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Halo |OT15| Beta-tested, GAF approved

B

BlueScrote

Member
They need to replace the regular regicide list with the available gametypes in Majestic FFA. Rumble Pro and even Rumble infinity add better variety to the FFA sandbox than simply regicide.
 
B

BlueScrote

Member
I hate to say it, but the Pulse Grenade achievement is really getting me to like the Pulse Grenades. They definitely have a different utility than frags/stickies, but a well timed pulse grenade can allow you to one-shot someone coming around the corner, or even out the battle when you don't get the first shot off.

I still don't think Stickies should be loadout weapons though. The number of lazy people who will just AR then sticky when they're losing is ridiculous.
 
L

lybertyboy

Thinks the Evil Empire is just misunderstood.
TheOddOne said:
My favorite SpOps map. From the pictures I get the impression that it was larger originally, seems tons got cut :(
Click to expand...

Originally Apex and Caverns were going to be one map, but technical and productions concerns caused us to separate the two. The two locations still flow into each other quite nicely.
 
P

Poker Face

Member
EagleBurnn said:
Yep, and I wonder how GAF does during E3. It couldn't even handle the PS Meeting. I would rather not depend on /r/games comments for discussion.
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last E3 was my first GAF E3. it was down.

but the guys at forwarduntodawn had an irc room so HaloGAF could chat while the site was down. it was pretty cool. not sure if thats a normal thing, or just happened because of the Halo 4 presence.
 
G

Ghazi

Member
EagleBurnn said:
Yep, and I hope GAF holds up during E3. It couldn't even handle the PS Meeting. I would rather not depend on /r/games comments for discussion.
Click to expand...

I remember during 2012 E3 GAF went down too, that sucked. Hopefully they'll be more prepared this year.
 
H

Hydranockz

Member
BlueScrote said:
I hate to say it, but the Pulse Grenade achievement is really getting me to like the Pulse Grenades. They definitely have a different utility than frags/stickies, but a well timed pulse grenade can allow you to one-shot someone coming around the corner, or even out the battle when you don't get the first shot off.

I still don't think Stickies should be loadout weapons though. The number of lazy people who will just AR then sticky when they're losing is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

If anything, they should limit loadouts to one plasma instead of two. Possibly increase the pulse count to two?
 
T

TheOddOne

Member
lybertyboy said:
Originally Apex and Caverns were going to be one map, but technical and productions concerns caused us to separate the two. The two locations still flow into each other quite nicely.
Click to expand...
That is sad to hear, still what you guys pulled off with Apex was great. Just what I wanted and expected. More content like that and I'll fork over money without hesitation.
 
D

Demoncarnotaur

Member
lybertyboy said:
Originally Apex and Caverns were going to be one map, but technical and productions concerns caused us to separate the two. The two locations still flow into each other quite nicely.
Click to expand...

That would have been amazing, and it also makes sense why the two of them kinda feel similar.. Maybe the big ideas like that will come into being next time.
 
E

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
BlueScrote said:
I hate to say it, but the Pulse Grenade achievement is really getting me to like the Pulse Grenades. They definitely have a different utility than frags/stickies, but a well timed pulse grenade can allow you to one-shot someone coming around the corner, or even out the battle when you don't get the first shot off.

I still don't think Stickies should be loadout weapons though. The number of lazy people who will just AR then sticky when they're losing is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
This is progress.

Maybe by the end of it, people will realize how damn useful Pulse Grenades are, and not just try to cast them off based on their use in SP.
 
E

ElzarTheBam

Member
I have no idea what im doing with the streams!

You guys and your comments...LMAO.

Will stream with Bobs and co in a bit. Trying some terrible zombies.
 
T

TheOddOne

Member
All you need to know:

jbpSukvDLRrmWE.png
 
MrGreencastle

MrGreencastle

Member
ZeNy said:
Oh, and if some of you are interested by a Spartan Ops Behind the scene, one of our editors found a cool collection of concepts from Axis Animation and Shae, a freelance artist who works for 343 Industries : http://www.halodestiny.net/news-2440-spartan-ops-cinematiques-et-missions-en-concept-art.html#skip

Their galleries are available on CGHUD too : Shae Gallery - Axis Gallery
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Halo has some kick ass concept art. Should just make a concept art looking game like Borderlands. (I think the devs called it "concept shading"?)

Also, if any Daft Punk fans in here haven't heard this snippet from their new album, give it a quick listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcDadaQjbvY
 
M

Madness

Member
enzo_gt said:
This is progress.

Maybe by the end of it, people will realize how damn useful Pulse Grenades are, and not just try to cast them off based on their use in SP.
Click to expand...

No one says they're not useful, just that ultimately frags and sticky grenades are better. This is the problem with games with loadouts. Eventually, nearly 90% of the other weapons are not used at all.

With sticky grenades, you can easily get an insta-kill, you can stick someone, get a double kill, kill from the grave. Sure pulse grenades strip shields quick or can possibly be used for rerouting foes, but frags do the same. Throw a frag at someone and they'll run away, not only that, but the splash damage is bigger and you have the potential to kill someone with a frag. They're ultimately better to use in most scenarios.
 
MrGreencastle

MrGreencastle

Member
Fuchsdh said:
The term is "cell shading". Seeing what Halo would look like rendered in that style would certainly be interesting though.
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Cell shading yes, but specifically what they called their pairing of concept art style with cell shading to make the game look just like the concept art. I remember a dev referring to it as concept shading in a early preview video.

Edit: Best I could find, but this article only refers to it as concept-art style, http://www.gamespot.com/news/behind-borderlands-11th-hour-style-change-6253257
 
M

Mace Griffin

Neo Member
TheOddOne said:
The ideas behind instant gratification and progress are so open to interpretation, that it is surprising that Halo 4 takes concepts for those ideas that were already out there instead of trying something new. Even then, it botched the execution of the copied concepts to a certain extent. It took ideas that were flawed already in other games and didn’t try to improve them, instead they slapped exact same broken system onto this game. Usually you are suppose to be given stuff, like skins, attachments and unlocks with an investment system. There is nothing wrong getting something out of investment. It’s a pretty neat idea, it really focuses on longevity and replayablity. The problem however is what you put behind such an investment system. Skins and armor unlocks are harmless, but weapon and perk unlocks do more harm than good. It gimps players by forcing them to use sup par weapons and perks. In the long run it creates more player frustration and irritation. Reach walked a fine line by doing pre-set loadouts, a fine comprise in hindsight.

Execs can force such a system, but it’s on the designer to implement it. There are so many other ways to get the same result, without falling into the same traps. For example, the commendation system could have been expanded and put on the for front of it all. Make it the first thing you see after you finish a match. Players get that instant information that they have hit milestones and have unlocked certain cosmetic items. Make the loadout system class based or even playlist specific. It is something familiar to casual players and more long time players are not alienated. There are more ways to keep player interested in your game, the above is just an example, without comprising the actual gameplay.

This might sounds controversial, but the loadout system has kind of become next the armor lock. They both stunt the gameplay unnecessarily and punish users for nothing. At the core the loadout system is to add value to the game and add more power to the player. The biggest problem however with that train of thought is that it goes against the established sandbox. The cost of it is that now it’s being broken down, instead of the sandbox as a whole being embraced and respected. Things work because they are limited and used at the right times, it being so open and unlimited just shows that too much of a good thing can be bad and totally destroy a very competent game. I hope they totally rethink their gameplay and player investment system in the next Halo. There are other ways to entice and keep players coming back. There are tons of examples in how to do it correctly, look at Starcraft II, League of Legends, Team Fortress II.
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I very much agree with you.

Personally I find enjoyment in a game from getting better at the game, that is the progression system to me. That in my opinion is also the highest quality progression system a game can have as the gameplay itself must be good enough for there to be a sense of progression. The gameplay requires depth and balance for this to work, that is the most difficult system to design well. An indicator of your progression such as skill based ranks complements this system such as the 1-50 system in Halo 2/3.

It seems to me that the current trend is for developers to churn out unbalanced, unskillful games with little depth to gameplay such as Halo 4 and COD and then bolt on a series of artificial progression systems that really mean nothing and I consider to be no more than gimmicks. Not only are they gimmicky but they tend to further hurt the gameplay such as weapon and ability unlocks etc as you say.

I think what developers neglect is that there is likely a huge market for arena shooters with some depth that require skill to master. Some gamers like simple easy games like COD but that doesn't mean that everyone does, I think this is evidenced by the rapid decline in popularity of both Halo Reach and Halo 4 compared with previous Halo games. There has not been a true arena fps Halo game that hasn't been a market leader.

A lot of posters on this forum seem hesitant to really criticize Halo 4 and instead say things like "well if 343 made this slight concession or tweaked this or removed this" etc etc. Yet most of you seem to agree that the previous Halo games were far superior. Why not say that and stop supporting something that is not really what you want. I no longer play Halo 4 and will never play it again, I am not supporting a developer that have made a game I don't enjoy playing never mind a developer that could have revived the Halo franchise but instead further dumbed down the game to try and appeal to the COD audience. Every player has the power to influence developer's decisions but if you keep playing a sub-standard game that is almost nothing like Halo barring the name then nothing will change.
 
S

Sr Kitsune

Member
So... what happened to this?

“The story of the UNSC Infinity intersects with the Halo 4 campaign, but continues on through Spartan Ops after the events of Halo 4. The UNSC Infinity plays an important role in Master Chief’s adventure, and while Spartan Ops is separate from Halo 4’s campaign, don’t be surprised if you periodically cross paths with the Chief.

“In the first episode, you’re going to find the Covenant is doing an archeological dig and has discovered an ancient artifact. You don’t know what it is, but the Covenant wants it, so that’s good enough for you.”
Click to expand...

Source

I was expecting the Chief to appear in any moment, even if just for a few seconds...
 
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