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Halo |OT12| Last One Out, Get the Lights

harmonize

Member
I think there comes a point where the great core gameplay simply gets drowned in the sea of shit. H4's reached that point for me, I haven't played it in the last 3 days.
Absolutely how I feel. I'm so angry at most of the smaller nuances of the game because I feel like it could be as great as 2 or CE if given a push in the right direction.

The foundation is there, it's just burdened with shitty design decisions.
 

DeadNames

Banned
It's crazy how much I enjoy this game.

I'm sorry for you guys who can't enjoy it.

Don't get me wrong, I love this game.

There are just some things that need to be dealt with.

EDIT: And I have a system that has the "random" element for it, but is still predictable. For Global Ordnance.. And I think it's a good medium between lolOrdnance and what we've had for ten years.
 
It's crazy how much I enjoy this game.

I'm sorry for you guys who can't enjoy it.

The game is fun, but it has a lot of issues. It is better than reach so while that is not saying much it is saying enough for me. I will be playing this game until Halo 5. I expect greatness for that game. I am giving 343 a 1 game grace period.
 
Well said, Over. While I like this more than Reach, there are so many obvious flaws in the game that should have been prevented.

Regicide - Rewards players who aren't in the lead and promotes not doing well until right towards the end. Another problem is that the King can get a kingtacular - resulting in an overshield - in the middle of a fight. That's just fucked up.

I had this happen to me earlier today. I felt like I cheated. And there really isn't any point in trying in Regicide until the end, otherwise you have a target over you the whole game.
 

Fracas

#fuckonami
So basically every concern that people had prior to launch came true.

edit: Also, just finished the first slate of SpOps missions. Eh.
I would've actually preferred if it was just a weekly cinematic and no actual gameplay.
 
K

kittens

Unconfirmed Member
What kills me is that so many of the things on Over's list are things that people on HaloGAF identified as problematic as soon as they were announced. Instant spawns, random weapon drops, promethean vision, DMRs ruining Ragnarok, etc. I'm not saying we're always right or anything like that, but like Franklinaut said, some of these things are obvious problems.

The caveat here is that this is all a matter of opinions, and 343 and many other Halo fans don't see these things are problematic. In which case, well, sucks for us. I don't see myself playing Halo 4 for very long if 343 doesn't make some sweeping changes as soon as possible. Makes me sad.
 

BigShow36

Member
It's crazy how much I enjoy this game.

I'm sorry for you guys who can't enjoy it.

I think its a great game if you enjoy the Halo 2/3/Reach style of Halo where teamshot is everything and an individual is completely worthless. I don't like that style of Halo, but at the same time it's what I expected the game to be like.

I don't see how someone who liked Halo 2 or 3 or Reach isn't super stoked on the game, because it's way better than Reach or Halo 3, at the very least. It's just not the kind of Halo I personally love.
 

Mayyhem

Member
Now I'm not so sure releasing this 1 week before Black Op II was a good idea. Were getting SWAT next week though, I guess that will help, right? :(
 

Sai-kun

Banned
lmao at the oddball complain on over's list though
emot-spergin.png
 
Well said, Over. While I like this more than Reach, there are so many obvious flaws in the game that should have been prevented.



I had this happen to me earlier today. I felt like I cheated. And there really isn't any point in trying in Regicide until the end, otherwise you have a target over you the whole game.

Similarly, I had a match of Regicide once where I had JIPed in, had 4 fewer kills than the guy who came in second, but won because I had more king kills, several of which came because I got to the massive waypoint right after a swarm of BKs had stripped the guys shields.
I would've hated to be that guy, because he got screwed.
 
So basically every concern that people had prior to launch came true.

edit: Also, just finished the first slate of SpOps missions. Eh.

This.

The tragedy is, there is a real gem under all the dirt. A public beta would've solved most of the problems.

GAF should put together a list of what works and what doesn't and mail it to frankie.
 

senador

Banned
The more I play the game the more I like it. Not sure what my problem is or what many people's problem here is. It just keeps getting better and I love the core gameplay.

I haven't really notched flinching much and I definitely prefer it to descoping.
 
This.

The tragedy is, there is a real gem under all the dirt. A public beta would've solved most of the problems.

GAF should put together a list of what works and what doesn't and mail it to frankie.

He knows our opinions already. And even if he agreed with most or all of them, which he doesn't, he's only one guy in the company.
 
My question is how do 343 not see the issues? The problems are so blatant. Actually there wouldn't even be an issue if there were normal playlists.

They should make forge maps dedicated just to the normal playlists.
 
He knows our opinions already. And even if he agreed with most or all of them, which he doesn't, he's only one guy in the company.

I'd imagine 343 would listen to a comprehensive list of criticism, especially if numerous Halo communities were backing it. But I just read that apparently we already have a list?
 
Core gameplay is all I ever hear only problem is you NEVER GET TO PLAY IT.

You play the entire game folks...not just what you think can be good. Were stuck with all this crazy ordnance, overabundance of one shot weapons, not knowing what AA trick the enemy has...

Oh and yea while I'm at it the core gameplay isn't that great. Can I get what you guys think is the CORE GAMEPLAY?

Cause to me... Gunplay and feedback is weak as hell, I never know how many shots down I am...AA's need a click sound when they are back up...kills need a dinger. Shield/hit feedback is all but gone compared to Reach's system, which is extremely sad considering we were supposed to get great hitmarkers but I only seem to notice them on far nade tosses which makes no sense how your spartan would know if you hit the opponent with a nade toss unless it could be visually seen...

Shield health is almost no seperation..An AR or SAW up close drains someone shields and health, with no distinguishable features, headshot's feel less important.

Instant Respawn and low respawn timers completely change how the gameplay is. I've literally finished off BR battles I've lost on Haven...before the enemy got their shield back... Its friggen ridiculous especially in objective gametypes. Literally wipes out map control especially on maps with tunnels and objectives. (complex)

Some gametypes have team damage on some dont.

Whats with no weapons on map? Thats pretty core to be able to RELOAD your guns. Why am I trying to find dead bodies when I am out of ammo only to find their ammo has already despawned? These are spartans in a VR world going into battle why would they only take a certain amount of ammo with them? Maybe power weapons should despawn quicker there are already a shitload of them but do you have to despawn basic weapons, I want my killing frenzy to keep going but I get screwed over running out of ammo!

Without sprint the game would play slow because movement speed/strafe isn't all that great.
 

GhaleonEB

Member
I'm noticing the flinch mechanic more and more. As it's my single most hated mechanic in FPS, and the one that has kept me from playing scores of other shooters, it's disappointing and frustrating that Halo 4 added it in.

I spent a long time with Reach trying very hard to like the game, because it was Halo. I don't think I'm going to give Halo 4 as long of a shot.
 

Ken

Member
I kind of wish they made more weapons, perks, and armor abilities to unlock because I don't have much motivation to keep playing for armor, emblems, and um...emblem background sets.

Would have been neat to be able to unlock stuff like weapon models from past Halo games.
 
GAF should put together a list of what works and what doesn't and mail it to frankie.
Look, they are professionals, they know what's good game design and what's not. It's just not that simple when there's a lot of money involved. You need to develop a game that sells well day1 and keeps as many gamers as possible engaged in the long run to sell them DLCs. The game is not going to change that much. The best you can hope for is a couple of truly classic playlists. Deal with it.
 

Ken

Member
Look, they are professionals, they know what's good game design and what's not. It's just not that simple when there's a lot of money involved. You need to develop a game that sells well day1 and keeps as many gamers as possible engaged in the long run to sell them DLCs. The game is not going to change that much. The best you can hope for is a couple of truly classic playlists. Deal with it.

I'm not even sure how long the COD players will stick. At least in COD, there's more than 3 viable primary weapons, more interesting perks, and no random global ordnance.
 
I'm noticing the flinch mechanic more and more. As it's my single most hated mechanic in FPS, and the one that has kept me from playing scores of other shooters, it's disappointing and frustrating that Halo 4 added it in.

I spent a long time with Reach trying very hard to like the game, because it was Halo. I don't think I'm going to give Halo 4 as long of a shot.

I feel the same way and I dont know why, this game is leagues better than Reach, but wheras with Reach I kept giving it another chance I already feel like I have played this game out and seen all there is too offer.

Will certainly take a break at some point and come back to it refreshed.
 
Look, they are professionals, they know what's good game design and what's not. It's just not that simple when there's a lot of money involved. You need to develop a game that sells well day1 and keeps as many gamers as possible engaged in the long run to sell them DLCs. The game is not going to change that much. The best you can hope for is a couple of truly classic playlists. Deal with it.

And it'll still fail to live up to its potential.

They can be as professional as they want, but we're the ones who play the game and deal with the consequences.
 

Brolic Gaoler

formerly Alienshogun
Beginning to see a trend, but I prefer flinch to descoping.

Also, there's an ability that reduces flinch, but that might be a "bad" thing down the road.
 
There's plenty of talented, incredibly smart, beautiful people who genuinely love what they do that make bad products.
What I'm trying to say is that the "bad product" may be exactly what they were aiming for during development.
Instant respawns are crap, don't you think they already know that?! But if they think it's a good decision from a business/sales perspective, they put instant respawns in. As simple as that. It's not like they cater to the COD audience because the feel that's the better game. They cater to them because COD is right now the sales leader by far. Ordnance, flinching, etc are not going anywhere. Push for a couple of classic playlists, that's all you're going to get, imo.

And it'll still fail to live up to its potential.

They can be as professional as they want, but we're the ones who play the game and deal with the consequences.
You who? HaloGAF and the likes? You are a vocal minority. Your contribution in the sales charts is basicay zero.
I can feel your pain, I truly do believe me. Just adapt or move on.
 

Shadders

Member
It's a real shame some of the Waypoint stats are inaccurate, when you see a few you know to be inaccurate it makes it hard to know whether to believe any of the other stats. :(
 

Ken

Member
What I'm trying to say is that the "bad product" may be exactly what they were aiming for during development.
Instant respawns are crap, don't you think they already know that?! But if they think it's a good decision from a business/sales perspective, they put instant respawns in. As simple as that. It's not like they cater to the COD audience because the feel that's the better game. They cater to them because COD is right now the sales leader by far. Ordnance, flinching, etc are not going anywhere. Push for a couple of classic playlists, that's all you're going to get, imo.

Can you explain the point of global ordnance then? CoD doesn't have it, and set weapon spawns on the map in past Halo games worked fine. Global Ordnance is some weird step backwards that makes no one happy.

It's a real shame some of the Waypoint stats are inaccurate, when you see a few you know to be inaccurate it makes it hard to know whether to believe any of the other stats. :(

JiP kind of destroys any accuracy/credibility of stats.
 
What I'm trying to say is that the "bad product" may be exactly what they were aiming for during development.
Instant respawns are crap, don't you think they already know that?! But if they think it's a good decision from a business/sales perspective, they put instant respawns in. As simple as that. It's not like they cater to the COD audience because the feel that's the better game. They cater to them because COD is right now the sales leader by far. Ordnance, flinching, etc are not going anywhere. Push for a couple of classic playlists, that's all you're going to get, imo.

Pretty sure stuff like auto pickup, not being able to drop the flag, random ordnance and a ridiculous amount of power weapons being on the map at all times is not from CoD. The stuff that they borrowed from CoD (loadouts, perks) sort-of works.
 

Smeghead

Member
What's the point of spartan ops if you have unlimited lives?

Absolutely mind numbing. Right in line with the other design decisions in this game, where is the challenge of just dying and re spawning over and over.

I've only played the first two missions, but are they just rehashes of campaign sandboxes?
 

GhaleonEB

Member
I feel the same way and I dont know why, this game is leagues better than Reach, but wheras with Reach I kept giving it another chance I already feel like I have played this game out and seen all there is too offer.

Will certainly take a break at some point and come back to it refreshed.

That's pretty much where I am. Only, I think the break starts pretty soon.

Also: the Halo 4 OT2 is up for grabs, when the time comes. I think my time with starting and owning Halo threads is coming to a close. I put the time into them because I was passionate about the game. I'm not passionate about this game. And the passions I do have are not positive.
 

Sai-kun

Banned
What's the point of spartan ops if you have unlimited lives?

Absolutely mind numbing. Right in line with the other design decisions in this game, where is the challenge of just dying and re spawning over and over.

I've only played the first two missions, but are they just rehashes of campaign sandboxes?

3 is not as obvious about its reuse of campaign assets, but 4 and 5 are original pieces.

That's pretty much where I am. Only, I think the break starts pretty soon.

Also: the Halo 4 OT2 is up for grabs, when the time comes. I think my time with starting and owning Halo threads is coming to a close. I put the time into them because I was passionate about the game. I'm not passionate about this game. And the passions I do have are not positive.

*whistle* :( Dang.
 

ElRenoRaven

Member
Things that are Dumb As Fuck™ in Halo 4 Multiplayer Infinity:

  • Personal ordnance - People pull Snipers, Binary Rifles and all kinds of other extremely powerful weapons out of their asses after which they proceed to kill enemy players who could've never seen it coming.
  • Global ordnance - Random weapons in random locations, go figure.
  • Flinch - Can we please get the descoping mechanic back? The flinching mechanic is annoying enough in CoD where everyone dies in one hit, it's incredibly obnoxious in Halo where it takes 5 shots to do so. Long range battles become very tedious because of it.
  • Big Team Battle - Because of the flinch mechanic BTB isn't everything but enjoyable. The fact that it turns into who can shoot each other the fastest while sitting behind a rock half a kilometer away doesn't help much either. Valhalla is especially atrocious, it's nothing but long range battles. And good luck using vehicles because they'll get EMPed, stuck and shot to shreds with precision weapons in no time.
  • Promethean Vision - You can see people across the goddamn map. Don't think that needs more explanation, right 343?
  • Camo - It's already annoying anyway as an AA, but hey now you can even be invisible on the radar if you stand still. Screw the camo power-up that promotes movement and isn't Dumb As Fuck™, no let's let everyone spawn with camo and encourage them to hide in corners.
  • Jetpack - Screw your map-layout, screw you cover, screw everyone, I've got a motherfucking jetpack.
  • Regeneration Field - It's practically impossible to win a battle against someone who is in one and right to some cover. You miss one shot and he gets his shield partly back instantly. Fun, fun, fun.
  • Thrust - No, I'm just kidding. It's pretty worthless and I don't mind it.
  • Hardlight Shield - "Just throw a grenade," people said. Well, what if the guy who's using it is across the goddamn map? What if I'm out of grenades? Gotta give people their out-of-jail-free card, right?
  • Boltshot - It's a shotgun that you get at spawn. I like using it but damn if it isn't lame.
  • Capture the Flag - A 35 seconds reset time with no ability to return it yourself. Hey 343, please stop asking Bungie for advice on how to set up gametypes. These settings could work in BTB, but they have no place on small maps. It's impossible to reset the flag 9 out of 10 times. Change it to 15 seconds reset time and 5 second return time. While you're at it turn off the auto pick-up and let us juggle the flag, thanks in advance.
  • Matchmaking times - There's a 100.000 people playing BTB, why is it taking >5 minutes for us to find amatch?
  • Servers - Stop using the EA servers, we can't go into matchmaking half the time.
  • UI - It's a mess. Active Roster and the lobby menu have taken a huge step back. Who gives a fuck about player cards? Just show a list of horizantal names of players in the lobby and use the rest of the space you freed up to give players information about the gametype or something, don't fill it with huge buttons. Also make it so Active Roster is not a button press away, I want to see who's online and what they're doing all the time.
  • Framerate - Why am I getting framedrops while looking at a wall of a cave?
  • Killcams sitrecs - It's a feature that doesn't even work properly and was probably put into the game about a week before launch. I'm used to CoD killcams not being entirely accurate but the ones in Halo 4 simply don't work half the time. If you end up fixing them, make sure to add a final killcam to every gametype.
  • Filesharing - Why can't you do it on Waypoint yet? We seriously have to wait a month after launch for basic features to be available?
  • Theater - It's not there for campaign and spec ops which is sad, and it doesn't even work properly when you record clips.
  • Medals - They all look the same and disappear within half a second. You barely see them, let alone differentiate them from each other.
  • Steitzer - He's saying so much stuff that I've learned to tune out his voice. Now I can't really keep track of half the things that happens during objective games. He should only say stuff when it's important, not when I get a headshot.
  • Complex - Jetpack abuse to hell and back. All people do is go in or on top of one of the many buildings and take pot-shots at the enemy.
  • Longbow - The most one-dimensional map in the game. You take the middle structure and you shoot the enemy team spawning one either side of said base.
  • Meltdown - Has the longest tunnels known to man-kind.
  • Adrift - Hallways, crates, and more hallways.
  • Vortex - Half the map is meant for Dominion is isn't used outside of that gametype.
  • Weapons despawning - A 12 second despawn time? Really? Hey Kevin, if you don't want too many power weapons on the map don't reward to everyone who even does as much as fart in the general direction of the enemy.
  • Forge - No precision forging, objects are worse than in Reach, category object limit still exists, the Forge maps aren't good to Forge on, lighting makes all enclosed maps look bland as fuck, all that kind of stuff.
  • Instant respawns - I've had several occasions where I could finish off my own kills after dying and respawning immediately. RIP Halo
  • Loadouts - Rock, Paper, Scissors all day, every day. Along with ordnance it makes the game unpredictable in a bad way.
  • Sprint - Just give me a faster movement speed so I can shoot while moving around faster and so I don't slow down with I'm shot.
  • Oddball - Throwing the Oddball into the hands of an enemy player who's just coming around the corner is fun the first time, sure. But it's annoying more than anything when it happens to you. There should not be an auto pick-up for the ball.
  • Dominion - It's over within a minute half the time.
  • Audio - I can't hear my surroundings as well as I could in Reach. Not sure what it is, but something's messed up.
  • Options - Why can't I turn off Assassinations? Why can't I change my audio settings? Why can't I adjust my vertical sensitivity? It's 2012, people!
  • Hitdetection - Not sure on this one, but I feel like headshots aren't registering correctly half the time. I've seen myself hit people in the head several times only for them to just shrugs it off and run around the corner. Was a lot more consistent in (0% bloom) Reach.
  • Join-in-Progress - I don't want to join a game when it's nearly finished and the other team is ahead by a million points. Why can't I turn this shit off?
  • Post-game lobby - It lasts so short that by the time that you're done seeing how many credits you got you're already in the voting screen for the next game unable to back out. What happened to the 30-second post-game screen that existed in previous Halos?
  • Flood - The gametype has less flexibility than the old Infection gametype just so you guys could add a Flood skin that looks like it's ripped straight out of doom for the infected players? It's sad to see where your priorities lie, 343.
  • Lack of classic settings - Following up on what I said about the Flood gametype; Why are the customization options for some gametypes so limited?? 343 has actively ripped out customization options for CTF, Infection and Grifball and we can't even play Assault at all anymore.
  • King of the Hill - I don't have too much issues with it but the inconsistent respawn timer can be annoying at times. Sometimes it's instant , others it's 3 seconds. Also, don't put KotH on a map as segmented as Adrift.
  • Regicide - Rewards players who aren't in the lead and promotes not doing well until right towards the end. Another problem is that the King can get a kingtacular - resulting in an overshield - in the middle of a fight. That's just fucked up.
  • Killtimes - The game can be very slow in when you're in 1v1 situations. I honestly wouldn't mind 4-shot weapons.
  • Spec Ops - Wasted resources.
  • Death waypoints - What happened to the red Xs that appeared when people died? Those were extremely useful to get a good idea of where your teammates died and where the enemy is.
  • Shield recharge rate - Seems to be around as slow as it is in Reach. I don't want to spend 6 seconds behind cover waiting for my shields to recharge.

Things that are good in Halo 4 Infinity:

  • Core gameplay - It's better than vanilla Reach.

This game is becoming increasingly frustrating every day I play it. I have the feeling like the game screws me over regularly which is something that has stopped me from playing CoD completely. I have never been so agitated by a Halo game this early after launch and I really don't see Title Updates fixing the problems that I have with the game.

Well if Ghaleon nails my Singleplayer thoughts then you sir have nailed my Multiplayer complaints perfectly.
 

Ken

Member
That's pretty much where I am. Only, I think the break starts pretty soon.

Also: the Halo 4 OT2 is up for grabs, when the time comes. I think my time with starting and owning Halo threads is coming to a close. I put the time into them because I was passionate about the game. I'm not passionate about this game. And the passions I do have are not positive.

End of an era.
 
What's the point of spartan ops if you have unlimited lives?

Absolutely mind numbing. Right in line with the other design decisions in this game, where is the challenge of just dying and re spawning over and over.

I've only played the first two missions, but are they just rehashes of campaign sandboxes?

No, they're not. The maps are new designs.

Yes, the respawn system in Spartan Ops is terrible, but for me, that's the only real negative. Ops are the only salient positive so far.

That's pretty much where I am. Only, I think the break starts pretty soon.

Also: the Halo 4 OT2 is up for grabs, when the time comes. I think my time with starting and owning Halo threads is coming to a close. I put the time into them because I was passionate about the game. I'm not passionate about this game. And the passions I do have are not positive.

Oh my.

You've lost Ghaleon, 343.
 
But if they think it's a good decision from a business/sales perspective, they put instant respawns in. As simple as that. It's not like they cater to the COD audience because the feel that's the better game. They cater to them because COD is right now the sales leader by far.
Most of us aren't as cynical. It's likely more because it's what they find fun and interesting.


Played through Spartan Ops earlier, it was alright, if norma inspiring. The cutscene... I don't come to Halo to watch a bunch of competitive bros behave bro-y.
 
That's pretty much where I am. Only, I think the break starts pretty soon.

Also: the Halo 4 OT2 is up for grabs, when the time comes. I think my time with starting and owning Halo threads is coming to a close. I put the time into them because I was passionate about the game. I'm not passionate about this game. And the passions I do have are not positive.

Damn.
 
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