COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 1: HALO PRIMER

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1 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 1 You are the last of your kind a cyborg supersoldier engineered to turn the tide in an ongoing war with the Covenant, a collective of alien races united in their fanatical religious devotion. The Covenant have nicknamed you the Flawless Cowboy, but to most, you are simply the Master Chief, the last of the secret military project called SPARTAN-II. This chapter provides an introduction to Halo s primary characters with specific focus on your alter ego, the Master Chief. You ll find strategies for developing an efficient control scheme, using your available weaponry, and managing your health and shields. This chapter also includes exclusive excerpts from the Halo Story Bible that offer additional background information on Halo characters and story elements. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

2 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 2 THE MASTER CHIEF You assume the role of Master Chief, a supersoldier built for war and bred for combat. In Halo s early moments, the Master Chief rises from a cryogenic slumber and is quickly ushered into battle against an invading Covenant force. Given the Master Chief s extensive background in warfare, he slides easily into the familiar role. You control his every move while he may be a supersoldier, it s your combat skills that will determine the Master Chief s success in combat. This section provides a tactical overview of efficient control schemes that enhance your abilities in combat, your arsenal, and your health and shields. HALO STORY BIBLE: MASTER CHIEF The Master Chief is a second-generation product of the SPARTAN project: he was selected at age six and received intense augmentation and indoctrination as part of a super-secret military experiment. He began his career after thorough political indoctrination and advanced training in weaponry and infantry tactics as a Petty Officer Third Class. His first combat deployment was 2525, at age 14, participating in a spec ops mission against an anti-government separatist group. However, such missions were only a prologue. Shortly thereafter, the threat of the Covenant was discovered. In November of 2525, the SPARTANs were issued the MJOLNIR Mark V armor, and soon became one of the UNSC s most effective surgical strike tools against the aliens. The Master Chief s ground engagements with the Covenant throughout the Outer Colonies, and into the Inner Colonies, number over 200, spanning a field career of more than 25 years. He has been awarded every major service medal except the Prisoner of War Medallion. In order to force a peace, Earth s military commanders conceived a plan for a specially equipped team of super-soldiers to board a Covenant vessel, access the target ship s computer core, and pinpoint the location of the Covenant home world. Once this was accomplished, it was hoped the team could then be covertly deployed to capture the Covenant s leaders and broker a gunpoint truce. Before the plan could be implemented, the Covenant arrived at Reach the last major human naval base, and the training area for the SPARTANs and obliterated the planet. Of the SPARTANs present, it is believed that only the Master Chief survived, fleeing the system aboard the cruiser Pillar of Autumn. Though typically addressed by his rank (Master Chief) or by his service number (SPARTAN-117), his real name is John-117. His last name was deleted from the SPARTAN project records on Reach. This name is not used by anyone except his instructors and the SPARTAN-II science team. In fact, his name is not included in his military dossier. Only Doctor Catherine Halsey s secret files on Reach contained the names of the SPARTAN-II subjects. These records were presumed destroyed during the Covenant assault on the planet. 2

3 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 3 Controls An efficient control scheme one that lets you naturally perform all actions without having to look down at the keyboard is one of the most important aspects of succeeding in a first-person shooter. Halo s default control setup is a great starting point, but don t hesitate to customize the control mappings. This section highlights specific actions, their default keystrokes, and the importance of performing the actions efficiently. Movement (WASD): WASD is the most popular first-person-shooter movement configuration. W moves forward, D moves backward, and A and S strafe left and right. The configuration is widely used because it puts your left hand near several large keys (Tab, Left Shift, Left Ctrl, Space) that can be mapped to important functions. But a left-handed player might find that 8546 on the number pad works better, and a similar configuration is achieved with the 0, Enter, and + keys nearby for vital mappings. The arrow keys are also in an efficient formation but the nearby keys aren t placed as conveniently. Switch Weapons (Tab): The ability to switch weapons quickly is invaluable. The Master Chief only carries two weapons at any time and it s important that one complement the other expect to switch weapons frequently. Also, if you re firing the assault rifle and you exhaust a clip, it s faster to switch to your secondary weapon and use its fresh clip against the current foe than to reload. A Middle Mouse Button (or clicking the mouse wheel) is also an effective choice since it s adjacent to the default fire button (Left Mouse Button). This is a very important function so keep it close to your movement or firing keys. Toss Grenade (Right Mouse Button): Covenant are adept at dodging grenades, but a well-placed explosive can turn the tide in a battle. Your reflexes must be quick, especially in regard to the Covenant s plasma grenade. At close range you can toss the grenade directly at an enemy to stick it to him. The plasma grenade adheres to the enemy and there s no escape from the blast. Melee (F): A swift melee attack is often a spur-of-the-moment strike. You may spot a patrolling Elite walking away from you in the campaign, or spy an opposing sniper who s oblivious to your approach in a multiplayer game. Configure your melee attack to a convenient key to launch a surprise assault or in case combat becomes hand-to-hand. Changing the melee button to E or Q helps if you find the default cumbersome. Since you re generally moving forward (defaults to W) when you re about to melee strike, adjacent keys are wise selections. Reload (R): Weapons reload automatically after you exhaust a clip (see Figure 1.1), but it s wiser to reload manually when you have the opportunity, such as when you re able to take cover during a battle or after defeating a group of enemies and entering the next area. The Space bar also makes a good reload key because you won t have to stop moving to reload. Jump (Space): Jumping obviously gets you from one ledge to another, and it can help you avoid explosions jump away from the blast radius to minimize splash damage. Multiplayer gamers also jump during firefights to present a more difficult target. In the default configuration, your thumb rests on the Space bar, which makes it easy to jump quickly. You could also switch to Shift (close to the left-movement key, A) and use Space for another function, such as reloading or melee-attacking. THE MASTER CHIEF 3

4 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 4 Weapons Duck (Ctrl): Crouching can keep you hidden behind an obstacle and ready to ambush an enemy or multiplayer opponent with a close-range weapon. You can also duck as you jump to reach a ledge that simply jumping wouldn t allow you to reach. Press toward the ledge, jump, and press the duck key at the apex of the jump to reach the ledge. Zoom (Z): The human pistol, sniper rifle, and rocket launcher possess the zoom ability. Zoom helps pinpoint a long-range target. Headshots inflict much more FIGURE 1.1: Watch your ammunition level carefully so you aren t forced to reload during a hectic firefight. damage that other shots do, so it s to your advantage to utilize a weapon s zoom for more accurate aim. Some people like using the mouse wheel for this function. This section offers some general tips on weapon management. For a comprehensive look at Halo s human and Covenant weaponry, see Chapter 2, Human and Covenant Weapons. You can only carry two weapons at any given time in Halo. This facilitates tactical gameplay not often seen in the first-person-shooter genre. It s important to have the right weapon for the right situation and to make sure that your weapons complement each other. Study each weapon s strengths and weaknesses by reading Chapter 2 and the multiplayer sections of this guide. Human weapons use ammunition, which you must gather from clips or discarded weapons scattered around the level. All human weapons use clips; when you finish a clip, you must reload the weapon. Once you exhaust your on-hand ammunition, you can use the weapon only to melee-attack opponents until you locate more ammo. Covenant weapons use batteries. They don t require reloading, and once the battery is exhausted, the weapon is useless except in melee situations. Covenant enemies discard Covenant weapons, so these weapons are readily available throughout the campaign. Don t hesitate to exchange your weapon for a new one just to gain some extra battery life. The PC version of Halo features two new weapons: the human flamethrower and the Covenant fuel rod gun. Both weapons are covered in detail in Chapter 2, Human and Covenant Weapons, and in the multiplayer chapters of this guide. 4

5 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 5 Shield A protective energy shield over the MJOLNIR Mark V armor absorbs damage and keeps the Master Chief safe from attack. But the shield isn t invulnerable and can be fully depleted with enough enemy weapons fire. Once destroyed, the shield takes 10 seconds to recharge (see Figure 1.2). Without shield protection, all damage Master Chief sustains will decrease his health instead of being absorbed by the protective shield. All enemy fire damages your shield, but the Covenant plasma pistol s overcharge mode is the most dangerous. Used frequently by Jackals, the plasma pistol s overcharge shot can deplete your shield in a single blast. When facing a plasma pistol, it s important to have cover nearby you ll need a place to avoid an incoming overcharge shot and to wait patiently for a damaged shield to recharge before exposing yourself to more weapons fire. FIGURE 1.2: When you hear the alarm that signals a loss of shields, retreat and take cover until your protection regenerates. HALO STORY BIBLE: MJOLNIR MARK V ARMOR The MJOLNIR Mark V Assault Armor is currently the most advanced piece of tactical military hardware in human hands. Each suit costs as much as a small starship. The MJOLNIR armor is the brainchild of Dr. Catherine Halsey, and the SPARTAN-II program was, in large part, Halsey s attempt to create a soldier whose physical capabilities would be sufficient to interface with her vision of the final phase of project MJOLNIR a fully neural-linked system with an integral on-board AI using the human mind for parallel processing. Such technology did not exist when work began on the Mark I prototype. The MJOLNIR armor is composed of a multilayer alloy shell over a thick black armored bodysuit. The plates have an iridescent refractive coating to disperse energy-weapon attacks. The armor s inner structure is composed of a revolutionary reactive metal liquid crystal. It is amorphous, yet fractally scales and amplifies force, doubling lifting capacity and increasing reaction time by a factor of five. Unfortunately, the system is so reactive, normal human beings cannot use the suit without injuring themselves. Only an augmented human such as a SPARTAN-II can safely wear MJOLNIR. THE MASTER CHIEF 5

6 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 6 CORTANA Cortana is a highly advanced artificial intelligence that s the heart of the Pillar of Autumn and, in Halo s first campaign mission, becomes the heart of the Master Chief. Cortana provides key mission updates during the campaign. These include new mission objectives; navigational indicators to pinpoint key locations, enemies, and targets; and general story comments to keep the Master Chief and the player abreast of the current situation against the Covenant. HALO STORY BIBLE: CORTANA Cortana is the AI assigned to the Master Chief as his MJOLNIR Mark V AI system. She was also to act as the Pillar of Autumn s shipboard AI until the team reached their target. Cortana is highly intelligent and adaptable, and assists the vessel s crew in tactical matters. Her self-determined guise is female, with a dry, witty sense of humor and even elements of a hot temper. She is fiercely protective of the Master Chief, the crew, and her ship. She is capable of navigating Halo s computer system, intercepting and translating Covenant battle transmissions in real time, and providing the Master Chief with mission waypoints, cartographic data, and tactical advice. Following her experiences on Halo where she spends considerable time listening in on Covenant networks Cortana is probably the best source of intelligence on the Covenant in human hands. 6

7 4236ch01_final.qxd 9/4/03 10:23 PM Page 7 MARINES Several of Halo s campaign missions include computer-controlled Marines that battle alongside the Master Chief. You don t have direct control over the Marines, but you certainly play a huge role in their survival and their ability to assist you throughout the mission. When Marines are battling a particular foe, use the distraction to stick a plasma grenade on the enemy or even to run behind the enemy and perform a melee strike for a quick kill. Observe which enemy target the Marines are firing on and assist them to whittle down enemy numbers quickly. Likewise, engage any enemy target firing on the Marines to help keep your allies healthy. Keeping Marines alive pays off significantly in missions with a Warthog and/or Scorpion tank (for instance, Assault on the Control Room). In a Warthog, two Marines can assist: one as a gunner and another as a passenger. Both have the ability to fire on enemy targets. In a Scorpion, Marines can sit above the treads and fire on targets (as Figure 1.3 shows). You can force a Marine out of a Warthog s gunner or FIGURE 1.3: The Scorpion can hold Marines on its left and right sides, and these Marines fire on enemy ground targets. passenger seat by exiting the Warthog and pressing the E key when standing adjacent to the Marine. Do this if the Marine is unhealthy and can be replaced with a healthier ally, or if you re attempting to usher a sniper rifle wielding Marine into a passenger seat. For more on these techniques, see Chapter 3, Human and Covenant Vehicles. While certainly dishonorable, it s possible to shoot a fellow Marine to gather his discarded weapon and ammunition. This is a last resort because it s much more advantageous to have the Marine alive and engaging enemies. MARINES 7