Arteen
November 9th, 2006, 05:34 PM
http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=halo2vistafaqupdate
General
What kind of game is Halo 2 for Windows Vista?
Halo 2 for Windows Vista (H2V) is a story-driven action game featuring multiple weapons, vehicles and scenarios - as well as a robust multiplayer component. It’s based on Bungie’s existing Halo 2 game for the Microsoft Xbox console.
When will Halo 2 for Windows Vista ship?
The team plans to ship H2V early in 2007, some time after Windows Vista is available.
How much will Halo 2 for Windows Vista cost?
We have not yet announced pricing specifics.
Why release Halo 2 for the Vista platform?
While the Xbox consoles are very popular, many gamers prefer the controls and customizability of their Windows machines. Halo 2 for Windows Vista will give these players a chance to enjoy the story and multiplayer action from Bungie’s most recent game. Taking Halo 2 to the Windows Vista platform also opens the door to user-created content, such as that seen in Halo 1 PC.
Will the game work on Microsoft Windows XP?
No, as the name suggests, Halo 2 for Windows Vista will only run on the upcoming Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. The game is tied to Windows Vista in order to take advantage of new Live functionality and multiplayer features that aren't avaialble on XP or other operating systems.
What are the minimum system requirements for Halo 2 on Windows Vista? What kind of machine does it take?
It’s too early to state exact system specs, but the team wants to make the game available as broadly as possible. Microsoft has published minimum system requirements for the Windows Vista operating system at http://www.microsoft.com/vista
Who’s working on Halo 2 for Windows Vista? How does this game relate to Halo 3?
The hard work of bringing Halo 2 to Windows Vista is being done by a team within Microsoft Game Studios, codenamed Hired Gun. Bungie is helping Hired Gun with design decisions and quality assurance. The teams for H2V and Halo 3 are completely separate.
Tell me more about this Hired Gun team within Microsoft Game Studios.
“Hired Gun” is the codename for a recently-created team within MGS. Their first task is to bring Halo 2 to the Windows Vista platform, with support from Bungie Studios. The team is led and staffed by seasoned veterans with multiple PC and console titles under their belts. Read more about Hired Gun (http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=meethiredgun)in this previous Bungie.net feature. (http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=meethiredgun)
Will H2V add new weapons or vehicle types?
Adding a new weapon or vehicle to the existing Halo 2 campaign or multiplayer maps could cause them to play in ways Bungie didn’t intend, and the team plans to stay true to the original Halo 2 experience. However, user-created custom content doesn’t have this problem, and the team may offer new gameplay elements through the H2V map editor. We’ll announce more when we’re ready.
How do visuals and audio compare between Halo 2 for Windows Vista and the Xbox versions?
The quality of H2V scales with the hardware it has available. This will be the first time Halo 2 fans can play the game natively at resolutions like 1080p or even higher. The base art and audio from the Xbox has been re-used, with some retouching to help the game shine on high-end PC equipment. Audio will also scale with the equipment of your PC, and the game supports 5.1 surround sound. Suffice it to say that Halo 2 has never looked better and playing the game at 1920x1200 is a thing of beauty.
Do you plan to enable anti-aliasing? Other visual features?
Halo 2 for Windows Vista makes use of several DirectX 9 features such as edge anti-aliasing, anisotropic texture filtering, enhanced resolution shadow buffering, additional dynamic shadows, improved normal map filtering, parallax mapping, and per pixel specular mapping.
Why will Halo 2 for Windows Vista not support DX10?
Halo 2 will certainly support DX10 graphics cards but the game itself is not being re-written to specifcally take advantage of upcoming DX10 features. The more robust your graphics card, the more visual features and fidelity you will be able to enjoy.
Will there be a Beta for the game?
We aren’t ready yet to discuss a Beta.
Will Halo 1 PC still run on a machine set up with Windows Vista?
Yes, the final version of Windows Vista will play Halo 1 PC with no changes required. Pre-release versions of Windows Vista such as RC-1 or RC-2 require a temporary patch to play Halo 1 PC. These early versions of Windows automatically direct Halo 1 PC users to the necessary interim patch.
Controls
Does H2V support the Xbox 360 Controller?
Yes, the Xbox 360 controller is fully supported by Halo 2 for Windows Vista, including the vibration feature. The controller plugs directly into your PC’s USB port, and Vista detects it automatically. The team will adjust the game so that playing with a 360 controller resembles the Xbox experience as closely as possible. The game supports nearly any other direct input device as well.
What is the setup for a mouse/keyboard player?
Halo 2 for Windows Vista will ship with several pre-defined keyboard layouts for left-handed and right-handed gamers. Players may also create custom layouts. The team is adjusting default mouse sensitivity so that it mirrors the feel of Halo 1 PC as closely as possible, although this is configurable.
I hate/love auto-aim. Will it be enabled in Halo 2 for Windows Vista?
The team will balance each input device uniquely. We don’t plan to create a one-size-fits-all solution.
When dual-wielding with the mouse, which button will fire which gun?
This is configurable. By default, the left mouse button fires the left-hand weapon and the right mouse button fires the right-hand weapon. When single-wielding, the left mouse button fires your weapon.
General
What kind of game is Halo 2 for Windows Vista?
Halo 2 for Windows Vista (H2V) is a story-driven action game featuring multiple weapons, vehicles and scenarios - as well as a robust multiplayer component. It’s based on Bungie’s existing Halo 2 game for the Microsoft Xbox console.
When will Halo 2 for Windows Vista ship?
The team plans to ship H2V early in 2007, some time after Windows Vista is available.
How much will Halo 2 for Windows Vista cost?
We have not yet announced pricing specifics.
Why release Halo 2 for the Vista platform?
While the Xbox consoles are very popular, many gamers prefer the controls and customizability of their Windows machines. Halo 2 for Windows Vista will give these players a chance to enjoy the story and multiplayer action from Bungie’s most recent game. Taking Halo 2 to the Windows Vista platform also opens the door to user-created content, such as that seen in Halo 1 PC.
Will the game work on Microsoft Windows XP?
No, as the name suggests, Halo 2 for Windows Vista will only run on the upcoming Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. The game is tied to Windows Vista in order to take advantage of new Live functionality and multiplayer features that aren't avaialble on XP or other operating systems.
What are the minimum system requirements for Halo 2 on Windows Vista? What kind of machine does it take?
It’s too early to state exact system specs, but the team wants to make the game available as broadly as possible. Microsoft has published minimum system requirements for the Windows Vista operating system at http://www.microsoft.com/vista
Who’s working on Halo 2 for Windows Vista? How does this game relate to Halo 3?
The hard work of bringing Halo 2 to Windows Vista is being done by a team within Microsoft Game Studios, codenamed Hired Gun. Bungie is helping Hired Gun with design decisions and quality assurance. The teams for H2V and Halo 3 are completely separate.
Tell me more about this Hired Gun team within Microsoft Game Studios.
“Hired Gun” is the codename for a recently-created team within MGS. Their first task is to bring Halo 2 to the Windows Vista platform, with support from Bungie Studios. The team is led and staffed by seasoned veterans with multiple PC and console titles under their belts. Read more about Hired Gun (http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=meethiredgun)in this previous Bungie.net feature. (http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=meethiredgun)
Will H2V add new weapons or vehicle types?
Adding a new weapon or vehicle to the existing Halo 2 campaign or multiplayer maps could cause them to play in ways Bungie didn’t intend, and the team plans to stay true to the original Halo 2 experience. However, user-created custom content doesn’t have this problem, and the team may offer new gameplay elements through the H2V map editor. We’ll announce more when we’re ready.
How do visuals and audio compare between Halo 2 for Windows Vista and the Xbox versions?
The quality of H2V scales with the hardware it has available. This will be the first time Halo 2 fans can play the game natively at resolutions like 1080p or even higher. The base art and audio from the Xbox has been re-used, with some retouching to help the game shine on high-end PC equipment. Audio will also scale with the equipment of your PC, and the game supports 5.1 surround sound. Suffice it to say that Halo 2 has never looked better and playing the game at 1920x1200 is a thing of beauty.
Do you plan to enable anti-aliasing? Other visual features?
Halo 2 for Windows Vista makes use of several DirectX 9 features such as edge anti-aliasing, anisotropic texture filtering, enhanced resolution shadow buffering, additional dynamic shadows, improved normal map filtering, parallax mapping, and per pixel specular mapping.
Why will Halo 2 for Windows Vista not support DX10?
Halo 2 will certainly support DX10 graphics cards but the game itself is not being re-written to specifcally take advantage of upcoming DX10 features. The more robust your graphics card, the more visual features and fidelity you will be able to enjoy.
Will there be a Beta for the game?
We aren’t ready yet to discuss a Beta.
Will Halo 1 PC still run on a machine set up with Windows Vista?
Yes, the final version of Windows Vista will play Halo 1 PC with no changes required. Pre-release versions of Windows Vista such as RC-1 or RC-2 require a temporary patch to play Halo 1 PC. These early versions of Windows automatically direct Halo 1 PC users to the necessary interim patch.
Controls
Does H2V support the Xbox 360 Controller?
Yes, the Xbox 360 controller is fully supported by Halo 2 for Windows Vista, including the vibration feature. The controller plugs directly into your PC’s USB port, and Vista detects it automatically. The team will adjust the game so that playing with a 360 controller resembles the Xbox experience as closely as possible. The game supports nearly any other direct input device as well.
What is the setup for a mouse/keyboard player?
Halo 2 for Windows Vista will ship with several pre-defined keyboard layouts for left-handed and right-handed gamers. Players may also create custom layouts. The team is adjusting default mouse sensitivity so that it mirrors the feel of Halo 1 PC as closely as possible, although this is configurable.
I hate/love auto-aim. Will it be enabled in Halo 2 for Windows Vista?
The team will balance each input device uniquely. We don’t plan to create a one-size-fits-all solution.
When dual-wielding with the mouse, which button will fire which gun?
This is configurable. By default, the left mouse button fires the left-hand weapon and the right mouse button fires the right-hand weapon. When single-wielding, the left mouse button fires your weapon.