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[xxjuicesxx]

Invasion was just UT's Assault anyways. Which probably copied something else. UT2004 did some great things with Assault. Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cjRX_FwYYQ Still remember those games!

Halo Invasion has no destructible environments, no real dynamic setpieces, bad spawns per waves, and stale objectives (stand in a hill for 20 seconds or capture something) For fucks sake at least throw one of them generators in a base and have a team need to destroy that for the finale...Its just so uninspired.

Put that altogether with the terribleness that is Reach unranked MM and you have yourself a shitty shitty playlist just for bad kids who want to stand a chance or for Dax who wants to increase his K/D to not look like hes garbage.

 

[Striker]

I'm pretty sure I don't miss moon jumps.

Agree with ya about Invasion Juices. Fairly a missed opportunity overall. Assault should at the very least be the second phase for attackers. But even then it's still meh. I'm mad they opted this route instead of building BTB maps from the get-go.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Me and Dax where talking about this over in the Halo 4 topic but, what do you guys think about Halo 4 having a boost option like Armored Core? Basically a 360 degree sprint and if you do quick bursts from left to right it will quickly drain the energy but will help change up the combat and keep it fast paced.

 

[HiredN00bs]

The only way to intelligently discuss bloom is by comparing it to an alternative. You see, if the alternative is reducing the RoF, then I'll take bloom any day of the week. Having the option to sacrifice accuracy for speed is good, especially if you can balance these two factors by using the HUD to work towards maximum efficiency.

 

[Miggytronz]

Me and Dax where talking about this over in the Halo 4 topic but, what do you guys think about Halo 4 having a boost option like Armored Core? Basically a 360 degree sprint and if you do quick bursts from left to right it will quickly drain the energy but will help change up the combat and keep it fast paced.

kinda like the dive AA?

 

[The Librarian]

Give me spread over bloom any day.

 

[wwm0nkey]

kinda like the dive AA?

Kind of but you wont be impossible to shoot and the boosts wont give you that much range, just enough to help you change up the battle when you are in one and the long boosts can be used for sprint.

 

[Tha Robbertster]

wtf

We get Slayer DMR's on Condemned, DMR's on Anchor 9 and Slayer on Uplink slayer, they vote none of the above.

The new options are, Zealot DMR's, Condemned slayer and Asylum slayer and they vote for Condemned slayer??? Why wouldn't they just pick DMR's in the first place..

The players in this game......

 

[xxjuicesxx]

Kind of but you wont be impossible to shoot and the boosts wont give you that much range, just enough to help you change up the battle when you are in one and the long boosts can be used for sprint.

Umm like a dodge command?

Still the one thing I think Halo is missing (you can dodge in real life you should at least be able to in fairy tale Halo land)

Story is when my friends first made me play Halo I was a UT99 only player on my PC. I asked him how I dodge bullets and he was like you don't...I totally didn't understand for quite some time it was like a language barrier of sorts.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Umm like a dodge command?

Still the one thing I think Halo is missing (you can dodge in real life you should at least be able to in fairy tale Halo land)

Story is when my friends first made me play Halo I was a UT99 only player on my PC. I asked him how I dodge bullets and he was like you don't...I totally didn't understand for quite some time it was like a language barrier of sorts.

basically this but just more limited on the short boosts you are allowed to do.

 

[Striker]

The only way to intelligently discuss bloom is by comparing it to an alternative. You see, if the alternative is reducing the RoF, then I'll take bloom any day of the week. Having the option to sacrifice accuracy for speed is good, especially if you can balance these two factors by using the HUD to work towards maximum efficiency.

I will gladly take hitscan, fixed rate of fire but keeping the parameters of a weapon's range in check. So a weapon like the Battle Rifle and Carbine only shoot so far when scoped. At a distance that doesn't push itself into the boundaries the DMR and Halo 1 Pistol had, which basically acts like a mini-sniper. It's the most balanced method because it removes the randomness that is caused by spread and bloom.

While in this kicking back up the movement speed akin to Halo 2/Halo: CE. Fall damage can go either way, just remove the stun. It has no business and just kills momentum.

Kind of but you wont be impossible to shoot and the boosts wont give you that much range, just enough to help you change up the battle when you are in one and the long boosts can be used for sprint.

Instead of thinking of them as AA's, allow them to be powerups like the overshield and invis. And have certain amount stuck to a map, and not thirty of them so everybody and their grandmother can have one (like what happened in Halo 3 with equipment).

 

[The Librarian]

Instead of thinking of them as AA's, allow them to be powerups like the overshield and invis. And have certain amount stuck to a map, and not thirty of them so everybody and their grandmother can have one (like what happened in Halo 3 with equipment).

Have you played Halo 3 recently? Equipment wasn't anywhere near as saturated in battles as you make it out to be in this post.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Instead of thinking of them as AA's, allow them to be powerups like the overshield and invis. And have certain amount stuck to a map, and not thirty of them so everybody and their grandmother can have one (like what happened in Halo 3 with equipment).

Well I mean replace AA's with this and just this boost option, it will speed up the game and allow for 360 degree sprint with quick boosts for in-combat scenarios which can help turn the battle around while still keeping the pace that AA's caused us to loose.

Also Overshield and Camo need to return to how they where in 1-3 but have the looks of the power ups from 1-2.

 

[The Real Napsta]

Hahahah I just watched this Suddoth 2 gets it so fucking hard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBK9Ouzbwic&feature=feedu

Hahahaha, that was great. Ninja is teaming with Walshy now right?

 

[GhaleonEB]

I had someone quit off the bat on Doubles last night, and I couldn't have been happier.

Well I mean replace AA's with this and just this boost option, it will speed up the game and allow for 360 degree sprint with quick boosts for in-combat scenarios which can help turn the battle around while still keeping the pace that AA's caused us to loose.

I'd rather then stick to just forward sprint. Evade has taught me that quick bursts of movement and Halo don't go well together.

 

[kylej]

Reach is as much a half-hearted response to the current game landscape (classes, perks, EXP systems) as it is a Halo game, and that confused state leaves few happy.

 

[xxjuicesxx]

Hahahaha, that was great. Ninja is teaming with Walshy now right?

I love it hes just like OMG and walks away like he cant believe what just happened.

Yea I don't know if they were serious but they were acting like it Him Walshy Mikwen and someone...They were doing really good like just straight finishing the objective having complete control, mind you it was MM but it was good Halo.

Reach is as much a half-hearted response to the current game landscape (classes, perks, EXP systems) as it is a Halo game, and that confused state leaves few happy.

Getting on this morning?

 

[The Librarian]

Reach is as much a half-hearted response to the current game landscape (classes, perks, EXP systems) as it is a Halo game, and that confused state leaves few happy.

You're such a try-hard.
Edit:

I had someone quit off the bat on Doubles last night, and I couldn't have been happier.

Wow.

 

[kylej]

Getting on this morning?

Work, Gym, Bruins.

WGB bro.

You're such a try-hard.

"I like to do things in my free time that aren't fun. I like to play video games and lose at them over and over again. Oh, you guys win? Try-hards. I'll be over here losing like a loser, but I'm not as much of a loser as you winning losers." - every pubbie/team of scrubs in Halo

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Me and Dax where talking about this over in the Halo 4 topic but, what do you guys think about Halo 4 having a boost option like Armored Core? Basically a 360 degree sprint and if you do quick bursts from left to right it will quickly drain the energy but will help change up the combat and keep it fast paced.

No. Just no. People talk about Halo not feeling like Halo now. That is the most unHalo idea I've ever heard.

Have you played Halo 3 recently? Equipment wasn't anywhere near as saturated in battles as you make it out to be in this post.

Yea I agree. Even at the start it wasn't overused. In fact most of the time people who had it would end up not using it. While I'd prefer not having equipment and Armor abilities I'll take equipment any day of the week. In fact I really think that Halo 3's multiplayer was almost perfect. If they just didn't have that damn laser it would have been as close as you can get with equipment and/or armor abilites.

 

[Blueblur1]

True. *sigh*

I just expected more from GAF.

HaloGAF bitches because we care. The rest of GAF bitches because they're entitled brats who probably spend more time on message boards than actually playing games. There are some good posters but they're vastly outnumbered.

 

[Kuroyume]

Heavy recoil is the answer to removing bloom. I don't even see the need for having to screw around with low rates of fires either. Let people aim, strafe, and pull that trigger as fast as they can. There's nothing wrong with that. That's basic FPS gameplay since forever. Stop screwing around with settings to make certain weapons have a place in the game or to make it so certain gamers have a chance against others. Let trueskill do it's part and leave it at that.

 

[The Antitype]

I think I have read it all by now..

Bloom Lovers, comments about reducing the bunny hopping...

I still cant believe they took out Flag throwing from normal gametypes.. Seriously It makes zero sense. But then again a lot of things in Reach do not make any sense.

First they reduce the player speed and then introduce Sprint, all the while taking out flag throwing, did Bungie not see any problems with that? :[ You are allowing the opposing team to catch up with the flag carrier because they have sprint all the while the flag carrier no longer can juggle back to the base. That shit required skill and timing. But unfortunately Reach isnt about skill at all.

I guess they thought maybe teams should back up the flag carrier?

Or that any strategy involving a single flag-carrier by his lonesome should include a degree of stealth so that the other team can't just run and find him?

Reach definitely feels like a more team-oriented game than previous Halos, where a single player could carry a team if they were good enough. It's still possible, but it seems more difficult this time out.

Again, I'm not an Onyx level player, so I'm sure at that level - where every mechanic and issue is magnified - it might be a different story. But CTF games range from 0-0, all the way to 3-2 in my experience. Just a matter of how the two teams play.

Heavy recoil is the answer to removing bloom. I don't even see the need for having to screw around with low rates of fires either. Let people aim, strafe, and pull that trigger as fast as they can. There's nothing wrong with that. That's basic FPS gameplay since forever. Stop screwing around with settings to make certain weapons have a place in the game or to make it so certain gamers have a chance against others. Let trueskill do it's part and leave it at that.

Then why not just make a game where there's only one weapon, everybody starts with it, and be done with it?

Confining weapons to their role in the sandbox is the key to ensuring that every weapon is useful, and that players using any given weapon have a chance at success. If the DMR or pistol can be fired at any rate with no loss in accuracy, then what chance does somebody without those weapons have at any range?

Bloom isn't there to even the playing field between players of different skill, and it really doesnt. Bad players spam the trigger, sometimes luck into a kill (more often than they should but....), while good players time their shots and revel in their opponent's frustration.

I don't love bloom. I don't hate it either. I think it's a decent solution to a problem Halo has always had with one weapon becoming the defacto standard because of it's versatility.

Work, Gym, Bruins.

WGB bro.

GO CANUCKS!

 

[wwm0nkey]

No. Just no. People talk about Halo not feeling like Halo now. That is the most unHalo idea I've ever heard.



Yea I agree. Even at the start it wasn't overused. In fact most of the time people who had it would end up not using it. While I'd prefer not having equipment and Armor abilities I'll take equipment any day of the week. In fact I really think that Halo 3's multiplayer was almost perfect. If they just didn't have that damn laser it would have been as close as you can get with equipment and/or armor abilites.

Well MC does have a booster in this one, ONLY reason I really thought of that idea.

Also equiptment gave you something to fight over which is what I liked about Halo and Reach just didnt give you much to fight over

Halo 1 and 2 gave you power weapons and vehicles that would destroy and both teams would fight to get to those and the vehicles

Halo 3 weakend the power weapons a bit but vehicles, power weapons and equipment where all things to fight over, though maybe just too much to fight over.

Halo: Reach power weapons just dont really feel like they are worth it some times, vehicles have their own health so they kind of suck and you dont have equipment to fight over anymore either like Overshields and cammo either.

 

[LunaticPuma]

I would love to see what a 3v3 or 4v4 generator defense game would be like without FF code running in the background. I wonder if it's possible or not since I doubt there are generator placements on the MP maps.

 

[Falt]

HaloGAF bitches because we can.

I don't know what HaloGaf would be without the AR.

 

[Kuroyume]

Then why not just make a game where there's only one weapon, everybody starts with it, and be done with it?

Yeah, in every fucking game before and after Halo all people have done in FPS games is run around with just one weapon.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Hey guys I need a new controller, would anyone recommend the Razer Onza Tournament Edition controller?

 

[The Antitype]

Yeah, in every fucking game before and after Halo all people have done in FPS games is run around with just one weapon.

Not literally....but pretty damn close.

That comment was made in response to this:

Stop screwing around with settings to make certain weapons have a place in the game.

If you're not going to balance the game to fit different weapons in there, then why put any other weapons in at all. Just give everybody the same weapon, you have perfect balance.

And that's all the matters right? That the guy who pulls the trigger faster with the reticule over the other guy's head wins. That's the sole definition of skill.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

I don't know why you are so concerned about playlist population especially considering you play Gears 2. Team Classic commonly has under 500 and I find matches in about 30 seconds.

Only because when the population is small in Reach I end up lagged or against people way better than me.

The pool of potential players is super limited.

I'm better than a lot of people at Gears 2, plus the netcode is consistently shitty so it's not an issue in Gears 2.

 

[Account Attempt #4]

I believe bloom benefits from timed shots only at great range. Mid to short, it's nothing short of random. That's the great folly of Reach's gun play system and keeps the great players raging. It takes skill to out maneuver while simultaneously shooting an enemy at short distance, it takes skill to juke shots at mid range and keep on target. It takes random bad luck to lose to someone who's charging straight at you spamming away while you try to 'time' shots at their head. Timing shots loses in close just as much if not more that it wins. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Bloom should be tightened to still require more patience for ranged shots, but close battles need to allow spamming to be accurate enough to land your five shots consistently.

Also, bring back flag juggling please. Stealthy flag carriers should be slow, but the penalty for moving it quickly across the map is telegraphing your position to the enemy. It's fair and nuanced and flexible. That's Halo.

 

[Kuroyume]

If you're not going to balance the game to fit different weapons in there, then why put any other weapons in at all. Just give everybody the same weapon, you have perfect balance.

Where did I say there shouldn't be different weapons in the game?

Btw, what is up with this argument? It's always taken to the extremes. You're not the first person I've seen on here to write something similar to that. Oh, if the DMR didn't have bloom no one would pick up any of the other weapons. No, wrong that is absolutely incorrect. Pistol, DMR, NR, Sniper etc. I use them all the time. You're kidding yourself by suggesting no one would ever pick up a sniper or a set of rockets if they had a DMR/BR at their hands without any drawbacks.

I just want to see them stop shoehorning weapons like the AR and Plasma rifles into the game. Nerfing other weapons like the pistol to accomodate the AR is bullshit.

And that's all the matters right? That the guy who pulls the trigger faster with the reticule over the other guy's head wins. That's the sole definition of skill.

How else would you define skill in an FPS? Isn't that the basic fucking gameplay mechanics of the genre?

 

[Nutter]

Not literally....but pretty damn close.

That comment was made in response to this:



If you're not going to balance the game to fit different weapons in there, then why put any other weapons in at all. Just give everybody the same weapon, you have perfect balance.

And that's all the matters right? That the guy who pulls the trigger faster with the reticule over the other guy's head wins. That's the sole definition of skill.

Let me guess you like Reach more than any other Halo game (talking about MP here)

 

[wwm0nkey]

Not literally....but pretty damn close.

That comment was made in response to this:



If you're not going to balance the game to fit different weapons in there, then why put any other weapons in at all. Just give everybody the same weapon, you have perfect balance.

And that's all the matters right? That the guy who pulls the trigger faster with the reticule over the other guy's head wins. That's the sole definition of skill.

So getting a random headshot is better? Seriously all my headshots in Reach are mostly from random DMR bloom shots.

 

[The Antitype]

/\

No that's not better. I never said the bloom in Reach was perfect. Bungie could definitely tweak the settings to make random shots less likely.

That said, the 'hammer out four shots to center mass, breathe, line up the headshot' method typically works well for me. But I'm not an Onyx player so...

Let me guess you like Reach more than any other Halo game (talking about MP here)

Yeah. I've put hundreds of hours into every Halo game, liked every one more than the last.

K/D (1.5), W/L (65% or so), and Rank (40s, or Gold) have been consistent across all three of the online games, so it's not a matter of me liking the games better cause I'm better at them. I just like the evolution of the Halo sandbox.

I'll never claim to be an amazing Halo player, BTW. And I've always admitted that the game may play entirely differently once you reach a certain 'elite' level where every issue or exploit is magnified 10fold.

Where did I say there shouldn't be different weapons in the game?

Btw, what is up with this argument? It's always taken to the extremes. You're not the first person I've seen on here to write something similar to that. Oh, if the DMR didn't have bloom no one would pick up any of the other weapons. No, wrong that is absolutely incorrect. Pistol, DMR, NR, Sniper etc. I use them all the time. You're kidding yourself by suggesting no one would ever pick up a sniper or a set of rockets if they had a DMR/BR at their hands without any drawbacks.

I just want to see them stop shoehorning weapons like the AR and Plasma rifles into the game. Nerfing other weapons like the pistol to accomodate the AR is bullshit.

So basically the only weapons they'd put the overpowered DMR down for are POWER weapons designed to turn the flow of battle? Yay.

I prefer more combat variety (more weapons, tactics, environmental variability) to less (few weapons, same battles repeated, large open areas).

I'd rather see more weapons in play than fewer. Obviously there's a breaking point where weapons start overlapping roles in the sandbox, but that's not the case with Reach. Every weapon has a purpose and is effective at that purpose.

How else would you define skill in an FPS? Isn't that the basic fucking gameplay mechanics of the genre?[/QUOTE]

It's a key component of skill, but it's only the mechanical part. You can train a monkey to aim at something and push a button quickly.

There are other components to skill:

Skill is adapting to a changing battlefield on the fly.

Skill is choosing the right weapon for the job, and using it effectively.

Skill is knowing when to engage, when to retreat and reacquire.

Skill is using the environment and equipment (grenades, AAs, whatever) to maneuver the battle into the range/situation that benefits your weapon(s).

Skill to be is having somebody get the drop on you and being able to win the exchange regardless.

Skill is decision making - weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each AA for example, and choosing the right one for your play-style, your role on the team, or to counter the AAs being used by opponents.

Skill is communicating and coordinating with a team.

If skill were purely and entirely a matter of shooting the other guy in the face before he shoots you, then the only FPS that tests skill would be one where 1v1 battles were fought with a single weapon in a large, white, cubic room.

 

[Louis Wu]

Whole bunch of common sense

I like you.

 

[Kuroyume]

Breathing is also a skill. You forgot to put that down.

 

[KidA Seven]

Why do you care so much about variety? There is no point in having so many weapons if they are as effective as one another and fill the same role. It's redundant.

Halo 3
-Gravity Hamer (besides griffball), and shotgun were basically the same weapon. They had different properties, different look, but it provided the same role in the sandbox. A power weapon for close range.

-SMG, AR, Plasma rifle, and Spiker. There was hardly any difference. What's the point in having them if they're useless?

-Human and Cov. sniper. Same thing. What was the point in having those two on the map at the same time during non specialized gametypes?

Gun Variety doesn't provide the fun, otherwise Halo CE and Shadowrun would suck. They don't.

 

[wwm0nkey]

Why do you care so much about variety? There is no point in having so many weapons if they are as effective as one another and fill the same role. It's redundant.

.

 

[Tunavi]

Thanks to Epyon MX
Close Calls

 

[Steelyuhas]

Why do you care so much about variety? There is no point in having so many weapons if they are as effective as one another and fill the same role. It's redundant.

Halo 3
-Gravity Hamer (besides griffball), and shotgun were basically the same weapon. They had different properties, different look, but it provided the same role in the sandbox. A power weapon for close range.

-SMG, AR, Plasma rifle, and Spiker. There was hardly any difference. What's the point in having them if they're useless?

-Human and Cov. sniper. Same thing. What was the point in having those two on the map at the same time during non specialized gametypes?

Gun Variety doesn't provide the fun, otherwise Halo CE and Shadowrun would suck. They don't.

Yeah agreed. This is something that plagued H3's sandbox and Bungie tried to fix it in Reach and was fairly successful in doing so.

Thanks to Epyon MX
Close Calls

It's cool to have the sniper on that map, but it makes it even worse haha. Grab sniper, hit the lift, never ever leave 6A with the sniper.

 

[Louis Wu]

Why do you care so much about variety? There is no point in having so many weapons if they are as effective as one another and fill the same role. It's redundant.

Halo 3
-Gravity Hamer (besides griffball), and shotgun were basically the same weapon. They had different properties, different look, but it provided the same role in the sandbox. A power weapon for close range.

Well, except for directionality. (Shotgun kills what's DIRECTLY in front of it. Hammer kills what's all around it. Personally, I'm not a Halo god, and I've found these to be DRASTICALLY different in actual use.)

-SMG, AR, Plasma rifle, and Spiker. There was hardly any difference. What's the point in having them if they're useless?

I'd mostly agree with you on this, since I didn't use a lot of any of these - but I knew people who swore by one or another, and did so for verifiable reasons (clip size, secondary effects like shield stripping, etc).

-Human and Cov. sniper. Same thing. What was the point in having those two on the map at the same time during non specialized gametypes?

Hmm. I found these to be really different, and I favored one or the other depending on how I was playing that day. (There was an Action Sack game that started one team off with human snipers, but placed Covie ones on the map - I would often swap. Zeus something.) Human Sniper didn't overheat, but required reloading after 4 shots. Covie sniper could shoot until it was empty, if you didn't go too fast, no reload. If you hit your first or second shot consistently, the human sniper is a better choice. If you're like me, you sometimes need that 5th shot... with a human sniper, the guy's behind cover after the reload.

Bottom line: Weapon variety matters more to people who aren't fully proficient at elite levels (ie 95% of all players). Folks at the top could care less - give them a solid all-around weapon (say, the H2 BR) and they don't need anything else.

::shrug:: If you care about weapon diversity, you probably need it, and if you don't, you don't.

 

[kylej]

HaloGAF bitches because we care. The rest of GAF bitches because they're entitled brats who probably spend more time on message boards than actually playing games. There are some good posters but they're vastly outnumbered.

Would Would Rise Do?

 

[The Antitype]

Breathing is also a skill. You forgot to put that down.

Ironically, from a neurological standpoint, breathing is closer to rattling off headshots than any of the skills I listed. What I listed - situational awareness, social coordination, decision making and problem solving, are all higher-order brain functions.

Aiming a reticule and pressing a button repeatedly is lower on the totem-pole, it's hand-eye coordination and basic motor function.

When in doubt, use the monkey test. How hard is it to train a monkey to do this?

In Halo terms, it's much harder to teach a monkey to know what weapon works best in any given situation than it is to teach him to aim a reticule and press a button repeatedly.... I think we've already taught monkeys how to do stuff like that actually.

Why do you care so much about variety? There is no point in having so many weapons if they are as effective as one another and fill the same role. It's redundant.

Halo 3
-Gravity Hamer (besides griffball), and shotgun were basically the same weapon. They had different properties, different look, but it provided the same role in the sandbox. A power weapon for close range.

-SMG, AR, Plasma rifle, and Spiker. There was hardly any difference. What's the point in having them if they're useless?

-Human and Cov. sniper. Same thing. What was the point in having those two on the map at the same time during non specialized gametypes?

Gun Variety doesn't provide the fun, otherwise Halo CE and Shadowrun would suck. They don't.

I already addressed this in my post:

I prefer more combat variety (more weapons, tactics, environmental variability) to less (few weapons, same battles repeated, large open areas).

I'd rather see more weapons in play than fewer. Obviously there's a breaking point where weapons start overlapping roles in the sandbox, but that's not the case with Reach. Every weapon has a purpose and is effective at that purpose.

I agree that there was too much overlap in the sandbox with Halo 3. That is not the case with Reach, and bloom actually contributes to that. The Magnum and the DMR for example, would, in fact, occupy the EXACT same place in the sandbox, were it not for bloom keeping them in check.

 

[Hitmonchan107]

Thanks to Epyon MX
Close Calls

Was I running around with the Needler? LMAO.

So l33t.

Nice perfection.

 

[Nutter]

Mind telling me how someone using the jet-pack on Asylum and throwing grenades in the middle structure is skill?

Mind telling me how using camo to hide yourself with a sniper (when this was a power UP) which teams fought over) is skill?

Mind telling me how using Evade with Shotgun or Hammer and then rolling out of a firefight is skill?

I agree Skill means adapting to the battlefield, however when I clearly killed my opponent when he jet-packs, and still die to his 2 thrown grenades is not me refusing to adapt, its outright a stupid mechanic. I have said my thoughts on bloom before, but its clearly something that benefits long range battles. Close range NO one gives a crap about bloom people spam the hell out of it. And its not random once or twice here or there type of thing, people get random headshots by spamming all the time. I do consider myself to be damn good at Halo, so why do I see myself getting gimped by all these additions just to give casuals a chance at surviving longer?

 

[Blueblur1]

Would Would Rise Do?

Fawn over Frankie like if he was her Senpai?

 

[Slightly Live]

I prefer more combat variety (more weapons, tactics, environmental variability) to less (few weapons, same battles repeated, large open areas).

I'll take quality over quantity. You could have a million unique AA's and weapons to fit a million unique roles and give the player millions of possible actions, doesn't automatically make the game better.

I'd rather see more weapons in play than fewer. Obviously there's a breaking point where weapons start overlapping roles in the sandbox, but that's not the case with Reach. Every weapon has a purpose and is effective at that purpose.

Again, quality over quantity. I don't care how many weapons are in a game, so long as the game is fair and fun.

It's a key component of skill, but it's only the mechanical part. You can train a monkey to aim at something and push a button quickly.

Go ahead and train a monkey to out DMR someone. Or out BR someone. Or out snipe someone. You are diminishing a significant part of a first person shooting game because it befits your argument. The primary aim of a FPS is to shoot your opponent. If anything takes away from this important aspect of the game, it diminishes the overall quality of the game significantly.

There are other components to skill:

Skill is adapting to a changing battlefield on the fly.

You can do this in every other Halo game too.

Skill is choosing the right weapon for the job, and using it effectively.

You can do this in every other Halo game too.

Skill is knowing when to engage, when to retreat and reacquire.

You can do this in every other Halo game too.

Skill is using the environment and equipment (grenades, AAs, whatever) to maneuver the battle into the range/situation that benefits your weapon(s).

You can do this in every other Halo game too.

Skill to be is having somebody get the drop on you and being able to win the exchange regardless.

Wrong. I could get the drop on you with Rockets, you could Armour Lock and by sheer luck, repel the rocket back at me. Or accidently bounce my own grenade back at me. Or you could just wait in Armour Lock for your buddies to come along and help kill me. Even if it's a simple content and each of us are using the same weapon and firing upon each other at the same time, if you go into Armour Lock, you get that frosting effect which lets you absorb more damage and it's an easy win. Or maybe you'd EMP me and melee beat down straight away. None of that is skillful yet under your terms you'd define as such.

Skill is decision making - weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each AA for example, and choosing the right one for your play-style, your role on the team, or to counter the AAs being used by opponents.

Your example is horrible. It's that kind of thinking that produces bubble chains in CTF games and entire teams with Armour Lock in vehicle maps. It removes fun completely and replaces it with an abusive mess.

Armour Abilities are super powers. Flying, running faster, becoming invisible, invincibility. Most of these super powers have always existed in Halo with one key difference - they had to be fought over or controlled. If wanted the super power, you had to fight the other team to get it and win control. You had to time it. You had to think and fight for it.

Reach simply hands out these super powers to everyone at any time. Everyone can fly, as much as they want, whenever they want. It's like playing a game of Rockets/Lasers - when everyone has a super weapon it becomes boring and tedious. Instead of being surprised every now and then by a tactical deployment of a super power at just the right moment to change the tide of a battle, it happens every second. You can't be surprised anymore because you're expecting it. It becomes abusive too when whole teams start using the same AA and the only option is for your team to do the same or get abused by the other team.

Skill is communicating and coordinating with a team.

You can do this in every other Halo game too.

 

[ncsuDuncan]

Bottom line: Weapon variety matters more to people who aren't fully proficient at elite levels (ie 95% of all players). Folks at the top could care less - give them a solid all-around weapon (say, the H2 BR) and they don't need anything else.

::shrug:: If you care about weapon diversity, you probably need it, and if you don't, you don't.

Antitype, I agree with Wu here. I almost exclusively use the DMR or Pistol. I might replace the Pistol with a Nerfle, but I only actually use it if my DMR is empty. The AR only gets used if I'm stuck with it at spawn or if I'm out of ammo and it's the only thing around to pick up.

The Needler? It's a fun weapon. I pick one up if I'm playing casually and want to see people explode. If I'm trying to win, I don't touch it. Same with the Plasma Repeater, Plasma Rifle, and Spiker.

Sure there are specific situations where the Needler or the Plasma Repeater is the best weapon for the job. But I can only carry two weapons, so I only carry the ones that tend to be the best weapon for the most situations.

Variety isn't for balance, and redundancy isn't a problem. Variety is there for personal preference and entertainment. You prefer the Nerfle over the DMR? Fine. Plasma Repeater over the AR? Have fun with it. If we could carry 10 weapons like we could in Goldeneye, then sure, make sure every one of those 10 has its own exclusive role with no redundancy. But we can only pick up and carry 2 weapons, which for me would preferably be a hitscan Battle Rifle and whatever power weapon I can get my hands on.

Edit: Damn it, Dani. I'm almost done writing this article. Stop using up all of the good arguments against AAs before I can publish it.

 

[Louis Wu]

Mind telling me how someone using the jet-pack on Asylum and throwing grenades in the middle structure is skill?

Mind telling me how using camo to hide yourself with a sniper (when this was a power UP) which teams fought over) is skill?

Mind telling me how using Evade with Shotgun or Hammer and then rolling out of a firefight is skill?

I agree Skill means adapting to the battlefield, however when I clearly killed my opponent when he jet-packs, and still die to his 2 thrown grenades is not me refusing to adapt, its outright a stupid mechanic. I have said my thoughts on bloom before, but its clearly something that benefits long range battles. Close range NO one gives a crap about bloom people spam the hell out of it. And its not random once or twice here or there type of thing, people get random headshots by spamming all the time. I do consider myself to be damn good at Halo, so why do I see myself getting gimped by all these additions just to give casuals a chance at surviving longer?

Okay, I've played a few games with you over the years (none in Reach, I don't think, though), and I think you're overstating here. You don't generally die that much at all.

If you want to see why these examples should be called 'skill' in some cases, watch someone like ME try and use them. If there were really no skill involved, I'd be able to rack up the kills with these techniques - but I've tried them all, and generally I croak as often as I do using more 'skill-based' techniques.

There are several routes out of that middle area on Asylum, from both levels. Seems to me that if you're dying from grenades being thrown into a barrel, you shouldn't be in the barrel. (I'm not for a SECOND trying to tell you how to play Halo - I wouldn't dream of it. And I'd even agree with you that grenade spam is friggin' annoying sometimes - even Bungie agrees with you, they've cut down the numbers you spawn with, and the numbers on the map. I'm just saying that if we were playing the game YOU wanted to play... you'd have nobody to dong on, cause people like me would have stopped months ago.)