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Halo: Reach Beta Thread

Devin Olsen said:
From the little I know about how saved films work, this will not work.

Bungie could step in here are prove me horribly wrong, but I am pretty sure there are technical reasons why you cannot simply skip 1-5-10 minutes ahead in a saved film.
Maybe an "auto-fast forward to Y" trigger? I am pretty sure it records inputs and just "rebuilds" the games, so you can't skip forward, but that might be a decent compromise.
 
Devin Olsen said:
From the little I know about how saved films work, this will not work.

Bungie could step in here are prove me horribly wrong, but I am pretty sure there are technical reasons why you cannot simply skip 1-5-10 minutes ahead in a saved film.

You can't skip ahead as it is now. Note that you can only skip forward/backward in a film once you've played the film up to that particular point. The reason is that film data is just recorded as incremental updates.

Think of it like chess notation. When recording a game of chess, you don't record the entire game state on every turn. The "recording" would be huge and time-consuming to create! To save space, you just record the incremental change from the previous turn. This makes it impossible to "jump" to the middle of a game; you have to "replay" the game up to that point to see what the state of the game was. And so the same goes in Halo.

For your convenience, during theater playback, the playback machine records the game state at (I believe) 10 second intervals. This allows you to skip around, but only to states you've seen before.

So the most you could do is place a reminder marker on the timeline. You wouldn't be able to skip directly to it, but you could "fast-forward" directly to that point if you wanted.
 
Hugbot said:
Maybe an "auto-fast forward to Y" trigger? I am pretty sure it records inputs and just "rebuilds" the games, so you can't skip forward, but that might be a decent compromise.
Sorry I should have been a little more clear in my post.

This is certainly possibly, but all it would do is auto-fast forward, and judging by 3x FF max that Bungie has put in place that is as fast as it would be able to go. Any faster and something like this (Rendered Video.. lol) might happen!

So yes a bookmarking system would be possible, and very handy... It just couldn't skip straight to the clip you want to record. You would still need to FF through the game to see it.

edit:
divisionbyzorro said:
Whole bunch of right
Yeah I was aware how it worked, but couldn't word it as elegantly as you. Thank you
 
I think invasion is pretty cool, but it can really suck when my entire team is party chatting. It would be a lot more fun if we could make a plan and dominate with the elites every time. How about someone like me, with my social settings set to chatty, not get put into games where there are party chatters? Would that be a possible solution?
 
Devin Olsen said:
Sorry I should have been a little more clear in my post.

This is certainly possibly, but all it would do is auto-fast forward, and judging by 3x FF max that Bungie has put in place that is as fast as it would be able to go. Any faster and something like this (Rendered Video.. lol) might happen!

So yes a bookmarking system would be possible, and very handy... It just couldn't skip straight to the clip you want to record. You would still need to FF through to clip to see it.
Well we're totally on the same page then. That would kick a lot of ass. I usually have a scratch pad near me during longer sessions trying to record what time in what game if I want to save a clip, this way would be so much better.

Plus, a list of history items that have bookmarks would be a lot less intimidating than just a full history when you know the gametype/map but don't remember many specifics.

I know you can quick save the whole film now, but sometimes between matches you forget, this way you'd have another way to catch it.
 
Does it hurt when I kill you with a tiny little handgun?

;)

Seriously though...

The handgun is a beast and you are never helpless as long as you have one.
 
My last day of work for the rest of the month (new job starts June 1) soooo I'll be down to play a lot. I'll be on after 5 CST if anyone wants to play. GT: TommyTSquared
 
Devin Olsen said:
Yeah I was aware how it worked, but couldn't word it as elegantly as you. Thank you

It helps that my old high school buddy and college roommate is currently in game development, and currently rooms with a guy who works for Bungie. So he explained it all to me at one point; I'm just relaying what he told me. :lol
 
Devin Olsen said:
From the little I know about how saved films work, this will not work.

Bungie could step in here are prove me horribly wrong, but I am pretty sure there are technical reasons why you cannot simply skip 1-5-10 minutes ahead in a saved film.
It should be possible to at least save a bookmark, though. Right?
 
Having played Invasion some more, I've come to the conclusion that it really doesn't feel like I'm playing Halo at all. It's like it's own separate game within Halo Reach.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can't associate Invasion with Halo at all. I want it to feel like Halo, but it's just too hard for me.

Am I playing it wrong or something? :lol
 
Raide said:
I have been watching Pro Pipe videos and now I have improved. I can actually kill people with it! :lol

For me, the turning point was realizing that you can basically use it as a shotgun and get away mostly unscathed. You have to believe that the retail game will splash more of that damage back at you, but for now feel free to cram it in his gut and pull the trigger. :lol I got myself a bulltrue that way not too long ago!
 
-Yeti said:
Having played Invasion some more, I've come to the conclusion that it really doesn't feel like I'm playing Halo at all. It's like it's own separate game within Halo Reach.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can't associate Invasion with Halo at all. I want it to feel like Halo, but it's just too hard for me.

Am I playing it wrong or something? :lol

It feels like something someone made in Forge and never tested with all of the goofy loadouts, stupid spawn points, and worthless vehicles.

Invasion Slayer is slightly more fun, but even then it just doesn't feel anything like a good game of BTB Slayer on Valhalla with the constant push and pull. The map is like the biggest in the series and probably 90% of the fighting goes on right in the middle of the map near the Spartans vehicle garage. :lol 6v6 just feels so barren on the map.
 
Raide said:
I have been watching Pro Pipe videos and now I have improved. I can actually kill people with it! :lol

Is the Manual Launch of the grenade just a EMP blast, or does it have that plus a grenade launch. Seems to me whenever I use the Manual option it just reduces shields. :/. Auto launch is pure sex, though. :lol
 
Ramirez said:
The map is like the biggest in the series and probably 90% of the fighting goes on right in the middle of the map near the Spartans vehicle garage. :lol 6v6 just feels so barren on the map.

That's a specific design choice though. If you look at the spawn locations, territory locations and everything else, it's obvious that the action is purposely kept to one side of the map and in certain areas.

I fully agree with you that it feels barren. Every time I play, I wonder how differently the map would play if it was set up for 8 on 8 BTB. Hopefully we'll find out this fall.
 
Going back to the discussion on loss penalties and rating a few pages back...

I busted out excel and after a period of trying to remember all those trig functions and just how the hell to write expressions, I made nice shiny graphs to show the effect of losing on your rating, and and the contributions you made the game effectively ignores.

Players on team was set to 4, score to win was 50.

Graph 1
Graph 2

The first graph basically shows how much of your contribution towards the winning score is ignored depending on your rating.

The second graph shows the hit you take to your raw performance.

Rating before loss penalties - fairly obvious, the rating you would have gotten if you'd won the game (or if the loss penalty was set to zero).

Raw performance loss - effectively what the game ignores as a result of you losing. This value is derived from kills + assists - deaths/3 - betrayals. A loss of 11 is like the game ignoring a killing spree of 11, or saying you died 33 more times without gaining a kill or assist (if you prefer).

% of winning score discounted - as a portion of the winning score, just how much of your contribution is ignored for a given rating. This metric was chosen to show just how much the game devalues the contributions you make at higher ratings compared to lower ratings.

I'm pretty sure my maths is accurate here but if anything does look wrong then point it out!
 
Dani said:
That's a specific design choice though. If you look at the spawn locations, territory locations and everything else, it's obvious that the action is purposely kept to one side of the map and in certain areas.

I fully agree with you that it feels barren. Every time I play, I wonder how differently the map would play if it was set up for 8 on 8 BTB. Hopefully we'll find out this fall.

Then why not just block off every part of the map except for the field area in phase 2/3, have the Elites and Spartans spawning on opposite ends at different locations on the ground. The whole territory stuff is beyond stupid as well, you cap it, then have to wait another X amount of seconds for stuff to just randomly appear and watch it be blew up in .5 seconds if it's a vehicle.

Each side should have a garage blocked by a shield door, when you capture a territory, vehicles should be placed behind that garage, and the weapons should appear like they do after phase 1 at your designated spawn point. If the other team didn't capture the territory why should they even have a chance at getting the weapons/vehicle?
 
ZayneH said:
Is the Manual Launch of the grenade just a EMP blast, or does it have that plus a grenade launch. Seems to me whenever I use the Manual option it just reduces shields. :/. Auto launch is pure sex, though. :lol

The timed one EMP's and defo kills people. In the face = dead. Jetpackers hate it :lol
 
Ramirez said:
My main beef with the game is still the gunplay, it's so slow, random, and unrewarding.

Feel the same way.

Like the loadouts.

Like the level design.

Like the DMR. BR was too useful in H3. DMR now has it's place and isn't an all rounded weapon. Like the Shotgun and Needle Rifle the DMR has it's own place and own time.

Like the Weapon Fire Spread display on the GUI.

Don't like the weapon placements on the maps they don't take advantage of the maps.

Don't like the gunplay because of overpowered nades and double melee attacks.

Don't like how the AR is not as good as the pistol. Pistol damage should be slightly reduced. Just slightly.

So it comes down to weapon balance and gunplay intricacies for me. The whole loadout thing seems balanced. The abilities add new depth to the gameplay and gunplay. The slower pace is alright and while I think the jump could be tweaked to avoid being splattered by vehicles and during normal level traversing it isn't horribly bad.

Team SWAT seems very playable because the gunplay issues don't exist. One hit melee will kill and there are no nades to deal with. No other weapons means there are no balance issues to deal with everyone is on the same level and no one has overpowered weapons.
 
Hrm still Onyx but I've played like 4 Arena games all weekend and got an 1100 in one of them because of betraying teammates. Bungie I still want a rank flowchart. I am lost as a mo'fucka.
 
Re: Pistol - I have seen the light. I pulled a daily rating of over 1550 yesterday and even had one game over 1600, and I am in NO WAY that good of a Halo player.

The key with the pistol is that it is so good at range. I am constantly zooming and pumping ~2 shots into opponents. More often than not 10 seconds later the assist medal pops up, long after I've moved on. :lol

I'm still learning to slow down my shots in 1v1 battles though. I frequently pull the trigger too quickly, missing a couple times. It's infuriating to know that they're a sliver from death (I see their shields break) and then I begin my loooong reload animation.
 
kylej said:
Hrm still Onyx but I've played like 4 Arena games all weekend and got an 1100 in one of them because of betraying teammates. Bungie I still want a rank flowchart. I am lost as a mo'fucka.
Haven't played Arena in 4 days and also still Onyx. Surely I should have dropped to at least Gold in that time, no?
Maybe the only people still playing are REALLY bad. :)
 
Raide said:
Full release has the sides swapping. They are doing it this way in the beta just to get through more Matchmaking games.

I am guessing Bungie have a load of Invasion maps, so hopefully there are a few more than gives Elites a defensive start and have Spartans attacking.
I know about the side swapping, but I thought it might make a better battle to have the objectives switch within the game rather than stopping the game and having sides switch.
 
I got my rating today, after 445 games:
pgt1S.png

I thought I was good at Halo, but I guess not. Thanks Arena. Next time I'm going for GOLD!! I still love this game!
 
kylej said:
Hrm still Onyx but I've played like 4 Arena games all weekend and got an 1100 in one of them because of betraying teammates. Bungie I still want a rank flowchart. I am lost as a mo'fucka.

I'm the complete opposite, my ratings have been on a steady rise, etc. But I'm still stuck with 'steel'. I also agree with Ramirez (?), the gunplay and melee need some reworking. The 2-hit deal feels incredibly cheap. Especially when you have the upperhand...
 
Ramirez said:
Then why not just block off every part of the map except for the field area in phase 2/3, have the Elites and Spartans spawning on opposite ends at different locations on the ground. The whole territory stuff is beyond stupid as well, you cap it, then have to wait another X amount of seconds for stuff to just randomly appear and watch it be blew up in .5 seconds if it's a vehicle.

Each side should have a garage blocked by a shield door, when you capture a territory, vehicles should be placed behind that garage, and the weapons should appear like they do after phase 1 at your designated spawn point. If the other team didn't capture the territory why should they even have a chance at getting the weapons/vehicle?

This. This. THIS.

Sometimes I feel like calling the entire team back there if we're ahead and just hiding and keeping the lead until time runs out due to them not being able to find us, or if we're behind, watching them kill each other and booting each other due to not being able to find us.
 
FINALLY starting to improve in Reach. Not flipping between -6 and +6 every single game. I do have a strange tendency to really show momentum in my K/D ratio. Look:
25umblv.png

Arena only btw. I don't play GB/Invasion

Ridiculous how almost perfectly incremental that game-to-game K/D ratio on the very bottom is :lol



Gunna pimp my own shit here really quick:

Somehow when a guy went to assassinate me a glitch happened and I pulled some kung fu shit and flipped it around on him. :D It seriously almost looks like a counter-assassinate animation Bungie put in the game
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=860916

oh and be sure to give it a 'like' if you like it! :)
 
My arena rating doesn't show up most of the time on the site, and not at all in game. I think i am in bronze, but the star disappears and I have not seen it today at all when refreshing.
 
Deadly Cyclone said:
My arena rating doesn't show up most of the time on the site, and not at all in game. I think i am in bronze, but the star disappears and I have not seen it today at all when refreshing.

Mine now displays in-game. The site can be a bit random as to when it wants to display it. :lol
 
Not sure if they mentioned this at Bungie but something I really hope they fix is the veto system, it should start off with all options at zero instead of everyone's vote starting off at the top option.
 
They should also consider hiding the votes because it's annoying when everyone tries to be cute and vote at the very last second. It's often a case of everyone not paying attention but many times it's also people being assess.
 
vhfive said:
I see you start playing like a bitch when you get 15 kills


I do too :P
:lol I do v_v
VaLiancY said:
Sometimes I pass a DMR I continue to keep it moving.:lol I find that the AR compliments the pistol very good.
Yep. Although I normally switch my AR out for a Nerfle, due to its quick rate of fire.

I thought this screen was cool. I baconated a rocket that was fired at me. Unfortunately, it waited to explode until it got to my face.
 
Ramirez said:
Then why not just block off every part of the map except for the field area in phase 2/3, have the Elites and Spartans spawning on opposite ends at different locations on the ground. The whole territory stuff is beyond stupid as well, you cap it, then have to wait another X amount of seconds for stuff to just randomly appear and watch it be blew up in .5 seconds if it's a vehicle.

Each side should have a garage blocked by a shield door, when you capture a territory, vehicles should be placed behind that garage, and the weapons should appear like they do after phase 1 at your designated spawn point. If the other team didn't capture the territory why should they even have a chance at getting the weapons/vehicle?
Gunna have to disagree with you here. I think the territory aspect of Invasion Slayer actually works pretty well. I like the fact that you have to get a good setup around a territory to insure it's rewards aren't stolen or blown up immediately. If you're working as a team or have a good bro you can really take advantage of those territories.

For example, if the territory is by the enemy spawn you probably shouldn't try grabbing it, even if you stay in it for the 10 seconds you'll probably get overwhelmed by the time the weapons drop. Instead, set up around that territory and the other team will likely come to it, pick them off as they stand in the barren territory and if they captured it quickly sprint/evade in, grab some shit, and bail out.

I feel like the territories replace the previous game's important of map control and make sometimes makes it even more interesting because unlike a match of Valhalla where teams try to control the hill the entire match, the important territory moves and teams must respond. Unlike crazy king where the territory moves so quickly there isn't a chance to setup, in Invasion you have that chance and it's important if you want to control the territory and make off with the loot.

I still really hope there are classic BTB gametypes in Reach where the traditional strategies of map, vehicle & weapon control are in place but with a handful of tweaks Invasion Slayer could be a very worthwhile addition.


On the subject of the one-way shield doors, I'm not convinced I appreciate their addition. I feel like their a poor crutch for a mediocre spawning system. I'm indifferent right now about spawning vehicles behind them as they would be obliterated before someone got the chance to jump in but I figure Bungie would've thought of a more elegant way (map/spawn design or mechanic).

Kuroyume said:
They should also consider hiding the votes because it's annoying when everyone tries to be cute and vote at the very last second. It's often a case of everyone not paying attention but many times it's also people being assess.
There are two things wrong with the veto system:
1) It shouldn't display votes (maybe only the votes of your party/team if anything)
2) There should be no default vote, only those that care to vote should have a say in what will be played. Or at the very least make the list of gametypes in random order every time so Stockpile on Powerhouse isn't automatically selected so often.
2) It shouldn't automatically pick the uppermost selection on draws, it should either do a revote with only those two selections (so people that voted for the 3rd and 4th choices can have their say) or simply choose between the two at random. Currently it (along with #2) result in a disproportionate frequency of the uppermost option.
 
Mayyhem said:
Not sure if they mentioned this at Bungie but something I really hope they fix is the veto system, it should start off with all options at zero instead of everyone's vote starting off at the top option.

It has to default to something, and this way shows clearly what it will default to.

Also, boo to hiding the votes. There are times when my "second best" choice has almost enough, but my top choice only has my vote, and if I don't switch we play the default one I don't want.
 
rezuth said:
So I tried it out today and it feels very Halo 3.5 thus far. I had limited time with it and could only play 3 matches but I'm not that impressed yet. The only real difference that I could tell is that you now can do some slim customization on yourself and have one perk. Also the weapons are slightly changed.
There's slim customization because it's only a beta. What's one perk?

All the weapons are changed in many ways, mostly for the good. Plasma Repeater is a huge boost over the Plasma Rifle, the Assault Rifle is heads above the Halo 3 Rifle, Pistol is the best side-arm/Magnum since Halo 1, and the Needler Rifle and DMR are great mid-long range weapon.

The problem with split parties is it won't happen in "ranked" games, i.e. Arena games, but it will happen in Grab Bag, and Invasion (basing off the extremely limited playlist layouts).I hope they make a playlist distinctly for guests. Or at least combined the "new trials" and guests in a separate layout which can be used in FFA and 4v4 team base games (i.e. Team Training from Halo 2). I'm worried Bungie's producers in the playlist department is going to slither away from playlists being taken seriously and more into the social scene. I want Arena to be taken seriously, and it seems it will be. But at the same time, I don't want the primary BTB playlist filtered with guests who will 90% of the time be involved in getting destroyed or quitting. That deteriorates the game, and playlist itself. I would love the same idea for a Skirmish playlist, and maybe add something else for cliche playlists as well (Snipers, Team Hardcore, etc).
 
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