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Halo |OT 20| It really does feel like Halo

Random17

Member
The splits thing pushed me over the line. This game is the first game I have ever preordered. Well done 343i! I look forward to all of the games in the Collection.

Now let's see where I can get an Xbox One...
 

RowdyReverb

Member
A bit hard to tell in Imgur PotatoVision, but it looks like they might have fixed the skybox water from CEA Classic Mode, at least.

Can't you see you're interrupting an important debate about grenades and HUD indicators?
jk, but you're going to have to explain what you're talking about, because I don't follow
 

King Leo

Neo Member
I feel hit markers and stuff are unnecessary as well.

We don't need weapon hit markers - that's what shield flare is for.

Same with grenade hit markers and indicators - we have visual and audio cues for incoming grenades. Seems like more features to babysit the player. Awareness of what's happening on your screen should be enough indication.

I can see grenade hit markers ruining the stealth aspect of some Halo matches. They could be used to feel around corners and ultimately ruin any sneaky plays.

At least these are only in H2A. Whatever. I'll still enjoy H2A a lot despite these tiny adjustments. I say tiny because we tend to blow things out of proportion without experiencing the gameplay ourselves first.
 

belushy

Banned
I guess I just feel differently about it. I think that it should be harder to get really solid contact with grenades because it makes throw placement and timing matter that much more. I don't want a random grenade to get lobbed over at me and get blown up simply because I couldn't tell where the hell it landed in time. There needs to be something to balance against grenade spam, and indicators are it.

I guess I can be happy as long as they are not Advanced Warefare grenade indicators. Those things tell you exactly where the grenade is, and how far away it is from you.
 
My opinion is that grenade hit markers actually foster poor decision making and overly aggresive plays. The hit markers don't give the player any indication about the amount of damage inflicted. Basically it's just letting you know that hit something (even if the damage delt isn't meaningful). It seems to encourage players to chase the kill at any cost.

Spam nades --> eventually get hitmarker --> chase kill = run into 2/3/4v1 or run into a 1v1 where there was no real damage advantage to being with.

I don't really have an opinion on grenade indicators (letting you know that there is a grenade nearby). Although there is the occasion where the indicator shows a grenade that is close in terms of distance, but presents no danger because it is on the other side of some geometry. That causes a lot of uneeded "oh shit, I've got to move and flail" for no reason.
It's one of the reason I don't mind them (and kinda like them). Like the radar in Halo 1/2/3.
 
I find it funny there are people suggesting grenade spam isn't present whether hit markers are there or not. I have seen plenty of pros and online gamers grenade spam predicting or pre-empting where enemies will move, many times they shoot predictively too. This has been present since CE dropped and got played at LANs.

Anyone ever think hit markers can help combat things like active camo? It's not all negative. Also differing settings guys, some playlists can have em and some may not...

It's one of the reason I don't mind them (and kinda like them). Like the radar in Halo 1/2/3.

Now you're talking my language.
 

RowdyReverb

Member
Although there is the occasion where the indicator shows a grenade that is close in terms of distance, but presents no danger because it is on the other side of some geometry. That causes a lot of uneeded "oh shit, I've got to move and flail" for no reason.

Good point. I definitely think indicators should be limited to grenades that are near enough to lower shields. Otherwise, you can't really trick people into running over your grenade because they'll get a warning too far in advance and stop short. I just want enough to know where the grenade is by my feet without having to waste time looking down at my feet.
 
Tomorrow I will try to write up a decent post summarizing why grenade hit markers are not good for Halo ala my ADS post a while back.

But it's late and I have RL to L
 

dwells

Member
Now then now then, guys and gals, calm down.

Sooth them with promises of Halo 2 beta content. I'll add a Chipotle gift card to my offer of brownies.

Seriously though, is there any chance of cut/beta Halo 2 content making showing up as DLC? That would make for one hell of an anniversary treatment.
 

RowdyReverb

Member
Sooth them with promises of Halo 2 beta content. I'll add a Chipotle gift card to my offer of brownies.

Seriously though, is there any chance of cut/beta Halo 2 content making showing up as DLC? That would make for one hell of an anniversary treatment.

I feel like it would be ultimately disappointing and would take a lot of work for something that a small percentage of players will run through once or twice for shits and giggles. I think it's better to leave that part of Halo history where it is and experience it as E3 attendees did: through a carefully constructed demonstration.
 

Madness

Member
The splits thing pushed me over the line. This game is the first game I have ever preordered. Well done 343i! I look forward to all of the games in the Collection.

Now let's see where I can get an Xbox One...

It's crazy, I'm spending almost $400+ to play this damn game and I'm not alone. I know at least 5 people in real life doing the same. I don't even really want an Xbox One, or care a lot for the other titles right now. I figure the next game I'll probably buy will only be Halo 5 as well.
 

Fotos

Member
It's crazy, I'm spending almost $400+ to play this damn game and I'm not alone. I know at least 5 people in real life doing the same. I don't even really want an Xbox One, or care a lot for the other titles right now. I figure the next game I'll probably buy will only be Halo 5 as well.

What about Halo: Spartan Strike?


lol
 

Random17

Member
It's crazy, I'm spending almost $400+ to play this damn game and I'm not alone. I know at least 5 people in real life doing the same. I don't even really want an Xbox One, or care a lot for the other titles right now. I figure the next game I'll probably buy will only be Halo 5 as well.

Yup, it's insane but I don't really care. The PS3 was my first console in the last generation for two reasons;

1. Free online for MP games
2. Bluray player

In total I ended up with two games played on my PS3 at full price, MW2 and BF3. The rest were preowned, or were really cheap. I switched most of my gaming to Steam in the meanwhile.

Both reasons are no longer applicable. So while my Xbox One will likely just be for Halo, I have absolutely no issue with this choice. I spent most of my time playing one or two games on the PS3 anyway, I don't like most of the exclusives otherwise.

In fact, I think PC+Halo makes up 75% of my gaming time. I'm talking about thousands of hours here. To put this in perspective, I think I have 2000+ hours on Halo 2's campaign alone.
 
It will probably be a while before it comes to Xbox One. Even then, I'll wait to see some reviews, see whether they fixed a lot of what people didn't like in Spartan Assault.

Honestly, the mere fact that they're axing microtransactions is a good sign in my eyes. A lot of Spartan Assault's problems could be attributed to the fact that they wanted you to pay for boosters and special weapon starts.
 
Yes? Reread Dax's posts. She says indicators, but context is pretty clear that it's markers since "it shows when she hits them".

To be fair, all I said was that I liked indicators. I never said or made the point that they should absolutely be in the game or shouldn't be removed.
 
Guys pliss. If you have the ability to hold 8 grenades (Halo 2 Anniversary) and the ability for those grenades to tell you where people are located (Halo 2 Anniversary) and you have a motion tracker that spans the entire length of Sanctuary (just about, Halo 2 Anniversary) and a motion tracker that tells you elevation (Halo 2 Anniversary) and a motion tracker that tells you vehicles (Halo 2 Anniversary) and a motion tracker that does your homework, pays your bills, feeds your kids, mows the lawn, walks the dog, and just generally gives you too much information and you know.. your got damn EYEBALLS, EARS and HUMAN BRAIN............... don't you think that maybe grenade indicators/hitmarkers are a little overkill?

My baby jesus.
Someone hold me.

EDIT:
I guess they have to make at least some concession to the modern FPS fan.
But 8 grenades and your eyeballs lol. Plus, are they really attracting that many people or keeping them around if grenade markers are in the game? People say this a lot, to appeal to the modern FPS fan, but where's the proof? ;'[
 

RowdyReverb

Member
Yes? Reread Dax's posts. She says indicators, but context is pretty clear that it's markers since "it shows when she hits them".

Oh, my mistake. Carry on then.
Grenade hit markers are unnecessary, but I can bear them if it means playing H2A. I guess they have to make at least some concession to the modern FPS fan.
 
@ozzy In regards to active camo, there is already a radar signature that let's you know a camo dude is around.

Doesn't pinpoint them nor allow you to flush them out. I know in Halo 4 where possible I would take cover and throw a grenade or two, call out to teammates and flush them out. Generally I spot camo quite well at close to mid range but you'd even pop off some bullet fire to expose them as well. I'd do the same reaction/strategy with or without hit markers but they do enable me to be more solo-reliant in matchmaking. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing as plenty of gamers are searching in 1s or 2s in place of a full party.

As for fishing around throwing grenades on a map think about larger maps than just MLG/AGL style play, it's not something so damaging to the game it has to be removed at all costs. I'd even hazard a guess fishing for grenade damage indication would leave you down a shot or two and could even be used against you in many encounters.

After all we've had incoming bullet damage indicators on the left and right of the HUD since forever, should we remove that too?
rhetorical
 

woodland

Member
Oh, my mistake. Carry on then.
Grenade hit markers are unnecessary, but I can bear them if it means playing H2A. I guess they have to make at least some concession to the modern FPS fan.

'Sall good. Im feeling like 6 maps would burn me out after awhile, so I'll probably be sticking to the first 3. Wish we could just make 0 concessions for a change, oh well. Still pumped after everything today.
 

HTupolev

Member
What was wrong with it in CEA again?
Can't you see you're interrupting an important debate about grenades and HUD indicators?
jk, but you're going to have to explain what you're talking about, because I don't follow
The wave texture wasn't filtered correctly in CEA. Even zoomed in with the pistol, the distant water looks flat and unanimated. All you see is the very low-res cubemap.

In the original game, the wave texture is filtered with a LOD bias to cause the water to glitter in the distance. It's a tacky effect, but it makes the skybox look much more alive, and it has the pleasant "side" effect of breaking up* the low-res cubemap, making it look like a decent reflection of the sky.

I unfortunately don't have any good captures to show the difference; if you squint just right, you can sort of see it in this.

Anyway, if you look at the image I put in my post, it seems like high-frequency waves are being represented on the far-off water surface.

*I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think the game might actually be using the wave texture as a normal map for the sky reflection.
 
Here's a question I'd love to get an answer to prior to launch of MCC -

Australia Azure datacentres are in private test mode and are the first Aussie cloud centres with IRAP certification (govt. data security stuff). With that MS still aren't providing a firm date for both Sydney and Melbourne Azure datacentres being opened for live public use. Aussie distributors of MS licensing and Azure tokens as well as developers (like me) are guesstimating before XMAS to be open live for both centres.

Now can we confirm or debunk that Australia will have local Aussie MCC servers like Titanfall did? Or Destiny does? It's the difference between being routed to Singapore (110ms) vs. Sydney/Melbourne (10-25ms).
 

Defect

Member
I hope people recreate those awesome Halo 3 customs again. I am not much of a forger but I'm going to try to do some of the simple ones.
 

Omni

Member
Do we know if we can take photos and whatnot and have them uploaded to Waypoint in the collection?

I mean seeing as the Xbox doesn't have a screenshot mode
 

Omni

Member
xbox can auto generate clips right? that would be nice for theatre mode....
Yeah, it auto records last 5 minutes (not nearly long enough, IMO. Needs to be at least 10. 15 would be ideal. No idea why there's a limit)

Not very good for screenshots and stuff though
 
Regardless of how anyone feels about hit markers (I don't like them in Halo). I find it ironic that 343 went to such huge lengths to make MP cannon and explain why the Reds and Blues are fighting only to add hit markers which don't have any canonical basis.


Not supposed to be a dig at 343. Just something I've found funny.
 

Random17

Member
Regardless of how anyone feels about hit markers (I don't like them in Halo). I find it ironic that 343 went to such huge lengths to make MP cannon and explain why the Reds and Blues are fighting only to add hit markers which have don't make any canonical basis.


Not supposed to be a dig at 343. Just something I've found funny.

The canonization of multiplayer seemed to focus more on the context, as opposed to the details. As far as I know gameplay isn't canon for various important reasons, so hitmarkers don't really need to have a canonical basis.

It would be nice to have a canon difficulty in the campaign/canon gametype though.
 
Regardless of how anyone feels about hit markers (I don't like them in Halo). I find it ironic that 343 went to such huge lengths to make MP cannon and explain why the Reds and Blues are fighting only to add hit markers which have don't make any canonical basis.


Not supposed to be a dig at 343. Just something I've found funny.

Not every addition was made on the basis of canon. I don't get how that's ironic at all.
 
Regardless of how anyone feels about hit markers (I don't like them in Halo). I find it ironic that 343 went to such huge lengths to make MP cannon and explain why the Reds and Blues are fighting only to add hit markers which have don't make any canonical basis.


Not supposed to be a dig at 343. Just something I've found funny.

Go home, Barlow, you're drunk.
 
Regardless of how anyone feels about hit markers (I don't like them in Halo). I find it ironic that 343 went to such huge lengths to make MP cannon and explain why the Reds and Blues are fighting only to add hit markers which don't have any canonical basis.


Not supposed to be a dig at 343. Just something I've found funny.

Spitballing...couldn't Spartan augmentations with MJOLNIR radar and audio abilities combine to deliver basic grenade hit detection?
 
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