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[geeko]

I believe when they release Reach it will have fixed many of the fundamental problems people are having with this game, i.e. weapon balance, character movement, glitches. But in the end this will be a very different game from Halo 3, and its very clear that this wont change. The second I heard they made Spartans and Elites play differently I knew it was gonna be a different ballgame than halo 3.

Regardless the uncertainty people have with this game, it will still sell like hotcakes. Its like when Modern Warfare 2 was coming out. Everyone was like OH NOES they are charging much for PC, no dedicated servers, die bobby die, I'm not buying this game. Then it comes out and everyone is so hyped about it that they must have it, so everyone buys it. Same thing will happen with Reach, people will disown it for its differences but in the end hype will take over and everyone will buy.

 

[Safe Bet]

To whomever the smartass was that said "put the Spartans wheels"

Legs > Wheels

If you want to argue they should be > bipedal, I might be willing to play make believe with you.



Played juggernaut last night and had a freakin blast.

At first I worried the mode wouldn't work but desire to be the next juggie kept me going in for the kill time and time again.

 

[Falagard]

We know full well that there are things that aren't ready for prime time. It might be surprising, but those are the things we're most interested in testing and getting feedback about. We'd love it if you'd participate in that sweet circle of love and mutual respect. Bitch.

Instead of giving a huge list, here's my biggest suggestion:

When you shoot an enemy they need to spark or flare up more with each shot so you know you're landing the shots.

A lot of the initial criticism about the game include this lack of weapon feedback as a huge concern. When you shot someone in previous Halo games, each shot lit up the enemy like a Christmas tree, and maybe this doesn't look all that appealing from a creative perspective, it's important from a functional perspective.

Ghaleon's initial comments:

"None of the guns felt powerful or fun to shoot, and I had a hard time telling when I was landing shots. I still haven't put my finger on why, but shooting someone in the Halo games has always had this really strong feedback loop where I felt the shots landing. In Reach, that's not there. I shoot, the guy falls down, move on to the next one. "

That is all.

 

[GhaleonEB]

There's a direct line straight to the developer here and instead of providing constructive criticism, plenty of people go with hyperbole and mudslinging (yeah, Internet). I'm not whining, just lamenting the lost opportunity.

Over the past few days, there has been a steady shift from random bitching to extensive, thoughtful analysis and coherent feedback. The signal:noise ratio has improved a lot. Speaking for myself, I've dialed the random bitching way down and made a concerted effort to flesh out my criticisms and make them constructive. (That post took well over an hour to put together.) I've seen a lot of the regulars tilting their contributions that way as well. Just seems like an odd time to take shots at what are increasingly more interesting, specific and productive discussions, to my view.

 

[kylej]

need some people to play Arena with.

 

[Plywood]

Can someone explain divisions? Is 5 the highest (Onyx) or lowest (Steel)?

 

[Falagard]

We're slower and jump much lower, and the melee system was overhauled after four games. Why? I've heard Bungie describe the changes, but not what they wanted to accomplish with them. I don't understand how significantly reduced mobility and that bizarre shield/melee system help the game at all. It's those kind of details that affect the experience much more than the big ticket changes, IMO.

Yeah, we haven't been told why those changes were made, and I'd like to hear it from Bungie.

I can make a few educated guesses, but I still disagree with the outcome.

 

[Natakuu]

Meh, should refresh more.

 

[feel]

There's a direct line straight to the developer here and instead of providing constructive criticism, plenty of people go with hyperbole and mudslinging (yeah, Internet). I'm not whining, just lamenting the lost opportunity.

We know full well that there are things that aren't ready for prime time. It might be surprising, but those are the things we're most interested in testing and getting feedback about. We'd love it if you'd participate in that sweet circle of love and mutual respect. Bitch.

Whoa

I like Reach, I play it every day and have lots of fun with it. Am I posting the feedback on aspects I'm not pleased with in what seems like a harsh way?? English is not my primary language, maybe some stuff comes out wrong. Anyway, dow would the ideal feedback post be then? Smileys and <3 Bungies in every sentence? Enlighten me.

edit- If this is directed at just that one post you quoted, well, it stems from the fact that it hurt very much the first few days of reach beta, when we (the people who are so attached and emotionally invested on this franchise for almost 10 years, and have been playing all this time) wanted to give our feedback here, and all we received in return was mockery and deal with its from people who had never posted in halogaf before and the developer themselves.

 

[kylej]

where does the snipe spawn on the Invasion map?

 

[Chinner]

where does the snipe spawn on the Invasion map?

yeah somebody answer this

 

[zewone]

Hahaha.

I LOVED <3 <3 <3 Halo: CE & Halo 2. My favorite games of their time.

Halo 3 sucked so bad, it blows my mind.

I'm glad to see Bungie is back, Reach is awesome. I can't wait until retail. <3

 

[Major Williams]

Waiting in the airport coming back from my honeymoon. Had a freakin blast!

What did I miss in the past week halogaf? How's the beta been? Any new memes?

 

[GhaleonEB]

Waiting in the airport coming back from my honeymoon. Had a freakin blast!

What did I miss in the past week halogaf? How's the beta been? Any new memes?

Congrats.

 

[Plywood]

Well, looks like five is the highest.

1. Steel
2. Bronze
3. Silver
4. Gold
5. Onyx

 

[feel]

where does the snipe spawn on the Invasion map?

Two floors above the core there this place where the walls are littered with power weapons. Actually, in every defender spawn there seems to be a weapons cache nearby.

 

[Raide]

Mr.Stabby

 

[Havok]

I'm not sure if its just me, but I really feel like Invasion could use the full 8v8 setup. As it is, it never really feels like a large battle in any part of the match other than the final rush. It seems more just like attacking in waves of 3 or 4 while a few guys hold up waiting for their friends to spawn on them. I dunno, I can see it getting really hectic, but I think it might benefit from it.

Edit: oops.

 

[Metroidvania]

One thing I miss from Halo 3, that might or might not have been already planned for the retail version, is that you could look into your friends list and see roughly how far the game your friend was in, i.e. "in a team slayer match, current leader, 34". (Right now it just shows "in matchmaking".) I know it obviously lagged behind, but it was a nice way of seeing what your friends were doing.

If it's already been included, my bad, haven't had a whole lot of time to stay caught up with what's already been addressed with finals and all.

Spoiler

P.S. Brighter targetting reticles plz and ty. <3 u Urk.

 

[Macho Madness]

One thing I miss from Halo 3, that might or might not have been already planned for the retail version, is that you could look into your friends list and see roughly how far the game your friend was in, i.e. "in a team slayer match, current leader, 34". (Right now it just shows "in matchmaking".) I know it obviously lagged behind, but it was a nice way of seeing what your friends were doing.

If it's already been included, my bad, haven't had a whole lot of time to stay caught up with what's already been addressed with finals and all.

Spoiler

P.S. Brighter targetting reticles plz and ty. <3 u Urk.

It's not on the friends list status, but it is on the active roster within the game.

 

[Sanic]

I'm not sure if its just me, but I really feel like Invasion could use the full 16v16 setup. As it is, it never really feels like a large battle in any part of the match other than the final rush. It seems more just like attacking in waves of 3 or 4 while a few guys hold up waiting for their friends to spawn on them. I dunno, I can see it getting really hectic, but I think it might benefit from it.

You mean 8v8, right? Isn't that planned for retail?

 

[Tashi]

I agree that it is difficult to see when shots are registering on players but it's become easier since I've started playing. It's not so much a problem when I'm shooting someone because I can just count the shots (btw, you guys should count shots. It helps know when shots aren't registering and you'll know how much ammo you have left) However when I'm just running around and find someone, I can't really tell how their much shields they have remaining. I feel like I can in Halo 3.

I also wanted to make a video about the simultaneous gun kills. Try to break that down. Put it in comparison to Halo 3. I haven't seen so many simultaneous gun kills in a Halo game. It's very unsatisfying.

 

[kylej]

Two floors above the core there this place where the walls are littered with power weapons. Actually, in every defender spawn there seems to be a weapons cache nearby.

danke

 

[Metroidvania]

It's not on the friends list status, but it is on the active roster within the game.

Odd, whenever I played it, IIRC, it still just said "in matchmaking". Maybe I'm running off faulty memory from 5 hours of sleep.

 

[Havok]

You mean 8v8, right? Isn't that planned for retail?

Whoops, yeah, you're right, my bad, brain fart. I'm not sure if its planned at all, I'm a little out of the loop on it, but I think it would be neat.

 

[Proelite]

I have no idea how i am steel with 1.25 k/d, and my friend is onyx with .98 k/d. You get penalized a lot for having shit teammates.

 

[Tashi]

Odd, whenever I played it, IIRC, it still just said "in matchmaking". Maybe I'm running off faulty memory from 5 hours of sleep.

If you're queued up to join a party, you'll get the game details.

 

[Diablohead]

where does the snipe spawn on the Invasion map?

weapon lockers above the core, accessible at wave 2 and 3, two snipers, two rockets and two splazers there.

Beat like a sausage

 

[Diablohead]

Waiting in the airport coming back from my honeymoon. Had a freakin blast!

What did I miss in the past week halogaf? How's the beta been? Any new memes?

Tanks can 1 hit Wraiths, yeah.

 

[The Librarian]

Yeah, we haven't been told why those changes were made, and I'd like to hear it from Bungie.

I can make a few educated guesses, but I still disagree with the outcome.

Same. Also, I like the way the new warthog sounds and drives.

 

[urk]

Over the past few days, there has been a steady shift from random bitching to extensive, thoughtful analysis and coherent feedback.

Which reminds me: get the fuck rid of the turret overheating. Who the hell thought that was a good idea?

I'm not saying all of the feedback here has been throwaway, but stuff like this isn't exactly what I'd call thoughtful analysis and coherent feedback. Dial it down. That's all I'm asking. If I want to wade through mud and muck, I can get it up to my waist a thousand other places.

 

[Oozer3993]

Over the past few days, there has been a steady shift from random bitching to extensive, thoughtful analysis and coherent feedback. The signal:noise ratio has improved a lot. Speaking for myself, I've dialed the random bitching way down and made a concerted effort to flesh out my criticisms and make them constructive. (That post took well over an hour to put together.) I've seen a lot of the regulars tilting their contributions that way as well. Just seems like an odd time to take shots at what are increasingly more interesting, specific and productive discussions, to my view.

I agree with everything you mentioned in that post.

One thing I miss from Halo 3, that might or might not have been already planned for the retail version, is that you could look into your friends list and see roughly how far the game your friend was in, i.e. "in a team slayer match, current leader, 34". (Right now it just shows "in matchmaking".) I know it obviously lagged behind, but it was a nice way of seeing what your friends were doing.

If it's already been included, my bad, haven't had a whole lot of time to stay caught up with what's already been addressed with finals and all.

Spoiler

P.S. Brighter targetting reticles plz and ty. <3 u Urk.

I believe that's planned for the retail release. And in the Weekly Update Urk mentioned that the current reticules are placeholders. The ones in the final game should be bigger and brighter.

 

[MMaRsu]

Just went 32-9 on Invasion Slayer ^^

The needler is a beast

 

[Slightly Live]

I don't think the weapon caches work as intended in Invasion at all. They are usually emptied in a minute by a small handful of players equipping themselves with two of the power weapons each and rushing over to the remaining ones to get their ammo. This leaves the rest of the team with nothing, especially when they rush off with their power weapons and die in some isolated part of the map or within enemy territory.

Also, the Elite spawn, in the Commonwealth seeks awkward - the natural behaviour of most players is to rush forward when they spawn and the vertical drop below is kind of out of place for a primary spawn location - there are alternate routes down but everyone just drops, taking the brunt of the fall damage and plundering onwards.

 

[Butane123]

Heh, I like how the elite active camo module... thingy has UNSC and the logo on it. I know, not completed, its a beta, I'm really late, but I just thought it was funny seeing it in theater.

 

[Domino Theory]

I'm not saying all of the feedback here has been throwaway, but stuff like this isn't exactly what I'd call thoughtful analysis and coherent feedback. Dial it down. That's all I'm asking. If I want to wade through mud and muck, I can get it up to my waist a thousand other places.

Meh, aside from the guy from Bnet who wanted strafing to be banned from Reach, I'd say the vast majority of people offering critisism in that "manner" have legitimate concerns, irregardless of their tone and shouldn't be overlooked at all.

 

[Tashi]

I don't think the weapon caches work as intended in Invasion at all. They are usually emptied in a minute by a small handful of players equipping themselves with two of the power weapons each and rushing over to the remaining ones to get their ammo. This leaves the rest of the team with nothing, especially when they rush off with their power weapons and die in some isolated part of the map or within enemy territory.

Also, the Elite spawn, in the Commonwealth seeks awkward - the natural behaviour of most players is to rush forward when they spawn and the vertical drop below is kind of out of place for a primary spawn location - there are alternate routes down but everyone just drops, taking the brunt of the fall damage and plundering onwards.

I don't think this type of behavior is exclusive to the gametype though. Power weapon hording happens everywhere.

 

[Apath]

Just went 32-9 on Invasion Slayer ^^

The needler is a beast

In normal matches it feels too weak. Starting with it in Invasion though makes it feel too strong

 

[Jex]

Most people bitch because things are different - a few do reasonably defend their points but there's an equal amount of "This isn't the way it was before" without the "And this is why it should be the way it was before". Bungie will obviously listen to some complaints, while ignoring others that - mainly on things they feel where changed for a very good reason.

 

[Butane123]

In normal matches it feels too weak.

Nah, Needler feels just fine in normal matches. Its actually incredibly useful.

 

[Diablohead]

In normal matches it feels too weak. Starting with it in Invasion though makes it feel too strong

It's a great weapon if two of you run in with cloak on and spray pink everywhere, works better to attack with it then defend using one.

Also I agree with phase 2 and 3 spawning for elites, nearly everyone will just fall off the ship and run in, might be better to place a few boxes to make some sort of large stair or have the elite spawn more spread out, maybe towards the back wall of the map too as that area is mostly untouched.

 

[urk]

Meh, aside from the guy from Bnet who wanted strafing to be banned from Reach, I'd say the vast majority of people offering critisism in that "manner" have legitimate concerns, irregardless of their tone and shouldn't be overlooked at all.

Nobody is saying that they'll be overlooked or that they don't have legitimate concerns. I'm saying if I want my criticism with a side of verbal diarrhea, I can get the same experience elsewhere.

For example, let's try this same response out with a slightly different tact:

"Nobody is saying that they'll be overlooked or that they don't have legitimate concerns, moron. I'm saying if I want my half ass, shitty criticism with a side of abject stupidity, I can get it from much more intelligent people."

Same info, different delivery. I prefer the former, that's all.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I definitely have a love/hate thing going on with Reach at the moment. There are times when the gameplay seems fantastic, and then I end up with situations that make me want to through my controller through my TV. And then throw the TV through the window. And then set the shattered remains on fire.

QFT My halo experience every time I hop online is identical.

So Juggernaut... is not for me. I can see why people enjoy it, but for me it's just too random and there is really not much reward for your effort in that gametype. I think that is probably what frustrates me the most when I play - feeling like I miss getting rewarded for good/smart gameplay. Headhunter is probably the most frustrating gametype in that regard. I forget about the objective and do target practice instead.

I agree that it is difficult to see when shots are registering on players but it's become easier since I've started playing. It's not so much a problem when I'm shooting someone because I can just count the shots (btw, you guys should count shots. It helps know when shots aren't registering and you'll know how much ammo you have left) However when I'm just running around and find someone, I can't really tell how their much shields they have remaining. I feel like I can in Halo 3.

I am usually looking for the yellow armor flash that lets me know the shield is gone and all I need is that one good head shot. It's usually not a problem for me unless I'm really close to someone, but If I'm that close I'm probably about to try and melee anyway.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

Over the past few days, there has been a steady shift from random bitching to extensive, thoughtful analysis and coherent feedback. The signal:noise ratio has improved a lot.

Nice that you mention the SNR of the thread, as I was debating this with myself yesterday (pre-Invasion).

It's hard. The situation is pretty complicated. Not only has significant aspects of the the base changed for us, but there's all the additions to contend with as well.
Trying to judge what's the right step forward, is a step forward what we really really want, are we just too attached to what we've loved for years or is there fundamentally a problem that has been missed to date.
On top of that we're trying to understand and explain how we feel about the new modes and functionality, how well they work etc.
Trying to give... good feedback on Reach is harder than it might have first seemed.
Especially on the fundamentals.

I realise this is possibly obvious to some, I wanted to verbalise it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invasion:
I enjoyed the freshness of the gametype, it is fun but
-The Slayer Reward system does reward hanging back and grenading
-Elite Loadout start is off (as heavily documented here). Spawning near open lower-ground doesn't help with the DMR Spartans

Vehicles... hmm. Personally I destroyed with the Banshee & Ghost, got sprees with both iirc, but that may have just been the quality of my opponents, I found it quite easy to take down their vehicles when the roles were reversed.
I trust the majority's opinion that there are many anti-vehicle weapons especially the pro-pipe vs Wraith.

 

[Slightly Live]

Tracked down videos of two glitches I heard about. They are both legit and repeatable.

Pressure launching, Halo 2 style

Getting on top of the Commonwealth

Death area on Boneyard

 

[Devin Olsen]

There's a direct line straight to the developer here and instead of providing constructive criticism, plenty of people go with hyperbole and mudslinging (yeah, Internet). I'm not whining, just lamenting the lost opportunity.

We know full well that there are things that aren't ready for prime time. It might be surprising, but those are the things we're most interested in testing and getting feedback about. We'd love it if you'd participate in that sweet circle of love and mutual respect. Bitch.

Alright so here is my overall feel for Halo: Reach as it stands.

Constructive Criticism Ahead. Take notes Bungie

Overall Game-play

• Jumping

I completely understand the fact that we are no longer MC, so it is unfair to ask for the same speed/agility as he had. But perhaps design the maps with that in mind. In all of the previous Halo games there was a certain fluidity or flow to the maps that just simply is not there anymore. For example in the water in Power House it is a pain to get into Pro Pipe (Bathrooms). There is a small area where you can just jump onto the ramp, but otherwise it is a real pain. I would love to include screen shots to make my post more concise, but sadly I am at work so I cannot do that.

• Melee's

As a long time Green Thumb enthusiast I have to say I dislike the new melee. This has been talked to death and it sounds like you guys have already worked out the kinks, but I just thought I would put my two cents in. The mechanics as they stand now almost punish you for trying to finish an encounter with a weapon. It takes me longer to take out an enemies shield then it does for me to sprint up to an enemy and punch him twice. This causes awkward firefights in which neither opponent wants to do anything other then melee twice and get the hell out of there.

• Armor Abilities

Obviously I would prefer Halo without them... It takes out a huge layer of depth from the game that honestly saddens me to see gone. No longer is there a constant push/pull for power ups. The days of Cloak/Over shield are long over, the camo AA is fun but jamming their radar gives away the element of surprise and honestly ruins a lot of the stealth involved with camo.
With that said I understand that they are here to stay, so I can accept that. There needs to be some changes made to a few of them... Armor Lock for example is broken in its current state... Playing Oddball or CTF against a Team of players using Armor Lock is aggravating to say the least. I wish I could give some insight to what I thought would fix this, but quite honestly I have no idea what could be done... I just do not like the way it plays out in MP. The idea is awesome, and I love it... the execution not so much.
Sprinting is pretty good, my only complaint would be when you come out of sprint you should have a long'ish wait until you can use your weapon. Players sprinting around with Hammer/Sword ruin the game for me... There is no real defense against it other then turning around and running, which for me is quite lame.
Jet Packs are fun, but for the love of god why is there a barrier on the ceiling that I will always hit while using them. I thought Bungie was getting rid of barriers and going the route of 'return to the battlefield'... The barriers ruin the jet packing experience for me, on Powerhouse especially.

• Barriers

Since I was just about to go off on a rant about them anyways... The barriers need to go.
These new squishy barriers are so much more obnoxious then the vertical flat barriers (Halo 1) ever were. I cannot see any reason why there needs to be sky barriers, let me fly as high as my jet pack allows... I want a sense of freedom, I want to feel like if my jet pack allowed I could touch the sky. In a perfect world I would like to see the edge barriers gone as well, put the return to the battlefield kill volumes in their place instead. This would prevent any cheating but would allow a sense of freedom for people such as myself who love to explore maps. Bonus points if you allow us to turn off the return to the battlefield message.

• Guns

Well let me just start off by saying I love the DMR and the Pistol. It means more to me then you could imagine having them in the game... Making the Pistol actual a viable weapon again makes me feel like a little kid again. Granted it isn't what it was in Halo 1 (please allow for this somehow through customization?) it is still great and feels powerful.
The reticule and reticule bloom are two things that have raised a lot of concern. Personally I do not see an issue with either one, but perhaps that is because I understand the purpose/intricacies of the reticule bloom and as far as the reticule itself... A good TV? I have no idea why I do not have the same issues as other when it comes to that.
The Pro-Pipe is a lot of fun, and it definitely fits the niche of a power weapon, with that said... Why in the holy hell is it a load out in Invasion? I understand that there needs to be some measure of Anti-Vehicle weaponry but perhaps a mounted turret on the rooftops would fit the bill a little better. (almost slipped into an Invasion rant there... whoa).
Focus Rifle.
Nerf that shit asap. The weapon aggravates me more then it should, something about it just gets to me... I feel like the ammo on it is a bit to much, and the overheat on it takes to long. I personally do not use this weapon much, so I don't have a whole lot to say about it... But from what I have experienced so far those would be my gripes.
The Hammer. This thing is an absolute beast! The lunge is something close to 100ft it feels like... Walking around with sprint+Hammer or Cloak+Hammer makes you an unstoppable killing machine. I have more kills with the Hammer in the beta then I probably ever did in all of Halo 3 (let me fact check that really quick)
Halo 3 (2,028 Ranked Games) 168 Hammer Kills
Halo: Reach (212 Standard Games) 189 Hammer Kills

• Spawns

The spawns on a few maps are quite broken... Bone yard being one of them.
No I am not complaining about the long spawn waits or the semi-broken spawn on your bro, I am saying there are probably only six unique spawn points at the start of Phase 1 on Boneyard. The result is intense spawn camping... I've watched a couple of Youtube videos and watched it happen myself in game, basically you get behind a spawn point and stand there and assassinate and elite as he spawns.

this post is getting lengthy... I was originally doing to do various feature/maps but perhaps I will just outline the various features and then go into maps later


I have to get back to work right now, but I will try and update this post with more when i get a chance.

 

[Gomu Gomu]

Everything is perfect. Just one thing: Do something about the Fucking Armor Lock. Not only it gets super irritating, it actually break the flow of the game imo.

 

[Slightly Live]

Everything is perfect. Just one thing: Do something about the Fucking Armor Lock. Not only it gets super irritating, it actually break the flow of the game imo.

Perfect example of the type of wording that is specifically not wanted. Bravo.

 

[Gui_PT]

Perfect example of the type of wording that is specifically not wanted. Bravo.

Make a thread to post complaints. You specify the rules of how the complaints should be presented.

I'd do it but my bad english wouldn't help create a decent enough OP

 

[AwesomeSyrup]

Reposting my list of desired changes/tweaks for Urk

Here is a list of changes I think would really help.

-increase jump height for Spartans
-give vehicles more health, because in Invasion they get destroyed by anyone good in the final tier
-change loadouts in Invasion, you shouldn't spawn with a Pro Pipe, and Elites should get a Needle Rifle in the first tier
-you should spawn as soon as the timer stops beeping
-sprint time should be slightly increased
-armor lock should only be usable once before it has to recharge
-remove the Spartan Laser from the spawn room near the extraction point in Boneyard

also one major thing that needs to be changed is the speed of the vehicles, well at least the Warthog, Ghost, and Banshee. All 3 are too slow and get stuck by plasma grenades way too easily.