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[Loam]

Alright since everyones doing this heres my current opinions on the beta.

-The pistol clip is a bit small, I like the way they're going with it though and wouldn't mind if it didn't change between now and launch.

-The DMR needs a buff, ironically I thought this was the one gun that would be overpowered but right now its the exact opposite. The pistol does a better job at close-mid range and long range DMR is nearly impossible to get a kill with due to the wait time for your aim to return. I would suggest either making the reticle contract faster or improved damage.

-I like the grenades now, I like that they have a punch and are something to be feared. The problem though as said earlier is that they're all over the maps and are easy to come by.

-The time between melee attacks is a bit too fast. It's now more productive to simply double melee someone than to back out for the headshot.

-Armor lock is strange, it slows down gameplay and doesn't really benefit you at all. In one on one if you lock your pretty much dead. The only thing its good for is a last min rocket deflect or to protect yourself from a nade. Admittedly though I'm suspecting its going to be incredibly useful in larger game types with vehicles, we'll see.

-Evade/Roll/Dodge is amazing, I wish I could choose to play as an Elite all the time simply for it. Its like the perfect slayer loadout and its useful in so many situations. If they stick with only having Elites in certain gametypes I hope they at least give Spartans a loadout that contains it, would work so much better in place of armor lock in slayer matches and such.

-I really like armor abilities, it definably changes the pace of the game in a good way. I just think some of the cooldown times and durations should be looked at.

Few ideas/suggestions

-An audio cue for when your AA can be used again would be really nice. Having a small chime when its at half gauge and a large chime when its full would be my idea.

-Completing an assassination animation should earn you some kind of medal. They're really cool and risky to pull off. Why killing someone with a super combine has a medal over this one is beyond me.

I don't know how I feel about Reach, I really like some of the changes while others just kind of bother me (Fall stun and jump height comes to mind). It is still Halo though and its still a blast to play, I don't understand why so many people say it feels like an entirely different game.

 

[metareferential]

Is this a joke?

Come on, name them.

MW2? With those textures, low resolution, cardboard skyboxes, no draw distance whatsoever? That MW2?

BC2? Again, low res textures everywhere; at least it's wide open and way more dynamic.

What else? Oh yeah, Kz2 because it's grittier and realistic, I forgot. Too bad we're dealing with 360 fps here.

 

[Teknoman]

ahhh thanks. I was wailing on the guy and he wasn't dying :lol

It's been ages since I played a Halo game and it was a bit overwhelming. After I got the hang of it, it got much better.

Yeah, it makes the user stationary, but invincible for the time its activated. Once deactivated, it does an EMP blast and knocks out shields nearby...though I think the user is pretty vulnerable right after it ends.

 

[SimpleDesign]

the Halo 3 engine is basically just a jazzed up Halo 2 engine. And it sounds like Reach is a jazzed up Halo 3 engine (and looks that way). So, why the lack of investment in the core engine driving the games? Are they pouring that into this new multiplat game? Or, agian, do they just not care? (i.e. it could look like dogshit and still sell millions).

Well the new mulitplat game is supposed to be Halo on steroids, so maybe they're saving up the wow factor for their Activision title.

 

[Cuban Legend]

Just wondering why you're using a jazzed up circa 2004 engine while everyone else is playing with flashy new toys.

Oh you mean like the engines behind MW2, or what about GoW2? how about BC2?

All those engines are jazzed up. Fact is , progressive FPSes with sequels, upgrade their engines. Why fix what ain't broke by using a new engine in an FPS sequel, and for a AAA FPS with an already delicate balance of all things? :lol

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Kill someone who is jetpacking.

Same post from end of last page:

Sweet, that actually seems like a pretty cool commendation. What is Pull for though? I have sniped a few Jetpack users and havent got anything. From the trailers it seemed like it was for killing people in mid air?

Im just going to be cheeky and ask someone to render this - http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/Fi....aspx?fid=6276

I went on a Sniper spree starting by jetpacking up and sniping another dude who was using the jetpack in mid air. Felt awesome and I didnt know what to do so I dropped to the floor straight afterwards :lol

 

[zewone]

You're joking, right?

Are you?

 

[WJD]

That's a major part of it. You expect me to hit you a moving target that walks like it's floating in the head 5 times with 8 or 12 bullets, yet expect me to also compensate for the faux recoil? So, in other words, you want me to get assists all day cause 1 vs 1 usually ends if both parties don't care about dying (melee ahoy!) or when someone finally intervenes.
Too much health + Slow movement + overbalanced weapons that always take nearly a full clip and around the same amount of time to kill someone + fast regenerating health + easy escape/regenerate skills + anti-climatic unexciting gametypes (which to be fair is probably the fault of everything else I list here) + faux recoil that can only be nullified by waitting = dull, drawn out, unimmersive gameplay and gunplay.

Halo Reach should have been a faster, more intimate intense game with less shield, more intimidation, more impact, more players and more at stake every moment to give a better sense of a real battle going on. When a round ends I should finally breathe out. Sadly, this game is the exact opposite. As I mentioned before, I can hold a complete coherent conversation with someone while playing this game. That's the worst thing I can say about Reach or any action oriented game. That simply says it all. Even with Halo 2, I probably couldn't talk coherently while playing. When I played geometry wars later after giving reach a break, this is what my input would be in a conversation, "huh?.....<ten seconds later>...what?......whoa WHOA...oh yeah? I...uh...She did ...oh crap... what?" That's what should be happening when playing halo or any game that sells itself on the action it provides. I should be completely immersed and I should have no choice in the matter.

The fact that I can't tell if I killed or shot someone or not is just facepalm worthy for 2010 standards and shows that Bungie really dropped the ball when it comes to priorities here. I should be going "oh, sh*t! Did you see that!?" not "did I hit em? Maybe." #1 priority, Bungie, is immersion not competitiveness.

I also agree with this. Unfortunately it's probably too late for Bungie to do anything about it at this stage.

 

[TommyT]

Well the new mulitplat game is supposed to be Halo on steroids, so maybe they're saving up the wow factor for their Activision title.

OH SUH-NAPS! I wondered when that would be said....

 

[pringles]

I also agree with this. Unfortunately it's probably too late for Bungie to do anything about it at this stage.

True, too bad they didn't do some kind "beta" before releasing the game. That could have solved a lot of issues. Also they should have included a single-player campaign.

 

[Presco]

Im just going to be cheeky and ask someone to render this - http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/Fi....aspx?fid=6276

Hmm, tried rendering but file appears to be a bit weird. Might need to reupload to your fileshare. I'd be more than happy to render it for you.

 

[geeko]

definitely had to get used to the controls.

I kept getting the frag and melee buttons mixed up when I was right near somebody :lol

change the controls settings to Recon. That's the closest to classic halo controls as far as I can tell.

 

[WJD]

True, too bad they didn't do some kind "beta" before releasing the game. That could have solved a lot of issues. Also they should have included a single-player campaign.

They seem like pretty drastic changes to make within 4 months, with or without the Beta.

 

[FFChris]

-The DMR needs a buff, ironically I thought this was the one gun that would be overpowered but right now its the exact opposite. The pistol does a better job at close-mid range and long range DMR is nearly impossible to get a kill with due to the wait time for your aim to return. I would suggest either making the reticle contract faster or improved damage.

-I like the grenades now, I like that they have a punch and are something to be feared. The problem though as said earlier is that they're all over the maps and are easy to come by.

Disagree about the DMR, it is a really solid weapon in my opinion. I get kills all over the place when it switch it for the pistol, even on Sword Base. In fact (just checked Bungie.net) I have 40 DMR kills, and 21 pistol kills, even though I start with the pistol and use that as my primary weapon.

Totally agree with you on grenades though. I really like them, but there are far too many of them about. The game is a nade fest at the moment.

 

[Devin Olsen]

Could someone please explain how cR works?

I get most kills, most caps, least deaths in a CTF match... Yet I end up with almost no cR. However my teammate who has less of everything almost quadruples my total cR for the game.

Any hints/suggestions?

 

[Teknoman]

I like how the weapons and armor look alot more detailed than usual.

 

[zumphry]

I had a somewhat long post about why this and that is horrible in the beta, but it would've just been the same. Grenades are too powerful. Melee is wonky. AR+Pistol is getting tiresome to play. Radar is confusing (to me, at least) and you don't know where you're getting hit from most of the time.

I dunno, maybe I'm not just playing it correctly, I'm already bad at the game, so maybe I just naturally suck. I'm just not having fun so far. Still going to play the beta, but right now I feel like I'm just going to get annoyed the more I play at this very moment.

 

[metareferential]

Are you?

Of course not.

See the post above.

There's no way MW2 multiplayer looks better than Reach. No way.

Unless you're blind.

 

[urk]

They seem like pretty drastic changes to make within 4 months, with or without the Beta.

I've sent Mr. B Natural's feedback directly to Carney, so it's likely that the MP team will huddle up and consider going back to the drawing board. I mean, hell, guy was on the phone!

 

[dslgunstar]

Could someone please explain how cR works?

I get most kills, most caps, least deaths in a CTF match... Yet I end up with almost no cR. However my teammate who has less of everything almost quadruples my total cR for the game.

Any hints/suggestions?

I'd love to know this as well. Sometimes Ill get 300 cR, the next match 40 cR, with no discernible difference in performance.

 

[Mad Max]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

So I'm f5ing bungies twitter every second for about 20 minutes, they post a code, and within a few seconds I seem to have the right combination. But then for some random reason the xbox live site comes up with a "page unavailable" message. D': :lol

 

[ToyMachine228]

Some serious notes and critiques, not complaining and whining. Constructive criticism.

Weapons
- The balance on the Assault Rifle feels just right.
- The pistol definitely feels balanced. If you know how to use it, it's good stuff, yet not overpowered. It's not the Halo: CE pistol, but it's balanced against Reach's other weapons I've seen in the beta. I consider it a GOOD thing it's not the original pistol.
- The Plasma Repeater doesn't feel that great to me. It feels better than the Plasma Rifle, but I would still take an Assault Rifle over it. I haven't used it all that much though.
- The DMR is amazing. It's very well balanced and fun to use. How good you are with it depends completely on how you use it. I for one, am so glad that the Battle Rifle is gone, which was the end all be all weapon of choice. The DMR is a much more balanced weapon and personally I think it's more fun to use.
- The Sniper Rifle is basically unchanged. Feels good.
- The Focus Rifle is definitely satisfying to use. As someone else in the thread said, it feels like you're melting your opponent. To be a true competitor to the Sniper Rifle however it may need a SLIGHT damage boost. But it truly feels unique and cool to shoot.
- The Needle Rifle seems a tad inconsistent. I haven't used it a ton, but at this point I think I prefer the Carbine from H3. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet as I haven't used it a lot.
- The Plasma Launcher. Definitely a cool weapon. Every time I pick it up on Sword Base I get pistol sniped though.
- The Shotgun feels pretty good at this point. It seems to be more consistent than in previous Halo games which is good.
- Melee feels a lot better as well. It seems a tad quicker, and there don't seem to be any random simultaneous deaths. I think this is because of the new shield system. If you take each other shields down and you close in on each other...It's pretty obvious you're both going to die unless one of you jukes the other. Every time I've had a simultaneous melee death, it felt legit.
- Sword feels unchanged. Maybe a tad tighter than in Halo 3. Good.
- The Gravity Hammer feels a lot better. I don't seem to notice a knockback when you use it anymore which is good.
- Grenades. I think the damage on them is perfect. They feel like an integral part of the gameplay again. And I think only being able to carry 2 at a time is the perfect balance to prevent grenade spam, but still give you some death dealing capability. In Halo: CE, grenades were important. After dual-wielding, they became less important and didn't play a major part anymore. In Reach they feel like an important part of combat again. I like it.

Maps
Swordbase- I love this map. It feels like a Halo: CE map. Once you learn the layout which I admit is confusing at first, it's great. There's so many ways to navigate once you learn the ins and outs, not to mention throwing jetpack in changes it again. Flagrunning on Swordbase is epic and lots of fun.

Power Station- Not bad. I think I like Swordbase more, but Power Station has some cool elements like the narrow strips of cement you can run down and other little thing.

The Modes
Slayer- I really believe that this feels like the most balanced Halo game to date. Every time you spawn you feel like you have a chance to kill the other guy no matter what weapons you have and what he has if you use your weapons and armor abilities appropriately. The smarter person wins, not the guy with the bigger gun.
Stockpile- This is my favorite CTF variant Bungie has ever made. It creates a really cool dynamic or whether to go for neutral flags, defend the flags you have at the base, or try to steal one directly out of your enemy's base. Really fun. It may require some tweaking so teammates can't grief by moving flags out of the scoring zone though.
Covy Slayer- Playing as an Elite really does feel different. I'm not a huge fan of the Plasma Repeater or Needle Rifle personally though so this felt a bit jarring to me and I got my ass handed to me.
CTF- On both maps available right now, things feel balanced. It's not impossible to make it into the base and get the flag, and it's not impossible to stop the other team running it. Certain maps in Halo 2 especially were very unbalanced for CTF. No such problems in CTF in Reach on the two maps available.
SWAT- Because I enjoy the DMR so much more than the Battle Rifle I love SWAT now. It's not a battle of who shoots first anymore, it's about who uses their DMR better. It feels like it's about skill, not who uses the highest control sensitivity or fires first.

I haven't played any FFA yet. Never been a fan of FFA games in general but I'll check some out at some point.

Armor Abilities
Sprint- I use Sprint almost exclusively. I love it. It's perfect for getting into and out of combat quickly, closing the gap on an enemy quickly, catching up to a teammate running the flag, or catching an enemy running the flag. I can't say how much I love having Sprint.
Jetpack- A cool ability that definitely adds another layer to combat. I don't use it much myself but I do find it fun taking enemies out who are flying. It's very satisfying.
Armor Lock- This one seems a bit inconsistent and if there's one armor ability that's overpowered I think it's this. People who use it seem to be invulnerable for a second even after they come out. If I'm close to someone who uses armor lock and even if I avoid the EMP they tend to get me. Maybe I'm just not strategizing against it right. I do however LOVE when a teammate uses it, and it leaves the people he was fighting basically waiting for him to come out. Perfect time for me to sprint in and destroy them.
Invis- I've used this a tad and you can definitely use it to your advantage. My friend uses it a lot and seems to do pretty well. The one thing I DON'T like about it is that it scrambles the person who uses it's radar as well. Seems impractical.
Roll- Pretty cool way to close a gap quickly. Looks damn cool in motion too. Roll + Hammer is pretty awesome.

Other Random Notes
Assists- Giving a medal for assist now? Awesome. Seriously. It feels more rewarding and not just "my kill got snaked".
Location on HUD- Showing the location of where you are on the map on the HUD? Good. Makes it easy to call out to friends where you are. A little touch from Shadowrun there.

Overall I'm very pleased. I'm having lots of fun, it feels new and best of all it feels balanced. A few weapons and abilities definitely need tweaking but I'm really psyched to be playing this right now. I can't wait for the other maps and modes to open up for testing. I'll definitely be posting more impressions like this throughout the beta when new stuff opens up. And I'll post final notes like this when it's done as well. Some of my thoughts could change as I get more exposure to certain things. We'll see.

REACH BABY!

 

[Trasher]

I kill people who are mid-air jetpacking all the time and I don't think I've ever gotten the "Pull" medal.

 

[Presco]

Can somebody render the bug film in my post up there for me, please?

rendered

 

[Mizzou Gaming]

Im absolutely loving the Beta but there are a few things I don't like.

1. It takes an insane amount of bullets to kill an enemy. This could be more of an issue on my end after reading about the reticule bloom or whatever its called. I skimmed through several pages but couldn't find a good explanation on how the reticule bloom works. I'd really appreciate a brief overview on how the reticule works and proper technique.

2. The guns feel extremely weak. These Spartants aren't nearly as big as Master Chief so I would think the guns should have a more powerful, heavy feel to them. It feels like Im shooting a pellet gun.


Other than those two issues, Im loving the Beta. I'm also really liking the looks with the overall lighting and whatnot. Its definately a step up from HALO 3.

 

[MMaRsu]

So I just got a code from urk! Thank you so much, once again .

Downloading right now.. cannot wait to play this!

 

[SimpleDesign]

OH SUH-NAPS! I wondered when that would be said....

Invest in a franchise you're done with...or the one you'll be tied to for the next ten years.

 

[derFeef]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

So I'm f5ing bungies twitter every second for about 20 minutes, they post a code, and within a few seconds I seem to have the right combination. But then for some random reason the xbox live site comes up with a "page unavailable" message. D': :lol

I got the code right the first time I tried and I still was too slow :lol

 

[Wiggum2007]

I suck at this game.

Like, I can't kill anybody. With any weapon. :lol

 

[HoTHiTTeR]

I can't win an assault rifle batte - tips anyone?

Nade 1st to take out their energy shield, then fire away?

Fire a clip into them, melee if close enough, nade if not?

My k/d ratio thanks you in advance.

 

[zewone]

Of course not.

See the post above.

There's no way MW2 multiplayer looks better than Reach. No way.

Unless you're blind.

You're pretty high. MW2 is 60FPS too.

 

[ZROCOOL]

So whats the verdict on the DMR? Does it replace the BR?

I won't be able to try for myself since I gave my brother ODST. :[

 

[rar]

I've sent Mr. B Natural's feedback directly to Carney, so it's likely that the MP team will huddle up and consider going back to the drawing board. I mean, hell, guy was on the phone!

is this really how you should respond to somebodys feedback? seriously..

 

[The Librarian]

Is there anyway we can see who is in other people's parties? I can't figure out how.

I've sent Mr. B Natural's feedback directly to Carney, so it's likely that the MP team will huddle up and consider going back to the drawing board. I mean, hell, guy was on the phone!

:lol

 

[Loam]

- Melee feels a lot better as well. It seems a tad quicker, and there don't seem to be any random simultaneous deaths...

I must be doing something wrong. I've had more simultaneous beat downs in reach in the last 24 hours than Iv'e had all week for Halo 3. :lol

 

[urk]

is this really how you should respond to somebodys feedback? seriously..

Well I sure as shit ain't gonna file a bug.

EXPECTED: Player on phone is all like, "huh?.....<ten seconds later>...what?......whoa WHOA...oh yeah? I...uh...She did ...oh crap... what?"

ACTUAL: Player able to hold coherent conversation.

 

[ToyMachine228]

I must be doing something wrong. I've had more simultaneous beat downs in reach in the last 24 hours than Iv'e had all week for Halo 3. :lol

I'm not saying they don't occur, they definitely do, but they feel legit. Not like..."These two people hit the melee button at ABOUT the same time so they both die." You can see the guy in front of you melee as you melee him. It feels cleaner and more legitimate.

 

[metareferential]

You're pretty high. MW2 is 60FPS too.

60 fps, yes.

And it doesn't look better. No way.

 

[Snowman]

In my first game, not only did I get 29 kills, but also managed to bump in to a fellow Gaffer.

This game feels so different to play, yet so very familiar at the same time. The addition of sprint makes things feel much more snappy, and the jetpacks are so insanely fun to use, they add a whole new dimension to the Halo formula.

Also a quick observation-

First impressions, graphically it looks basically indistinguishable from Halo 3. The only noticeable improvement are the character models. I'm going to hold out hope that the singleplayer wil be doing much more impressive stuff.

You kicked ass considering it was your first game. I'd been playing for a couple of hours and you still managed to beat me by quite a bit. I must suck :lol

 

[Thermite]

I can't win an assault rifle batte - tips anyone?

Nade 1st to take out their energy shield, then fire away?

Fire a clip into them, melee if close enough, nade if not?

My k/d ratio thanks you in advance.

Switch to the pistol and be patient with your shots.

You're welcome.

 

[NameGenerated]

60 fps, yes.

And it doesn't look better. No way.

I think MW2 looks better than Reach.

 

[DD-11]

Nades are not broken. Nades are supposed to be powerful. I hope Bungie doesn't change a thing about their power. They need to;

- Not have people drop them after dying.
- Not have them spawn on the map.

This would cut down on the frustration of nades by so much. People would learn to use them better instead of spamming them or they would waste one nade at the start of the match and only have one available before they die again.

This is my biggest gripe about Halo. There is just way too much grenade spamming. They are too easy to get and therefore aren't valuable and therefore are thrown constantly. I'd like to be able to only carry one grenade which doesn't drop when I die.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

I've sent Mr. B Natural's feedback directly to Carney, so it's likely that the MP team will huddle up and consider going back to the drawing board. I mean, hell, guy was on the phone!

Hmm if thats not just a joke about the phone thing, that would be great news. If your sending anything to the Dev guys please can you take this into account? I know im not worthy but im going to jump in where I can. :lol I would love a slightly darker reticule when the bloom kicks in, its SO hard to see the pistol reticule a lot of the time. I think a lot of my problems with the pistol stem from this. I would also love a Halo CE style Ping sound to play when shots land, this provides great feedback, but maybe im alone in that. :lol

Hmm, tried rendering but file appears to be a bit weird. Might need to reupload to your fileshare. I'd be more than happy to render it for you.

Hey, thanks a lot, can you try this one?
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=8531

Dont worry if itl take more than 1 render minuite, it should only take one but if its any more just leave it, I dont want people wasting theyre credits on me!

 

[The Librarian]

I can't win an assault rifle batte - tips anyone?

Nade 1st to take out their energy shield, then fire away?

Fire a clip into them, melee if close enough, nade if not?

My k/d ratio thanks you in advance.

Pump the weapon. It's far more accurate that way.

Another UI complain: the reticules on most of the guns are far too hard to see. They need to be darker colored or thicker.

 

[metareferential]

I think MW2 looks better than Reach.

And where exatcly?

Textures? Nope.

Animations? Nope.

Draw-distance? Nope.

Lighting? Nope.

Effects? Nope.

Characters models? Nope.

But then again, it's Halo. So it's colorful; thus automatically worse in people's mind. It's normal I guess.

EDIT: sorry guys to keep debating about graphics xD

 

[Subtervotion]

Kill someone who is jetpacking.

I've done this. Never got the Pull Medal. What gives?

 

[Stinkles]

Well I sure as shit ain't gonna file a bug.

EXPECTED: Player on phone is all like, "huh?.....<ten seconds later>...what?......whoa WHOA...oh yeah? I...uh...She did ...oh crap... what?"

ACTUAL: Player able to hold coherent conversation.

Resolved as won't fix.

 

[Presco]

Hey, thanks a lot, can you try this one?
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=8531

Dont worry if itl take more than 1 render minuite, it should only take one but if its any more just leave it, I dont want people wasting theyre credits on me!

In progress. No worries on the length, I have plenty of minutes to go around.

 

[NameGenerated]

And where exatcly?

Textures? Nope.

Animations? Nope.

Draw-distance? Nope.

Lighting? Nope.

Effects? Nope.

Characters models? Nope.

But then again, it's Halo. So it's colorful; thus automatically worse in people's mind. It's normal I guess.

I just think it looks better overall, and that last comment is pure stupidity on your part.

 

[Apath]

MW2 multiplayer does have a lot more going on on the screen than Halo: Reach, or any Halo for that matter. It's actually one of the aspects of MW2 I dislike -- it becomes a cluster fuck.