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Moderator |
  CONTENTS: Post 1 - General Post 2 - Weapons Post 3 - Vehicles Post 4 - Gameplay Welcome to the Haze FAQ There’s so many features packed into this game that even the seasoned fans here have trouble keeping up with ‘em all, so they’re contained here for easy checking and will be updated as necessary. To find specific information, either use the Contents list above to find the appropriate section, or alternatively press CTRL + F to bring up your browser search function and enter the term you want to search for. For any further questions or clarifications, go to the Ask the Devs thread or for a reply from the community the Ask A Question thread and we’ll do our best to answer your query. If you have any suggestions or additions, just PM me or post it here. And of course, any errors are those of the author. Scenario Set in the year 2048 in a world where Governments have outsourced military operations to Private Military Corporations (PMC), you play a newly enlisted soldier, Shane Carpenter, seeking fulfilment and thrills by fighting for a good cause. As the leading PMC, Mantel Global Industries offers a high-tech arsenal of vehicles, deadly weaponry, and on top of that a performance enhancing bio-medical support known as Nectar. As a result, Mantel troopers are the most feared by terrorists, dictators, and the corporation's political enemies. Your conflict begins in a war-torn country where you have been sent to fight a vicious rebel faction, the Promise Hand. At first glance, all is well, but things quickly begin to look a little strange... Key Features from the developers of the critically-acclaimed TimeSplitters® series and the publishers of Far Cry® and Ghost Recon® Advanced Warfighter™. Free Radical and Ubisoft have proven their ability to create innovative platform-defining FPS titles. and fight the merciless guerrillas of the Promise Hand with the most advanced gear, the fastest vehicles, the deadliest weapons – and Nectar, Mantel’s battlefield-optimized performance-enhancing medication. empowering Mantel troopers with fighting abilities such as Nectar Focus, Nectar Foresight, Nectar Perception and Melee Blast. Using these skills, troopers are able to detect and avoid imminent danger as well as deliver powerful attacks in close quarters. A tightly integrated storyline makes Haze an immersive narrative experience as well as a cutting-edge shooter. featuring the Disparity Rendering System™ shaping the players’ views of the world on and off Nectar. Haze also features an entirely streamed experience with no loading times between levels. Fire up your console for online battles and choose from a variety of online modes including furious 4 player co-op action! Development & Production Developer: Free Radical Design Free Radical's directors previously worked for Rare on ‘Goldeneye’ and ‘Perfect Dark’, then after forming the company in 1999, went on to develop ‘Timesplitters’ as a Playstation 2 launch title, followed by 'Timesplitters 2', 'Timesplitters: Future Perfect' and ‘Second Sight’, for the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube. The Official Playstation Magazine still considers 'Timesplitters 2' to be the finest first-person shooter available on the PS2. They are also currently working on the long-awaited 'Timesplitters 4' and an un-named project for Lucasarts. Publisher: Ubisoft Content Classification Classified as: Blood Intense Violence Strong Language Use of Drugs Contains strong violence and language Content Indicators: Violence, Bad Language, PEGI Online Release Date - PSN campaign & 4 player co-op demo in early May - UK & Europe: 23rd of May 2008 - Australasia: unknown - US: 20th of May 2008 - Rest of the world: unknown Links - Welcome! - Mantel Wants You - Progression - game development - The Sound of Haze - Da Boom - Mantel & Promise Hand weapons - Alwight? - Mantel & Promise Hand vehicles - The Promise Hand - Environments - It's Good to Play Together - co-op play Fan-sites: Sound and Music In-game audio by Graeme Norgate, music by Graeme Norgate and Christian Marcussen, long-time collaborators on previous Free Radical titles: The Sound of Haze. Download Haze Menu Music Download Shane Voice Message (Right Click & Save) The rock band Korn has written and recorded an original song inspired by Ubisoft's upcoming Haze™ video game. The song will be launched to radio and video to coincide with the launch of the Haze video game. The single, entitled "Haze", is now available via online music download sites. It's unclear at present if the track will appear in-game. You can download the HD music video here. Origins of the name 'HAZE' Contrary to (un)popular belief, the name 'Haze' wasn't picked because it shares a few letters with another popular console FPS. The name has multiple connotations with the game content, described below. Merriam-Webster offers these definitions: 1) 'fine dust, smoke, or light vapor causing lack of transparency of the air', 'something suggesting atmospheric haze'. In a combat or warzone, or in a hot and dusty climate, referring to the setting of the game. It can also apply to the visual 'augmentation' of Mantel troopers in combat, which, besides censoring horrific images, always portrays the combat zone as a pleasant environment, with constant sunshine even during rain or other poor weather. (Also Encarta: '1. particles in atmosphere: mist, cloud, or smoke suspended in the atmosphere and obscuring or obstructing the view, 2. vague obscuring factor: something that is vague and serves to obscure something'). 2) 'a cloudy appearance in a transparent liquid or solid' Such as the combat-enhancing supplement, Nectar. The cloudy aspect could also foreshadow the 'dark' side of Nectar use. 3) 'vagueness of mind or mental perception' A reference to the effects of Nectar, and/or the Mantel Nectar/visor visual censor combination, which is designed to prevent combat stress by censoring gore and death during action, (see also 1). It could also refer to the distinction between 'good' and 'evil', which in most games is clear-cut black and white between the 'good' protagonist and the 'bad' antagonists. Here the player experiences both sides, resulting in a blurring of their moral outlook as they see each side portayed as both good AND evil, or a 'haze' over the players ethical vision. May refer to Shane's world view, which allows him to adopt Mantel's version of the world without question, (initially at least), or simply the prolonged effects of the combat zone on a soldier's psyche, something the Mantel visor/Nectar was designed to avoid. (Also Encarta: '3. disoriented mental or physical state: a mental or physical state or condition when feelings and perceptions are vague, disorienting, or obscured'). 4) 'to harass by exacting unnecessary or disagreeable work', 'to harass by banter, ridicule, or criticism,' 'to haze by way of initiation'. A reference to military initiation, (Shane Carpenter/the player being a new recruit to the Mantel army), and more specifically to some of the character experiences to be found in the game. (Also Encarta: 'persecute or torture: to persecute or torture somebody in a subordinate position, especially a first-year military academy cadet or a fraternity pledge. Many institutions have now prohibited hazing'). Other possible interpretations are: 5) Chambers: haze over - 'to become covered in a thin mist' Referring to a 'red mist' of anger or rage descending over someone's vision in a violent or combat situation. This can also be seen to obscure reason or perception, as in 3. Of course, other interpretations may present themselves once the game is released. [FAQ - continued in post 2] This message has been edited. Last edited by: deded999, |
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 WEAPONS: Mantel Weapons The ‘Diplomat’ is the side-arm of choice for the smart Mantel trooper. It’s got the kind of stopping power that makes the bad guys feel like they were hit by a steam train full of anvils. It’s especially good at close range “when negotiations fail” – hence it’s nickname. The ‘BlackSaw’ is the standard issue rifle, but there ain’t nothing standard about it. This baby fires rounds made from depleted uranium, meaning that not only do you kill your opponent, you give them radiation poisoning too. This sleek silenced version of the standard issue BlackSaw marginally reduces bullet velocity and rate of fire in exchange for near-silent firing. The perfect tool in covert operations. As painful as it sounds, this high-end shotgun is more than enough to kick any ass presented to you. At close range, it’s a one shot kill affair. The Hard Candy is a state of the art rocket launcher, capable of blowing the living **** out of any armored target. Of course, it’s even more fun to try on an unarmored target. I hope you like Sloppy Joes! This classic sniper rifle couples the ultimate in armor-piercing rounds with a projectile velocity powerful enough to rip right through the sternum of any Promise Hand soldier. Tasty. Despite their sweety-pie nickname, these grenades are as tough as they come. Based on the classic dead man’s switch design, these time-operated babies are perfect for crowd clearance. Weighing in at 180lbs, the JM90 is only practical as a fixed gun in a defensive position. But, once in place, its firepower is enough to send any sane rebel running for the hills. Plus: L-48 Mantel Buggy-mounted Heavy MG  The 'Blacksaw' The Promise Hand Weapons This classic hunting knife can be used to slash or throw. The rebels can even smear the blade in Nectar by selecting it before making a Nectar Grenade. With Nectar on the blade, the Razor Tongue will cause any Mantel trooper to Overdose. The Lobo is the standard rifle for most militia groups across the world, and with good cause. With a quick-load double-ended magazine and a large clip size, it’s the ideal weapon for both attack and suppression. This shotgun may be a little rough round the edges, but it still packs a punch. With a slightly larger clips size than its mantel counterpart, the Oso’s extra cartridges can make all the difference in a close-quarters firefight. A massive bullet capacity and a surprisingly light weight makes this minigun the stuff of nightmares for anyone up against it. Not to be messed with. A practical, portable flamethrower with a comparatively long reach, a few sweeps with this fiery weapon can be enough to clear a room in a matter of seconds. This sniper rifle carries fewer rounds than the Mantel equivalent, but what it lacks in number it makes up for in power. A deadly piece of hardware. Old school, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt. Filled with a combination of steel chippings and high explosives, these grenades are just as dangerous as Mantel’s own. (Can also be used as a mine). Made on-the-fly by strapping a Nectar Administrator onto a standard grenade, this explosive spreads a thick cloud of yellow Nectar gas across the area. Any Mantel soldier stuck in the cloud will overdose. (Can also be used as a mine). Plus: Truck-mounted Heavy MG  The 'Lobo' Melee Weapon Details  [FAQ continued in post 3] This message has been edited. Last edited by: deded999, |
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 VEHICLES: Mantel Vehicles Fast, maneuverable and all-terrain: a combination that has made the ‘Boxcart’ invaluable to Mantel troops in the difficult jungle landscape. Its lightweight frame is thanks to a notable absence of armor. So, whilst it can transport quickly, in combat it certainly can’t guarantee a safe arrival – hence its fragile namesake. Still, the fixed JM90 HeavyGun turret is a good reason to get out of its way. At a mere 35 Tonnes, the ‘BigBoy’ tank is light in comparison to its ancestors even when fully loaded. This new low-weight version allows for fast-response tactical deployment and a reliably swift track speed. Its primary weapon - an electromagnetic coil cannon - functions like a rail gun, using magnetic forces along the barrel to propel its shells at a dangerously high velocity. Earning its alias by carrying soldiers in its ample belly and ‘birthing’ them on the battlefield, this dropship uses a combination of movable rotary engines and miniature kerosene afterburners, making it a true vertical take-off and landing craft. This motion arrangement gives the craft the means to both fly at high-speeds like a jet, but also to manoeuvre like a helicopter when at low speeds – thus, it is the perfect machine for rapid combat insertions. This chunky Mantel truck is fuelled by a diesel-electric hybrid power train and is used to transport troops and supplies. Its dense plate armour will stop most ballistic fire in its tracks.  The 'Boxcart' The Promise Hand Vehicles Like most rebel equipment, the ‘Stag’ is cleverly salvaged, constructed and repaired on-the-fly – resulting in a patchwork appearance. Subsequently, it is well modified for the harsh jungle environment. The ‘Mule’ is nothing if not ideal for jungle warfare – able to go where bulkier Mantel vehicles cannot reach, it is fast and versatile. The driver is virtually guaranteed a bumpy ride (hence its alias), but with the room for an additional passenger to fire in their defence, this vehicle is perfect for two-man smash ‘n’ grab missions. This helicopter has a small advantage in manoeuvrability over Mantel’s ‘Mama’, thanks to its marginally smaller size and weight. Naturally, its armour is a pale comparison to its Mantel counterpart, but its mounted miniguns ensure it is deadly to ground forces. This mobile missile launcher carries a rare second-generation nuclear missile, modified for a direct attack on the Mantel ‘Land Carrier’. The launcher itself is over 26 meters long, and is driven by two 1,800hp diesel engines with a maximum speed of just 20mph.  The 'Macho' Vehicle Details  [FAQ continued in post 4] This message has been edited. Last edited by: deded999, |
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 GAMEPLAY FEATURES: Asymmetric Combat – so what is it? Much of Haze (both in the campaign and in multiplayer) is designed around the concept of asymmetric combat, in other words a battle where both sides have wildly different strengths and weaknesses, which makes for much more varied and intense action and means your choice of side is a lot more complicated than just what colour uniform you prefer. Mantel troopers have the best and newest technology at their disposal, and of course the combat-enhancing nutritional supplement, Nectar, but overuse of Nectar can leave their troops a little 'combat happy'... Promise Hand rebels have poor weapons and equipment, and are no match for Mantel in this regard, but their strengths are their knowledge of their own environment, their own ingenuity and mobility and the fact that they’re abilities are underestimated by Mantel, who – with their overwhelming technology and firepower - expect to win every battle hands down. Each side has abilities that can be used and exploited, and it’s up to you which tactics you prefer to use or abuse, or which side you want to take in the war... Mantel Trooper Abilities The power of Nectar makes Mantel troopers near invincible in combat, (meaning most enemies will run from you in abject terror), but if any do stick around to fight it out, you can use these state-of-the-art combat techniques against them: Mantel Trooper Classes Mantel troopers come in various classes, dependant on their role. Each class sports different strengths and designs of armour and preferred weapons, and each is instantly recognisable from the design of their visors: open, cross, vertical strip, horizontal strip and circle.       A Mantel Military trooper 'Promise Hand' Rebel Abilities As a Mantel trooper, you will have learned the advantages of Nectar and experienced the power that it brings with each hit. However, you will also have learned that taking too much causes you to Overdose – and when you do, you’ll go nuts, start freaking out and shooting your own squad. Now, as a rebel, you can use that knowledge against the Mantel forces. Your best weapon against them isn’t your Donkey Puncher (shotgun) or your Hard Candy (rocket launcher) – it’s your understanding of how to make Mantel troopers Overdose on Nectar. There are three ways: 1. Get a clean shot on the Nectar pack on the back of a Mantel trooper. 2. Rip the Nectar pack off a dead trooper’s back and tape it onto a grenade – thus creating a ‘Nectar grenade’. This grenade will go off in a huge cloud of yellow Nectar gas. Any mantel guys who breathe it in will Overdose. But beware – if they don’t breathe in enough of it, you’ll end up giving them sustained Nectar high, in which they will no-doubt kick the clod out of you. 3. When you’re making a Nectar grenade, you will automatically smear Nectar on the blade of your knife should you be carrying one). So, if you throw it, or slice someone with it, that will make them Overdose too. As a rebel, you’ll also learn a bunch of new skills: 'Promise Hand' Rebel Classes The Promise Hand also have classes, although the rag-tag, low-tech guerilla nature of the rebels means their role is defined by their tactics and weapon carried:  The Promise Hand Control Options Note: No keyboard and mouse options Movement Health & Healing Campaign/Co-op Details Multiplayer Options Multiplayer Details Miscellaneous [FAQ will be updated regularly as new information comes to light]  This message has been edited. Last edited by: deded999, |
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wow, im impressed. good work putting all this together. really good wrap-up. Ive been waiting for haze since it was first announce and but ready this just reminded me how awesome its going to be. I just cant wait.
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Global Moderator |
And ....stickied
 Great job deded  Once again, thank you very much for assisting me with my request of putting this kind of thread together - you did a wonderful job  Now this will provide everyone with all the known facts to date on Haze and will stem those new repetitive threads. NOTE to everyone: Please post only known facts about HAZE in this thread. If you wish to ask a question that is not answered in the FAQ, use the ask a question stickied thread. Thank you. |
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nice job. thanks for the info
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Good job
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| <ms-kleaneasy>
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Excellent work Deded
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That's really good work, saved me lots of time finding out all this stuff.
One thing I noticed though is that it says 16 player online, but in other places I've seen it say 24 players. Which is right? I hope it's 24 |
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Originally it was 24, but was later dropped to 16. Although you might think the more the merrier, it all depends on how the game is set up to be played and the size of the levels. Presumably it was either a network/server/tech issue that reduced the number of layers, or just constant play-testing suggested a drop would be beneficial. I think 16 is probably high enough for frantic battles, but not so high that things rapidly descend into chaos.
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Nice OP. Don't know how keen you are to have rumours and speculation in your FAQ, but maybe you can mention the possibility of the demo being multiplayer.
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well there you go. :P
Its been done already, hasn't it? AS long as it says that it is a rumor im assuming thats fine, but the official posts shouldnt have anything unconfirmed; or that will just restart the repetative question posts. :P haha ********************** Oh, and did i mention- the grenades rock my socks. |
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Where? I didn't see it in the OP. If you're referring to the fact that I posted it, that doesn't count. The whole point of a huge OP like that is to have one-stop shop for info without have to scroll through pages of posts. Deded's already got a DLC rumour in the OP (it has not been confirmed to the best of my knowledge, just speculated as a possibility. Deded might know something I don't though). So I don't see why Multiplayer Demo rumour shouldn't go in there just as long as it's tagged as unconfirmed. That's up to him though as he is the author. If it turns out to be bunk it can always be removed. |
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Hmmm. I wouldn't say I'm completely averse to rumour being in there somewhere, although maybe a 'rumour' section might be more appropriate. I'd rather keep the majority of the post as fact, or at worst 'likely'. Most of it is published material from Ubisoft or Free Rad directly, or Neko's posts here.
The demo has never been confirmed, just mooted, (plus the deleted spanish announcement), and as we haven't heard anything for a while it might be described as an old rumour now rather than a current rumour. The DLC thing I'm sure has been confirmed - I seem to remember it being mentioned in one of the developer videos actually, but I think it's been discussed as being 'likely' elsewhere as well. Bearing in mind that nothing, (including release dates  ), is really confirmed until it happens, I think that's 'confirmed' enough for the moment, but if I find anything else on it I'll post it here.
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