B.Net member "searchbar XD" reported on 2009.11.10 that he had found the assault rifle on Lost Platoon. Two days and 11 pages of posts later, he provided a video of it.
Here's the original post:
[external source: http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=38824090&viewreplies=true&postRepeater1-p=1 ]Here's the video in the Fileshare of Stryker2057:
[external source: http://www.bungie.net/Online/Halo3UserContentDetails.aspx?h3fileid=100761803 ]Just because I read through all 17 pages of the thread doesn't mean you have to! The video essentially reveals that a Warthog jump can be used to escape the normal boundaries of the play area. When this is done properly, the last area of the Lost Platoon mission can be accessed (the suspension bridge can be crossed.) In the last area (near where the crazy marine would be in the Uplift Reserve campaign level) you can find the same Assault Rifle that exists there in Uplift Reserve.
All of this makes sense since Bungie has already explained that the FF missions were built from Halo 3's Campaign Mode rather than Halo 3's Multiplayer Mode. When the FF map was made, Uplift Reserve was likely used as the starting template. Unnecessary geometry (and entire BSPs) were then removed.
The really notable thing about this is that for some reason, the adjacent BSP for that final area is accessible... the game engine actually processes a Loading Point! If there were two such loading boundaries, Bump Glitching might be possible in FF! Oh no!
My favorite thing about this video is that it easily allows you to explore the whole surrounding area in Theater Mode, accompanied by my favorite piece of Halo music: what I call the "Terminal Song". You hear this piece in Halo 3 while accessing the hidden terminals, and the same music plays normally during Firefight.
Using this video, I enjoyed a very calming and even somewhat moving video game experience! (It's really due to the music.) To see what I mean:
Load up the video and follow "el sniperado".
Fast-forward about a minute.
Pause at 1:20. He will be on top of the wall.
Switch to the external camera (Y button).
Turn up the sound... loud.
Face the distant city of Old Mombasa to the Southwest:
Travel to the city. You will want to hold the left trigger to speed up movement.
Once you very near the city, it will become bathed in a heavenly light.
As you travel though this light and listen to the music, slowly... slowly... pan around and enjoy the virtual world you are in. Take your time. Consider how far video game experiences have come since Atari and Nintendo. Marvel at how much information and experience is locked up within one single little DVD disc. Compare this experience with any other console shooter you have played... is there really anything else like this?
