Anger, Sadness & Envy

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 23: Halo Anniversary

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:10:39 -0400

Narcogen, Blackstar and Cody Miller take a break from looking at the levels of Halo: Reach to discuss 343 Industries' recent announcement of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a high definition re-issue of the first Halo game, scheduled for release in November of 2011 in time for the ten year anniversary of the first game's release.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 22: All Your Sword Base Are Belong To Us

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:54:30 -0400

Blackstar and Narcogen take a look through the second playable level of Halo: Reach, in which you may go left, or you may go right, but either way, you end up backtracking and then going inside before it starts raining Covenant corvettes.

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ASE 22 Widescreen 360 SD size - Download

ASE 22 Widescreen 720 HD size - Download

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 21: The Winter of our Discontingency

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:23:08 -0400

This time on Anger, Sadness and Envy, Narcogen, Blackstar and Cody Miller take a look at the first level of Halo: Reach, Winter Contingency.

Show highlights include:

ODST was the only Halo game that started with a text crawl. Reach is the only one that starts with a flashback, showing your customized helmet on the post-invasion, burning surface, then transitioning to Noble Six putting the helmet on in the Warthog, on his (or her) way to meet the rest of Noble Team. Does this work?

Hungry Like The (Lone) Wolf. Does the foreshadowing-- the lone wolf stuff stays behind-- work as well when part of the game's marketing campaign was "from the end, you know the beginning"?<--!break-->

So Much So Fast, It's Glorious. Are we introduced to too many characters, too quickly? Halo 1 gave us the Chief, Cortana, and Keyes, with a cameo by "sniper sergeant", and then there is no one of consequence until 343 Guilty Spark enters the game several levels later. Here within a few minutes we have to absorb our own identity, Carter, Kat, Jun and Emile, as well as an exposition dump about the Insurrection that is familiar with those who know the novels, and probably nobody else-- and makes little sense within the context of the human-Covenant war, to say nothing of the expanding conflict of the three main sequence games. Did Bungie overthink this?

Less Is Moa, Part I. ODST gave us character archetypes, the Buck-Dare backstory, and hints of a secret mission, all in about the same time that Reach's cutscene takes to show us some mountains, Emile's knife, and the Falcons. Is this a case of less is more, or less is less?

Relay Race. So we're repairmen? Delivery team for a repairman? Isn't HQ right-- deploying a Spartan team is a misallocation of resources? How could Insurrectionists even make it to a planet that is the nerve center of the UNSC military? Isn't it crawling with Spartans? And if not, why is Noble Team here at all?

Super Trooper. Where are the troopers... can't help be reminded of what became of the bodies at Crow's Bridge in Myth, or the missing bodies in level 2 of Halo 1... except there are no Flood in this game. If the Covenant wanted to attack the Visigrad relay, why did they attack the troopers so far away from the relay, and then carry them towards, but not all the way to, the relay itself?

Less is Moa, Part II. Bungie has gradually added back many of the features that have been on the Halo drawing board since the very beginning, but for one reason or another ended up being cut. Covenant Engineers made it into ODST. The flamethrower made it into Halo 2. Dinosaurs we first saw in 2000 finally make their way into Reach in 2010, but before that we get ostriches. Sure, whacking them is fun, but does this add to or detract from Halo: Reach's sense of planetary tragedy?

Invincible Farmers. We've gone from a sometimes frustrating escort mission in Halo 1, trying to protect an all-too fragile, all-too vulnerable Captain Keyes, to having invincible NPCs, to having invincible sidekicks, to having invincible farmers that are immune to bullets but can be killed by melee strikes that instantly kill YOU for killing civilians. When does gently guiding the player away from counterproductive, antisocial play break verisimilitude? Why the instakill instead of the more Halo traditional method of having your own teammates turn on you?

The Scourge of Skirmishers: Walking buggers, or gentle Jackals? Are these Jackal Snipers made bearable, or just buggers in smaller groups?

P.S. Mini-Skirmisher: Clever trick or cheap gimmick? Is seeing behind the curtain like this worth havine Bungie strew the planet with kill zones, or should players be free to see whatever is there-- textured or not?

I Don't See Any Training Wheels. Despite ten years of Halo games and a total of five FPS titles, Halo still eases the player into the game with basic tutorial elements, including a structured introduction to grenades, as we get early in Sierra 117 during Halo 3, and here in the first combat encounter as we head down the stairs. Is this an example of Bungie being sensitive and approachable for new fans, or catering to casuals?

Free Fire Zone. The Master Chief had a wit that was dry at times, but ever gloried in the violence that was his particular specialty. Does it deepen or cheapen the Spartan mystique for Noble Team to have the range of character archetypes it does?

The Golden Compass. Halo has long had waypoints to point out objectives, and some levels even had arrows on the floor. Once past the first encounter, there are a few basic choices of where to go and what to do first. None of them are "wrong" and often you're only given a direction, like "east" or "northeast" to suggest where you need to go next. Are navigation and exploration part of the Halo experience for you, or do you just want a clear path to follow to blow more shit up?

Keep On Truckin'. Reach adds a civilian vehicle without armament that you can drive while Jorge guns with his LAAG turret, essentially making it a Warthog equivalent. Is there any point in making what is only cosmetically distinct from a well-known gameplay element?

Illusion of Choice. A bit like Silent Cartographer, where you can go around either way and not hit barriers, or like Halo, where you can rescue groups of Marines in any order, there's a little bit of nonlinearity here-- some encounters you can skip, and two you can do in any order. Are the choices here real, or fake? If fake, are they worth putting in? If real, do they have real consequences? How hard would it be to have them have real consequences?

The Covenant Is On Reach. Is this actually more or less believable than Insurrectionists, 40+ years into the war? Isn't Reach the last human colony left, besides Earth?

Three fights, two dead troopers and some frightened farmers later, and we're still just looking for the source of a distress call that every Halo player knows is the first sign of an invasion, while Noble Team is still paddling up a river in Egypt. Is Bungie trying to inject some dramatic tension into a situation that can't possibly have any?

The Flesh Is Willing. In what can be interpreted as a nod to some of the continuity inconsistencies inherent with trying to change a game's armory over time, Reach, as a prequel to Halo 1, brings back the tuning-fork shaped "Spirit" dropships. They're iconic, to be sure, but they don't really fit the "organic" look that most other Covenant, especially Sangheili, tech seems to have, and the design never really made much sense anyway. Is this unifying the final installment with the first, or just runaway nostalgia?

A Farewell to Arms. Our second Falcon flight gives us another taste of the rail shooter goodness that is to come, but for now we're just along for the ride: not only don't you have a turret, but you can't shoot what weapons you do have-- not at the Covenant, and certainly not at your Spartan seatmates. Is sensibility spoiling the fun of Halo? Doesn't everyone spend a few missions chucking plasma grenades at Pelicans?

Casual Investment or Hardcore Divestment?

Reach's system replaces "Experience" with "Credits" redeemable for purely cosmetic player customization features, and rewards you with them for all kinds of play, solo or multiplayer, regardless of skill level or performance. Is this a good way to draw in less skilled players, or is it ruining the game by rewarding idlers, griefers, and those without the talent to play well or the sense to practice to improve their skills?

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 20: Reach Spoilers

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 10:30:26 -0400

In this episode of Anger, Sadness and Envy, Blackstar and Narcogen, together with Miguel Chavez of Bungie Sightings and special guest, Claude "Louis Wu" Errera, webmaster of fansite Bungie.org, take a look at Halo: Reach due out this week. Both our guests have played some or all of the Reach campaign and will give us a sneak peek at what is to come from the game come release day.

WARNING: THIS PODCAST CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Each chapter title (AAC version only) contains a warning about possible spoiler content; either no spoilers, mild spoilers, or SPOILERS. Most spoilers are in the final chapters, but if you are serious about avoiding all potential spoilers for this game, wait to play this podcast until after you've finished Halo: Reach.

Show highlights include:

How Reach Fits Into The Series
Master Chief vs. Noble Six
All Good Things...
Playing with Noble Team
Difficulties
Invincible Sidekicks
Equipment vs Abilities
Reach's Sandbox
Space Combat
Plot Twists
Bungie's Future
Reach Engine Performance
SPOILERS!
Final Thoughts
The Definitive Halo Game?

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 19: Deja View, Forge World

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:37:31 -0400

Blackstar and Narcogen take a look at the two recently released Reach videos; the RvB reveal of Blood Gulch remake, Hemorrhage, and Bungie's own ViDoc about Forge World and Reach's new map editing features.

Show Highlights:

Deja View
I Said GOOD Graphics
Home Sweet Base
Weapon Lowering
HoloSimmons
Flying the Flag
Lookalike = Playalike?
Is Bigger Better?
Forge World Is Big
Ferrex In The Fishing Bob Hat
Bases, Building Blocks and Racetracks
Flying the Falcon
Halo 3 Forge Creations
Normal, Fixed and Phased
Multiple Delete
Custom Colors
Moving Objectives
Ferrex Forge Q&A
Bigger Budgets Nearby
No Firefight Forge or Campaign Forge

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 18: Reach Firefight

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 01:26:54 -0400

Narcogen and Blackstar, together with Miguel Chavez, take a look at the inclusion of ODST's Firefight mode in Halo: Reach. This is an extended audio version of Episode 17's video episode, in enhanced AAC format with chapter markers.

Show Highlights:

Click here for the complete text.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 17: Reach at E3

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:04:26 -0400

Blackstar, Miguel Chavez and Narcogen take a look at the new information about Halo Reach released at E3 2010, including the addition of space combat and changes to ODST's Firefight mode.

- Right Click on Links to Download -

ASE 17 Widescreen 360 SD size - Download

ASE 17 Widescreen 720 HD size - Download

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 16: Reach Beta Video

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:45:14 -0400

Blackstar, Miguel Chavez and Cody Miller take a look at the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta in this video installment of Anger, Sadness & Envy.

- Right Click on Links to Download -

ASE 16 Widescreen 360 SD size - Download

ASE 16 Widescreen 720 HD size - Download

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 15: Reach Beta Preview Pt. 1

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:18:10 -0400

Narcogen and Blackstar, together with Miguel Chavez, look forward to the Halo Reach Beta coming May 3, 2010; wrap up some final thoughts on Halo 3: ODST, and reminisce about the retirement of Halo 2 multiplayer on Xbox Live.

Show Highlights:

Look, Wendy, I Can Fly
What Is The Primary Main Objective
These Are Not Gilbert's Arenas
The Promise Of Firefight
Should Bungie Listen To Fans?
For Every Arena There Is A Season
Have A Nice Trip (Mine)
Reach's Rolling Rank Resets
3rd Party USB Sticks On Xbox 360
*Not By Bungie
DLC vs DRM
Halo Public Betas
Farewell To Halo 2
Politically Incorrect Custom Games
Conclusion

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 14: ODST Pt. 2

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:03:42 -0400

A deeper look at ODST-- what worked and what didn't in this small-team, short-cycle Bungie experiment that landed with the profile of a fat expansion and the pricetag of a discounted full title.

Show Highlights:

Keep On Truckin'
GamesRadar: 7/10
Was ODST a Good Idea?
Demise of Chronicles
Comes With Beta (or The Crackdown Factor)
Full Game vs Expansion
What Would 343 Do?
What's Good in ODST?
Will it Rain on Reach?
Time Flies
Finding My Way
An Uplifting Preserve
NMPD HQ FTW
Playing Detective
Clues tTat Work...
...and Those That Don't
Kikowani Station
Mission... Accomplished?
Allowing For Failure
Breaking the Finale
Blowing the Bridge (or not)
Carrots and Sticks
Death From Above

For those wondering, we ambushed Blackstar late at night on his birthday with a 3-hour recording session he wasn't fully prepared for, and that accounts for him being quiet in this episode (that and the fact that I don't know when to shut up). More of his contributions will be in the second half of this episode, which looks ahead to the Multiplayer Beta of Halo Reach.

This is the enhanced AAC version of this podcast.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 13: ODST

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:26:45 -0400

A look at the first part of Halo 3: ODST, covering changes in gameplay as well as new characters and settings, and the interconnections between ODST and the rest of the Halo universe.

Show Highlights:

Firefly Reunion Tour
Not Looking At Her Gear
Changes: Fall Damage, Health & VISR
A Dark And Stormy Night
The Super: Keeping It Clean
ODST Features Within Reach
Graffiti Plays Havoc With Timelines
Tips for Noobs
Look Who's Talking Now
Engineers!
Saving Private Rookie
Game Noir
Firefight
Most Important Mission?
Anger, Sadness & Envy

This is the enhanced AAC version of this podcast. Due to technical problems, some responses are missing from this file; please bear with us.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 12: Miscellany

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:30:52 -0500

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net wrap up some loose ends from Halo 3 and look forward to Halo 3: ODST.

Also in this episode: special guests, Bungie's official #1 fan, Miguel "Freewill" Chavez of Bungie fansite Bungie Sightings and Cody Miller of High Speed Halo.

Show highlights:

Is Halo Too Easy?
Why ODST is Better than Halo 3
VISR, VISR Burning Bright
Campaign Forge
Best Confrontation
It's Not Easy Being ODST
Fade to White
Reaching For Higher Difficulty
Retconning Reach in Advance
Halo 3 Warthog Run
Foe Hammer
Forerunners == Humans
Babysitter
Parting Shots

This is the enhanced AAC version of the podcast; however, as this episode doesn't cover any specific campaign level it has no additional podcast art. Podcast art makes a return in the next episode, covering the first two levels of Halo 3: ODST, the first area in Mombasa Streets and Tayari Plaza.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 11: Halo

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:40:52 -0400

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net cover from beginning to end, the "Halo" level of Halo 3, discussing art, gameplay, story, and comparisons to Halo 1.

Also in this episode: special guest, Bungie's official #1 fan, Miguel "Freewill" Chavez.

Show highlights:

Coming Full Circle
There's Two Of Us In Here Now
No Pelican Has Ever Landed
Finding Terminals
Pyramid Climbing
Artificial Environments
Spark vs Johnson
Burning Bridges
Last Man Standing
Firing the Ring
Chief At Rest
World Domination
Wake Me When You Need Me
Anger, Sadness, and Envy

This is the enhanced AAC version of the podcast.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 10: Cortana

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:10:38 -0400

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net cover from beginning to end, the "Cortana" level of Halo 3, discussing art, gameplay, story, and comparisons to Halo 1.

Also in this episode: special guest, Bungie's official #1 fan, Miguel "Freewill" Chavez.

Show highlights:

Fans of Halo or fans of Bungie?
In the Background
Rampant!
A Sphincter Door Says What?
To Hate the Flood is to Love the Flood
Being OCD in HALO
Flamethrower vs Flood: Well Done
Play or Skip?
Getting Lost
Sniperflood!
Rescue on High Charity
Pillars of Game Design
Dashboard Cortana vs Hentai Gravemind
You've Saved Me... Who's Going to Save You?
Must-See Content
Anger, Sadness, and Envy

This is the enhanced AAC version of the podcast.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 9: The Covenant

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:33:55 -0400

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net cover from beginning to end, "The Covenant" level of Halo 3, discussing art, gameplay, story, and comparisons to Halo 1.

Show highlights:

Can Pelicans Land?
Needs Moar Splazer
Wraiths Not Worth Stealing
Why Do Forerunners Need Such Big Doors?
You Grabbed My Johnson... Twice
Elites: Reluctant Allies
Prophets Raised In Barn, Forget To Close Door Behind Them
Driving Indoors
Humans Are Special
The Death of Commander Exposition
Keyes And Johnson Sitting In A Tree
Fast-Talking Gravemind
Salvation or Suicide
Not So Guilty Spark

This is the enhanced AAC version of the podcast.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 8: The Ark (Part 2 of 2)

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:13:48 -0400

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net cover the second half of "The Ark" level from Halo 3, discussing art, gameplay, story, and comparisons to Halo 1.

Show highlights:

Clearing the Landing Zone
Halo 3 Scorpions: More Power, Less Control?
Phantoms: More Fun Than Scarabs
Light Bridges: Less Filling, Tastes Great
Pants On Head Retarded
Guilty Spark's New Offensive Bias
Priority Task My Foot

This is the enhanced AAC version of the podcast.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 7: The Ark (Part 1 of 2)

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:05:34 -0400

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net run through the first part of the Halo 3 level "The Ark", covering art, gameplay and story.

Show Highlights:

Halo Rail Shooter
Forerunner Portals By Aperture Science
In The Desert, You Can Remember Your Name
Covenant Carnivores
Up In The Sky, It's A Bird, It's A Banshee
Duplo AntiAircraft Guns
Why Tougher Hunters Are Less Scary
Don't Touch That Terminal
Can You Have Too Much Detail?
Crashing Pelicans And Flipping Prowlers
Nonlinear Play (Sort Of)

This is the MP4 (AAC) version of the podcast. MP3 version will be posted later.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 6: Floodgate (Part 2 of 2)

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:53:44 -0500

Blackstar of Blackstar Productions and Narcogen of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net run through the Halo 3 level "Floodgate", covering gameplay and story, as well as the usual three elements: something that made us Angry, something that made us Sad, and something from another game that we Envy and wish Halo 3 had that it doesn't.

Show Highlights:
What is Gravemind after?
Gravemind Speaks
Cortana Rescued... Sort Of
Glassing the Flood
The Sound of Music
Left Open Portals and Half Baked Solutions
Anger, Sadness & Envy

This is the MP4 (AAC) version of the podcast. MP3 version will be posted later.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 5: Floodgate (Part 1 of 2)

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:23:06 -0500

Blackstar and Narcogen look at the return of the Flood to the Halo series in Halo 3's Floodgate level. Part one of two.

This is the M4A version of the episode, compatible with iTunes; it contains advanced features such as embedded graphics and chapter markers. If you want the plain MP3 version to play in a browser, go here:

http://rampancy.net/audio/AAC/08/01/2009/Anger_Sadness_and_Envy_Episode_5_Floodgate_Part_1_2_mp3

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 4: The Storm

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:46:35 -0500

Trindacut and Narcogen take a look at The Storm, the fourth level of Halo 3, where vehicle combat is again a major theme and the story finally picks up as this level ends.

This is the MP3 version of the episode, compatible with the online player. This is the only format for this episode.

Anger, Sadness and Envy Episode 3: Tsavo Highway

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:06:07 -0400

Trindacut and Narcogen look at gameplay in the vehicle-heavy, story-light level, Tsavo Highway. Regular features include Glitch of the Week and Anger, Sadness, and Envy: features of Halo 3 that makes us angry or sad, and features of other games that make us envious.

http://rampancy.net/audio/h3maps/tsavo_highway/16/11/2007/ASE_episode_3_mp3

This episode should appear in the iTunes directory shortly. If you have not yet subscribed to this podcast in iTunes, but would like to, you can manually subscribe in iTunes by pulling down the Advanced menu, choosing the "Subscribe to podcast" item, and entering one of these two URLs:

http://rampancy.net/podcast/angersadnessenvy

http://feeds.feedburner.com/AngerSadnessEnvy

Anger, Sadness And Envy Episode 2: Crow's Nest

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:57:10 -0400

Narcogen and Trindacut examine the second level of Halo 3, A Crow's Nest, for Anger, Sadness & Envy, the official podcast of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net. Features include an interview with the Prophet of Truth, changes to voice actors, and Halo 3's equivalent of the Jackal sniper: the invincible Brute chieftain.

http://rampancy.net/audio/h3_maps/crows_nest/02112007/ASE_episode_2_mp3

http://rampancy.net/podcast/angersadnessenvy

http://feeds.feedburner.com/AngerSadnessEnvy

Or browse the Podcast directory in the category Video Games.

Anger, Sadness And Envy Episode 1: Arrival and Sierra 117

narcogen@rampancy.net (Rampancy.net) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:33:49 -0400

The first episode of Anger, Sadness & Envy, the official podcast of Bungie fansite Rampancy.net, covers the first two levels of Halo 3: Arrival and Sierra 117.