Halo Infinite: How AI Bots Will Work In New Academy Mode
Multiplayer has long been a key component of the Halo titles, and for most players it’s the primary reason for buying the game. While the single-player campaign promises new challenges, grand locations, and a compelling narrative for Master Chief, it’s the maps, weapons, and equipment 343 Industries introduced at E3 2021 that has the Internet buzzing. To go along with their latest technical preview for Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode, 343 Industries also revealed a brand-new addition for the Halo franchise: Bot matches.
In the past six Halo titles, fighting bots meant fighting the classic Halo adversaries: The Covenant, Forerunners, and Flood. While Brutes, Elites, and other familiar foes will be in the game’s campaign (even the Flood were teased to return in Halo Infinite), they have never been a substitute for enemy players. Even on higher difficulties, these enemies have different hit boxes, different reactions and squad makeup, more animations, and predictable placement. Levels in Halo are also confined to the same weapons and vehicles each time.
“Academy is a place you can go with an NP to kind of onboard into the experience,” says Academy Designer, Sara Stern during a recent Halo Infinite multiplayer reveal video. “It’s great for newer players who are still picking up the controls and also people who want to warm up before they head into Matchmaking.” Halo Infinite will be free to play for the Xbox and PC, with cross platform play and cross progression from the start. Furthermore, Battle Passes for Halo Infinite never expire and don’t feature loot boxes. This could be Halo’s largest multiplayer audience yet.
With so many new players and so many years under the franchise’s belt, training modes like Academy are a means of thinning the wide gap in the community’s experience with the title. “For players who are new to Halo, let's help them learn what this universe is about,” says Senior Multiplayer Academy Designer, David Ellis. By now Halo multiplayer has an entire “vocabulary that people have been speaking now for almost twenty years.” Besides a stress-free environment for getting acquainted with lore and controls, Academy is also an opportunity for veteran Halo players to refine their skills.
In Halo Infinite's Academy, friendly AI can be added to help test out new vehicles like the Razorback. Returning weapons like the plasma grenade, sniper rifle, and Needler evolve with every new Halo title, from slight tweaks to their aim mechanics, to the arc of grenades, rate of fire, and shot leading, and more. Equipment has undergone a transformation too, with players now able to use grappling hooks, time their overshields, and plan around item drops in-match. Academy is a means of getting acclimated to the new changes so that players are ready to dive in without the learning curve impeding their play.
“Halo means something’s there for everyone,” says Multiplayer Designer, Fernando Medina, and Academy is a way for veteran and novice players alike to find what style best suits them. Besides weapons, this also means testing out new aesthetics. When creating their Spartan, Academy can be used to check out Halo Infinite’s huge assortment of armor customizations and announcers. In every direction, Academy is an inspired new addition to the latest installment in the beloved Xbox series, and a feather in the cap for one of 2021’s most anticipated games.
Source: Halo/YouTube
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