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Proto:Halo: Combat Evolved/Beta 1749

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This is a sub-page of Proto:Halo: Combat Evolved.

This cactus is UNDER CONSTRUCTION
This article is a work in progress.
...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.
Hmmm...
To do:
Replace the crappy capture card screens.

The 1749 build of Halo: Combat Evolved is a beta build of the Xbox version. The build is dated August 15th 2001 and was leaked in July 2020.

(Source: Obscure gamers)

Main Menu

Title screen.
  • There are no Microsoft or Bungie intro videos in this build. The main menu will display debug text indicating that the files are missing.
  • Compared to the final game, the background flyby of the Halo ring goes on a different path.
  • This menu has no sound.
  • The campaign section is split into new campaign and load campaign. In the final game these options would be listed under a single campaign header.
  • There are what appear to be random text strings to the left and above the build tag. These would be removed in the final release.
  • The build tag is present.
  • There is no Game demos section present, however it can be modded back in by copying the files over from the retail game. Interestingly enough it works exactly like the retail game.


Halo CE 1749 Campaign Menu.png
Campaign Differences
Wait the first level is soft-locked?

General Gameplay Differences

  • Easy difficulty does not exist in this build.
  • Overall performance is drastically worse in this build compared to the final game, especially in larger areas.
  • Debug text is present.
  • The script is present with green text (acting like Subtitles) on-screen, this text is often different to what is actually being said in the retail game.
  • The Shield rechange time is different and does not change on Heroic and Legendary. The sound effect that plays when your shield recharges is noticeably high-pitched.
  • Your jump is more floaty in this build.
  • Save games do not work correctly, if you save and quit a level you will resume the level at the start.
  • There are a lot more enemies especially on the later levels.
  • There is hardly any music in this build and a lot of sounds are missing.
  • The field of view has been increased compared to the final game.
  • The loading screens in this build are just a maroon bar on a black background and are significantly longer then the final game.
Prototype Final
Halo CE 1749 Loading Screen .png Halo CE Loading Screen.png
  • The Health pack features a completely different design compared to the final game that still appears in both Pelican interiors and the final game's instruction manual. Furthermore, when using a health kit your health is instantly restored, your screen does not flash white and a sound effect does not play unlike in the final game.
Halo CE Beta Health Kit Manual.png
(Source: Obscure gamers)
Prototype Final
Halo CE 1749 Health Pack.png Halo CE Final Health Kit.jpg
  • Ongoing sounds do not stop if the game is paused.
  • Vehicles will appear as green dots on the motion tracker regardless of whether they are enemies or allies.

Weapons

  • The Plasma Rifle does not have its heat gauge on the side of the weapon, rather using holograms that slowly fade away depending on the rifle's battery level. This was most likely changed as it is far more useful to see the weapon's heat level.
Build 1749 Final
Halo 1 1749 Plasma Rifle.png Halo 1 Plasma Rifle Final.png
Halo 1 1749 Plasma Rifle FP.png Halo 1 Final Plasma Rifle FP.png
  • The Magnum can hold much more ammunition, compared to the final.
  • The Magnum's reload animation is final but it lacks the sound when putting the clip in to the gun.
  • Before exploding the plasma grenade lets off some lightning effects and has a different sound when exploding.
  • The Needler begins firing at full auto straight away, rather than ramping up as it does in the final.
  • The Needler has different sounds.
  • The Needler's reload animation is broken and rather than the needles slowly coming into the weapon they instantly teleport to it.
  • Weapons are picked up by tapping the (X) button rather than holding it.
  • The Shotgun can hold much more ammunition and has a slightly lower fire rate, when compared to the final.
  • The Plasma pistol does not shake when you fully charge it.
  • When using Active Camo certain weapon elements disappear such as; the Needles on the Needler, the Assault Rifle ammo display, Plasma Pistols Charge and Plasma Rifle's side holograms. This is corrected in the final game.
  • The Magnum can still three shot Spartans in Multiplayer, seemly going against the developers stating that this was a last minute change.
  • The Energy Sword does not disappear like it does in the final game when killing an Elite. However, it still can not be picked up.

On Flood levels such as 343 Guilty Spark and the Maw the flamethrower can be found. This weapon was cut from the final Xbox release of the game, but was featured in the PC and subsequently the Master Chief collection.

Build 1749 PC Version/Master Chief Collection
Halo 1 1749 Flamethrower.png MCC FLAME.jpg
Halo 1 1749 Flamethrower 2.png MCC FLAME IN ACTION.jpg

Interestingly enough, the HUD icons for the Xbox flamethrower are nowhere to be found in the original game despite the fact that the flamethrower itself can be modded back into the game. Therefore, the assets most likely had to be re-created from scratch on the PC version and are therefore different.

Additionally, if you kill an enemy or a player with the flamethrower they will drop their weapon and run around before falling over dead. This behaviour does not happen in any Halo game.

Vehicles

  • Warthog engine pitch is lower when compared to the final game.
  • When driving the Warthog it creates sparks on the ground more often.
  • Warthog is way more floaty to control compared to the final game.
  • The Banshee also has lower engine pitch sounds.
  • There are no dots on the Banshee reticle to indicate that the Banshee bomb is recharging.
  • When firing the Scorpions secondary machine gun, the sounds used are the same used by the Assault Rifle.
  • The Scorpions canopy is taller looking more like the multiplayer variant in the final game.
  • The Scorpion can be destroyed whereas in the final game it is invincible.
  • The dots on the Scorpions reticle to show it is reloading do not appear, rather an off centred "ready" takes its place.
  • The shade turrets fire a lot faster compared to the final game and have orange lights under the turret.
  • When entering the Shade turret the text will refer to it as a "Gun Turret".
  • If you flip the Wraith so the driver has to abandon it, the Wraith is actually drivable unlike in the final game.

Multiplayer

General

  • You can play split screen without need of a second player.
  • There is a quick launch option in the multiplayer menu, this selects the default options if it is running for the first time or will use the last selected gametype/map.
  • Some multiplayer maps use different names, different descriptions and placeholder images.
  • When the game is paused you can still move around, you however can not jump.
  • You do not become more visible when shooting with active camo.
  • If you already have an overshield or active camo powerup and grab another one it will replenish your current powerup. This does not happen in the final game and you have to wait until your previous one runs out.
  • The teleporter sounds are missing.
  • The iconic Halo respawn beeps are missing.

Battle Creek

  • This map is referred to as Beaver Creek in the main menu. Interestingly, the map files in the final game lists this map as "beavercreek.map". This name was not used until the map was remade in Halo 2 where it is called Beaver Creek.