Editing Cut Halo: Combat Evolved vehicles

{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Title|Cut ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' vehicles}}
[[File:PXH_EarlyTankWarthog_Screenshot.jpg|300px|thumb|The third person-era stealth tank and Warthog.]]
{{Series/Cut/HCE}}
During the [[Development of Halo: Combat Evolved|development]] of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', the game went through many different styles including a [[Real-time strategy|strategy game]], a third-person shooter and a [[first-person shooter]]. Throughout these iterations, many different '''vehicles were cut''' from the game, some of which presented notably different design styles from those found in the final [[2001]] release.

==RTS era==
These vehicles were present in the early stages of the development of ''Halo'', when the game bore little resemblance to the final product. In this era, prior to [[1998]], the design of the [[human]] vehicles bore a notable resemblance to those found in the modern-day, with conventional-looking Humvees, [[tank]]s and attack helicopters.

===Alien tanks===
In the RTS era of ''Halo'', the [[Covenant]] did not exist yet as an entity, simply being the "aliens". There were to be several vehicles used by what would later become the Covenant and [[Forerunners]].{{Ref/Reuse|Evolution}} A later variation of the alien tank, created in 1999, features the vehicle in the Covenant's purple color scheme.
<gallery>
File:Oldhalo rts longsword topright.png|Three vehicles named the "alientank" can be seen in the centre of this image. These vehicles were jokingly referred to as the "horseshoe crab tank".
File:Rts redone 2.png|Several vehicles appearing more alien in nature.
File:PHX_Vehicle-alientank_RTS_purple.png|A later render of the alien tank by [[Marcus Lehto]] named "c tank light 1", created in 1999.
</gallery>

===Fighter pod===
The fighter pod was a vehicle intended for use by alien forces.{{Ref/Site|Id=HWCRF|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-floor|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Cutting Room Floor|D=07|M=07|Y=2022}}
<gallery>
File:HCE FighterPod.png
</gallery>

===Forerunner tank===
Not to be confused with a [[Cut Halo 2 levels#forerunnertank|cut level]] of the same name from ''[[Halo 2]]'', the Forerunner Tank as intended for the first ''Halo'' game was concepted by [[Marcus Lehto]] as a heavy vehicle intended for use by the [[Forerunners]]. At this point in time around [[1998]], the Forerunners were little more than an idea, though the intention was for the Forerunners to still be alive in the active setting of the game.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|724379019903275008|Marcus Lehto|Quote=In 98 the Forerunners were very much alive - even though they were barely a zygote of an idea.|D=02|M=6|Y=2021}} Lehto designed the tank to contrast the art direction of the existing [[Covenant]] and [[UNSC]] tanks, with the tank design focused on asymmetry and unique forms.{{Ref/Reuse|LehtoArt}}{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|724352358428221440|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Agreed - The upper left was built and focused on asymmetry and some sharper forms which kinda worked.|D=02|M=6|Y=2021}} Lehto visualised the vehicle as coloured an "off-white" like an "old skull", with weathered "dried blood-red" accent colours.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|724379857191206912|Marcus Lehto|Quote=I was thinking of off-white, like an old skull, with some weathered accent colors.|D=02|M=6|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|724398518769577984|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Red, but like old blood that dried in the sun|D=02|M=6|Y=2021}}

When firing, Lehto visualised that the vehicle would fire a short-burst energy beam projectile, with an additional burst emitting from the back of the vehicle to counter recoil.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|724379533168676865|Marcus Lehto|Quote=I was thinking of of an energy projectile, like a short beam burst, with a counter burst out the back for stabilization|D=02|M=6|Y=2021}}
<gallery>
File:HCE ForerunnerTank Concept.jpg|Concept art of the tank.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=LehtoArt|game_fabricator|724348285700300800|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Found a Forerunner Tank sketch from 1998 in one of my old books. Was imagining something to contrast Covenant/UNSC|D=02|M=6|Y=2021}}
File:Rts redone.png|The Forerunner Tank-like vehicle can be seen in the top-right of this screenshot.
File:Rts redone 2.png|The Forerunner Tank-like vehicle can be seen on the left of this screenshot.
File:PXH_Ftank.png|A render of the Forerunner Tank's model.
</gallery>

===Human tanks===
A number of various armoured vehicle designs can be seen in many of the released RTS-era screenshots. Little information is known about most of these vehicles, and are such presented collectively in the below gallery.
<gallery>
File:Rts Stalker tank.png|The "Stalker" tank.
File:Oldhalo rts 1.png|The "Zedsu" tank.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=Evolution|weuRNxpDLUE|Channel=ForumsExtremeDotCom|VidName=Evolution of Halo Part 1: Pre-Xbox RTS to Third-Person Versions|D=09|M=7|Y=2021}}
File:Rts redone.png|A number of unnamed, un-textured various tank designs.{{Ref/Reuse|Evolution}}
File:Rts Mowitser.png|A screenshot with the "Mowitser" selected.{{Ref/Reuse|Evolution}}
</gallery>

===Hummer===
The Hummer - labelled in-game as the "scoutcar" - resembles a modern-day Humvee, and was eventually "sort of" replaced by the [[Warthog]].{{Ref/Site|Id=Origin|URL=https://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=630|Site=Bungie.net|Page=The Origin of Halo|D=18|M=1|Y=2021}} The vehicle featured a pair of roof-mounted machine guns.
<gallery>
File:Hummer Hog.jpg|The Hummer model.
</gallery>

==Third-person shooter era==
The third-person shooter era of ''Halo'' was characterised by the evolution and development of the Warthog. In the game's RTS stage, a third-person camera and driving controls were added to the Hummer vehicle to test the game's physics and terrain technology. Ultimately, the developers found driving the vehicle so fun that by late 1998 and early [[1999 (real world)|1999]], the game had transitioned into third-person format. The Warthog was a key aspect of this era of ''Halo'', though was accompanied by a vast assortment of other vehicles.

===Boats===
Various watercraft were concepted and tested for inclusion in ''Halo'', though ultimately none made it into the final release. One such vehicle was present in the earliest builds of the game, described as a single-man vehicle named the "Doozy".{{Ref/Site|Id=VICE|URL=https://www.vice.com/en/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history|Site=VICE|Page=The Complete, Untold History of Halo|D=11|M=7|Y=2021}} Another watercraft was cut from the game due to being "kind of pointless" and described as a floating dinghy looking like "two floating carrots".{{Ref/Reuse|Origin}} At this time, entering the vehicle would simply move the player model ''under'' the vehicle - the boat had a buggy physics engine, and was prone to bouncing out of the water.{{Ref/Reuse|Evolution}} It may be possible that the "Doozy" and "Carrot Boat" are one and the same.

A vehicle named the [[Doozy]] lives on in ''Halo'' canon, but as a snowmobile rather than a watercraft.
<gallery>
File:HCE UNSCBoat Concept.jpg|Concept art for a boat.
File:Carrotboat.png|The "Carrot" boat.
File:HCE Doozy Concept 1.jpg|Concept art of the Doozy.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=H2CE|DWI7AhQFpTE|Bungie|Cutting Room Floor Weapons Vehicles and Characters|Y=2020|M=12|D=17|Detail=Official Bungie upload of the BTS video from the ''Halo 2'' Collector's Edition}}
File:HCE Doozy Concept 2.jpg|Concept art of the Doozy.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
File:HCE Doozy Concept 3.jpg|Concept art of the Doozy.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
File:PXH_Doozy-Concept.jpg|A higher resolution image of the Doozy's concept art
File:PHX_Doozy_render.png|A render of the Doozy's model.
</gallery>

===Covenant bomber===
Concepted by [[Shi Kai Wang]] and modelled/textured by artist [[Paul Russel]], this vehicle was to be a large bomber aircraft used by the Covenant, measuring 12m wide and 10m tall.{{Ref/Twitter|Dr_Abominable|464351948297089024|Paul Russel|Quote=@HaloFanForLife @HaloArchive Here's the first. Didn't have shot of the 'blind wolf', @game_fabricator's creation.|D=30|M=10|Y=2020}} It was presumably meant as a heavy aerial weapons platform, a supplement to the smaller, lighter Banshee, but was cut from the released game. It featured two forward-swept wings, akin to the twin booms of the Spirit dropship, and had a long protrusion underneath, which may have been an underslung weapons mount or landing gear.
<gallery>
File:Covenant bomber (fore view).png|The Covenant bomber.
File:HCE LostHalo Renders.png|A compilation of various cut enemies, including the Covenant bomber in the centre.
</gallery>

===Covenant ground transport===
Known in-game as <code>c ground transport</code>, this vehicle would later go on to be featured in ''Halo 2'' as the [[Ruwaa-pattern Shadow|Shadow]].{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Shadow|game_fabricator|1413299559875235841|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Yes, at that time is was just called "c ground transport"|D=09|M=7|Y=2021}}
<gallery>
File:PXH SeraphShadow.png|The ground transport (back) alongside the Seraph tank.
</gallery>

===Covenant tank===
{{Quote|That, my friend, is a Seraph fighter. [...] But, the funny thing is that the Seraph fighter is actually the old, old, old, old Halo Covenant tank, right, that Shi-Kai built. That ship that you just saw, that sort of, round, almost... What do you call it? Cuttlefish. Used to be a Covenant tank, back in the day. And maybe again.|[[Joseph Staten]] discussing the Covenant tank's evolution into the Seraph fighter.{{Ref/Generic|[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition]]|Halo 2 Developer Commentary}}}}
This design for a Covenant tank was featured in these builds of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', and was built in 1998.{{Ref/Twitter|Dr_Abominable|464351948297089024|Paul Russel|Quote=The Seraph was actually, verbatim, a design (also built) for a covenant tank dating back to 1998.|D=30|M=10|Y=2020}} The design was later reused as the [[Kai-pattern Seraph|''Kai''-pattern Seraph]] later featured in ''Halo 2''.

Interestingly, the original textures for this 2000-era tank remain in the files for ''Halo 2'', allowing the full model to be recreated via [[modding]].{{Ref/Twitter|RejectedShotgun|1413410766145822727|RejectedShotgun|My attempt at the c_ground_transport vehicle @game_fabricator showed off earlier. I'll probably mod it into CE tomorrow. Thanks to @Tempest_Sean for pointing out the textures from the 2000 build are still in Halo 2.|D=11|M=7|Y=2021}}
<gallery>
File:PXH SeraphShadow.png|The Covenant tank (foreground) alongside the ground transport.
File:PXH Seraph Back.png|The back view of this Seraph.
</gallery>

===Helicopter===
{{Quote|Helicopters were a featured item by the time Halo evolved into a third person shooter but in retrospect, they're simply not futuristic enough. Although it could be worse, they could be hot air balloons or -blam!-ker Triplanes. Maybe for a prequel, they might go Retro. I can see it now, a World War One and Two themed action strategy shooter, called Halo: Alsace Lorraine Panzer Division Edition. Or then again, maybe not...|[[Frank O'Connor]]{{Ref/Reuse|Origin}}}}
At one point in the game's third-person builds, a vehicle resembling a modern attack helicopter could be seen, though was cut as helicopters weren't "futuristic enough".{{Ref/Reuse|Origin}} Perhaps ironically, they would later be heavily featured in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' as the [[Falcon]].
<gallery>
File:Prexbox chopper.png|The helicopter.
</gallery>

===Kestrel===
The Kestrel was a human aircraft of some kind that was modelled for inclusion in ''Halo''. Little is known of the vehicle's intended role within ''Combat Evolved''.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|464436273029980160|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Did the Kestrel ever get out to the public?|D=11|M=7|Y=2021}} The vehicle was cut in-part because ''Combat Evolved'' lacks vehicle physics that can effectively simulate VTOL aircraft.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}{{Ref/Site|Id=Halo Waypoint|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-floor|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Cutting Room Floor|D=6|M=7|Y=2022}} The vehicle was later concepted for (and also cut from) ''Halo 2'', before eventually being brought to life as a [[MEGA Brands]] set. The vehicle would then go on to see its in-game debut in [[2015]]'s ''[[Halo: Spartan Strike]]'' as the [[AV-30 Kestrel]]. The original version of the vehicle would later be canonized as the [[JOV-99 Kestrel]].
<gallery>
File:HCE_Kestrel_Concept_1.jpg|Concept art of the cut Kestrel.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
File:HCE_Kestrel_Concept_2.jpg|Concept art of the cut Kestrel.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
File:HCE_Kestrel_Concept_3.jpg|Concept art of the cut Kestrel.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
File:HCE-AV30Kestrel.png|The Kestrel model shown off by Marcus Lehto.
File:HCE_Vehicle-Kestrel1.jpg|The Kestrel, ported into ''Combat Evolved''.
</gallery>

===Mech walker===
Concepted at some point by Marcus Lehto, this mech was described as being a "personal mech". No known depictions of this model in 3D exist.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|731996066560671744|Marcus Lehto|Quote=In Halo CE, I thought it would have been cool to build a personal mech, but we never got around to it.|D=17|M=7|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|739639245086695424|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Found this Halo utility vehicle in my sketches. I think I was trying to figure out mechanical linkages and usage.|D=17|M=7|Y=2021}} A similar concept would later make its way into ''Halo'' with the [[HRUNTING Mark III (B) Cyclops|Cyclops]] in ''[[Halo Wars]]'' and the [[HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis|Mantis]] in ''[[Halo 4]]''.
<gallery>
File:HCE MechWalker Concept 1.jpg
File:HCE MechWalker Concept 2.jpg
</gallery>

===Shadow===
Known as the "Shadow" in this stage of development, this vehicle would later evolve into the [[Wuzum-pattern Spectre|Spectre]] seen in ''[[Halo 2]]''. The cut ''Combat Evolved'' Shadow would later be canonized as the [[Wuchek-pattern Spectre]].{{Ref/Reuse|Origin}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Spectre_Concept 1.png|Early concept art of the Shadow.
File:HCE Spectre_Concept 2.png|Finalized concept art of the cut Shadow.
File:HCE_EarlyShadow_Concept.jpg|Another piece of concept art for the Shadow.
File:HCE Transport Concept.jpg|Concept art of the Shadow's controls.
File:Halo Spectre Concept.jpg|The "Shadow" in-game.
File:PXH_Vehicle-Spectre1.jpg|The Shadow ported into ''Combat Evolved''.
File:PHX_Spectre_shadertests.jpg|The Shadow ported into ''Combat Evolved'', demonstrating the vehicle's appearance under different shader settings.
</gallery>

===Stealth tank===
Described as a "low-black Scorpion"{{Ref/Reuse|Origin}} and featuring "counter vented fire stablization", the stealth tank was a human vehicle present in the game's third-person era and fully-drivable.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|706167778101714944|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Here's an old #Halo vehicle I built, the Stealth Tank. Low profile with counter vented fire stabilization.|D=09|M=7|Y=2021}} The vehicle was intended as a counterpart to the existing Scorpion, being lighter and more agile with a lower profile, but more vulnerable to enemy attacks due to having less armour.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1413621923863359491|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Faster, more agile, lower hit profile, but less armor and vulnerable.|D=11|M=7|Y=2021}}

The Stealth Tank was cut before the game moved to development on the Xbox console.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1413325079421718542|Marcus Lehto|Quote=That’s the stealth tank. I had to cut that before we started dev for Xbox|D=11|M=7|Y=2021}} As part of 343 Industries' Digsite Alpha initiative to uncover and restore cut content for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the stealth tank has been canonized as the [[M700 Viper]].{{Ref/Site|Id=Halo Waypoint|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-floor|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Cutting Room Floor|D=6|M=7|Y=2022}}
<gallery>
File:Stealth tank + hog.png|The stealth tank seen in an early build.
File:Prexbox Husk.png|The stealth tank.
File:Stealth tank.png|The stealth tank, driven by the player.
File:PXH StealthTankSquad Screenshot.jpg|A squad of cyborgs escorting the stealth tank.
File:PXH_StealthTankArtillery_Screenshot.jpg|Stealth tanks in combat.
File:PXH_Tanks_Comparison.png|A side-by-side comparison of the Stealth tank and the [[Scorpion]].
File:PXH_RTS_htankheavy.png|A render of the stealth tank, named 'h tank heavy', by [[Marcus Lehto]].
File:PXH_Viper_StealthTank.jpg|The stealth tank ported into ''Combat Evolved'' as the "Viper".
</gallery>

===Warthogs===
{{Expand-section}}
====Rocket Warthog====
An early iteration of the Rocket Warthog was developed for ''Combat Evolved'' and featured in the [[Halo E3 2000 trailer|E3 2000 trailer]] for the game. Unlike the [[M12A1 Rocket Warthog]] featured in the final [[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC port)|PC port]] of the game, the weapon on this Warthog variant has only one barrel and bears great resemblance to a recoilless rifle. The cannon was seemingly the design basis for the [[M68 Gauss cannon|Gauss cannon]] later introduced in ''[[Halo 2]]''. The vehicle was one of many restored to use by the Digsite project.
<gallery>
File:HCE CutRocketHog Screenshot 1.png|The Rocket Hog.
File:HCE CutRocketHog Screenshot 2.png|Close-up view of the turret.
File:HCE CutRocketHog Screenshot 3.png|Close-up view of the turret's rear.
File:HCE CutRocketHog Screenshot 4.png|Manning the turret.
File:HCE CutRocketHog Screenshot 5.png|Driving the Rocket Hog.
</gallery>

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

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