Editing Alphamoon

{{Title|alphamoon}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Level infobox
|prev=
|concurrent=
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|game=''[[Halo 2]]'' {{C|Cut}}
|name=alphamoon
|image=[[File:H2 alphamoon Menu.png|300px]]
|devname=<code>alphamoon</code>
|player=[[Thel 'Vadam|The Arbiter]]
|date=
|place=[[Basis]]
|objective=
|nowalk=yes
}}
{{Article quote|Assault the occupied control room and find the oracle}}
'''alphamoon''' is the working title of a cut [[campaign]] level produced during the development of ''[[Halo 2]]''. The level was set on [[Basis]], the moon of the gas giant [[Threshold]] - the planet around which [[Installation 04]] orbited. The level would have seen the player play as [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]] in an assault against a [[Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction|heretic]] camp on the moon.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=stream|Qp86KNbeCA8|The Moa Archive <nowiki>[UncookedMoa]</nowiki>|Halo 2 E3 2003 Demo Stream from 343 + Never Before Seen Alphas/Betas (1080p 60 FPS)}}

==Overview==
[[File:H2 alphamoon.png|thumb|left|250px|Gameplay of the alphamoon level in the September 2003 build of ''Halo 2''.{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}]]
{{Quote|We were building stuff that just couldn't be played, in any engine, we built, and detailed, and went a huge way down the path with a whole bunch of environments and levels for the game that just totally didn't make it. If you look at the level with the Flood, inside the quarantine area - that is the remaining 20 per cent of a gargantuan, sprawling level that was meticulously built and hand-constructed, but that could never, ever have shipped in any engine.|[[Chris Butcher]], discussing alphamoon.{{Ref/Reuse|Eurogamer}}}}
alphamoon was first revealed in a stream of the [[Halo 2 E3 demo|''Halo 2'' E3 demo]], shown by [[Frank O'Connor]] and [[Brian Jarrard]] following Jarrard's chance finding of a ''Halo 2''-era [[Xbox]] devkit with the build on it in his home. alphamoon is one of a number of levels included in this build. The level as presented in the stream is based in the ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' game engine, using the ''Combat Evolved'' HUD, plasma rifle, and plasma pistol - though the [[Unggoy]] and [[Sangheili]] art assets featured are their ''Halo 2'' incarnations. The level is from early ''Halo 2'' development and is not optimised, resulting in a very low framerate while playing.{{Ref/Reuse|stream}} Level geometry found in an early prototype created by [[David Candland]] for ''Halo 2''{{'}}s cut [[Theater]] mode showcases a small section of level geometry - prominently including a {{Pattern|Zo'op|Weevil}} cannon intended as an objective for the player to destroy.{{Ref/Site|Id=Candland|URL=https://www.cand.land/halo2party|Site=David Candland|Page=Halo 2 Party Prototype|D=14|M=11|Y=2021}} This original alphamoon geometry was later described by [[Chris Butcher]] as a "''gargantuan, sprawling level''" that could have never shipped.{{Ref/Site|Id=Eurogamer|URL=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bungie-halo-2-e3-demo-was-a-fake|Site=Eurogamer|Page=Halo 2 E3 demo was "smoke and mirrors"|Quote=If you look at the level with the Flood, inside the quarantine area - that is the remaining 20 per cent of a gargantuan, sprawling level that was meticulously built and hand-constructed, but that could never, ever have shipped in any engine.|Quotee=Chris Butcher|D=27|M=02|Y=2022}}

In the level dialogue, the Arbiter is referred to by the title of "Dervish".{{Ref/Reuse|stream}} This name was the original title for the Arbiter in ''Halo 2'' development, but was ultimately changed to avoid being unintentionally offensive to Muslims.

alphamoon was originally set on [[Threshold]]'s moon [[Basis]] and would see the [[Covenant]] confronting the [[Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction|Heretics]].

At one point in development, the level was considered for use as some sort of demo, seemingly with a contest attached to its completion.{{Ref/Reuse|missionhsc}}

The level was ultimately cut due to the aforementioned size issues, alongside issues with lightmapping that are difficult to solve on modern hardware, lack of environmental variation, and negative playtesting feedback. It was cut in late [[2003]], with it last mentioned in meeting documentation in August of that year, and completely gone by February [[2004]].{{Ref/Site|Id=DDH2|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-demos-halo-2|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Disgite Demos: Halo 2|D=12|M=11|Y=2024}}
<gallery>
File:H2 Alphamoon Concept.jpg|Concept art for the level.
File:H2 alphamoon Theater.png|A screenshot of Candland's Theater prototype, with an alphamoon saved film selected.{{Ref/Reuse|Candland}}]]
</gallery>

===Storyboards===
In addition to the gameplay featured in the September 2003 build of ''Halo 2'' alongside the E3 demo, a number of [[Halo 2 storyboards|storyboards]] released online by [[Lee Wilson]] showcase an alternate ending to the mission which would become [[The Oracle]] in the final game, likely intended from prior to alphamoon becoming alphagasgiant.{{Ref/Site|Id=H2Storyboards|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/68xkw5|Site=ArtStation|Page=Halo 2 storyboards|Detail=|Quote=|D=28|M=12|Y=2020}} These storyboards showcase an encounter between the Arbiter and the Heretic leader [[Sesa 'Refumee]] similar to that of the gas mines, but instead taking place in the wreckage of the [[Control Room (Installation 04)|control room]] of Installation 04. The storyboards showcase a struggle between 'Refumee and the Arbiter, with both stopping their fighting as [[343 Guilty Spark]] enters the room. The two would begin listening to Spark, only for the crack of a [[Type-51 carbine|carbine]] to interrupt Spark, and the camera pan down to showcase the Heretic lifting a blood-soaked hand from his chest. The shooter would then be revealed to be [[Tartarus]], who subsequently captures Guilty Spark and then executes the now-injured heretic leader before walking away.
<gallery>
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 1.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 1.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 2.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 2.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 3.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 3.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 4.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 4.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 5.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 5.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 6.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 6.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 7.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 7.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 8.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 8.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 9.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 9.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 10.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 10.
File:H2 AlphaMoon Storyboard Outro 11.jpg|Alphamoon outro storyboard 11.
</gallery>

===Current status===
[[File:H2 BurialMounds EarlyDesign.jpg|thumb|250px|An early design document of the Burial Mounds, with several influences present from the alphamoon layout.]]
The level is set in a heretic camp on the moon of Basis. While this concept did not make its way into the final ''Halo 2'' campaign, this idea is the basis for the setting of the multiplayer level [[Burial Mounds]]. Ultimately, several ideas from the early stages of this level's development were present in early Burial Mounds iterations such as the Control Room structure (detailed in the storyboard selection above), though the initial sketches produced by [[Max Hoberman]] were deemed too intensive for the two-man team assigned to the level - leading to the map's layout being redesigned by [[Chris Carney]] into the iteration seen in the final game.{{Ref/Twitter|MaxHoberman|1073617496228409344|Max Hoberman|Quote=Alright, one more original Halo 2 multiplayer map design to cap the week, then something else. You'll never, ever guess which map this was my original paper design for. Sorry it's so crap quality, still trying to find the original file.|D=15|M=11|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|MaxHoberman|1073641053570383874|Max Hoberman|Quote=Yes! This was the original idea for Burial Mounds that I put together. It was clearly out of scope - we were a two man team - so Carney scrapped it and started over.|D=15|M=11|Y=2021}}

Roughly 20% of the geometry developed for alphamoon was later reused in the final game in the end zone of [[Sacred Icon]] and the later [[Quarantine Zone]].{{Ref/YouTube|sBi_xx26ClM|Vikingo NO|Halo 2: Developer Commentary Playthrough (2007) 【1:21:15】|Time=2810|Detail=46:50|Quote=And this was the original... again, redone a lot, but the Alpha Moon, Alpha Moon sort of geometry.|Quotee=Joseph Staten}}

==Transcript==
Due to the in-development nature of the level, the subtitles and spoken dialogue do not align 1:1, and are as-such noted in the transcript. As well, known dialogue comes from the 343 Stream{{Ref/Reuse|stream}} as well as remaining files left in the ''[[Halo 2 Editing Kit]]''.{{Ref/Generic|Id=missionhsc|[[Halo 2 Editing Kit]]|alphamoon.hsc}}

''The player spawns equipped with a {{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}} and a [[Type-25 plasma pistol]].''{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}

*'''[[Rtas 'Vadum]]''' (dialogue): ''Our lords are with you today, Dervish.''{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''' (subtitles): ''Their defenses are stronger than we first thought.''{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}{{Ref/Reuse|missionhsc}}

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''' (dialogue and subtitles): ''No one else survived the first drop.{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}{{Ref/Reuse|missionhsc}}

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''' (dialogue): ''The heretics' defenses are formidable, our attack cannot proceed until you have eliminated their heavy weapons.{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''' (subtitles): ''were[sic] pulling back until you have neutralized their defenses.''{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}{{Ref/Reuse|missionhsc}}

''The player engages two [[Sangheili Major]]s and two [[Unggoy Minor]]s.''{{Ref/Reuse|stream}}

''If used as a demo, the level would have ended with the following text.''{{Ref/Reuse|missionhsc}}

"--- Mission Complete!!!! ---"
	
"--- GET MORE WHEN YOU PURCHASE HALO 2 ---"
	
"--- COMING WINTER [[2004 (real world)|2004]] ---"
	
"Stand by to see if your[sic] a winner!"

==Digsite restoration==
In [[2024]], the level was updated by the [[Digsite]] asset restoration project and partially restored to work in the modern ''Halo 2'' engine as a [[Modding|mod]] for ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'' alongside their recreation of the [[Halo 2 E3 demo|''Halo 2'' E3 demo]]. The mod uses the original Bungie-developed scenario and scripts as a base, though with the placeholder dialogue re-recorded by the team, new original music and additional asset and restorative work to bring the level more in line with established Halo 2 gameplay.{{Ref/Site|Id=DDH2|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-demos-halo-2|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Disgite Demos: Halo 2|D=12|M=11|Y=2024}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Deleted Material}}