Bungie Weekly Update/05-25-01

This is the Bungie Weekly Update of May 25, 2001, written by Matt Soell.

Bungie Update

No rest for Bungie. Here's a taste of what's happening:

• We now have team-specific versions of all multiplayer games. We're also introducing a bunch of multiplayer options (unlimited grenades, motion tracker off, limited number of lives, player with ball runs faster instead of slower, and a bunch more) so people can set up games under all sorts of interesting, challenging, amusing conditions.
• Speaking of multiplayer, Chris Carney is the latest addition to the team, designing new multiplayer maps.
• Several new weapons were added to the build this week. Rob gave me a quick history of the sniper rifle to explain why the one in Halo is approximately six feet long.
• Rob also has the skull model mostly done. He's building the teeth in his spare time.
• Shiek, Mr. Sexy Graphical Effects himself, has inserted several new ones into the game, including a lovely condensation effect and some nifty fire.
• Grenades now light up their surroundings when they detonate.
• The artists are playing with fog and silhouettes to maximize the creepiness of certain levels and encounters. Though as Marcus pointed out, the real fun comes when Marty starts adding sound to those levels.
• The Mighty Chris Butcher is doing stuff so mighty it must remain secret for now. The only thing he's done lately that I'm allowed to comment on is allowing designers to specify AI behavior in scripts.
• Joseph is working out more cutscenes, while Marty has taken to locking himself in his studio for hours at a time.
• Adam is working on some wounded Marines. You'll meet them along the way and might get some information or ammo from them. Shades of another Bungie game...