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[bobs...onGaf]

You just have to get better at the spamming. =P

It is something that works though, I was pretty garbage at Reach for the whole F&F period and then I started adjusting my rate of fire not based on the bloom but based on the distance between me and the enemy (when using the pistol), having much more success even if it does feel a little broken.

So you understand my problems with the system? Sorry if im coming across as a prick but if a system seems broken then why adapt to it? Surely if a system seems broken, and isnt fun then it should be changed?

This is a video game people, not a job. Putting up with broken systems would be fine if I was getting paid to play, but its the other way round. :lol

This is a very split topic, and I just wanna end by saying that I do think bloom works well for balance, even if it makes the gameplay less fun.


Shake Appeal, based on your post above it seems like Bloom doesnt work as intended at all (to add skill), theres now a meta game which involves either getting lucky, or not getting lucky and scavenging for the kill. Thats not the type of gameplay I enjoy, and if thats how the Pistol gets 'abused' then I think even Bungie would be dissapointed with that.

 

[electricpirate]

While the reticule bloom is nice, the current state does a really bad job of displaying how accurate you are going to be. That's for 2 reasons.

1. You can't see the goddamn thing half the time.
2. The size doesn't really correlate well to the accuracy.

I know point 1. is being addressed, but point 2 REALLY needs some love.

I'd suggest the reticules become, "See red, Dead." Basically, if your bloom and reticule position are guaranteed a hit, then and only then the reticule becomes red. If it's a headshot for sure, put a dot in it like halo 2.

Eventually the visual indication of bloom won't matter to skilled players, they'll know it instinctively, but more visual feedback would dramatically improve the learning curve, and the feeling of randomness that some players experience with it.

 

[vhfive]

Nah.

1. Aim at chest.
2. Fire rapidly, allowing the recoil to lift your fifth shot toward the head.
3. If the fifth shot lands on the head, golden.
4. If the fifth shot doesn't land on the head, his shields are going to be down. Either close for the melee or pause for a second and fire the headshot. You aim is already going to be ballpark.

I am honestly staggered that you guys think that those are 'lucky' kills.

he doesn't do this and gets the headshot anyways (2x in a row mind you) this is why its lucky

 

[IZZO]

After all the insanity about invasion that was going on here when it dropped, I wanted to really get a taste of it before posting any thoughts. I'd just like to say, I really do like it, but it could become something unbelievable with a few tweaks. I'm going to focus on standard invasion here, because I've only played about 3 games of invasion slayer so far, so I'll reserve comments there.

Phase 1:

I'm going to go way against the grain here, and say that bungie made the right call with no Nerfle loadout. I can imagine a Nerfle Loadout just resulting in 5 of the elites staying back and trying to beat the spartans in a shootout. Nerfles on Map is a great way to balance this, but their location needs to be more apparent, so a few elites can pick them up, and give support to their battle bro from range. As is, I almost never see anyone picking them up.

Phase one is probably my favorite from both sides, as I really enjoying making that run under heavy fire into the base, watching my Battle Bro go down, and spawning him.

I also like the layout a lot, there are 4 stairs into the base underside, and 3 entrances to the top side for the elites. There's a lot of opportunity for misdirection.

Spawn camping needs to be addressed though, lots of good ideas on this forum already, so I won't add any.

Motivation for the spartans at this stage is weird though, sometimes I'll let the elites cap it because I'm having so much fun. and don't want it to end. :lol :lol I'm sure in the final version, with team switching it will be better.

Spawning

Spawning on your bro is one of the greatest mechanics in the history of mechanics, as long as your battle bro is someone you can communicate with. It makes you value life a lot more, it opens up new stragies (one BB be invis with a nerfle, give support and back out when things go bad) and it speeds up the game. It needs some tweaks though, especially more feedback about what is preventing your bro from spawning back in, so the BB knows which way to go. Seriously, don't ditch this system, just fix the glitches and feedback Bungie.

Default spawns for elites are wayyyyyy too far away though, especially in tier 3. Spartan's crazy spawn room is too close at the end.

Phase 2

Probably my favorite phase, good objectives, good layout (love the top window over the core cap point). The vehicles are good, without being too crazy here, and without a hojillion counters. Ghost, hog and wraith all fit, and feel really good, spartans have limited Vehicle counters, as do the elites, forcing some preservation of resources. Spawn camping can be an issue for elites again though, as they don't have a nifty one way shield to protect them, and the distance at this stage is just damn frustrating.

stage 3

I won't re-enumerate all the issues with vehicles in stage 3, but I have some slightly different solutions than other people. I don't think the Pro Pipe should be removed from the loadout list, but it should be really limited. Like, no armor ability, or only get two shots and no secondary limited.

EMP blasts should also be less effective, so if you get tagged it's not "ohh, I'm dead already." Maybe require two EMP blasts, one to slow the thing down, and the second stops it cold.

Spartan's shouldn't have an super easy, filled with weapons spawn to stop the elites at the end, instead how about some mongeese to close the gap quickly?

Sword/Shotgun spawning is fine by me. They are only useful until the elites get the core in the open.

conclusion
The more I play Invasion the more I like it, just tighten up the load outs and vehicles on tier 3, get the spawns working as intended, and give some more info on where the weapons are for each tier and it will be something really special.

I can't wait for generator defense, and more invasion in the future, it's a mode with a ton of potential. I really love the way spartans and elites are balanced against each other, and the way it feels to blast away at the other species during epic charges, in tiers 1/2 it really feels like I'm playing co-op campaign against human players. Focus on that element, turn down the "HOLY SHIT WE NEED MORE SPLOSIONS" at the end.

I like your ideas and agree with pretty much all of them.

Invasion is amazing but it just need a little tweaking. Which the purpose of the BETA.

can't wait for invasion in the full game.

Spoiler

And firefight with Elites

 

[Ramirez]

he doesn't do this and gets the headshot anyways (2x in a row mind you) this is why its lucky

No, you just need to learn to bloom better.

Lucky or not, the guys he was playing against were trash, let it die.

 

[Spasm]

Dear Elites,

When completing phase 1, please don't leave all the weapon drops for the filthy Spartans. Also, go backwards, and get the Ghost and the Wraith.

Thank you.

Edit: Unless I'm a filthy Spartan, in which case, disregard.

 

[electricpirate]

I like your ideas and agree with pretty much all of them.

Invasion is amazing but it just need a little tweaking. Which the purpose of the BETA.

can't wait for invasion in the full game.

Spoiler

And firefight with Elites

Heh thanks.

Invasion makes me really, really excited for Generator defense this friday

 

[electricpirate]

Hey shake, nice article on B.net!


http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=26366

 

[Not a Jellyfish]

So you understand my problems with the system? Sorry if im coming across as a prick but if a system seems broken then why adapt to it? Surely if a system seems broken, and isnt fun then it should be changed?

Yeah but you are assuming that I am not having fun. :lol

the beta is extremely fun and even with the little flaws that are present they have more than a great foundation it just needs some tweaks. It is a Beta after all. =P

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Heh thanks.

Invasion makes me really, really excited for Generator defense this friday

I just cant wait for the new map, from journalist gameplay videos its one of the best looking Halo maps ive seen, it looks like an awesome map to just explore. It will also be interesting to see the new set of load outs for Elites and Spartans.

Not a Jellyfish fair enough, but I will admit I was talking from a selfish point of view there. :lol As someone that likes the more competative side of Halo though, I can see it causing me a lot of frustration.

Spoiler

Im just a big man baby at heart

P.s. its so hard knowing how to refer to you, I dont wanna call you Jellyish, but adding 'not a' sounds really weird. :lol

 

[Ramirez]

Dear Elites,

When completing phase 1, please don't leave all the weapon drops for the filthy Spartans. Also, go backwards, and get the Ghost and the Wraith.

Thank you.

Edit: Unless I'm a filthy Spartan, in which case, disregard.

Most of the time the Elites can push forward immediately and get an easy 10 seconds or the whole hill because the Spartans are busy getting power weapons.

 

[Major Williams]

Alright HaloGAF, sorry for the late reply, but I’ve been… busy… as a newlywed.

Anyways, here are my thoughts on the beta, lots of constructive criticisms and points of interest ahead.

Overall – For me, Halo 3 felt like Halo 2.5 – Halo 2 in HD with some stuff sprinkled on top, and lots of people felt the same way (of course minus forge, theater, etc, talking strictly multiplayer experience). Going with that, this feels like what Halo 3 really should have been, and leaves me feeling satisfied for an interesting experience, but ultimately unsatisfied because this 4th Halo game had so much more promise if they had these lessons built on in the first place. Knowing they had worked on the game nearly 3 years ago and had concepts down, and an engine almost finished makes me feel that this is dated and needed to be on the market 2 years ago, and we need to see the improvements now (just wishful thinking, but will help you understand my thought process).

- Hitscan weapons – I am all for it. In fact, I love it. However, in more than one SWAT match (where I can see the issue a little more clearly), I’ve received a significant advantage for my fast (host) connection. This particular scenario happens: I see a guy, hear him clearly pull the trigger before I do, and he kills me with a headshot, then I magically have killed him, even though I clearly fired after him. Because it’s happened more than once, it lends me to think I’ve been on the receiving end of this too. Seems some touch up of the hitscan code and timing would be appropriate.
- Gameplay flow – it really is slow. I’ve read some great posts, and I will echo the same sentiment. The maps seem designed for the Halo 2/3 player speed and jumping, but the slow player movement makes the flow slow down and forces the player to run and gun without using as much available geometry as in prior games in a given firefight. The maps need to be smaller or the player speed increased, or something of the like. Players without viable escape options (jetpack, camo) are VERY easy targets pretty much no matter what.
- Sword base – First of all, the name of the map. It may be the name of the actual base camp (the runway outside), referring to longswords or something of the like, but the name needs a touch-up IMO. It makes me think of Covenant, or a ‘rough draft’ map name.
- Sword base – secondly, the design. I understand the desire of the map – vertical, runways, corridor shooting. It gets the job done, but not in the previously elegant designing style of past Bungie maps. I will make a list of the things that I believe need to be touched up eventually, but my overall suggestion is to take what is there, and begin re-scaling rooms/bridges/etc to see how different encounters would play out – I think it would help the flow a little bit. For now it feels too empty and fragmented to be taken seriously.
- Elite combat/Invasion – Elites really are fun to play. Elite vs Elite combat felt very balanced and like the penultimate Halo experience of Reach. Yes, the Roll Armor ability has some to do with this, but so does the feel of the Elite as well. Perhaps the Spartan experience could be adjusted slightly (even though it was meant as "purposeful", it still isn't nearly as fun as elites).
- Elite weapons – I see how the Plasma repeater was balanced to the Assault rifle, and I really think it’s great. The balance of Plasma pistol to the human pistol…. is pathetic. There needs to be a viable option for Elite players to use vs Spartans in early game Invasion that is long range. I understand weapons are lying around, but that doesn’t change spawning on my fire partner and being unequal to the Spartan who spawned on his fire partner.
- Respawning on teammate – Make it easier to understand to the player that time is being wasted as he is watching his partner die/fight in battle. Have a “Seconds since death” timer or something, to help players understand they NEED to go back into the battle field unless they have to wait for their partner. Also, why does it take so long to respawn once I have selected a place NOT on my fire partner? It seriously waits 2-3 extra seconds for no reason even though my timer has counted down.
- In game menu - PLEASE show more than just kills. It is dated. It is obvious people are higher on kills because of their assist count/death count. PLEASE show this in-game. It shows how well you are doing and how you can help the team if you are really negative or really positive.

Overall impressions are great, but my suggestions I meant as very serious!

 

[Shake Appeal]

Shake Appeal, based on your post above it seems like Bloom doesnt work as intended at all (to add skill), theres now a meta game which involves either getting lucky, or not getting lucky and scavenging for the kill. Thats not the type of gameplay I enjoy, and if thats how the Pistol gets 'abused' then I think even Bungie would be dissapointed with that.

What? Bloom works as intended. When your target is big, your reticle can be big; when your target is small, your reticle should be small.

In that video, his targets are big, so keeping the pistol on the centre of the target's mass means he can allow for a big reticle and so fire fast. The gun's recoil leads the reticle to the head.

It's not rocket science.

No, you just need to learn to bloom better.

Lucky or not, the guys he was playing against were trash, let it die.

Agreed. They were running straight at him, allowing for an easy, rapid pistol kill. Note: easy, not lucky.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

What? Bloom works as intended. When your target is big, your reticle can be big; when your target is small, your reticle should be small.

In that video, his targets are big, so keeping the pistol on the centre of the target's mass means he can allow for a big reticle and so fire fast. The gun's recoil leads the reticle to the head.

It's not rocket science.

I dont want to prolong this conversation, and I would like to drop the subject, but keep in mind you cant actually see the reticule in that montage. If you go and emulate his fire rate in game and look how large the reticule gets when you fire a full clip in succession, I doubt that reticule was only covering the Spartan at all.

Ive learned to adapt to reticule bloom, and honestly think it should stay in the game, but it needs to be tooled up to take away the random factor.

 

[dslgunstar]

The DMR needs to be fixed, it feel completely inconsistent.

In over 150 games, I still have no inkling of when I'm about to score a kill with the thing. I know how to use it; hammer the trigger for four shots, deep breath, wait for the reticule, finish the job with a headshot.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesnt. My motor skills arent varying wildly from game to game and neither is the skill of my opposition (I normally play with groups of 8 on grab bag), but my +/- with the gun is all over the damn place. Not the case for any other weapon in the game.

With the BR, you could 'feel' every shot land. Like a sixth sense, you could tell exactly how many hits you needed to put the guy down. With the DMR, it feels like a fucking crap-shoot.

'Oh, the headshot actually worked that time.'

'Nope, not that time.'

'Hmmm, so that was about 18 body-shots and no kill on that guy'

'Wow, four shot kill'

...and that could be a sample of thoughts from ONE game!

I understand why the reticule bloom is there, and it should stay, because it helps keep weapons confined to their specific niches. But the bloom needs to either recover faster, or it needs to be more generous (ie...an extra nanometer of expansion should not be the difference between a headshot and miss when the enemy's head still fills the entirety of the slightly-expanded reticule).

 

[Nutter]

I believe it is now even more important then ever that the weapons should have been 4 shots to kill, especially with the bloom and recoil present in Reach. That 5th shot is a problem!

[seriously how can a person who would get tons of head shots in all my Halo 2/3 games go +20 in a game in Reach with ZERO head shots.. ]

 

[Shake Appeal]

Hey shake, nice article on B.net!


http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=26366

Hey, I was wondering when this would go up.

Thanks!

 

[Mr.Green]

No, you just need to learn to bloom better.

Lucky or not, the guys he was playing against were trash, let it die.

You're calling ME trash little punk!?

Well I wasn't there. BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN! :lol

 

[dslgunstar]

Hey shake, nice article on B.net!


http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=26366

Hey, yeah, that was a great article.

 

[IZZO]

Hey shake, nice article on B.net!


http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=26366

Great article, Shake.
I loved it.

 

[The Librarian]

Hey shake, nice article on B.net!


http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=26366

Awesome job dude.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Hey, I was wondering when this would go up.

Thanks!

Nice read, how long did it take you to write? Its really well written considering how little time you've had.

 

[-PXG-]

Dear Spartans,

If the Elites manage to get to phase 2, don't use the power weapons in the top floor of the base. Save those for phase 3. Not sucking complete dick at shooting (lol, how do i weapon?) and a Hog should be more than enough.

Sincerely,

-PXG-

 

[electricpirate]

The DMR needs to be fixed, it feel completely inconsistent.

In over 150 games, I still have no inkling of when I'm about to score a kill with the thing. I know how to use it; hammer the trigger for four shots, deep breath, wait for the reticule, finish the job with a headshot.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesnt. My motor skills arent varying wildly from game to game and neither is the skill of my opposition (I normally play with groups of 8 on grab bag), but my +/- with the gun is all over the damn place. Not the case for any other weapon in the game.

With the BR, you could 'feel' every shot land. Like a sixth sense, you could tell exactly how many hits you needed to put the guy down. With the DMR, it feels like a fucking crap-shoot.

'Oh, the headshot actually worked that time.'

'Nope, not that time.'

'Hmmm, so that was about 18 body-shots and no kill on that guy'

'Wow, four shot kill'

...and that could be a sample of thoughts from ONE game!

I understand why the reticule bloom is there, and it should stay, because it helps keep weapons confined to their specific niches. But the bloom needs to either recover faster, or it needs to be more generous (ie...an extra nanometer of expansion should not be the difference between a headshot and miss when the enemy's head still fills the entirety of the slightly-expanded reticule).

I'm going to continue to pimp my "See Red Dead" reticle as the solution to the feeling of randomness of the weapon without sacrificing other weapons in the sandbox.

I'd suggest the reticules become, "See red, Dead." Basically, if your bloom and reticule position are guaranteed a hit, then and only then the reticule becomes red. If it's a headshot for sure, put a dot in it like halo 2.

 

[dslgunstar]

I'm going to continue to pimp my "See Red Dead" reticle as the solution to the feeling of randomness of the weapon without sacrificing other weapons in the sandbox.

I love this idea.

Make it so, Bungie.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Nice read, how long did it take you to write? Its really well written for something which you havent had all that much time to write.

About six hours. ManCannon asked me if I'd like to do it about a week ago, and I had it ready for Friday but there was a mix-up about email.

 

[Mr.Green]

Great article, Shake.
I loved it.

Awesome job dude.

Arrrrggghhh! You teases! What's it about? Apparently Bungie.net is a site I don't need to do my work. Pffffffffffft I say. Pffffffffff!

 

[electricpirate]

Arrrrggghhh! You teases! What's it about? Apparently Bungie.net is a site I don't need to do my work. Pffffffffffft I say. Pffffffffff!

Shake basically running down how to be good at halo reach in a pleasing Irish brogue.

 

[Slightly Live]

Great article Shake. You know your stuff.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

About six hours. ManCannon asked me if I'd like to do it about a week ago, and I had it ready for Friday but there was a mix-up about email.

Thats insane, I would love to read more

Spoiler

please do some FuD articles!

 

[GhaleonEB]

About six hours. ManCannon asked me if I'd like to do it about a week ago, and I had it ready for Friday but there was a mix-up about email.

Very well done. Parked permanently at the top of the illustrious OP.

 

[NullPointer]

OK, I'm confused. Are Halo players just not used to recoil? I would've thought the whole bloom mechanic would be all kinds of intuitive and workable (once the visibility fix is in). And didn't one of the Bungie videos talk about how the bloom effect was always happening under the hood in the previous games - just that the effect is now apparent to the player?

I hate to say it because HaloGAF is usually where some of the most reasonable gamer discussion takes place, but damn, some of you sound like grumpy old men resistant to even small changes. I know, I know, you've got well though out reasons, but at the same time you seem to have serious blindspots.

Case in point: Movement is different this time around, both in terms of speed, fall damage and jumping capabilities, yes. But shouldn't you also consider the AA as part of these core mechanics? When you push AA out of the equation it really makes you scratch your head and wonder why these changes even exist, sure. But once you roll the two in together as being equally important to the experience, it all starts to come together as a nice package.

The only thing I can definitely agree with right now is reducing the amount of grenade spamming. Grenade damage seems fine to me - its just I'd like to get killed in more interesting ways every once in a while.

 

[Miggytronz]

Hey shake, nice article on B.net!


http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=26366

"The second thing that will strike you in Reach is the increased difficulty of landing shots with many of the weapons. There are two reasons for this, the first of which is the decreased autoaim when compared to Halo 3. Put simply, Reach is doing less to help you hit the target, meaning you’re going to have to pick up the slack."

LOL hell yeah Troof.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Shake basically running down how to be good at halo reach in a pleasing Irish brogue.

Should stress I am better at writing about games than I am at playing them. There's nothing in that article that will have eluded most of HaloGAF after 100 or so games, and I can imagine a lot of the better players here scoffing at how basic it seems to them. It's just a handy resource for people who might be struggling with some of the new stuff and need some pointers.

Also, it obviously doesn't contain any of my criticisms of the game (I think Reach is far from faultless), but there's a different time and place for those.

Thats insane, I would love to read more please do some FuD articles!

I already did! Dani kindly put up this lengthy thing about storytelling in ODST a while back.

Also, I used to write (bad) 3,000 word philosophy essays overnight back in college, so writing a little more about Halo in my spare time is a pleasure in comparison.

 

[Spasm]

Regarding fall damage... Am I the only one who, when playing an Elite, hits the evade button when landing from a high fall? It doesn't work, but it's completely instinctual for me to try and tuck and roll to avoid fall damage. :lol

 

[FourDoor]

If you’re open to learning a few new tricks, and unlearning a few stale habits, then this guide will help you through the foreign terrain of the beta. If not, at least you’ll have something to read between ragequits.

I guess it's time to read this now. :lol

 

[Slightly Live]

Shake has the full support of FUD and (I assume) HBO, so don't fret about him having a place for any of his future Halo work.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Regarding fall damage... Am I the only one who, when playing an Elite, hits the evade button when landing from a high fall? It doesn't work, but it's completely instinctual for me to try and tuck and roll to avoid fall damage. :lol

Better yet, hit Evade on an edge, forgetting that you're not rocking Sprint, and hurl yourself onto the floor with all your strength.

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=27051

Though I've been surviving this little boo-boo lately by crouching upon landing, I still do it. It's pretty embarassing. :lol

 

[dslgunstar]

OK, I'm confused. Are Halo players just not used to recoil? I would've thought the whole bloom mechanic would be all kinds of intuitive and workable (once the visibility fix is in). And didn't one of the Bungie videos talk about how the bloom effect was always happening under the hood in the previous games - just that the effect is now apparent to the player?

Yes, bullet spread and recoil have always been under the hood, but now there are weapons built directly around the feature, and those weapons feel like....how shall I put this...a combination of dogshit and pulpy vomit.

Waiting for the reticule bloom to recover while you take damage is not fun. Missing a headshot because the computer decided your weapon wasnt accurate enough to make it DESPITE the fact that the enemy's head took up the entirety of the slightly-expanded reticule is not fun.

 

[The Crawf]

http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=984498

link to an mp3 of the beta music.

7 and a half minutes of beauty.

 

[Gui_PT]

http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=984498

link to an mp3 of the beta music.

7 and a half minutes of beauty.

Finally, I've been looking for this for ages.

Thank you

 

[NullPointer]

Yes, bullet spread and recoil have always been under the hood, but now there are weapons built directly around the feature, and those weapons feel like....how shall I put this...a combination of dogshit and pulpy vomit.

Pungent too.

Waiting for the reticule bloom to recover while you take damage is not fun.

I think the fun is supposed to come about from nailing difficult shots through your skill in aiming and weapon control. If there was no bloom there would still be recoil affecting your aim "under the hood". Is it better to just have your shot mysteriously miss than to have feedback in the form of reticle bloom?

Missing a headshot because the computer decided your weapon wasnt accurate enough to make it DESPITE the fact that the enemy's head took up the entirety of the slightly-expanded reticule is not fun.

Now that sounds like a bug, not a feature. The idea is that the reticle represents all possible landing points for your shot. So if the enemy fills the entirety of the reticle you should never end up with a missed shot.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=984498

link to an mp3 of the beta music.

7 and a half minutes of beauty.

Wow, I never noticed the Uphill Both Ways segment before, Marty managed to mix all these tracks together REALLY well. I cant wait for soundtrack that comes with the full game. Updated Firefight with Reach music will be amazing.

 

[dslgunstar]

I think the fun is supposed to come about from nailing difficult shots through your skill in aiming and weapon control. If there was no bloom there would still be recoil affecting your aim "under the hood". Is it better to just have your shot mysteriously miss than to have feedback in the form of reticle bloom?

Touche. My issue is that there's a missing element of feedback that makes the entire affair feel somehow less consistent and predictable than it did without the visual indicator of weapon spread.

I've played over 150 games, and I'm no more certain about when I'm about to land a kill with the DMR than I was when I picked one up for the first time. It's been 150 games of wild inconsistency, and I never feel in control of this weapon.

I dont feel like the lesser man respawns in this game. I feel like whoever respawns is decided by the flip of a coin. That goes both for when I score kills and when I die, so dont think this is some rant by someone who cant stand to lose.

I felt more satisfaction when I lost in Halo 3 than I do when I win in Halo: Reach, and that's pretty fucking sad.

 

[Doodis]

About six hours. ManCannon asked me if I'd like to do it about a week ago, and I had it ready for Friday but there was a mix-up about email.

Yup, really well written. Enjoyed the read.

 

[chess]

Thanks for the article Shake. I've been trying to explain most of these points for the last week to friends. Now that it's on bnet maybe they'll actually listen...doubtful. :lol

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

I think if Invasion has phase 1 reworked and the spawning system fixed then it really would be a blast. Also, I think adding a shared amount of lives and once a team runs out lives they also lose would be interesting. But thats a whole other can of worms and would need to be worked into the game carefully or else it may make it a little too stressful,

I got myself a plasma turret in invasion and held off the enemy team trying to take the core. One guy was very upset and confused :lol I noticed this shows up as a ? on bnet, and the model looks exactly like the one from H3, just with a different shader perhaps. Anyway, its neat to actually play in third person again.

Did I miss something and others know about this? I want to try this out.. Anybody have a link of this in their file share? Thats too awesome.

 

[EazyB]

The reticule bloom is a detriment to the gunplay and is neither fun nor adds skill.

I'm fine with fully auto guns displaying their recoil as a broadening circle. They're inherently unskillful weapons and I think Bungie actually did a good job in balancing them in Reach appropriately. Now putting the same circle to "precision" weapons does not work. What it results in is a completely random dice roll that decides where your bullet lands. Yes, you may wait after each shot to insure it actually travels where you're pointing it but in a gunfight it's often better to pump the trigger more rapidly, sending 8 to 10 shots their way in the time they carefully land 6 shots and hope one of them registers as a headshot once the shields drop.

I can't count the number of times I've gotten pistol headshots when I didn't have the reticule on the player let a lone on their head, all I can say is that it's roughly the same as how many times I've had my reticule locked onto their dome only to get gunned down by trigger spamming.

I'm fine with them adding heavy recoil to the single-shot weapons but the random circle of luck is not the appropriate implementation. Give it a Halo 3-esque sniper rifle recoil where the reticule is tossed up after each shot and the increased RoF of the DMR, NR, and pistol will force the player to correct their aim after each shot (something that a skill player could learn to do very rapidly) or wait for the reticule to bob back down to their target.

Halo 2 and to a much greater extent Halo 3 gave away undeserved headshots due to their combination of burst and recoil and I was excited to see Reach go back to the more skill-based, single-shot headshots of CE but it rewards more undeserved headshots than Halo 3 and made it more frustrating to rely on skill to get headshots.


I hope what Brian mentioned about Bungie having an interesting discussion about headshot weapons has something to do with my complaints above. Right now, it's my biggest complaint though it isn't without company.

 

[RdN]

Have Bungie said anything abour Invasion spawns being glitched or something like that? 'Cause, man, they take WAYYYYYYYY too long and since there's no countdown makes me very mad to see the battle going on and I can't spawn.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Touche. My issue is that there's a missing element of feedback that makes the entire affair feel somehow less consistent and predictable than it did without the visual indicator of weapon spread.

I've played over 150 games, and I'm no more certain about when I'm about to land a kill with the DMR than I was when I picked one up for the first time. It's been 150 games of wild inconsistency, and I never feel in control of this weapon.

I dont feel like the lesser man respawns in this game. I feel like whoever respawns is decided by the flip of a coin. That goes both for when I score kills and when I die, so dont think this is some rant by someone who cant stand to lose.

I felt more satisfaction when I lost in Halo 3 than I do when I win in Halo: Reach, and that's pretty fucking sad.

I want to keep my mouth shut about reticule bloom for now, and actually write something worthwhile on the subject when I have time, but I do want to point out that reticule bloom is new to Reach, bullet spread is essentially an entirely different beast.

The Reach pistol has more in comparison with the H3 Pistol than it does with the H1 pistol (5 shots to kill/ time to kill) and the H3 pistol wasnt exactly a weapon anyone ever enjoyed using (despite the fact it was relativly decent).