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Halo 4 |OT| Spartans Never Die
- Thread starter GhaleonEB
- Start date
Hydranockz
Member
I think I saw someone with speed boost stick themselves after running into the grenade they just threw. Never did clip it though so maybe he hit the wall right next to him.
yeah, settler has ruined what enjoyment i had for big team. its the vast majority of the votes but i hate it.
xxjuicesxx
Member
They should release a classic map pack of The Pit, Midship, Warlock, Beaver Creek. That would fill a nice friggen gap.
Poker Face
Member
I'd rather not have the memories of those maps tainted with things like jetpack, the boltshot, and personal ordnance.
People are still mass voting Settler? I was considering trying a bit of Halo 4 again, but... yeah, now I'm discouraged.
Are the only people left in Halo 4 the ones who love the things that I dislike about it?
The Real Napsta
Member
You and everyone in this thread need to stop playing BTB. You call complain about BTB and continue to subject yourselves to it.
Vote with your game time.
Yes... The people who are 'old' fans no longer play the game, and don't care about the update or what is going on.
This is the big problem with Halo 4. They fucked up the launch. You need to have it down like clockwork from day 1 to the first 2 weeks or even a month. After that, people leave.
Case in point, Gears 2. Fucked up midnight launch, problems persisting till 6 months later to even a year. Rather than issue a title update within the first month to fix it, they released the combustible map pack etc.
Sure some fans may come back, but you can see the mass drop off in December or January. If we got Halo 4 the way we have it now at launch, you'd see many more players stay or have kept playing.
As for settler, people like it because its easy kills and frenzy action. Ordnance weapons, people all clustered around the middle ridge area etc.
eh, its fun. i have hopes that exile and ragnarok will be significantly better with more powerful hogs and shorter range weapons. but settler is pretty bad.
TheOhrenberger
Banned
But how can you say any of this considering the past updates? Weapon tuning? CSR? Heck, people who want a competitive experience even got throwdown. Are these exactly what we want? No. But even as hard core halo fans and GAFers we still have to be able to set out expectations. Let me set this straight, and this goes to everyone, Halo 4 will never remove loadouts, AAs, or sprint from the core game and it's insane to even think that 343 would do that. Infinity Slayer will be a pat of Halo 4 until its servers go down.
That being said, the future of Halo isn't looking dim. 343 is heading in the right direction. They've added in competitive ranks, something that should have been there from day 1. Does it suck that we can't see them in game? Yes. But does that mean we bitch and moan and call them half assed and wish they were never implemented? No, it's just flat out irrational to beg for something and then push back when we get it. Something is better than nothing. The same can be said about loadouts, they're not going anywhere but at least we have options to play matches without them (throwdown and pro variants). Do we want it to be better in Halo 5? Of course. But does that mean we bitch and moan about getting at least something in Halo 4? No, we should actually encourage 343 for at least acknowledging us, because it probably means good things about the direction for the next game.
Halo 4 will never be perfect. It would take far too many drastic changes to do that, and it's better to spend resources on making a good Halo 5 instead of wasting them on cleaning up Halo 4's muddy sandbox (mainly because, as I've said, infinity isn't going anywhere in Halo 4 whether we like it or not). 343 has actually done a lot to show that they know they kind of screwed up with Halo 4 and that they're listening to us for the future without outright coming out and saying "we fucked up." So when they give us good signs, we have to give them good feedback.
Now I like Halo 4. It's far from perfect, and I think everyone here gets that, but each update that's come out has made the game better. Was Halo 4 initially a step in the wrong direction? Maybe. But has 343 realized that and are they starting to fix things? Yes.
FUNKNOWN iXi
Member
RIP Headlong being wasted on Reach. They should make that a launch map for the next game or release a multiplayer-only Halo game with nothing but remakes. Something must be tried..
Throw in only a few new maps and release a single new map as DLC every few weeks.
And the few of us actually talking on forums craving for what was once a phenomenal gaming experience.
Seriously, why the hell did it take over half a year to fix Haven in Infinity Slayer?
do we still have blue spawning guass hog on exile?
Just going through the update changelog, I'm not convinced that 343 knows what to do with CTF any more (there's a joke in there somewhere). They're making moves to offset the asymmetry of the maps by moving the flags to more fortified structures, but that doesn't fix what's wrong with those maps or that gametype. I don't see why they're so hellbent on keeping those maps, which provide truly awful experiences when combined with most of the objective gametypes, in the rotation for those playlists.
The whole thing feels like a desperation move to band-aid the plasma pistol loadout problem by giving players vehicles that are absolutely not any more durable, but that can maybe get off a couple of one-hit kill shots before they die. It's a sidestep, not a step forward. I was pretty enthusiastic about them revisiting the launch maps, but this update was not at all what I had in mind, especially for the larger maps that seem to be leaning more and more into Heavies-style gameplay. Being unwilling (or unable) to fix the root problem (or see the problem for what it is - problematic) is forcing them down a really specific path that I am totally uninterested in.
No, now both teams get a rocket hog. Yeah, not the right way to fix it, I know. But don't worry, now Longbow, Meltdown, and Vortex each get to experience to joy of having the Gauss Hog, a vehicle entirely unfit for anything that isn't Heavies, placed on them. Two apiece. Also, Valhalla has rocket hogs now too.
The whole thing feels like a desperation move to band-aid the plasma pistol loadout problem by giving players vehicles that are absolutely not any more durable, but that can maybe get off a couple of one-hit kill shots before they die. It's a sidestep, not a step forward. I was pretty enthusiastic about them revisiting the launch maps, but this update was not at all what I had in mind, especially for the larger maps that seem to be leaning more and more into Heavies-style gameplay. Being unwilling (or unable) to fix the root problem (or see the problem for what it is - problematic) is forcing them down a really specific path that I am totally uninterested in.
Concurrent players online is the only statistic that matters to a player getting online for matchmaking. The concurrent players stat for when you're searching is what determines your host pool, your skill pool, your matchmaking time - all of the things that a player should be concerned about. It doesn't matter if a million people are on over the course of a day, if thirty thousand of them are on when you're on, that is what's determining your experience, not the other 970k.
Not sure if these issues are tied to the update.
In a lot of the games I played the connection would be good and then in the middle of the match it would LAG HARD. Teleporting everywhere. And then it would clear up.
Also, did Join in Progress get messed up because when me and Zero were playing we could never get replacements for our quitters
In a lot of the games I played the connection would be good and then in the middle of the match it would LAG HARD. Teleporting everywhere. And then it would clear up.
Also, did Join in Progress get messed up because when me and Zero were playing we could never get replacements for our quitters
Where else can I get similar information?
xxjuicesxx
Member
Halocharts has hourly population also. Its not just peak charts. It has a wealth of information, all sad information though.
Just played BTB on Meltdown. 2 Fuel Rod Cannons with 20 shots (with a perk) is a complete disaster.
Other than that the TU is pretty solid. Lovin everyone using the BR in TS.
EDIT: I really hate how they included more BTB maps in Halo 4 and they all suck. Best one is Ragnarok and its from Halo 3.
Other than that the TU is pretty solid. Lovin everyone using the BR in TS.
EDIT: I really hate how they included more BTB maps in Halo 4 and they all suck. Best one is Ragnarok and its from Halo 3.
1v1 Halo LAN. Each controller is a DDR pad staffed by two people. Hilarity ensues.
MaximumFlipFlop
Banned
New chart.
Basically shows what we've been seeing. Larger install base/hype, more people intiially, and then Reach ends up showing a consistently higher population. Doesn't look like much though.
Regardless of Halocharts, you can see what Halo 4 has done to the Halo community pretty plainly. Missing a lot of features, a lot of communities got shafted (rip high speed halo) And the fileshare being broken initially along with the limited custom options ruined a lot too.
Silly.Mikey
Banned
After playing a few games i must say, feels so much better now. I find myself picking up and using a lot more weapons off the ground now, something i hardly ever did before. BR is amazing, yet doesn't replace dmr on bigger scaled maps. AR is great too. So far, im loving this tuning. So much better than before.
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Some playlists have tighter windows of when you can join e.g. Throwdown I think you can only join in the matchmaking process, the game start and literally a few seconds/kills into the game. Other playlists have larger JiP windows e.g. CTF has a pretty open JiP window and it works for that playlist actually.
I wasn't playing in my usual party last night in CTF/BTB but the game felt like the skill gap returned. Sure I was playing as a random without regular party vs. party play which is far more "skilled & competitive" but in this update it was far easier to take down 2-3 enemies one after another or two at once. I'm really liking the new movement speed but a little adjustment time is required for players to get used to things. Perhaps it was the maps I was playing last night but the DMR was nailing enemies and most were using the new BR too. I'm sure if I entered Throwdown it would be a totally different story though.
I'm with you, I liked Halo 4 at launch but I disliked not having arena or objective or small maps and 1-sided gametypes from the good ol' days. Ever since the start of this year Halo 4 has been getting better and better with every update. Those that don't play now don't realise how much the classic game of Halo is shining through these days. The playlist specific tweaks and lessening of the 343i way of doing things are creating solid variety and vastly improved gameplay. I recommend we move on from bitching about launch, they've heard what we have to say and they have listened intently while involving the various community segments. I agree launch should have had such things available day 1 and what we get these days is realistically the best we are going to get with Halo 4 now. The studio has and is already at work on the next series of titles and next gen.
The facts are clear cut and communicated openly; 343i tried their own vision of Halo 4 at launch and they had issues/timing in getting feature parity etc. It's time to move on from that as the second fact is now we have a sustain team willing to update the game across the board apart from theatre and custom games. Yes they missed the mark in some areas but with this latest update the core game is superior to that of Halo 3 or even Halo 2. For me an international player I'm able traverse, out manoeuvre, out shoot or work with teammates far better than Halo 2 or 3 ever allowed me to. Reach is on about even par in terms of netcode now for me but Halo 4 has a far better feeling core shooting and movement system that I much prefer over Reach.
If they would move to include 1-flag, BTB CTF or return assault things would really come to light with how well some of their maps could play IMO. Arena 4v4 & BTB slayer/objective are the core of Halo, both have avid following and I'm surprised this wasn't focused on more by 343i.
I agree the classic arena shooter executed well has a solid audience and global tournament scene but there is plenty of room for the game to include more settings and maps than that via playlists. At launch requires 15+ maps with development centred around those specific play styles. Take the popular Forge maps from the last 3 games and make them developer built, keep things clean and focused.
I hate to say it again but I feel Halo 5 or next gen launch title is meant to retain the players and be the "sweet spot" for the 343i studio. It seems like the perfect storm coming together...Oh and dedicated servers....FUCK YES!
The problem is that these issues are indicative of a much deeper problem; a complete lack of comprehension on the part of 343 (and Bungie prior to them) regarding what made Halo great. You're lauding these "improvements" when all they are doing is putting stuff back in that should have never, ever been removed in the first place.
Its like thanking someone who kicks you in the nuts but then gives you an ice pack.
All of these issues were pointed out to 343 over a year before the game was released. So why the change now? Did they suddenly realize that players want a more skillful, faster paced game? Did they have a complete change of heart and choose to redirect Halo back towards its roots? No, more likely they are merely reacting to the rather alarming lack of players. They did the same thing with Reach and everyone hailed it as an indication of the great things to come from 343 in Halo 4. We all know how that panned out.
These changes are merely a desperate scramble to salvage whatever player base they have left. The problem is that they still don't get to the real issues of the game. Did they increase the BR to a 4sk because they acknowledge that players like faster kill times or did they do it because the BR was a 4sk in games past? I would wager the later. They still haven't addressed the fact that all the weapons are too easy to use and obfuscate the shooting skill gap to the point where individual battles are a forgone conclusion unless one player can sprint to safety.
Until I get some indication that someone over at 343 realizes that you can have a skillful, fast arena shooter and that it's still viable in todays marketplace if done properly, I take all these "Title Updates" with a grain of salt. Halo will continue its slow decent into irrelevancy until someone truly redirects the franchise back to the things that made players love it in the first place. I'm not asking them to release Halo CE 2.0, I'm asking them to show us they have a real, actionable understanding of what we all love about Halo.
Damn. I miss them.
Silly.Mikey
Banned
Id agree with that. Im still agree about the "no assault or one flag". That being said, this weapon tuning, CSR, map revamps, etc.. shows that they are indeed listening. The hiring of guys like Bravo who are very aware of the communities problems was also a very good thing. This weapon tune shows it. They might have started a little shaky, but they are quickly learning. I like what im seeing from 343 right now and it gives me some good feelings about whats next.
Everything feels right right now. I do find that vehicles still go down a tad fast but otherwise, its amazing. Definitely more skill involved.
Purplemage
Neo Member
I'm so ready to get off work and go try the update! Has anyone tried the new strength of the pistol? That's honestly what I'm most curious about, as in, is it still a 3 shot then melee?
Also, I may have to buy more live tonight. Fuuuuuck.
Also, I may have to buy more live tonight. Fuuuuuck.
The Henery
Member
They keep the asym CTF maps in purely as a face save at this point and because they left themselves woefully short of dev made CTF content. There is a yawning, aching gap at the heart of Halo 4's dev made map pool and that is reasonably sized 4v4 symmetrical maps. It stands to reason that two flag can only work on symmetrical maps. Halo 4 has no small symmetrical base maps other than Adrift. Adrift CTF is a mediocre to average CTF experience. If they remove guff like Abandon, Complex and Solace the CTF playlist becomes another forge playlist and basically exposes a gross mis-allocation of map resourcing on 343's behalf. I don't mind forge maps upping the quality when what's available is so inappropriate but that can't look good for the devs. I feel Flag has been entirely mishandled for Halo 4.
Thoughts on the update:
- BR is nice at 4 shots but felt odd. Has the shield feedback been adjusted for it?
- Bringing Majestic playlist back is a nice touch, some of the most fun I've had with Halo 4 was in that playlist in February.
- New weapon spawns really freshens the maps up, largely positive change.
- 110% speed is slightly jarring, will adjust in time.
- The Mantis is a monster of a vehicle now
Beam rifle still needs aim assist reduction. It still sucks that you can't return your flag by sitting on it.
MrGreencastle
Member
Can we get some rifle or PP placements on the maps for Slayer Pro gametypes, please? Power weapons are only part of the picture. And a general ammo crate in ordnance wouldn't be too bad in Infinity, either. 
Silly.Mikey
Banned
And yet, one flag would have worked perfectly on most of these maps and what did they do? Removed the gametype. Crazy.
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Crazy indeed.
I'm not going to lie, something just moved in my pants...you have my vote. I'm wanting a return of invasion 2.0 and I think it's what dominion or extraction should have been.
MrGreencastle
Member
Yeah, cool thing is a lot of the maps have multiple bases, so you could have the 1Flag spawn in different bases depending on the game/match/round. Just look at how little of Longbow is actually used. Dynamic CTF.
Purplemage
Neo Member
Wait, they replaced the sword on complex with rockets? But...that was like the only good thing about that map. Dammit!
Orochinagis
Member
So the update was already updated on our console? no update prompt to me
MrGreencastle
Member
Ninja pulling in 1.1k viewers on Twitch...
It's delivered automatically through the matchmaking systems. No need to patch.
It's delivered automatically through the matchmaking systems. No need to patch.
Orochinagis
Member
Whoa awesome. He told me he hasn't pulled that consistently since Reach days when he was the only one streaming. Pro that is.
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
This is a nice weapon tuning video from the community members that were invited out and the 343i staff too. Gained the lead! Just make it full screen for better viewing.
Hydranockz
Member
Is that just the hours tracked by Raptr users since launch?
Well I'd rather have an idiot run around with rockets than deal with a Sword in the actual buildings.
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Complex CTF last night I found myself returning to the centre point to get rockets off respawn almost instinctively. It felt more relevant than the sword ever has on that map/gametype.
I never camp so I guess that's why I don't like sword
I like complex for CTF not slayer but overall if it was 1-sided it would probably be a great objective map.
When you have closely matched teams Settler CTF is quite fun for me. Sure there can be an element of spawn killing but even The Pit had that and so did Burial Mounds or Zanzibar etc. There is even some more vehicle play now on Settler as the hog is quite useful in the Slayer Pro variant. Settler has had some good tweaks like the elbow being covered.
Hydranockz
Member
Sword is only relevant to that map when camping the two buildings.
Haha, I only played slayer pro twice on complex BTB so far, but I got killing frenzy both times I got the sword. It's so deadly in the buildings. And I wasn't even camping.
But hey, that's what makes the weapon to effective in cqc. It felt like Halo 3 Pit sword room a while.
I think it also highlights how poor of a map complex is. Far too big and complex for the style of play. And I think it's because they can never test these maps with mass gamers in mind.
Look at Bungie testing for Sword Base or the videos they showed, to how the map actually played in gamers hands. I feel harvest is a much better map than complex.
YourExWife
Member
Maybe instead of telling us what and how to play, you should educate yourself and realize that Settler is in like 3 other playlists than BTB, including CTF and Objective.
Edit: too rough.
My sides, I would pay to see this. I had to flip the switch on my fightpad everytime I wanted to switch between right and left stick. I pushed it so many time I think I broke it, I don't know where I thought it was a good idea to try playing with it but it was the only controller I had with me.
I imagine Activision isn't sad about it right now.
Problem with that one is that it only includes Raptr users, right? Though that is a lot of players if it is
lol, 50 in BTB here