Halo Wars FAQ
Q: What is “Halo Wars”?
A: Halo Wars is the next real-time strategy game from Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires franchise. Designed exclusively for the Xbox 360, Halo Wars allows you to take charge of the human UNSC armies and see the Halo universe from a totally new perspective.
Q: Where does “Halo Wars” take place in the Halo timeline?
A: “Halo Wars” takes place before the first Halo FPS game, during the UNSC’s initial deadly encounters with the Covenant.
Q: Can you reveal anything about “Halo Wars” storyline?
A: Players will lead the crew of the UNSC’s “Spirit of Fire” from initial skirmishes to an all out war against the Covenant.
Q: Will I be able to play as the Covenant?
A: Yes but only in multiplayer.
Q: Why is “Halo” being made into an RTS game?
A: Warthogs are cool. Scorpions are cool. Controlling lots of Warthogs and Scorpions and sending them into battle is really, really cool. We’ve been big fans of Halo for years at Ensemble Studios, and when we sat down to discuss our next project we thought Halo would be absolutely perfect as an RTS on the Xbox 360.
Q: When will “Halo Wars” be available?
A: The third or forth quarter of 2008
Q: Will I be able to play Halo Wars on Xbox 360 and PC?
A: Halo Wars is for the Xbox 360 exclusively.
Q: Is the trailer pre-rendered?
A: Yes, and it's based around our world concepts and uses lots of in-game models. The sound and music were done at Ensemble Studios as well. Props to our friends at Blur for bringing it all together and making it really shine.
Q: Other RTS games that have transitioned to console have had issues with controls, how will “Halo Wars” improve on the formula?
A: Halo Wars was created for the Xbox 360 from the ground up, which meant we didn't have to make compromises or shoe-horn in artifacts from a Windows PC game. We were able to take all the best aspects of RTS games, make them work perfectly on the Xbox 360, and exclude the rest.
Q: Will I be able to play as the Master Chief?
A: No. Sorry but Spartan 117 will not be appearing in the game.
Q: Will there be a demo?
A: Yes but not for another few months.
Q: Other than the Covenant and the UNSC, what factions will I be able to play as?
A: So far, only the UNSC and Covenant are confirmed. The URF is also a possibility. The Heretics, Sentinels and Flood, while widely discussed wouldn't fit into the current canon story line and may only make an appearance if at all in MP.
Q: Will there be an FPS mode?
A: No. Not even a small chance.
Q: Will there be highjacking of other vehicles?
A: Most likely no.
Q: What kind of economy will we see?
A: The economy will consist of supplies being dropped down from the Spirit of Fire in orbit.
Q: What about space battles?
A: There will be no space battles in Halo Wars.
Q: Where does the game take place? A: On the surface of the planet of Harvest and other UNSC colonies.
Q: Will Halo Wars come to any other next-gen platforms?
A: No. The game is strictly for the Xbox 360.
Q: Will there be wildlife in the game?
A: Yes. But their affect on the gameplay is yet to be known.
Q: Is there a unit limit?
A: Yes. This is necessary to prevent “spamming” of a certain unit and more balanced gameplay.
Q: Whatever happened to Halogen? A: Halogen was a complete conversion mod of Command and Conquer: Generals being created by Slipstream Productions in an attempt to create a Real-Time Strategy version of Halo. Microsoft had given the cease and desist order to Slipstream Productions, and it has since been cancelled.
Q: Can we run people over with vehicles?
A: Yes. Warthogs and other vehicles can crush infantry.
Q: Will there be a map editor?
A: A map editor for Halo Wars is still up in the air. Since map editors have appeared in past Ensemble Studios games, it’s not unlikely that one will be in Halo Wars. However since the player will have access to only a controller and not a mouse and keyboard it seems that a map editor will not be included.
Q: Will there be boss units?
A: Other than the Scarab, which may not exactly be a "boss", no such thing has been confirmed.
Q: Can infantry take cover and perform tactical actions?
A: Things like that involve a lot of micro-management. ES has yet to release info regarding it.
Q: Will Forerunners be in the game?
A: No. The Forerunners are long gone and will not be in the actual game. However, Forerunner structures will be present on certain maps. Their functions, as of now, are unknown.
Q: What are the confirmed units and weapons?
A:
UNSC Confirmed Units and Weapons:
o Infantry:
§ SPARTAN Group Omega
§ UNSC Marines armed with Assault Rifles
o Vehicles:
§ Warthog
§ Scorpion Tank
§ D77H-TCI Pelican
§ Shortsword-class Bomber
§ Sparrowhawk
§ Rhino
§ Wolverine
o Buildings:
§ UNSC Supply Pad
§ Missile silo
§ Command Center
§ Vehicle Depot
§ Armory
§ Aircraft Pad
§ Barracks
o Other:
§ MAC Cannon Bombardment: Can be used to call in a bombardment from space. Several MAC rounds batter an area, destroying both friend and foe within it
Covenant Confirmed Units and Weapons:
o Infantry:
§ Covenant Elite
§ Covenant Hunter
§ Covenant Grunt
§ Covenant Jackal
o Weapons:
§ Fuel Rod Gun
§ Energy Sword
§ Needler
§ Plasma Pistol
§ Plasma Rifle
o Vehicles:
§ Banshee
§ Scarab
§ Ghost
§ Wraith