From HT Edge:

This video features Rezz V2 by Ghostapple. You can download the map here. Enjoy!

Forge Cafe Halo: Reach Map Spotlight 3 – Rezz V2

From CruelLEGACEY:

Welcome to the Halo Waypoint Community Spotlight! The Halo community is, without a doubt, the most active, creative, and talented group of gamers in the world. This series will be covering some of the best and brightest our community has to offer: from forgers to machinima makers, podcasters, bloggers, artists, writers, and much more. Get to know some of your fellow Halo fans, and you just might grow to appreciate the games in a whole new way!

Today we’ll be talking to a very talented up-and-comer in the Halo online community – DayandKnightly. A fantastic wordsmith with a love for the Halo fiction, DayandKnightly is the man behind Reactive Bias, a website and blog dedicated to his own personal exploration of the franchise.

DayandKnightly’s articles cover everything from in-depth looks at the Halo novels to his ongoing “Modcast Bulletin” features. In addition to his recurring features, DayandKnightly will often post shorter entries of a slightly more personal nature, such as his thoughts on a piece of Halo news, or a recent experience in matchmaking. Every time I visit Reactive Bias, I am struck by the sense that I am peeking into someone’s personal Halo world. What makes DayandKnightly’s writing so special is the way he is able to translate his perspective in a manner that is both interesting and entertaining.

I recently sat down with DayandKnightly to ask him some questions about his history with Halo and the story behind Reactive Bias.

CruelLEGACEY: What was your first experience with Halo? Was it love at first sight, or did your fondness for the series grow over time?

Day and Knightly: First experience with Halo would be multiplayer in Halo: Combat Evolved. Almost every Sunday night I would head over to a friend’s house and epic battles would ensue, including (but not limited to) CTF on Blood Gulch, rockets only on Derelict, and sniper/teleporter craziness on Boarding Action.

I hadn’t had that much fun since my Goldeneye days – and the “fun” described here refers to large quantities of shouting/rising from the couch in triumph or defeat – so in that sense it was definitely love at first sight.

That said, my fondness for the series has grown over time as well. While the gameplay drew me in, when I was able to play the campaign proper the fiction of the game is really what has kept me invested in the series through the years. There have been many great games since 2001, but it’s Halo’s story and universe that keeps me thinking about the game when I put the controller down – not many games can do that.

CL: You’re an excellent writer. Do you have a love of writing in general, or is it something you’ve only explored with your website?

DaK: Thank you! The site is my first attempt at writing on a regular basis, or at least write something that other people can see. I’ve kept journals and a blog before, but never something I encouraged others to look at.

To have someone read and be able to react to what I write is new ground for me and it’s a little intimidating, but I’ve been thrilled and thankful at the response so far.

It sounds weird to say (at least it does to me as I type it out), but I don’t really like to write, let alone love it. I do it because the end result is a collection of words that I’ve (hopefully) thought through and can be proud of.

To turn the illustration around, writing for me is not about the journey but the destination.


CL: You launched Reactive Bias in 2011. After so much time as a Halo fan, why did you decide to create your own site?

DaK: Several things happened around the same time to push me over the edge from observer to contributor in the Halo Community:

Breaking point – thinking about games (Halo in particular) as much as I did, I needed to take the next step. With a growing family and free time in short supply, I wanted my passion for Halo to be more than entertainment – I wanted it to be something that could not only improve my writing (goal: published author) but to serve as a highlight to the industry for future job opportunities (goal: work for developer, preferably 343 Industries).

Reactive Bias does both of those things by giving me a creative outlet and a place to show what I can do to a potential future employer.

An unnamed Halo fan on Age of Gratitude – I came across this post on ageofgratitude.com and was surprised at how normal it was to love Halo. I had bought into the talk of those around me that anything gaming is not only a waste of time, but actually makes time cry.

His candor about how much he cared for the franchise showed me that my enjoyment of Halo was something to be celebrated, not something that needed to be justified. I don’t know what ever happened to that crazy kid, but I wish him well.

One classy lady – I’ve come to rely on my wife’s reactions to ideas I have, and she’s become an expert at shooting down many of the stupid things I’ve wanted to do over the years. The idea for Reactive Bias was not shot down, and was in fact encouraged; without her support, I wouldn’t have moved forward.


CL: Your website shows a strong focus on exploring the fiction of the Halo universe. Has your interest in the fiction always existed side-by-side with your interest in the games, or did one come before the other?

DaK: I ended up answering this in the first question (gameplay then fiction), but I did want to mention again that without the fiction side of it, I wouldn’t have stayed with Halo as long as I have.

Shooting fools with an over-powered weapon can be done in any number of games, but there’s only one place to shoot a Misriah Armory firearm as a genetically-enhanced solider on a vast artificial structure whose makers devolved humanity thousands of millennia ago … and that’s Halo.


CL: Storytelling in the Halo games is a constant area of debate. Some argue that the games so far have not done enough to communicate the backstory to the player. Others argue that the backstory is better off being explored through novels and other media. What are your thoughts on this issue? Would you like to see more detailed exploration of the story in Halo 4, or would you rather keep the in-game story simple?

DaK: I think the debate comes from the definition of the word “story” and what it means to different people in the community. For myself, Halo’s story encompasses the games, novels, terminals, etc. – all those things. I don’t need the game to be all of them because I accept that the story goes beyond the games.

To me the question is not “should more of the back-story be in the game?” but rather “how important is it that every fan knows everything about the universe?” Halo works so well because it engages whatever level of detail you approach it at.

Do you want to play a fun game with your friends? It does that. Do you want to know about the how the Prophet of Truth got to his position before the Arbiter runs him through near the end of Halo 3? It does that (see Contact Harvest). Whatever angle you’re looking at, Halo has you covered.

I like this pattern of having varied levels of detail depending on interest, and it looks to continue with Halo 4. I’m referring to 343’s suggestions that if you want to know more about the story of the game, you should read The Forerunner Trilogy (Cryptum, Primordium and yet unnamed novel) and Glasslands. Already you can go deeper into the game if you want to, or you can wait until November 6th to see what happens to Chief only in the context of the game world.

So for Halo 4, I want it to stay within the pattern established: a great story in-game with the rich backstory hinted at, and for those who read the other materials, a wealth of reward and detail for our extra investment.


CL: Going forward, what are your plans for Reactive Bias? Do you have any specific goals, or areas you would like to expand in to?

DaK: I’m currently going through all the novels chronologically and typing up my thoughts on them. Contact Harvest is done, and I’m working on The Fall of Reach now, so in the immediate future I’m hoping to cover them all before Halo 4 comes out.

Beyond that, I’m working on some of my playthroughs of the different games, things that have stuck out to me from the strategy guides (a great way to go back over the games), possibly interviewing some members of the community, and I’ve even tossed around the idea of doing a – gasp! – Reactive Bias podcast.

That last one is the most unlikely to happen as it requires the most of what I have least of: time. However, I’m assuming when I publish that book and have a job at 343, I’ll have more time to consider it.


CL: Let’s say you could travel back in time and visit yourself before you started Reactive Bias. What advice would you give to your past self?

DaK: First, I would have told myself to stop freaking out. I’m from the future, and it’s cool.

Second, I would have told myself that this is what I love to do – that supporting the Halo Community and being a part of it has brought together all the things I enjoy (reading, writing, great story, fantastic people, etc.) and balled it up into the spherical shape of awesome. I would tell my past self to get on the ball and work on making it a career sooner!

Third, I would have told myself that my gamertag would be “DayandKnightly” and the site would be called “Reactive Bias.” It’s truly pathetic how long I tried to come up with names I was happy with.


CL: It’s November 6th 2012. You’ve just put your new copy of Halo 4 into the disc tray and picked up your controller. What’s the very first thing you do: Campaign? Multiplayer? Spartan Ops?

DaK: I would have said Campaign, but when I told my wife that, she called me out and she’s right. The very first thing I will do it gaze in awe at the menu for probably about five minutes, to make sure that there isn’t a screensaver video that plays when you go idle on the menu screen. If there is a video, I will watch it to get pumped even further as it will most likely be an epic score accompanied by frantic gameplay. I will then get goosebumps.

After that, it’s back to the menu for one last breath before the plunge … just a moment to take it all in. Good times really do go by quickly; I’d like to take a moment and savor it.

Then, it’s onto Campaign to see what’s going on down there on Requiem …


CL: Anything else you’d like to mention or share with the community?

DaK: That I’m grateful to the community of people (yourself, GrimBrother One, Louis Wu, Tom and The Woaf of Dust and Echoes, and everyone who’s been to the blog to name a few) who have loaded their respective DMRs with ammo labeled “encouragement” and shot me square in the face with it. I would have given up if it wasn’t for those headshots – thank you!


And that wraps up the interview. I would like to thank DayandKnightly for taking the time to talk with us. If you’re interested in taking a closer look at his work, visit www.reactivebias.wordpress.com. I would also like to thank all of you for reading!

Discuss Reactive Bias here!

Nominate someone for a Community Spotlight Feature here!

Stay tuned for more Community Spotlight features coming soon!

– CruelLEGACEY
www.cruellegaceyproductions.com
www.playtimeshow.com

HRSotD (short for Halo: Reach Screenshot of the Day) is a daily feature dedicated to the wonders of Halo: Reach screenshots and the artists that capture these amazing images. A variety of shots—all of which are completely unaltered and captured in Halo: Reach's theater mode—are included for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the varied selection of images, and maybe even find inspiration to make your own!

Author: Aerostrike 04

From ReelTrbl117:

This weekend, the Miami Supercon 2012 “Best in Show” costume was won by a father and son, cosplaying as the new Master Chief from Halo 4 and an ODST. They were great. The father is a member of the 405th Halo costuming forum and has one hell of a Halo 4 costume!

Halo 4 Master Chief – Halo Cosplay

 

From machinima:

This is a Halo rendition of the WWII paratrooper song, by HolyJunkie and Daemon of Daemon Productions. Enjoy!

Blood Upon the Risers – A Halo 3 Music Video

Some people show their love for Halo by playing the games. Others get a relevant image permanently placed upon their body. Enjoy this particular example of a Halo-related body modification, and if you have a picture you’d like to submit for possible future inclusion, send it to bsangel[at]halowaypoint.com!

Halo tattoo, as seen on Krystal

 

From TrulyIndirectMedia:

This is Episode 15 of the Halo: Reach MLG Top 10 Plays series. We will be accepting clips from all of the community, so submit today!

To send in clips, email us at trulyindirect@gmail.com or GT: TrulyExclusive.

Halo: Reach MLG Top 10 Plays 15

From TangoDown385:

What do you get when you combine four players, Legendary difficulty, Iron, four Ghosts, and zero gamerscore? A two-hour long headache. That is, unless you have a secret unlimited ammo Spartan Laser, ContactTango, and his Annualists! Then, it is a 20-minute or less leisure cruise! ContactTango is the Captain of the Vidmaster: Annual Achievement Team and Forum Administrator at the Spartan 1 Project. Recently, ContactTango completed his – get this – 700th successful Annual run! I believe some sort of congratulations are in order, so I had some of the team members put it in their own words.

“To say ContactTango is a dedicated man is an understatement. To have done 700 recorded Annual runs, some with terrible lag (that’s my Australian connection), and even managing to fit another run in before the birth of his daughter, that’s some serious commitment to helping members of the Halo community along the Road to Recon. Not only is Tango on the team, he is the co-founder of the famed Annual Team, and he helped perfect the route we take to ensure the achievement is done quickly and efficiently. You could say Annual is now in his blood. I swear he could do it in his sleep! It’s been great to be able to serve the community alongside ContactTango, and we even got a record out of it: Annual in 12:26 baby! You need Annual? Tango is the man.”
-r c takedown

“ContactTango is a bad-ass. It’s as simple as that. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for all of the opportunities that he has given me since taking me on as an Annualist. After more than 300 of my own runs, I’ve had the chance to meet so many awesome people, from Bungie employees to everyday members who come through our site. I can guarantee that, without all of the hard work that Marc has put into Annual and all of the Spartan I Project’s other teams, my experience as a gamer would have been fundamentally changed. Marc had a hand in the creation of every single achievement team here at SIP, but there was something about Annual that has kept him coming back for more. The teams are our main advertising point when we are out recruiting. Many people stick around after getting their achievements to enjoy our community, but it’s for damn sure that most of them came to get help with those Vidmasters. Without all the work that Marc put into our teams, I’m certain that SIP would be nowhere near as big as it is today. Maybe that’s the one thing that I’m most grateful for; he’s given myself and 30 or 40 others the opportunity to help out and foster something bigger than ourselves. Thank you, Marc.”
-DisguisedBandit

“I joined SIP in late Feb 2009 after I got a recruitment message on another Xbox 360 gaming website, looking to get help with some of the Halo 3 achievements. Shortly thereafter, Marc set me up on an Annual run and sent a friend request. We talked during and after the run, which took about 30 minutes because of my crap internet at the time. Soon after, we started doing some multiplayer and campaign together. Three years, many games, many achievements, and many laughs later, I’m happy to say we’re friends. Marc loves the game; that’s the only way he could have helped so many gamers with this achievement. He had just as much enthusiasm teabagging Johnson the 700th time as he did three years ago with me. This guy is a Halo Ambassador, and along with other SIP members, has probably helped more gamers with Halo than anyone in the world. But more importantly, I’m lucky to have him as my friend.”
-Badad117

ContactTango is a truly awesome guy. The level of dedication that he shows Annual is nothing to the kind of dedication that he has toward his family and career, and that is saying a lot. Juggling his business and brood of children, he still always found time to help others get this achievement. If he could find 20 minutes, one, two, hell, three people could get this difficult achievement taken care of. Being an admin at SIP with him, I’ve gotten to know Marc very well and am honored to call him my friend. After all of this time of doing the same thing over and over, he confessed to me that he still finds it fun. I had the pleasure of doing the 700th with him and I have seen, first-hand, start to finish, CONTACTTANGO OWNS ANNUAL! The Halo community is blessed to have someone like you. I’m not going to say, “Here’s to another 700!” because I don’t think you left that many without it. But I will say, here’s to Halo 4 and its achievement list being worthy of YOU! Cheers, my man!

If you happen to not have Vidmaster: Annual (or any other Vidmasters for that matter), ContactTango and the rest of the team members are eager to help at the Spartan1Project.com.

 

From FBWalshyFTW:

This is a laid-back Halo: Reach/3 montage from Mudraxx, edited by Xander, entitled, “Drive By.” The gameplay is good, featuring a nice collection of Multikills, and the editing’s great, showcasing well-done angles, awesome transitions, and a strong flow. Enjoy!

Drive By – A Halo: Reach/3 Montage

Weekends and webcomics go hand in hand, and there's no better day to celebrate that relaxing ritual than on Sunday. Today's
Halo-themed Weekend Webcomic, which depicts a not-so-pleasant scene from Halo: Anniversary, is brought to you by DairyBoyComics. Enjoy this take on friendly (and unlucky) AI, and if you have a comic you'd like to submit for possible future inclusion, send it to bsangel[at]halowaypoint.com!

by: DairyBoyComics

You’re a busy person, and we have a thing for releasing as much Halo-related content our multi-fingered appendages can handle. That means—assuming you aren’t a speed reading super-soldier—you probably missed a few stories along the way. Not only do we forgive you, but we’ll also happily provide a convenient weekly wrap-up of absolutely everything we covered during the last seven days. Don’t worry about saying thank you. We’d rather you spend that time soaking in the goodness that is this entertaining collection of articles. Off you go!

News
The Halo Bulletin: 6.28.12
Halo 4 Master Chief from McFarlane Toys
Super Jackpot Weekend: June 29-July 1
Reach Weekly Challenge – 6.25.12

Videos
Forge Cafe Halo: Reach Map Spotlight 2 – Breakaway
Pokálo: Pocket Spartans – A Halo: Reach Machinima
Halo: Reach Racetracks 14
The Avengers – A Halo: Reach Montage
Project Phase 1 – Halo: Reach Tricks
The Halo Universe – An Extended Fiction Video Summary
The Adventures of Koko Bear Chapter 5 – A Halo Machinima
Meta Stability 2.0 – A Halo: Reach Campaign Tricking Montage
Tyrant’s Halo: Anniversary Mythic Walkthrough – Halo
Seekers 2 – A Halo: Reach Machinima
Fails of the Weak 93

Fun Stuff
Weekend Webcomic: It’s A Birdie!
Invasion Slayer – Halo: Reach Fan Art
Tattoo Tuesday: Back First Into Hell
That Big Promethean Ball/Ship/Whatever It Is – A Minecraft Remake
Halo IRL: A Spartan to Fill Up a Tank
Friday Caption Fun 57

Community Happenings
Community Member of the Week: frenchfryjordan
Community Customs Spotlight: Pete the Duck
Grifball Summer League 2012 – Sign-ups and Information
HaloChallenges.com – Mobile Mayhem, Multiplayer Medley, and Objectified
Proving Ground: 6.29.12

Halo: Reach Screenshots
Extradict – Simply Amazing
The Imperial March – Fun with Forge
Beneath Our Feet – Funky FX

HRSotD (short for Halo: Reach Screenshot of the Day) is a daily feature dedicated to the wonders of Halo: Reach screenshots and the artists that capture these amazing images. A variety of shots—all of which are completely unaltered and captured in Halo: Reach's theater mode—are included for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the varied selection of images, and maybe even find inspiration to make your own!

Author: xDrummerWorldx

 

From Rooster Teeth:

Jack and Geoff continue to look at another large pile of failure in this week’s Fails of the Weak!

Editor’s note: Language is mature. Proceed with caution.

Fails of the Weak 93

Last week, for our Friday Caption Fun festivities, you provided quips for an image featuring a confused Spartan. Here are the top captions you left for that particular image!

 

“When Jimmy was told, “The enemy is us,” he took drastic measures.” –Mutiny N648
“Hey, this multiplayer map is TINY!” –PWKWSFI
“During the Fall of Reach, ONI didn’t bother listing Tom as MIA because everyone expected him to die fairly easily.” –Varmah52
“I paid 300,000 cR for this helmet, and now I can’t see a thing! I demand a refund!” –Ch1ck3nFr1kaS33
“The UNSC’s prime candidate for Operation: Human Shield.” –darediablo199
“The pinnacle of reverse engineering for the UNSC.” –TD Appocolapse
“He shouldn’t have worn a GUNGNIR helmet to a scoping battle.” –STARS1AY3R
“Mind if I, uh, butt in?” –MCOTIB
“Nuf rof si siht gnithgif rof si siht nug ym si siht elfir ym si siht.” –cryptickidd

Now that we’ve wrapped up that picture, let’s start a new one. Up for your captioning pleasure this week is an image featuring a Spartan that has apparently confused a Warthog for a bull. Soak in the screenshot, then leave your witty and relevant quip in a comment. Off you go!

Author: Firehead222

From Community Customs:

Community Customs continues by running our popular Proving Ground again this week, where we’ll test maps and game types that aren’t quite ready for Primetime. Bring the maps and game types you’ve been working on, and we’ll help you get them polished and ready to be played by the masses. Sign up at the link below!

Sign up here

 

From Troy:

Drew and his newly formed squad have been joined by two special operatives, tasked to keep him safe. The squad is being debriefed on their first recovery operation with the Commander looking on, every step of the way…

Editor’s note: Language is mature. Proceed with caution.

Seekers 2 – A Halo: Reach Machinima

If you don’t like shields but you do like headshots, hop into Team SWAT this weekend because starting today and ending on Sunday, games played and completed within that playlist will present you with the chance to receive a 27,000-credit bonus.

Happy Super Jackpot Weekend!

 

From MythicTyrant:

Welcome to the second installment of my Anniversary Mythic Difficulty Guide! Yes, that means Legendary ALL skulls on, including Grunt Funeral. This is definitely a different flavor of Mythic than most of us are used to and brings a whole new pallet of challenges to the table.

GAME: Halo: Anniversary
MISSION: Halo
DIFFICULTY: Mythic
SKULLS: Iron, Mythic, Black Eye, Famine, Foreign, Recession, Fog, Eye Patch, Bandanna, Pinata, Malfunction, Boom, Grunt Birthday Party, Grunt Funeral

Tyrant’s Halo: Anniversary Mythic Walkthrough – Halo

From HC Redemption:

HaloChallenges has been designing and implementing player challenges in Halo games for a very long time. The work this site has put into finding new and exciting ways to take Halo games goes beyond what the game creators set out for us and has been inspiring many players, other community sites, and even the games’ creators. Here are our three newest challenges, should you choose to accept them.

Mobile Mayhem
The objectives in this challenge are specific to vehicle kills you earn playing Halo: Reach Multiplayer Matchmaking. For each objective, players are to earn the required kill count for a vehicle in a single game. YOU DO NOT need (nor are you expected) to earn all objectives in a single game; you are allowed to play and submit multiple games to acquire all challenge awards.
Mobile Mayhem Challenge Homepage

Multiplayer Medley
The objectives in this challenge are a bit more mixed in requirements. Some are medal-specific, while others have to do with weapons and individual performance. Pay close attention because Multiplayer Medley has a wide array of awarding you for your efforts. YOU DO NOT need (nor are you expected) to earn all objectives in a single game; you are allowed to play and submit multiple games to acquire all challenge awards.
Multiplayer Medley Challenge Homepage

Objectified
Objectified is designed to offer players an opportunity to show they can hold their own in a slightly different multiplayer environment. This challenge is not at all about the players who sit back in objectives games, slaying for K/D or other selfish reasons. No, this time around players who apply the appropriate level of skill, luck, and strategy will be rewarded for diving into the fray and working to help secure a victory for their team. You CANNOT earn all objective awards in a single game; therefore, you are obviously allowed to play and submit multiple games to acquire all challenge awards.
Objectified Challenge Homepage

I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is there will not be a Bulletin today. The bad news is that there will be one tomorrow.

See you then. 😉

<3,
bs angel