Even with 2012's Electronic Entertainment Expo over, the hype for Halo 4 - which was considered best game of the show by some - is at an all-time high for some fans. Multiplayer Designer David Ellis, and Lead Multiplayer Designer Kevin Franklin, took questions from the fans over the weekend and here's what they had to say.
Ordnance Drops
Both were asked to explain Ordnance Drops, which have been confusing for some players and fans wondered whether the new weapon spawning system is playlist wide. Most games will have an initial weapon drop that's tailored towards the map/gametype, and will be consistent across matches if the mode and map stay the same.
There are also Global Ordnance Drops which spawn in one of a number of set, random locations (in other words, weapons don't spawn in a single set place). The choice of weapon is also random, but planned, and random in spawn time. Dropped items, which are not confined to weapons, show on the map for everyone until picked up.
As a third layer, Personal Ordnance Drops can be earned in specific gametypes. At E3, 343 Industries invited MLG professionals to test the game, playing Infinity Slayer - a point-based Team Slayer variant - which has Personal Ordnance Drops.
Weapons Spawns
Specific items are random, though the class of item isn't and the options to choose from are tailored for the map and gametype. For example, a small and enclosed map won't see a Sniper Rifle. Whether the weapon is exclusive to larger maps is unconfirmed.
Personal Drops are earned by reaching a "score threshold" - which seemed to be five kills judging by the MLG players - but become more difficult to earn after the first (the required threshold gets higher after each drop).
Spawning a Personal Drop has it appear in front of the player, and will remain exclusive to the player for a short period. Only the player has a waypoint for the drop, and will remain if the weapon is dropped when killed and it is not picked up.
Instant Respawns Impacting Medals
Halo 4 also features an instant respawn system by tapping "X," and a fan asked how the Extermination medal - which is achieved for killing the opposing team before a player respawns - will work. It is harder to earn, but there is a variant that will reward the medal for killing the opposing team in a "fixed period."
Other Q&As said Spartan Ops does scale its difficulty according to the number of players, and Covenant will speak the native language. The exception is that Grunts will use the human equivalent for important words, and 343 Industries said to "pay attention" when that happens.
Halo 4 launches on the Xbox 360 November 6.
more stories from OS / Software
Microsoft has reportedly started talks with HTC to add its Windows OS to the phone maker's Android smartphones and HTC is apparently considering to make a Windows Phone/Android dual-booting smartphone.
ernest hamiltonA bug in Chrome for iOS 7 has caused Google's mobile browser to leak private searches made in 'Incognito' mode.
ernest hamiltonHTC has announced that Sprint has already started to roll out the Android 4.3 update to the HTC One, AT&T and T-Mobile will follow in mid-October, while Verizon will release it by the end of the month.
ernest hamiltonThe new Windows 8.1 has gone up for pre-order on the Microsoft Store, ahead of the official launch on Oct. 18.
ernest hamiltonApple has acknowledged the iOS 7 iMessage issue and promised to provide a fix in an upcoming software update.
ernest hamiltonSamsung Canada and French carrier SFR have confirmed the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean rollout schedule for the Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
ernest hamiltonThe unlocked, international HTC One is getting Android 4.3 Jelly Bean now, but the U.S. and Canadian versions will 'slightly miss' the end-September timeframe.
ernest hamiltonThe Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 are reportedly slated to get Android 4.3 Jelly Bean in the fourth quarter, by year-end.
ernest hamilton