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[lybertyboy]

There is one app out there that does exactly that rather well, but it's not free. Search for Spark 360 on the Android Market.

I don't recommend giving your account information to third parties. I assume that's what happens with this app.

 

[reggie]

.

 

[Havok]

Does microsoft and 343 really not have an app out for Android to see your friends list, etc on an Android phone?

C'mon.

The Bungie Mobile app was released on Android, right? The iOS version has the same friends list functionality that bnet has, no idea about the other versions.

 

[heckfu]

Does microsoft and 343 really not have an app out for Android to see your friends list, etc on an Android phone?

C'mon.

The Bungle app is my go-to when I need to see friends activity. Mines iPhone but they rolled it out for android, yeah?

Edit: blerg. On mobile right now so I didn't see the above post.

 

[Blinding]

I don't recommend giving your account information to third parties. I assume that's what happens with this app.

I guess I should've corrected my post, people have told me that it does what he's wanting rather well. I haven't used it myself but it would be impossible to access information like friends and messages without account information, yeah? Of course, using third party apps wouldn't be an issue if Microsoft would just go ahead and push one out themselves.

 

[Tashi]

You could dual wield in H2 MLG. The dual needlers were on Sanctuary. They did use a setting that replaced the SMG's on maps with BR or Pistols I think. Can't remember what it was called.

MLG does get hurt the more they deviate from the default settings of the game. You just simply lose some of your potential mainstream audience or players when the settings are significantly different, maps have dramatic changes to them, and most of all not using the developer maps. I think Reach has really been hurt by this. If you go into MLG, a majority of your games are going to be on gray world.



Well that would require the playlist management/implementation systems to be different in Halo 4 than in Reach or Halo 3. Bungie or 343 has never gotten into how it all technically works, but making playlist changes is not copy pasting gametypes and maps, checking if it works real quick, and boom, update the playlist.

Hopefully 343 has found out a way to code Halo 4 so that playlist management is much more hassle free than it currently is, allowing them to role out changes much faster.

Yea I know if they could update it faster, they would. I'm just hating on the current system in place. Shit's just frustrating.

 

[heckfu]

I guess I should've corrected my post, people have told me that it does what he's wanting rather well. I haven't used it myself but it would be impossible to access information like friends and messages without account information, yeah? Of course, using third party apps wouldn't be an issue if Microsoft would just go ahead and push one out themselves.

Do you really expect them to put out apps for ios and android? Tag reader is the only MS product I know of on ios...gotta drive those WP7 sales you know.

 

[Timedog]

Reach is mine. Today will be my first day playing.

 

[Havok]

I guess I should've corrected my post, people have told me that it does what he's wanting rather well. I haven't used it myself but it would be impossible to access information like friends and messages without account information, yeah? Of course, using third party apps wouldn't be an issue if Microsoft would just go ahead and push one out themselves.

There are ways to see certain friends' activity without giving account information. There used to be quite a few iOS apps that you could manually enter your friends' gamertags into and it would basically just read their Live status the same way you could from the website without being logged into a Windows Live Passport. It might not be totally nefarious.

 

[Steelyuhas]

As far as I'm aware, the only mobile OS with any official MS Xbox Live app or functionality is Windows Phone.

 

[Blinding]

Do you really expect them to put out apps for ios and android? Tag reader is the only MS product I know of on ios...gotta drive those WP7 sales you know.

Oh no, of course I don't. lol

 

[The Real Napsta]

You could dual wield in H2 MLG. The dual needlers were on Sanctuary. They did use a setting that replaced the SMG's on maps with BR or Pistols I think. Can't remember what it was called.

MLG TS weapons on map was set to "no duals"

MLG TS Sanctuary weapons on map was set to "default"

 

[Hey You]

This leads back to a fundamental question: Where is the custom lobby search portals? Where is the custom lobby listing?

If they really want the multiplayer experience to be expansive and to have a large continually supported userbase they need to make changes.

They really need to add this to Halo 4. Who the hell cares if people are playing more customs then MM? They are still playing your game. Make DLC maps worth buying for Custom players. Add new items for forge that are unique to the map and some cool stuff could be made using them. See Foundry > Sandbox.

Halo 3 customs were huge and I played them like crazy (6000+ games from '08 to Reach) but in reach that number is much lower. I'm sure its like that for alot of people.

What is it? Could be different things such as the Infection gametype being different than its Halo 3 counterpart.

Anyways, what I'm saying is I'm sure a good chunk of people who play customs (in H3 & Reach) still play Matchmaking and I'm sure that would be the case for Halo 4. I bought all the map packs in Halo 3 and after Sandbox dropped thats the map where most of the customs were being played.

 

[Steelyuhas]

Do you really expect them to put out apps for ios and android? Tag reader is the only MS product I know of on ios...gotta drive those WP7 sales you know.

There's Bing, OneNote, and Windows Live Messenger apps for iOS as well.

MLG TS weapons on map was set to "no duals"

MLG TS Sanctuary weapons on map was set to "default"

Aye, thanks. It's been a while.

 

[Hey You]

Some elements of the update are decent but:

Another opportunity to remove the terrible evade from objective goes by. What do they see in that AA that we don't?

That people actually LIKE using it. Just because the loudst people bitch about it, doesn't mean they should remove it.

 

[Ramirez]

That people actually LIKE using it. Just because the loudst people bitch about it, doesn't mean they should remove it.

Don't worry, they didn't want it removed from your precious LD.

 

[Havok]

That people actually LIKE using it. Just because the loudst people bitch about it, doesn't mean they should remove it.

I like using it too, especially when I can break close quarters combat with it. I'd also like to spawn with an assault rifle that shoots lasers. The thing needs a rebalance in the same vein as Armor Lock and Camo or get removed - it breaks a huge number of combat scenarios because there's not a reliable counter to it when its used in combination with certain weapons.

 

[Hey You]

Don't worry, they didn't want it removed from your precious LD.

Oh okay, good. Ignore me then.




No, but in Team Objective and Premium Battle its in there and I don't see a huge problem with it (besides in Speed Flag).

 

[daedalius]

I have the Bungie app right now, I just figured MS or 343 would have their own official app or something.

Spark 360 is a paid app, but you're right, I'd rather not give out my login info; although there are a lot of people who like it, if their data got compromised...

Evade is an abomination everywhere outside of Invasion and on an Elite, especially with certain weapons.

Tashi, I think your friend is trying to tell you that you have ADD.

I'd also like to spawn with an assault rifle that shoots lasers

Easter Egg weapon in H4? Spartan laser graphic + assault rifle; it'd be like the focus rifle but not garbage.

 

[Karl2177]

That people actually LIKE using it. Just because the loudst people bitch about it, doesn't mean they should remove it.

I like using it because it's unbalanced in my favor. It would be like putting a rocket launcher loadout in a team slayer game.

 

[Ramirez]

I like using it too, especially when I can break close quarters combat with it. I'd also like to spawn with an assault rifle that shoots lasers. The thing needs a rebalance in the same vein as Armor Lock and Camo or get removed - it breaks a huge number of combat scenarios because there's not a reliable counter to it when its used in combination with certain weapons.

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=23409954&player=TJ Ram

Problem?

*trollface*

 

[Hypertrooper]

Do you know the feeling that you just want to drive around with the Warthog and kill some grunts? I should play the "Halo" again, but I don't have the time.

Maybe I should plan a short trip to England to drive around in a real Warthog.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

It was fine. We got an improvement - Reach's feedback system is easily the best in the series. Why should we regress? Just because something worked before doesn't mean it needs to be that way forever when a better system comes along.


Because the quality of matches in this game is dependent on having a healthy population of mixed skill levels, which is at risk of disappearing when the game drops off the activity lists. Some very core playlists are already at risk of getting axed because nobody but a tiny fraction of the core is still playing them, and once they're gone there's nothing else like them. Getting a decent skill match is nigh impossible at some levels these days already. It's not that people are interested in a pissing match, it's that the game is at its lowest population right now and that's a scary prospect.

But to get those people back to the game you would need to change how the game plays. So you change how it plays or get a lower population.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

The Bungie Android app shows friends I believe.

 

[daedalius]

The Bungie Android app shows friends I believe.

I was kind of hoping for a widget instead of having to go into the app. Its fine, but I still think MS should make some sort of XBL/360 app.

 

[Karl2177]

Arena works when there is a population. IMO apply the Arena ranks to all competitive playlists.

 

[CyReN]

Arena works when there is a population. IMO apply the Arena ranks to all competitive playlists.

I never got why Bungie tried to "go against" MLG with Arena to begin with.

 

[The Librarian]

Had my nerdiest moment in real life today. Okay, one of my nerdiest.

A friend and I were taking the stairwell in his residence hall after dropping off some film equipment at his place. On the last set of steps, he climbs over the railing and jumps onto the ground, and I immediately launch into this:

"You stupid fool. Why do you always jump? One of these days you're gonna land on a ground as stubborn as you are. And I don't do bits and pieces."

...

"Oh my God. I think I just nearly word-for-word quoted Sgt. Johnson's opening monologue in Halo 3. That was awesome."

Him: "Or something..."

 

[xxjuicesxx]

Will be playing through CEA for my first time tomorrow hope you all can make it and be my live strategy guide.

Wont stop playing until I have made it my bitch.

 

[Tashi]

As much as I don't really like Ninja's stream, that was a good and entertaining rant. He said a lot of things that are just factual. Especially about the Gamebattles ladders. There's needs to be more hype around the 4v4's and I think the Pro Teams need to get up on that ladders more too. You're seeing more Pros on the 1v1 and 2v2 which is good. I just up on the 2v2 ladder last night and I'll probably play my first match tonight. I'm fucking dying to match against Ninja and Mikwen, that would be so much fun. And guess what too? I would streaming that shit, and that video would go up on my youtube and it would get a decent amount of hits too. All of my gameplays against Pros get hits, win or loss. My gamebattles matches on there get hits too. People want to see competitive matches, when things on are on the line. I started watching World Series of Poker this year. What?! Fucking poker. Guys playing cards. Guess why I'm watching it. These guys are playing for millions of fucking dollars. One wrong read, one misplaced bet and that could mean you get kicked out of the tournament. I'll watch certain games of sports just because I hear it's a good game or something. A competitive game. You could be watching the most entertaining sport or activity in the fucking world and it would still be boring if the match is not competitive. Meanwhile, I was watching fucking poker. CARD PLAYING. Just because it was competitive. Bring back ranks, make the matches competitive for low level, mid level and high level players. It's so difficult to get a party of 8 going unless you have a team and it's right before an event and everyone is practicing. Nexy tweeted, he went into matchmaking, MLG. His first game in probably around a year. His rank was like the 2nd rank you achieve in this game. And who does he match in his first game? Fuckin Arkanum. Pro player. Guy was the first to get his 50 in the MLG FFA playlist in Halo 3. A fuckin pro. That's crazy man, that just shouldn't happen. Tighten up the restrictions for True Skill at the very least.

 

[daedalius]

Arena works when there is a population. IMO apply the Arena ranks to all competitive playlists.

Yea, I said this in here and on the 343 forums, a division and a number would be cool too. Being a 50 in Onyx would be pretty tough to get I'd imagine.

So, what do you guys think of Motion Smoothing on your TV? Let me preface by saying I don't seem to be getting any input-lag from running it, and it tends to make the... well, stuff smoother in motion. Would be nice if they'd tone down some of the motion-blur when turning your view though.

Everything is crystal sharp in CE when I am looking around in classic, because it has no motion blur at all

 

[The Librarian]

Waypoint tweeted this short snippet of their interview with Frankie.

At first I read the title as: "Ex-Bungie man Frank O'Connor was caught off guard by negative responses to the Master Chief's new armor."

 

[Tashi]

Yea, I said this in here and on the 343 forums, a division and a number would be cool too. Being a 50 in Onyx would be pretty tough to get I'd imagine.

So, what do you guys think of Motion Smoothing on your TV? Let me preface by saying I don't seem to be getting any input-lag from running it, and it tends to make the... well, stuff smoother in motion. Would be nice if they'd tone down some of the motion-blur when turning your view though.

Everything is crystal sharp in CE when I am looking around in classic, because it has no motion blur at all

Is that the effect that makes everything look like a soap opera? I can't stand that effect, it bugs me out. I think it's ok for sports though.

 

[kylej]

I'm fucking dying to match against Ninja and Mikwen, that would be so much fun.

It would be fun unless Ninja enters his crazy Rain Man halo playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xH2gGG67dU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBK9Ouzbwic&t=1m9s

once that kid starts feeling it he's a little ADD monster.

 

[Steelyuhas]

As much as I don't really like Ninja's stream, that was a good and entertaining rant. He said a lot of things that are just factual. Especially about the Gamebattles ladders. There's needs to be more hype around the 4v4's and I think the Pro Teams need to get up on that ladders more too. You're seeing more Pros on the 1v1 and 2v2 which is good. I just up on the 2v2 ladder last night and I'll probably play my first match tonight. I'm fucking dying to match against Ninja and Mikwen, that would be so much fun. And guess what too? I would streaming that shit, and that video would go up on my youtube and it would get a decent amount of hits too. All of my gameplays against Pros get hits, win or loss. My gamebattles matches on there get hits too. People want to see competitive matches, when things on are on the line. I started watching World Series of Poker this year. What?! Fucking poker. Guys playing cards. Guess why I'm watching it. These guys are playing for millions of fucking dollars. One wrong read, one misplaced bet and that could mean you get kicked out of the tournament. I'll watch certain games of sports just because I hear it's a good game or something. A competitive game. You could be watching the most entertaining sport or activity in the fucking world and it would still be boring if the match is not competitive. Meanwhile, I was watching fucking poker. CARD PLAYING. Just because it was competitive. Bring back ranks, make the matches competitive for low level, mid level and high level players. It's so difficult to get a party of 8 going unless you have a team and it's right before an event and everyone is practicing. Nexy tweeted, he went into matchmaking, MLG. His first game in probably around a year. His rank was like the 2nd rank you achieve in this game. And who does he match in his first game? Fuckin Arkanum. Pro player. Guy was the first to get his 50 in the MLG FFA playlist in Halo 3. A fuckin pro. That's crazy man, that just shouldn't happen. Tighten up the restrictions for True Skill at the very least.

When 343 said they were going to tighten the skill for some playlists, I assumed that MLG would/will be one of them.

 

[daedalius]

Is that the effect that makes everything look like a soap opera? I can't stand that effect, it bugs me out. I think it's ok for sports though.

I couldn't tell you Tashi, I don't watch too many soap operas.

It does look weird on regular TV/movies, but I think it makes games look better. They basically have it turned on all the floor televisions at BB/etc.

 

[urk]

The Bungie Android app shows friends I believe.

It does. iPhone and Android versions both feature Xbox LIVE friends presence data.

http://www.bungie.net/mobile/content.aspx?link=MobileApp

 

[PNut]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xAPZAai58U&t=5m45s

Ninja put up his thoughts about ranks, pretty similar to Flamesword but I'm happy he took the time to do it.

Gotta say, you can hate on MLG, and lord knows I hate on some parts of the Halo community, but I'm proud people from all over are coming together and offering their suggestions to try to revive the Halo playerbase. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Will 343 totally ignore it? Probably. But it still feels good, man.

He made some real good points here.

 

[urk]

I never got why Bungie tried to "go against" MLG with Arena to begin with.

We brought them out during development, ran playtests, and gathered feedback from them.

Spoiler

IN ORDER TO LEARN THEIR WEAKNESSES AND DESTROY THEM

 

[StalkerUKCG]

I never got why Bungie tried to "go against" MLG with Arena to begin with.

I dont think it was a case of "going against mlg" rather a case of they seen MLG had a draw and with arena attempted to expand that draw to a wider audience. Alot of people in the community and people i play with dont play MLG playlists because a element of fear exists, its hardcore playing 24/7 you dont get the down time or laid back feeling you can with the other playlists. Arena however kept this feeling it allowed no time for casual play anything with a ranking structure of any form encourages hardcore play. The division idea is great working from a clean slate each month or "season" is a nice idea but the lack of a ranking structure in that playlist and reach in general hinders halo more than it does good. People who like that style of gaming have no "home" in halo bar arena and because of arena's awful rating system they dont want that. Yes it can be said that part of ranking means boosters and this is a problem but in the end its a case of work hard and fix the issue or scrap the idea and bungie opted for the latter. Dont get me wrong halo has good elements rewarding long playing and active playing with credits is great and somekind of constant double xp Playlist each weekend instead of the super jackpot system would only increase my appriciation of the system but reach is built for the casual and not the hardcore. Id say this is a large part of its relativly low mlg adoption rate and lifespan

 

[Tashi]

It would be fun unless Ninja enters his crazy Rain Man halo playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xH2gGG67dU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBK9Ouzbwic&t=1m9s

once that kid starts feeling it he's a little ADD monster.

I know, he's a scary good individual player.

When 343 said they were going to tighten the skill for some playlists, I assumed that MLG would/will be one of them.

I haven't noticed anything.

I couldn't tell you Tashi, I don't watch too many soap operas.

It does look weird on regular TV/movies, but I think it makes games look better. They basically have it turned on all the floor televisions at BB/etc.

Touche` lol.

 

[Reagan's BR]

Can we please get individual Dialog/SFX/Music volume sliders in Halo 4? Baffles me that this has been absent in every Halo game.

I asked Frankie about that yesterday in matchmaking becasue playing with Game Chat voice coming through headphones is tough because it gets drowned out even with Voice Volume on 10 and Game Volume on 1 in the Dash. Everyone promptly yelled at me for bothering Frankie. True Story.

 

[The Lamonster]

It does. iPhone and Android versions both feature Xbox LIVE friends presence data.

http://www.bungie.net/mobile/content.aspx?link=MobileApp

It's my favorite app for seeing who's on XBL. I tried using other Xbox-centric apps and Bungie is the cleanest and fastest one.

Speaking of Bungie, when is the best estimate for when they'll reveal their next big project?

 

[Reagan's BR]

All of this talk of ranks is well and good and I agree but I doubt it could be implemented into Reach as it was not programmed that way.

 

[Ken]

I asked Frankie about that yesterday in matchmaking becasue playing with Game Chat voice coming through headphones is tough because it gets drowned out even with Voice Volume on 10 and Game Volume on 1 in the Dash. Everyone promptly yelled at me for bothering Frankie. True Story.

Really? Setting Game Volume low and Voice Volume high works for me when I play with headphones.

 

[Steelyuhas]

It does. iPhone and Android versions both feature Xbox LIVE friends presence data.

http://www.bungie.net/mobile/content.aspx?link=MobileApp

Windows Phone app. Please and thank you.

 

[Reagan's BR]

Really? Setting Game Volume low and Voice Volume high works for me when I play with headphones.

They work until a grenade,hog, on banshee drowns out everything. I'm using Sennheiser HD598's.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

For one, I think the Onyx system is pretty good. The population just isn't there to support it. Hence his claim about his brother is null and void.

Ranked was popular in Halo 2 and 3, the Arena rating system isnt popular at all. If a system is good it will be populated.

Secondly, "... it opens up for buying that 50". Yeah, exactly what Frankie and the rest of 343 wants. More of that shit. That's precisely why Bungie ditched that broken 1-50 garbage in Halo 3. It was easy as hell to climb, and was the recipe for second account boosting.

Who cares if people brought 50's? I mean really, why would anyone really care?

If they're going to even think about making another 1-50, make it a god damn challenge to climb. If somebody is a 50 or even in the upper 40's, it should honorary and not some section that is shared by hundreds and thousands of other players.

To be fair across the whole of matchmaking even the relatively so called 'easy' ranking system on Halo 3 was fairly well balanced. Maybe im just a scrub because I found getting a 50 hard. I mean sure on second accounts it was easy, but as Juices put it, the journey from 0 to 50 was pretty satisfying. Maybe they need to tighten trueskill in the early stages so you cant just shoot up?

 

[daedalius]

All of this talk of ranks is well and good and I agree but I doubt it could be implemented into Reach as it was not programmed that way.

Well until they say it would be really difficult to roll out some version of arena ranking/1-50 ranking into the competitive playlists, I imagine everyone will just keep requesting it.

To be fair across the whole of matchmaking even the relatively so called 'easy' ranking system on Halo 3 was fairly well balanced. Maybe im just a scrub because I found getting a 50 hard. I mean sure on second accounts it was easy, but as Juices put it, the journey from 0 to 50 was pretty satisfying. Maybe they need to tighten trueskill in the early stages so you cant just shoot up?

They should look at the way SC2 does it, turns out its probably one of the most popular competitive games with hordes of followers.

 

[Ken]

They work until a grenade,hog, on banshee drowns out everything. I'm using Sennheiser HD598's.

Oh, I don't play in playlists with vehicles so I've never run into those problems.