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[bobs...onGaf]

At this risk of posting this too early (7:00 EDT), and not getting as many responses as I'd like, I'm going to do it anyway.

And this is open to ALL fans who think Halo 3 has the best multiplayer, and don't like what they're seeing in Halo 4 with specializations and AAs.

I want to play devil's advocate for a moment. This post makes the case against the concept of not knowing all the cards in a player's hand until you meet him or her in a fight. Firefights aren't only decided by player skill and what happens over the course of the match, but what players select in a menu, too. If a player is playing a Halo game in the mold of Halo 1 or 2 – and, to an extent, Halo 3, and we'll get to that in a moment – every player knows and can see all the pieces on the board before the match starts. There's a predictability to it, and it was very much like a game of chess, as Shake implied.

However, this was not true at all times within Halo 3. During the events of the match players would pick up equipment, like a bubble shield or a regenerator, and not deploy them until they were at a disadvantage in a firefight. You didn't know a player had a bubble shield until you dropped his or her shields and that person deployed it to try to alter the outcome of a battle. This is very similar to fighting someone and not knowing they have jetpack, or camo, Promethean vision, and the like until you engage them on a map.

So, my questions is this: What specifically is the most troublesome? Is it the concept you don't like, or is it the degree to which it is applied? Or is it the implementation of the concept? Were the other factors in the game good enough to cause you to overlook the concept?

I cant really speak for Ghaleon, but I think equipment where very different in general, you had to pick them up, they where a 1 use only, and they had a very specific use. Specializations are 'passive', which by the way I think is a misleading word, in terms of effect they will impact matches pretty heavily, I can see that scope specialization and that vendetta specialisation being anything but passive. When they say passive though, I think they mean in terms of: its not something you trigger, its always there. Which I think is the problem with it, and what differentiates it from Halo 3 equipment.

As a fan of Halo 3 multi-player, as much as I liked equipment in social, in ranked or competitive customs that stuff was gone so fast it might aswell have not existed. , obviously in ranked I had to abuse them before they could get abused by the enemy, but in competitive customs, that stuff just didnt exist. Which is the way I found Halo 3 most fun, matchmaking on that game really did suck. If I have playlists that dont use it in Halo 4 I will be fine, as long as those playlists are good. If the game is competitive and im only playing Customs, that will be find too.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

My thoughts thus far is that I'm slightly irked there's not any visual way to know what specialization they're using (beyond observing the effects of them using them.)

I think the other possible issue is that there's not so much a downside to using them--they're bonuses, and using one is always better than not using one. That suggests some balance issues that could crop up, but if it's an "imperfect balance" a la StarCraft 2 I'm not worried.

There seems like a lot of places where team spamming a specialization could be really frustrating, but considering how little teams coordinate I doubt that'd be an issue in most games. Not sure what that means for more "pro"-oriented players.

Matchmade parties vs randoms sounds like an even more awkward experience.
The fact that it's level (and somewhat LE) locked is even worse.

The whole thing is odd. Hard to get a clear picture really. Kind of hard to just "wait & see".

 

[Mister Negative]

My thoughts thus far is that I'm slightly irked there's not any visual way to know what specialization they're using (beyond observing the effects of them using them.)

I think the other possible issue is that there's not so much a downside to using them--they're bonuses, and using one is always better than not using one. That suggests some balance issues that could crop up, but if it's an "imperfect balance" a la StarCraft 2 I'm not worried.

There seems like a lot of places where team spamming a specialization could be really frustrating, but considering how little teams coordinate I doubt that'd be an issue in most games. Not sure what that means for more "pro"-oriented players.

Getting matched up against a team of four is already a terrible experience. I don't think it needs to get even worse.

 

[Kuroyume]

I have found (at least in this gen) that 9 out of 10 times when gamers react to news regarding changes in a game or the addition of different features their reactions are usually justified. There's always a vocal minority who argue that people should wait until the get their hands on the game before passing judgement, but more often than not that really doesn't change opinions. Whether it's Halo, Killzone (re: KZ3), Splinter Cell, or Resident Evil, etc. the early concerns are usually validated.

What amazes me is that I seem to be the only one complaining about the last two perks on that list. Yes, Ellis mentioned that we start out with more weapons capable of destroying vehicles but I don't see it unless you can spawn with rockets (are they lock on?) or the laser. There's something really wrong (at least on paper) with the idea of people being able to drive an EMP proof Warthog with rechargeable health and a perk that negates the cooldown of the turret. Unless the DMR/BR are cable of wrecking Warthogs I don't see how this won't be a nuisance.

 

[Sikamikanico]

Yes, Ellis mentioned that we start out with more weapons capable of destroying vehicles but I don't see it unless you can spawn with rockets (are they lock on?) or the laser. There's something really wrong (at least on paper) with the idea of people being able to drive an EMP proof Warthog with rechargeable health and a perk that negates the cooldown of the turret. Unless the DMR/BR are cable of wrecking Warthogs I don't see how this won't be a nuisance.

There are other mods available that have not yet been divulged. Stands to reason there will be anti-vehicle based mods for people to play with.

 

[Shadders]

Someone just dropped this on my blog: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/perfect-imbalance

Relevant.

Also, if anyone is just getting on and trying to pick through all the new news, there's a summary on my site including some of David's clarifications: http://www.littleenglishhaloblog.com/2012/08/halo-4-armour-specialisations.html

 

[JaggedSac]

Glad they are adding more stuff to unlock. I'm not the ultra competitive type so this doesn't bother me at all.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Okay...I have slept on it, and y'know, I'm okay with all the mod/perk/specialization malarkey.

Personally, I don't think they are going to alter the game all that much. I see people talking about how Halo 2 (pinnacle of the series my arse) was amazing because you could predict what an enemy was going to do etc. And yes, you could, but to a very small degree. You don't know if they have rockets, or shotgun or sword...usually until it's too late. Except now in Halo 4, they might have something and they think they have a clear cut advantage, but I may have a mod in my setup that may allow me to work a miracle and beat them in the encounter. Some of you may think that's a bad thing, I find that pretty interesting from a gameplay perspective. No more annoying than how I usually get beaten or beat someone. Just more varied, more nuanced.

For example, I love driving vehicles and supporting my team in BTB. So, the idea of a mod that allows me to regain vehicle health quicker is attractive. And one of my pals loves to gun, so he'd pick the mod that allows quicker turrent cooldown etc.

So we're cruising the battlefield destroying the enemy team. Now, we'd normally have to avoid the usual - stickies, rockets, EMP bursts....except this time, one of the enemy team might say to themselves, "I just got owned by that Hog, best use my anti-vehicle loadout" so they boot it up, and they might have a mod that extra damage to vehicles, or a tripmine or some other crazy thing. It feels like it's all about more emergent gameplay, tuning your spartan on the fly to counter different scenarios.

I know Halo is (or at least, was) an arena shooter, and I loved it back in the day. But as much as I may enjoy "classic" in Halo 4, I want to embrace the new and the different, because I'd rather play a game with lots of players, a game where wait-times are minimal, opponents are varied, gameplay is varied. I don't want Halo 4 to be the fragmented "try-to-please-every-tiny-subset-of-the-fanbase" that Reach ended up being, because that game became a chore to play. Have I got bloom this time? Or a little bit of bloom? Or none at all? Is there bleedthrough? Reach became a mess, and remains a mess.

Halo 4, for better or worse, is a very different game. The ability for it to be a stripped down arena shooter will still be there, but I plan to dive headfirst in all the new hotness and see how it plays out.

Hope that made some sense anyway.

I see Frankie use "emergent gameplay" as a term to describe this 'variety' a lot, and it always makes me cringe. Every game has emergent gameplay. If a guy is sniping well on the other team in Halo 3, I take precautions to avoid him, if someone has a shotgun or a sword, my style of play totally changes. If a team is in a hog, again my style changes. If laser is about to spawn but the other team control top hill, I push, which is emergant gameplay. if someone is dominating in top gold in FFA, I make a concerted effort to get him out of there. Emergant gameplay doesnt have to hinge on Armour ability esque rock paper scissors scenarios. In fact I would argue that those rock paper scissors scenarios which come about from the main menu player traits are far from emergent, they are going to play out the same every time. If someone has ability Y, you counter with ability Z. Thats the worst kind of adaption, because it doesn't take any real reading of the game other than knowing what counters what.

I think my post is pretty unclear but I have no idea to explain what I mean. :/

 

[Fuchsdh]

Getting matched up against a team of four is already a terrible experience. I don't think it needs to get even worse.

Like I said, it's a possibility. But I'm prolly going to be playing with parties anyhow. It's been far more fun in Halo 3 and Reach, and it would prolly hold true for Halo 4, even without the specializations. Playing with people you know and can work with will always be superior to abusive randoms who betray you for a sniper rifle.

In fact I would argue that those rock paper scissors scenarios which come about from the main menu player traits are far from emergent, they are going to play out the same every time. If someone has ability Y, you counter with ability Z. Thats the worst kind of adaption, because it doesn't take any real reading of the game other than knowing what counters what.

I don't think that's as simple as you're suggesting. Most of these *don't* counter each other; they're complementary. Insofar as one would give a major advantage over time, people will start moving towards whatever avoids that specialization--thus neutralizing that specializations special bonus, making another one more powerful. That's the concept of imperfect balance--that things will play differently over time because people constantly adapt. In StarCraft, new strategies come up and quickly fade away as people learn to counter them.

I'm not saying Halo 4 will work out that way, or if this sort of give-and-take is even optimal, but I can see how it would work and I don't think it will make for stale gameplay over time.

 

[Mister Negative]

Someone just dropped this on my blog: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/perfect-imbalance

Relevant.

Also, if anyone is just getting on and trying to pick through all the new news, there's a summary on my site including some David's clarifications: http://www.littleenglishhaloblog.com/2012/08/halo-4-armour-specialisations.html

My problem with that video is that if you apply his examples about a "perfectly balanced game" to Halo, then the differences in each game become the shooting skill of the players.

Which, in my opinion, is how it should be anyway. In Starcraft, no, it shouldn't come down to micro and execution. But Halo isn't a strategy game, so it should still come down to who can better execute the existing strategies, and who can win gun battles.

 

[Shadders]

My problem with that video is that if you apply his examples about a "perfectly balanced game" to Halo, then the differences in each game become the shooting skill of the players.

Which, in my opinion, is how it should be anyway. In Starcraft, no, it shouldn't come down to micro and execution. But Halo isn't a strategy game, so it should still come down to who can better execute the existing strategies, and who can win gun battles.

Fair point. I've always felt that Halo's slow kill times give it a much thicker layer of strategy that its contemporaries. I think comparing these changes to League of Legends is interesting though. Certainly makes more sense than comparing to CoD at any rate.

 

[TheOddOne]

Ninja shares his opinions on Halo 4.

Did he visit 343? He keeps talking like he knows stuff.

 

[Tawpgun]

Not sure I buy that these specs are too subtle to make a difference on the battlefield. They're subtle, but I see them as annoyances. People getting ordnance first, pings not working, emp's not working

 

[Zeouterlimits]

What amazes me is that I seem to be the only one complaining about the last two perks on that list.

Well speaking for myself, I look at the list and wince. They're all things I don't want right now.

 

[Krispy]

It's been said before but screw it, I'm saying it again.

Halo 2 and 3 were such great games because your own skill level was such a big deal, it was the whole damn game even. That was what I fell deeply and madly in love with about Halo 3 (sadly I missed the H2 era).
IF my BR was on, I was donging; IF my Sniper was singing, so was I; IF my grenades were placed, I was a force to be reckoned with; IF my jumps were spot on, I was everywhere and nowhere.

It feels like the current and upcoming iterations of Halo are losing sight of that basic, yet amazing gameplay formula. Your opponents are on an equal footing with you and the game is about to be decided in a clash of skill and twitch reflexes, not random elements. 95% of the time that I die in Halo 3, I feel like I deserved it. I personally did something wrong, something that I can work on, improve on and surpass; ultimately becoming a better player. In Halo Reach I die from so many random elements; I get mad and don't want to play anymore. I'm not mad at myself, I'm mad at these ridiculous Armour Abilities, grenades and bloom. Instead of reducing random elements, Halo 4 seems to be adding to the list and I'm honestly worried.

Keep chasing that COD money, 343. Come November I'll buy your game. But I'll be thinking about that mythical great Halo game.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Ninja shares his opinions on Halo 4.

His argument boils down to:
"Yo guys its fine, the fact that they are changing the core of Halo is brilliant, because it opens the floodgates for people who never really liked Halo, competitive Halo is going to thrive, because people will actually play it"

I guess that's good for them, but as a long term Halo fan, why would I care? I have been playing Halo for the reasons those guys havent been playing Halo, if you cater to them your probably not catering to me. It might be good for MLG, but if I dont enjoy Halo 4, that means nothing to me.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Morning HaloGaf, still got doomsday scenarios running up in here? Or have we calmed down a bit to await more info?

 

[Amazing Mic]

You only see it from the 1 v 1 perspective, which is wrong, the impact these "add-ons" could have on the game is that in most cases it could prolong the encounters, slowing down Kill times (in most cases you will end up getting killed by someone else), this is one of the main problems with Halo reach, the slow kill times.

Hardly, I'm just not overreacting. For as aggressive and twitchy as the gameplay has looked, I can't see this shifting the balance too much. They aren't the same as H3 equipment, but all the arguments that you could map control the equipment is crap too- there were a ton of equipment available right off spawn. I'd rather deal w/ these perks then energy drains and regens.

Also, how many times will 343 say "it's playlist specific" after everyone blows a gasket before it sinks in?

I love competitive as much as the next guy - but the layers I see added on THESE playlists mean I'll probably have more fun w/ my college buddies, beer in hand. I'm okay with that.

 

[Gunnerdude]

Morning HaloGaf, still got doomsday scenarios running up in here? Or have we calmed down a bit to await more info?

Doomsday.

 

[ElzarTheBam]

I love competitive as much as the next guy - but the layers I see added on THESE playlists mean I'll probably have more fun w/ my college buddies, beer in hand. I'm okay with that.

You've hit the nail on the head.

And I'm completely fine with that, other people are not.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Doomsday.

Well at least we're 7 minutes to midnight.

Guys, it's gon be k.

 

[Amazing Mic]

His argument boils down to:
"Yo guys its fine, the fact that they are changing the core of Halo is brilliant, because it opens the floodgates for people who never really liked Halo, competitive Halo is going to thrive, because people will actually play it"

I guess that's good for them, but as a long term Halo fan, why would I care? I have been playing Halo for the reasons those guys havent been playing Halo, if you cater to them your probably not catering to me. It might be good for MLG, but if I dont enjoy Halo 4, that means nothing to me.

I see value in it because a healthy population will make for a better game.

I loved H2, I loved H3, but Reach (despite it's faults) was the first game w/ a netcode that I actually felt like the controller was responsive to what I was doing. I played more Reach than H2 and H3 combined, and I played a lot of H2 and H3. Reach's biggest downfall, for me, was is it's population. Despite everyone's tears over the lack of skilled matchmaking- I can get really competitive matches often in doubles. If the population was 5x higher, I likely wouldn't run into the guests at all.

Making some uber-competitive, balanced Halo isn't going to achieve that desired population. Sure, there is value in that core-gameplay, but is the trade off of waiting 5-10 minutes to find a match worth it? I think what is being done is necessary- and by looking at the gameplay- I think it's more than an acceptable solution.

 

[Dug]

Morning HaloGaf, still got doomsday scenarios running up in here? Or have we calmed down a bit to await more info?

Halo is doomed man, DOOMED.

Spoiler

/sarcasm

 

[Spawnling]

Getting matched up against a team of four is already a terrible experience. I don't think it needs to get even worse.

As I said before, a full team of "high ranks" spawn killing in BTB is going to be much easier. I'm curious to see how this plays out.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

You've hit the nail on the head.

And I'm completely fine with that, other people are not.

I think there's two separate discussions to be had there though. Fair enough you dont care about competitive play, so I suppose if the game is fun with friends thats fine? You dont care about what they change.

The thing is though, Jetpack, Evade and armour lock still ruined casual fun play, just by being annoying. How is having a waypoint on your head going to be fun even when your playing casually? What about when you emp a Banshee to jack it and it just drives straight over you. What about when Mykke uses the Deadly Silent or Cold Blooded perk and sprint Swords none stop all game? Its still going to take away from the enjoyment of the game if those systems are not designed well.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I think there's two separate discussions to be had there though. Fair enough you dont care about competitive play, so I suppose if the game is fun with friends thats fine? You dont care about what they change.

The thing is though, Jetpack, Evade and armour lock still ruined casual fun play, just by being annoying. How is having a waypoint on your head going to be fun even when your playing casually? What about when you emp a Banshee to jack it and it just drives straight over you. Its still going to take away from the enjoyment of the game if those systems are not designed well.

That's the key here. We have no context on how all these are balanced, and how they work with each other. 343 has been making this game for what, 3 years now? You don't think they've thought of all the issues we are thinking about today?

This is why I'd rather wait and see how everything plays out than getting stressed now.

 

[squidhands]

I think I'm the most annoyed at the way information about Halo 4 has been doled out so far. If I were to judge the game solely on the way we've been fed information, I could make the argument that 343 is an incompetent group of people who can't seem to get their shit together enough to give us proper info drops. They seem so disjointed and out of order, like learning about how specializations are tied into the ranking/progression system without even knowing what the fuck that progression system is and how it works. It certainly doesn't help when 343 allows separate entities to supply any information; articles have been so bad that in every case, Frankie and David have had to do damage control and clear up either factual errors or important information that were edited out because no one in the gaming industry seems to know what it means to be a journalist.

Having said that, I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate David and Frankie continuing to slog through all the negativity in this and most likely other threads to bring us as much clarity as they can. Halo 4 looks to be a completely different game, and despite of what has been a poor distribution of information, I'm still excited (dat hands-on gameplay).

Looking forward to the Bulletin today to, once again, clear things up.

 

[Tawpgun]

I'd rather deal w/ these perks then energy drains and regens.

Well now you can deal with these perks, a regen field Armor Ability and EMP promethean grenades.


Have fun.

 

[Myyke]

Someone on le Reddit posted a pic of the armour sets side by side (sorry if posted already, I did have a dig back for several pages but didn't see anything, would go back further but I'm at work):

I wonder what exactly the armour "sets" consist of, as some of them appear to share leg armour and gauntlets. This is also the first time I've personally noticed the variation in the
back/collar pieces (the parts that look like thrusters), pretty cool!

What about when Mykke uses the Deadly Silent or Cold Blooded perk and sprint Swords none stop all game?

I can confirm that this would be a when and not an if.

My body is ready.......

 

[bobs...onGaf]

That's the key here. We have no context on how all these are balanced, and how they work with each other. 343 has been making this game for what, 3 years now? You don't think they've thought of all the issues we are thinking about today?

This is why I'd rather wait and see how everything plays out than getting stressed now.

Agreed, thats not going to stop me speculating now though. If 343 continues to put info out in such a half hazard manner, the discussions are going to be no better going forward. I would rather speculate and discuss what we know now, and draw the gaps using prior knowledge than just wait and see.

Also past experience makes it seem as though game developers in general, not just 343 are oblivious to things lol. Do you really think Reach would have happened if Bungie spent the 3 years development time playtesting the game the way it got played once the general public got it?

 

[ViewtifulJC]

At this rate, we'll learn about the last stage of campaign before we see anything else

 

[ElzarTheBam]

What about when Mykke uses the Deadly Silent or Cold Blooded perk and sprint Swords none stop all game?

Let's be honest, we've played with Myyke, he will always find and use the cheapest tactic against us, in any game, with any mechanic.

And do it proudly.

I think I'm the most annoyed at the way information about Halo 4 has been doled out so far. If I were to judge the game solely on the way we've been fed information, I could make the argument that 343 is an incompetent group of people who can't seem to get their shit together enough to give us proper info drops. They seem so disjointed and out of order, like learning about how specializations are tied into the ranking/progression system without even knowing what the fuck that progression system is and how it works. It certainly doesn't help when 343 allows separate entities to supply any information; articles have been so bad that in every case, Frankie and David have had to do damage control and clear up either factual errors or important information that were edited out because no one in the gaming industry seems to know what it means to be a journalist.

Having said that, I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate David and Frankie continuing to slog through all the negativity in this and most likely other threads to bring us as much clarity as they can. Halo 4 looks to be a completely different game, and despite of what has been a poor distribution of information, I'm still excited (dat hands-on gameplay).

Looking forward to the Bulletin today to, once again, clear things up.

Best and most important post in this thread.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I think I'm the most annoyed at the way information about Halo 4 has been doled out so far. If I were to judge the game solely on the way we've been fed information, I could make the argument that 343 is an incompetent group of people who can't seem to get their shit together enough to give us proper info drops. They seem so disjointed and out of order, like learning about how specializations are tied into the ranking/progression system without even knowing what the fuck that progression system is and how it works. It certainly doesn't help when 343 allows separate entities to supply any information; articles have been so bad that in every case, Frankie and David have had to do damage control and clear up either factual errors or important information that were edited out because no one in the gaming industry seems to know what it means to be a journalist.

Having said that, I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate David and Frankie continuing to slog through all the negativity in this and most likely other threads to bring us as much clarity as they can. Halo 4 looks to be a completely different game, and despite of what has been a poor distribution of information, I'm still excited (dat hands-on gameplay).

Looking forward to the Bulletin today to, once again, clear things up.

I agree here, but I suspect MS is the mastermind behind the content release not 343. Not sure how much of MS marketing 343 utilizes, but information release would fall in their area.

I'm very glad Frank and David are here to answer some questions though. At this point a huge MP vidoc would solve a lot of questions though.

 

[User 73932]

Has it died down a little in here?

 

[Delta Unit Hinkle]

omg we're on page 343!!!!

hey! Using my likeness lol. But any way off to work

 

[JonCha]

Saw Specialization news earlier. I have one word: balance.

 

[shinobi602]

Just read the info on the different specializations.

In my opinion this is exactly the kind of stuff Halo needs. Nice progress and keeping it fresh. Good job 343. Can't wait to try it out.

 

[Portugeezer]

 

[Hypertrooper]

I think I'm the most annoyed at the way information about Halo 4 has been doled out so far. If I were to judge the game solely on the way we've been fed information, I could make the argument that 343 is an incompetent group of people who can't seem to get their shit together enough to give us proper info drops. They seem so disjointed and out of order, like learning about how specializations are tied into the ranking/progression system without even knowing what the fuck that progression system is and how it works. It certainly doesn't help when 343 allows separate entities to supply any information; articles have been so bad that in every case, Frankie and David have had to do damage control and clear up either factual errors or important information that were edited out because no one in the gaming industry seems to know what it means to be a journalist.

Having said that, I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate David and Frankie continuing to slog through all the negativity in this and most likely other threads to bring us as much clarity as they can. Halo 4 looks to be a completely different game, and despite of what has been a poor distribution of information, I'm still excited (dat hands-on gameplay).

Looking forward to the Bulletin today to, once again, clear things up.

I'd disagree. Everything which was released through the official channel had been informative. Let me clarify: I meant with official channel, stuff which 343i release on their own. The Sparkasts and the Halo 4 page are containing a lot of helpful information.

But the problem is, there are too many shitty secondary sources and 343i never explained them officially on their page. Why using GAF? Go use the bulletin and explain it,

 

[MaDGaMEZ]

Someone on le Reddit posted a pic of the armour sets side by side (sorry if posted already, I did have a dig back for several pages but didn't see anything, would go back further but I'm at work):

I wonder what exactly the armour "sets" consist of, as some of them appear to share leg armour and gauntlets. This is also the first time I've personally noticed the variation in the
back/collar pieces (the parts that look like thrusters), pretty cool!


That middle armor is the best, like the helmet, would like to see it in another color though. I read the IGN article but they did not say if you had to wear that specific armor to use that particular special? if so......dissapointing don't want to use ugly armor to use a special I am more comfortable with. I would rather wear whatever armor I want and apply a special to it.

 

[Myyke]

I read the IGN article but they did not say if you had to wear that specific armor to use that particular special? if so......dissapointing don't want to use ugly armor to use a special I am more comfortable with. I would rather wear whatever armor I want and apply a special to it.

I believe it has been clarified that you don't need to equip the armour to use the ability, it is just something that unlocks as you progress to obtaining the ability.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I like the armor so far. My only hope is that Spartan IV's in campaign are solid colors. Always found it funny that Spartans other than the Chief had such bright colors, and lack of camouflage.

 

[MaDGaMEZ]

That made me laugh more that I think I should have at work, but is a representation of my feelings toward Halo 4 right now.

I stopped playing COD because there was too much crap going on. I have played Reach non-stop for 2 years due to the simplified choices. Seeing all this news from 343 is making me uneasy

 

[TheOddOne]

I think I'm the most annoyed at the way information about Halo 4 has been doled out so far. If I were to judge the game solely on the way we've been fed information, I could make the argument that 343 is an incompetent group of people who can't seem to get their shit together enough to give us proper info drops. They seem so disjointed and out of order, like learning about how specializations are tied into the ranking/progression system without even knowing what the fuck that progression system is and how it works. It certainly doesn't help when 343 allows separate entities to supply any information; articles have been so bad that in every case, Frankie and David have had to do damage control and clear up either factual errors or important information that were edited out because no one in the gaming industry seems to know what it means to be a journalist.

Having said that, I want to acknowledge how much I appreciate David and Frankie continuing to slog through all the negativity in this and most likely other threads to bring us as much clarity as they can. Halo 4 looks to be a completely different game, and despite of what has been a poor distribution of information, I'm still excited (dat hands-on gameplay).

Looking forward to the Bulletin today to, once again, clear things up.

Indeed. I've ranted about this a while ago too.

 

[User 73932]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-van93HkAag

 

[Portugeezer]

That middle armor is the best, like the helmet, would like to see it in another color though. I read the IGN article but they did not say if you had to wear that specific armor to use that particular special? if so......dissapointing don't want to use ugly armor to use a special I am more comfortable with. I would rather wear whatever armor I want and apply a special to it.

What you see when you play:

Looks the same. BTW in BLOPS 2 you can customise your look even for team based games modes.

.

 

[Karl2177]

Saw Specialization news earlier. I have one word: balance.

343i has one word: Trust.

My trust is running thin. On a related note, I was talking with my roommate, who is a moderate Halo fan, and 2 nights ago he said Halo 4 is the game he was most excited for. He gets back from work yesterday and I tell him to start refreshing IGN for the Halo news. As we are reading it he turns to me and asks, "it's gonna be Call of Reach then?". Now he's hardly considering it. Consider me disappointed.

 

[Einchy]

It's fucking bedtime!

 

[Spiders]

What you see when you play:

Looks the same. BTW in BLOPS 2 you can customise your look even for team based games modes.

.

Maybe it'll be like in Halo 2 where primary color becomes your secondary color in team games.

 

[DeadNames]

UGH that armor...

There's just too much going on. And what happened to visors? Did the UNSC decide to stop using them?