128 vs 128?    

I am thinking it will be something to do with AI controlled opponents. I think there is a reason they are using the same maps for campaign and multiplayer. AI pathfinding will be the same for both.

The likelihood of dedicated servers is slim. Not saying it cannot happen, just that Bungie is a P2P house through and through and they have stated they think P2P is the future. In order for them to increase the player count, they would need to drop P2P, or revamp their networking stuff and implement a new P2P model, perhaps a subset of Donnybrook.

Clans would be awesome. I would love that.

"Bombshell" could be taken as a hint. It could be completely destructible environments!

That would actually be pretty awesome in a Halo multiplayer game....

Or it could have something to do with this conversation that was cut and paste from Bungie's "weekly update" on 2/26/10 (old news already I know):

Blinded by "Something Cool"
While Chad was busy peering into infinitude, Brian and I were over at Steve Cotton’s desk peering into something I assumed was impossible just last week. It turns out what Shishka had on offer when he was gushing about what Cotton was cooking up was already yesterday’s news.

What Cotton is playing around with right now is beautiful and alien and huge. Brian launched into a bevy of questions designed to break Cotton down and reveal all the holes and limitations in his master plan, but at each and every step, his efforts were easily foiled by Cotton’s expertly crafted construct.

“Yup, we’re doing that.”

“Yup, that’s in.”

“Already in the plan.”

It wouldn't be a total novelty for Bungie, in Myth you were already able, if not to complete destroy, to partially damage environment. In the even older Magic Carpet, by Bullfrog, you could completely destroy it, and even create it with some weapons.

Possibly not today or tomorrow :( 

From neoGaf(urk is a Bungie employee):

urk

We're gonna push it back so we have time for the podcast. Kapura demands it.

^ Sucks, but I can wait.

damm it!!!!
maybe Natal support

so you never played an RTS?