Halo Wars Q&A Session
Posted on 23. Feb, 2009 by tawnos in Gaming News
Got a random question to which you can’t find the answer to no matter how much time you spend searching through random blogs on Google? Technightly is here to save the day, they have posted an extensive Q&A which might answer some, if not all of your questions. The list includes 74 questions covering just about anything and everything that you could be asking yourself about the game. Some even redundant and dumb but still I’m sure there are people out there asking them if not they wouldn’t be in this Q&A session.
1. I know they probably aren’t, and this is probably a stupid question, but are the graphics any better than in the demo?
The graphics are the same.
2. Are, in your opinion, the leaders balanced?
Yes.
3. Is the population cap as small as it was in the demo?
Yes. The UNSC is limited at 40 and the Covenant at 50.
4. How long did it take you to beat the campaign?
It took me about a day and a half on the Normal difficulty.
5. Can you have UNSC + Covenant VS. UNSC + UNSC?
Yes. Each player can choose whatever race and leader they want regardless of what other players pick.
6. Do you play as the Covenant in the Campaign?
No, you only play as the UNSC for 15 missions.
7. Are there Sentinels protecting the Sentinel Build Pad and how many different Sentinel units can you build?
Yes, and the Sentinels also protect other structures. You can build 5 different types of Sentinels.
8. Are there other difficulties included besides Easy through Legendary?
Yes. The last difficulty is called Automatic(X%). The “X” is a number 5-100 in increments of 5. The A.I. looks at your playing strength and will set itself to match your ability. For example, Automatic(40) means that you’re about 40% as good as the A.I. can possibly be. Play more games and your Automatic rating should go up or down depending on your ability.
9. What are the multiplayer colors and can you pick your own?
You can’t pick your color. It randomly gives you either green, purple, orange, blue, red, or dark blue.
10. On Skirmish maps, do the Flood roam the map and attack you or do they stand in one place like the rebels in the demo?
They stay in one place like the rebels in the demo.
11. Do the Flood have any flying units that will attack you?
Yes, they are called the “Swarm Form.”
12. Can you pre-form parties and then continue on to 2v2 or 3v3 ranked matches?
Yes.
13. Do any of the Skirmish maps have other special “cool” additions similar to the Sentinel “Mercenary” building?
Indeed.
14. What are stronger: Flood or Rebel Infantry?
The Flood by far.
15. Can the Flood take over your Infantry? Vehicles?
Infantry, yes. Vehicles, no.
16. Can you actually be overwhelmed by the Flood to the point that the other player(s) doesn’t need to kill you because the Flood will?
Yes.
17. Do the Flood forms have a powerful attack against infantry?
Attack? No. The Flood don’t attack; they infect. So, essentially, their “attack” is a one hit infection which turns your infantry into more Flood forms. It’s very devastating.
18. I saw a building in a vidoc that looks like a Reactor. Does it play the same role as the Forerunner Elevator in the demo?
Yes. You can capture these “Reactors” like the Elevators in the demo. However, instead of giving you continuous resources they give you an extra Tech Level (Ex: Tech Level 2 goes to Tech Level 3).
19. How many build spots are there on a 3v3 map? I assume it’s 18 or more?
It depends on the map. Some maps have more and some maps have less.
20. Out of the 14 Multiplayer maps, how many have the Flood on them?
There are two maps with the Flood on them: Release (1v1) and Exile (3v3).
21. Are there any other forms of life on Multiplayer maps besides the Rebel Infantry and the Flood?
Yes, Sentinels.
22. Can the Flood infect Spartans or Covenant Leaders?
No.
23. Can you share units or resources with your teammates in Skirmish or Multiplayer?
Units? No. Resouces? Yes, by clicking on a Supply Pad/Warehouse and selecting a teammate.
24. Can you attack and damage units that have been hit by the Cryo Bomb, or are they put into a temporary stasis in which they cannot attack nor be attacked?
You can attack them, but they can’t attack you.
25. How many supplies are needed to get the last upgrade to Hawks? Same for Grizzlies?
The resources needed are: 900 for Hawks and 1800 for Grizzlies. The difference is due to Anders’ Economy perk.
26. What have you found to be the most useful: MAC Blast, Carpet Bomb, or Cryo Bomb?
Carpet Bomb.
Update #1:
27. How long are the cutscenes in overall throughout the game? 15-20 min?
Arount that, yes.
28. Say I have a Cyclops and my friend has an Elephant. Will my Cyclops be able to repair the friendly vehicle, or will he only repair my vehicles?
You can repair friendly vehicles, so yes.
29. (Relating to 25) And that does work for a UNSC/Covenant team, right? As in, my Engineer will heal his Flamethrowers, correct?
I would assume so. I’ve only used the same faction teams so far, but I think it works the same.
30. With both of the vehicles not upgraded, will the cyclops win or will it be the scorpion?
Scorpion.
31. Ok, so Cyclops are for smaller vehicles?
Buildings.
32. How is the Blood Gulch map like. Does it look just like the original map(little to no modifications) or is it modified a lot.
I haven’t fully played Blood Gulch yet, but it looks like the old Blood Gulch.
33. Of the 3 Covie leaders, who’s power do you feel is the best?
The Arbiter.
Update #2:
34. Is the Arbiter’s Rage ability really “all that?”
Yes, but the Rage ability is only good when you have enough supplies.
35. Are the Brute units any good?
Yes, the Brutes are cool/good.
36. Is the Brute Chopper fully upgraded better than a fully upgraded Ghost/Warthog?
I’m not 100% sure, but the Chopper is more fun either way in my opinion. Editor’s Note: The Chopper takes the place of the Ghost at the Factory when playing as the Brute Chieftain, so I’m guessing they are very similar.
37. Can you have more than 3 people in a party, and if so, will the extra players just be sent to the opposing team?
I believe you can have 6 (3 for each team) in private matches. (Not sure about Ranked matchmaking because no one else has the game yet).
38. How does the multiplier work in the scoring system at the end of the game?
I have no idea, and the Manual doesn’t explain this either.
39. How long does it take to walk units to the other base in a 3v3 map (average/estimate)?
Well, it depends on the map. Some maps are bigger, some maps have teleporters, and of course the Pelican transport/Leader teleporter makes travel across a map much shorter. But, to get from one side of the map to the other just “walking” would take a few minutes. I will note that it took 45 minutes to beat the Normal A.I. on a 3v3 Skirmish with myself and two A.I. players taking on 3 other A.I. players.
40. Is anything different from the demo besides amount of units, races, colors, and missions?
Aside from that? Nothing really.
41. How strong is the A.I. when it is at 100%?
Well, since I’m only up to 60% right now and it’s a pain, I’d assume it’s a challenge.
42. Can a Spartan jack a friendly player’s vehicle?
No.
43. Are you able to save a replay of multiplayer matches a la Halo 3?
No.
44. Is there a theater mode like in Halo 3? Forge?
There is a theater mode for the Campaign’s cutscenes available after you beat the Campaign. And no, there is no Forge or map editor in Halo Wars.
Update #3:
45. When defeated (in 2v2 or 3v3) is the player jacked from the game or can he stay in the game and observe his teamates and/or enemy?
I’m not sure, because I haven’t played online multiplayer since no one else has the game yet.
46. Is it possible to do 2v1 or 3v1 free for all games?
There is no free for all gametype (all team based games).
47. I was curious about how the ranking system works. I don’t know if you’ve been able to play ranked games, but I was wondering how it works. Is it based on win/loss ratio or end of game score? Or maybe both?
It should be like Halo 3′s system, which is based on wins.
48. Has there been any change to the ODST and Spartan’s combat effectiveness?
Between the demo and the full game? No.
49. What are some of the multiplayer options that you can see? IE; voicechat with the opponent, set certain standards, etc.
You are allowed to talk to your teammates during a match, but not enemies. Voicechat is there.
50. One reader wanted some clarification. Is the UNSC’s unit cap always 40 no matter what map? The Covenant’s at 50 no matter what map?
There is one campaign mission where the UNSC population cap can go up to 50, but other than that the population cap stays at 40 for UNSC and 50 for the Covenant.
51. How are the Grizzlies and the Cyclops?
The Grizzlies are very powerful tanks (really good too). The Cyclops, despite what people think, is actually very useful. I personally keep them next to vehicles so after a battle they can repair them (but the Cyclops has to be upgraded to be able to repair first).
52. Do you control a Rhino in the Campaign, and how is it different from the Scorpion?
Yes. If I told you though, you’d think I was crazy…
53. Has the Flood ever attacked your base?
Yes, and it was my fault too.
54. Are there any single Elite units besides the Honor Guards and the Arbiter?
No.
55. Do Brutes come in pairs or as a single unit?
They come in pairs.
56. Are there online leaderboards?
Yes.
57. Can you play 1v1 on 2v2/3v3 maps and can you play 2v2 on 3v3 maps?
Yes.
58. What’s the difference between heroic and legendary on skirmish in your experience? Is the AI any ‘smarter’ or are they just stronger?
They seem pretty dull early in the game, but mid-game they are much smarter.
59. When the Brute Chieftain is your leader, are the Elites in Grunt Squads replaced by Brutes?
Yes.
Update #4:
60. Do suicide grunts come in squads or in “one’s” like honor guards?
Squads.
61. Are there more Campaign exclusive units like the Rhino?
Some extra Spartan units, but that’s about it.
62. Can you give the name of one of the skulls in the Campaign?
Grunt Birthday Party Skull is one off the top of my head.
63. What does that skull do?
It makes Grunts shoot confetti when they explode and die.
64. How many skulls have you found so far?
A few.
65. Are the skulls hard to track down?
Yes and no. Obviously the ones I didn’t find on my first playthrough a little harder to find.
66. Is it easy to activate the skulls (like in Halo 3)?
Yes.
67. Are the skulls “Campaign Only” or can I use them in private, local skirmishes?
You can use them in Skirmish matches (non-ranked).
68. Can the Arbiter attack air units in Rage Mode (his special Y ability)?
Yes.
69. In a video I saw, there was this base building pad off on its own…what is that?
An extra build spot that anyone can use if they capture it.
70. Which side/race do you think has the best economy early on? Midgame? Late-game?
They all seem the same to me. But, Forge gets Heavy Supply Pads at the start of the game and seems to have a good start economically.
71. So, this will probably sound stupid, but is their autonomous lifeforms(the harvest whale, snow creatures, thornbeast, etc.) in the game? if so, is it just in campaign, or are they on the skirmish maps as well?
I have yet to see another lifeforms besides birds.
72. With the automatic AI difficulty, could you estimate what the other difficulties would be as a relative difficulty # (ie Heroic=60), and also does this go at all beyond the Legendary difficulty?
It depends, really. Once it gets high enough, though, it will be more difficult than the Legendary A.I. Editor’s Note – I’m guessing the breakdown will be like this: Easy = Auto(0), Normal = Auto(25), Heroic = Auto(50), Legendary = Auto(75), and Auto(100) will just be insane.
73. How is the cryo bomb in dealing with the scarab?
It’s a nice distraction. It hods it in place so your army can attack it without it attacking back, but make sure you have a big force to take it down. The Cryo Bomb doesn’t last that long.
74. Does the cryo bomb knock vultures out of the air and kill them?
It brings them lower and closer to the ground. It isn’t a one hit kill, but it almost destroys them.
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