First off, If you missed it Bungie has added some new Gametypes into Halo 3. they have been uploaded into Bungie Favorites.

It's called The Living Dead, a mix of Infection gametypes and Infected maps.

To View the entire Update Follow the link below.

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12930 

Apparently Bungie has tested a new gametype with the battle of Normandy in mind... 

"We tested a version of a Normandy-style beach assault (there have been a bunch of really solid ones so far), a clever spin on Infection involving the life (and death) aquatic and a version of Capture the Flag that modified The Pit and added the slickest gameplay mechanic I’ve seen from the Forge since Rocket Race."

One can only think what Bungie has in store for that gametype, I imagine it will be based on the Map Highground and possibly have something to do with no shields.

Also Bungie has been watching the community build new variants in Forge. they even say that what we build could some day be featured in "Buinge Favorites."  - Slightly creepy that they can watch us, but kinda cool that they will feature our variants.

"Map forgers and game variant makers we are watching, playing and enjoying what you’re doing and it’s entirely possible that you’ll get a message from us once we’ve tested a gametype with some feedback and a few notes and maybe a date as to when it will be showing up on Favorites."

Here are some descriptions of new Maps to come. This is exciting, I'm pumped for some new stuff, but I wasn't expecting it this quickly. I think some smaller more competitive maps should be top priority on Bungie's list and please god no more levels like Sandtrap.

"Jodrell Bank, a map Frankie talked about in recent weeks, is fast becoming one of my favorite maps from our excellent smorgasbord of DLC maps. It's a Team Slayer main course and player counts would fit swimmingly into both Social Slayer and Team Slayer hoppers and I think it might even be possible to shoehorn a few more players into the mix without overcrowding things.

Purple Reign continues to see slick revisions. The earliest iteration of the map actually had a completely different overall shape. If I sketched the cross section of the map's floor onto a napkin it would've looked like a small hill, but when you played it, it wasn't readily apparent. In the last month, the concavity was changed so that if you were staring the same napkin with the new version of it it'd look more like a gently sloping bowl. The difference in the way the map played then versus now is pretty remarkable. Subtle changes to the floor's geometry resulted in wider lines of sight for players staring down one half of the map and an intricate and strategic mix of floor/column/ramp gameplay on the other side and all of the sneaky jumps those mechanics entail.

One of the sooner-than-later maps is a treat we’re calling Vandelay. Vandelay is structurally the simplest map we’ve ever made, yet the tools that we’re providing with the help of the Forge give the map tons of potential. That potential could be used for devising clever contraptions, unique playspaces and when paired with Player Traits could become a test bed for new ideas from both Bungie and the playerbase."

Bungie also has some tips to increase the speed of your router make things run more efficiently during online play. They say something about lowering the speed of the router though, hmmm... very odd tactic those Bungie tricksters. Who's to say though, they are the networking professionals. Try it our folks and tell us if it works. Post your results in the forum.

“Look at your router’s documentation to see if it supports Quality of Service (QoS) settings, and if so then try setting the maximum upload and download speeds to 85% of your actual upload/download speeds.”

Remember folks, not every router has a Quality of Service setting and before you go tweaking your network configurations, make sure to thoroughly pore over your router’s information pamphlet. Most routers have online manuals and should come with paper manuals, so be responsible and do your homework."

The rest of the update was filled with boring stuff except for some new merchandise in the Bungie store. Check out this new item It's a Belt Buckle made from a Frag Grenade.

A Frag Grenade belt buckle

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