit 5 times in a row, I can't take anymore.

@Rob, I thought much the same things on Heroic and Co-op, but on solo Legendary where the Flood melees are 2 hit kills and they can come out of invisible sphincters from fucking nowhere, it's torture.

[supersniper]

Dude this level was a bitch on legendary, the lack of checkpoints, the countless ambushes of flood, the no help, it was like the level of library all over again.
Anyways the best you can do is just roast some flood with incendiary grenades and shotty/sword them to death. And hope to god the pure forms don't go tank on you.

[Sever]

Hell, Tank was the easiest for me to deal with - Ranged shot the fuck out of me, and Stalker would just run away and become another Ranged. All you had to do for Tank was slice it. Also, that point on the final level of The Library where about 15 Combat Forms all rush around the corner is frighteningly epic.

[Pooky]

Hell, Tank was the easiest for me to deal with - Ranged shot the fuck out of me, and Stalker would just run away and become another Ranged. Al you had to do for Tank was slice it. Also, that point on the final level of The Library where about 15 Combat Forms all rush around the corner is frighteningly epic.

Ranged flood are actually the number one thing killing me :|

everytime I try to shoot back they curl up in their defense pose thing and all my shots do nothing

[Con]

What would make the level funner is more varied combat and interiors. A revisit to some of the areas played in halo 2 would be neat too, seeing them covered in flood biomass. It should have had more open areas, and an alternative route back instead of the same way you go in. Honestly the same thing gets really boring, and I would have loved to see more of High Charity's interior.

[Rob Oplawar]

@pooky: needlers. seriously.

I mostly agree that first and foremost on a developer's mind should be fun and entertainment, and frustration kills that while a feeling of progress promotes it.
Still, I have to say that it seems the challenge is disappearing out of games- maybe that's just me, as I'm such a gamer that everything seems easy now. But I mean, where's the penalty in death if you immediately resume from right where you were a moment before?
Not that you can't have fun without penalties- some of the most fun I've had on videogames was going wild when I knew there were no consequences. But there's much less satisfaction without a challenge, and that was something that I found extremely disappointing in Halo 3- it was not challenging at all to me. They shouldn't make the game so hard that it's fun for me but impossible for beginners, but that's what legendary is for. Legendary was not the challenge that it should have been.

If anything, the level Cortana is too easy on Legendary, even though it is one of if not the hardest in the game.

e: btw, I had Halo 3 beat on Legendary by 8 a.m. on September 25th '07. That's what overinflated expectations does to you. I think the gamer in me died a little (or a lot) that day.

[Pooky]

@pooky: needlers. seriously.

I mostly agree that first and foremost on a developer's mind should be fun and entertainment, and frustration kills that while a feeling of progress promotes it.
Still, I have to say that it seems the challenge is disappearing out of games- maybe that's just me, as I'm such a gamer that everything seems easy now. But I mean, where's the penalty in death if you immediately resume from right where you were a moment before?
Not that you can't have fun without penalties- some of the most fun I've had on videogames was going wild when I knew there were no consequences. But there's much less satisfaction without a challenge, and that was something that I found extremely disappointing in Halo 3- it was not challenging at all to me. They shouldn't make the game so hard that it's fun for me but impossible for beginners, but that's what legendary is for. Legendary was not the challenge that it should have been.

If anything, the level Cortana is too easy on Legendary, even though it is one of if not the hardest in the game.

e: btw, I had Halo 3 beat on Legendary by 8 a.m. on September 25th '07. That's what overinflated expectations does to you. I think the gamer in me died a little (or a lot) that day.

I agree Halo 3's Legendary could have been harder overall, but I'm not the powergamer I used to be. Really I only wanted to do it for completion's sake, since I did the first two games on Legendary. That said, tomorrow I'll probably apply some of the things I read here and see if I can make it through. Since I already skipped ahead and did the last mission, this will be it for me.

[Terin]

Bungie DID put in skulls if Legendary isn't hard enough. SLASO should be insane enough for anyone.

Also, lawl @ fun and entertainment. A game now means an annoying challenge for the sole purpose of boosting one's e-peen.

[Pooky]

Yeah I tried one level on Heroic with all the skulls on.... was fucking impossible :|

[Sever]

SLASO just changes the game mechanics too much to be fun. I like being able to actually kill my opponents with Sniper Rifles, Shotguns and Frag Grenades. It just turns the game into just Plasma Pistols and BR Headshots, which is not fun when repeated 200 times :/.

[Pooky]

Well, you don't HAVE to turn on Tilt and Mythic, the game is a lot more fun without them.

[Rob Oplawar]

SLASO just changes the game mechanics too much to be fun. I like being able to actually kill my opponents with Sniper Rifles, Shotguns and Frag Grenades. It just turns the game into just Plasma Pistols and BR Headshots, which is not fun when repeated 200 times :/.
That's true.
Still, I had actually forgotten about the skulls. I ought to give SLASO a try.
Considering that there aren't many people in the world who have completed the game that way, I suspect it will be too hard.
But yeah, I should play with some skulls.

[Pooky]

That's true.
Still, I had actually forgotten about the skulls. I ought to give SLASO a try.
Considering that there aren't many people in the world who have completed the game that way, I suspect it will be too hard.
But yeah, I should play with some skulls.


Try doing it with all Gold skulls besides Iron Blackeye Tilt and Mythic

It basically makes the AI crazy smart without changing the gameplay too much

[Heathen]

I like famine.

I never play without IWHBYD, Grunt Birthday Party, and the other silver one besides blind.

[Sever]

All I've ever had fun doing with the skulls is turning on the nine middle ones (not Iron, Famine, Blind or Fog, but all the others) and playing on Easy. It turns the game into a sticky-melee-headshot-plasma-needler-fest with enemies that can dodge, throw oh-so-many explosives at you, and soak up unbelievable amounts of damage, yet still can't seem to kill you.

e: I do basically the same: Catch, Cowbell, Grunt Birthday Party and IWHBYD. Shit goes boom and people say funny Firefly quotes about it.

[supersniper]

Skulls I always play with, cowbell, Grunt Birthday Party, IWHBYD, tough luck (helps with accuracy of stickies), and thunderstorm (I just like the bright white colors)

[Pooky]

As long as we're on this, I always use GBP, IWHBYD, Tough Luck, Catch, and Cowbell (when not on Legendary)

[Con]

GBP always

[Terry]

I don't get why people complain about this level so much. It's pretty fair, and I found myself getting through pretty easily. It's also pretty hard to get lost since it's pretty linear imo. First time through just requires some intuition.

In coop, it's even easier to I advise that, but it is perfectly possible to get through alone and not necessarily difficult.

Also, the art style on that level pretty much rapes.

[Pooky]

Rape is an appropriate choice of word :downs:

Oh and I know you guys were desperately waiting to hear, I tried the camo speedrun trick and made it through the map, thanks

[Limited]

Sever it was only easy for you cuz I had your back in co-op :O but srly on Legendary SP its so fucking annoying, its fine till you get to those sniper guys that stick to the roof, 2 shots and your dead.

[Sever]

Yeah it was easy on Legendary CO-Op, but I also have beaten every mission on Legendary Single-Player since then. It was still not that hard - you just had to analyze your enemies attack rhythms and use cover/line-of-sight, crowd-control and proper regeneration extensively.

Also, are you settled down in your new place yet? When will we see you on XBL again?

[Limited]

Getting the internet has been a right tits up but its finally nearly here. Dunno bout XBL because it will be wireless internet again, plus I'm paying so many bills right now money is a stretch.

Been playing a number of SP games now though that kept me occupied, trying to complete COD4 on Veteran.

[Rosco]

Getting the internet has been a right tits up but its finally nearly here. Dunno bout XBL because it will be wireless internet again, plus I'm paying so many bills right now money is a stretch.

Been playing a number of SP games now though that kept me occupied, trying to complete COD4 on Veteran.

Well if you count mile high club, which is possibly the most fun impossible mission I ever completed, lol, CoD4 has a rather enjoyable veteran campaign. Everything you're given in that game and where you're given it is there for a reason, so getting through the level is a matter of patience and speed to take down the enemy and reach the next. :)