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Halo: Reach |OT7| What are They to Say Now?

Okay, panorama backlog cleared. All of my recent ones are now viewable on Views from the Edge. Enjoy.


Gotta tell you... I didn't get it. :( Definitely could have used some translation.
Guy's a Halo fan, gets approached by a Flood carrier form in a library. Gets pissed, Flood starts bitching about discrimination, threatens to explode, doesn't.

At least, that's what I make of it with my very limited german knowledge. :lol
 
All I know is I found my cosplay idea for the next PAX/Halofest: Flood Carrier Form

The guys at HaloFest dressed as Combat Forms were fantastic.
 
I think the most important thing that Halo can learn from Call of Duty is not in the gameplay, but the player investment system.

And how does 343i incorporate a similar investment system without completely changing what Halo is.

The whole investment system in CoD is based around unlocking stuff that you can use in game to [potentially] be more effective.

Based on the hatred of AAs by many in this community, you really think the notion of hidden, statistical perks would go over well?

Or spawning with sniper rifles or rockets in custom classes, instead of fighting for power weapons on the map?
 
And how does 343i incorporate a similar investment system without completely changing what Halo is.

The whole investment system in CoD is based around unlocking stuff that you can use in game to [potentially] be more effective.

Based on the hatred of AAs by many in this community, you really think the notion of hidden, statistical perks would go over well?

Or spawning with sniper rifles or rockets in custom classes, instead of fighting for power weapons on the map?

Well Halo is probably not going to have you unlock weapons and/or perks as you rank up, but that's not where I think the focus needs to be. The investment system in Reach is oddly backwards, prioritizing time you play the game instead of rewarding players for their performance. One of the things that COD and Battlefield do so well in-game is constantly show players front and center what they are doing and giving them points/xp/CR.

If you use Reach as a base, greatly expand commendations, and stop hiding points you get in the corner of the screen without telling you what you are earning. Get points in the center of the screen for kills, headshots, assists (variable assist points based on damage), assassinations, you team holding/capturing objectives, sprees, multikills, include large amounts of points for your team winning the game.

Tie all of those to commendations or something similar so that you hit milestones as well. Also simply the point totals you are granting players. For example, make a kill 100 points/cr/xp. A competitive multiplayer kill in Reach without any medals is worth 4 cr, which doesn't strike me as particularly enticing to the player.

As you won't unlock the ability to use or spawn with better weapons similar COD, you should still be able to unlock cosmetic things as you progress. Armor, weapon skins, logos for your service record, new HUDs, etc.

For me, a good player investment system is not about unlocking things, but making the player feel rewarded for their actions in-game. I always find it very satisfying to see the points rack up for a huge variety of actions on the screen as I play.
 
pjKVu.gif

lmao do you have a link to the original video of this?

edit: nevermind, my google-fu is strong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC51KIQdlR4
 

Slightly Live

Dirty tag dodger
Suggestions?

I think the impact on the gameplay is exactly what makes that investment system so addictive. The carrots have genuine impact, not just for looks.

I disagree. Gameplay impact creates an inequality that's apparent from the get-go and there's Prestige leveling where the gameplay influences take a complete backseat to bragging rights.

OIff the top of my head...

Nameplates - tie nameplates into the reward system and explode the amount available all unlockable under certain conditions and make these unlocks both easy and extreme to create a variety of rarities.
For example, a player with 10,000+ Wheelmen medals in multiplayer matchmaking would unlock a steering wheel nameplate.

Game Awards - the MVP of past Halo games were a small but notable incentive. It was nice to be the MVP because everyone could see that. Bring back MVP along with a variety of newer "Game Awards" unique to the gametypes played with a few universal awards. These be recorded and incentivised into a player's history and daily/weekly challenges. Imagine looking at someone's profile and seeing that in 40% of their games they were the MVP with the Highest K/D. Sweet bragging rights here.
Some examples; Highest K/D, Most Assists, Most Saves, Most Non-Weapon Kills, Most Distant Travelled

Armour - simply multiply the amount of armour to unlock by 10 or 20 and then link their unlock conditions to various systems and conditions. Armour is sough after both for completionists and folks wanting to show off. They should definitely make extreme unlock conditions (extreme by casual standards) and have a range of armour on these extreme ends that incentivise players for doing more than simply get X amount of credits.

So yeah, the gameplay need not be touched.
 
Basically the worlds greatest Halo: CEA tricker.

POA Cryo Tube Bump!

I do not get very far at all, I was just testing the capture quality after setting up my capture card again (last one fried). Figured some of you would like to see a neat old school Halo trick.


So small question, I am recording these videos with X-Split and then using VLC afterwards to cut out/record the sections of the entire clip that I want. When I do that and view the clip on my computer the audio is 100% fine. However when I upload it to Youtube this is what I get (Same video as above, but this is the vlc recording). Now when I take that same recording and re-save it through Windows Movie Maker (lol I know) the audio problems seem to go away :\.

Any ideas?
 

Kuroyume

Banned
I hate having to unlock shit. Not to mention people would find away to make the game horrible one way or another for cR with idling or whatever. Anyway, if there is more unlocking (which you can bet one since gamers are dumbasses) then I think it should just stick to cosmetic stuff like what's in Reach. I'd like for them to make Secirity cheap though so I wouldn't have to grind for months like I did with Reach when I actually gave a damn. They could go crazy with the stuff anyway. While Reach's armory is better than H3 it's still pitiful and unimaginative. The armor effects are neat and they could do a ton more of those. More visor colors. Just go crazy with that stuff. You don't have to stick close to the Halo lore in multiplayer like you do with campaign.
 
I hate having to unlock shit. Not to mention people would find away to make the game horrible one way or another for cR with idling or whatever. Anyway, if there is more unlocking (which you can bet one since gamers are dumbasses) then I think it should just stick to cosmetic stuff like what's in Reach. I'd like for them to make Secirity cheap though so I wouldn't have to grind for months like I did with Reach when I actually gave a damn. They could go crazy with the stuff anyway. While Reach's armory is better than H3 it's still pitiful and unimaginative. The armor effects are neat and they could do a ton more of those. More visor colors. Just go crazy with that stuff. You don't have to stick close to the Halo lore in multiplayer like you do with campaign.

+Different hud colors


So long as it doesn't affect the gameplay. Or perhaps unlock different guns, but the different guns are purely cosmetic (instead of bullets, have a laser). Bottom line is, the unlocked stuff can't give people an advantage.
 

Lazslo

Member
A deeper player investment system does not have to influence the sandbox in any way.

I want pink cammo and handjobs every 15 minutes and or when I level up.

For reals: Reach's player investment system was awesome, but the Average Brodood out there is accustomed to changes and upgrades in their respective weapon selection. Intangible aspects of the game like awesome armor seem pointless to 'Joe BroDood'. Your right though, a deeper investment system could be made, one that doesn't touch the sandbox, it just depends on how awesome the reward is and how big the Carrot looks.
 
K

kittens

Unconfirmed Member
I think the impact on the gameplay is exactly what makes that investment system so addictive. The carrots have genuine impact, not just for looks.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Sorry, don't want to take the time to write a more constructive critique right now. Gotta do homework.
 
Yeah, like exploring Phendranda Drifts in Metroid Prime or some shit. Really get a sense of this new alien world, which I think has been missing since stepping out of that pod in Halo CE.

I'm getting hype for Halo 4 off of song snippets, just wait until that gameplay trailer(6 months from now :/)
 

Havok

Member
Sometimes I watch the Halo 4 concept art trailer just to listen to the 1980s sci-fi music. A refreshing break from Marty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAKmu2yn3Fk
CEA really brought the decline in the amount of Marty's synth music output to the forefront. Covenant Dance and the synthy parts of stuff like A Walk in the Woods were excellent, although I do think that the following games' soundtracks fit the tone those games were going for really well.
 

Thermite

Member
Get rid of the glitches, bugs, and BXR out of Halo 2, upgrade the visuals, copy/paste. Halo 4 MP complete. This is all I ask for, 343. Don't get caught up on customization, player investment, XP this, XP that; numbered ranks and reaching the top is all the incentive I need to continue playing.
 

Slightly Live

Dirty tag dodger
Get rid of the glitches, bugs, and BXR out of Halo 2, upgrade the visuals, copy/paste. Halo 4 MP complete. This is all I ask for, 343. Don't get caught up on customization, player investment, XP this, XP that; numbered ranks and reaching the top is all the incentive I need to continue playing.

Ain't happening. A major shooter/FPS in the current climate without a substantial player investment system just won't happen.
 
I don't WANT weapon unlocks in Halo, I'm just saying that they might be part of the formula for the FPS genre that the market has currently embraced.

I think that a better investment system would be a great addition to wrap around the core Halo gameplay experience. My fear (for lack of a better, less loaded term) is that that core has fallen out of favor. And short of completely changing what makes Halo what it is, there's nothing 343i can do to regain it's popularity.

So I don't think the notion that Reach's current 'low' population can be attributed to the game not being similar enough to previous Halos, or not being 'good enough'. I think it's just the victim of a markeplace moving away from the gameplay systems that are still at the core of Halo.
 

Slightly Live

Dirty tag dodger
Just thinking about the lack of significant Halo 4 news recently. Should we be worried?

- About 10 months away from scheduled "gold" time
- Not a single single screenshot or video or any in-game media released
- No multiplayer beta talked about or hinted at
- Highly publicised "resignation" of a key staff member
- No tangible gameplay, story or engine details released or discussed

If this was any other game I'm pretty sure Kotaku and IGN would be running rumour stories about delays or something going wrong. Not that I'm implying there's anything to be worried about at all or anything is wrong, it's just I want to know more about the game at this point.

Every "interview" or official comment about Halo 4 has just been recycling the same stuff about respecting the original trilogy, about how the game will let us get to know the Chief more and about this mysterious new world which is active and alive. There's been no real news in ages - even the HaloFest stuff was vague and they danced around supplying any hard details.

I want facts, hints, vague or cryptic descriptions.

*goes back to re-reading Glasslands*
 

Ramirez

Member
Just thinking about the lack of significant Halo 4 news recently. Should we be worried?

- About 10 months away from scheduled "gold" time
- Not a single single screenshot or video or any in-game media released
- No multiplayer beta talked about or hinted at
- Highly publicised "resignation" of a key staff member
- No tangible gameplay, story or engine details released or discussed

If this was any other game I'm pretty sure Kotaku and IGN would be running rumour stories about delays or something going wrong. Not that I'm implying there's anything to be worried about at all or anything is wrong, it's just I want to know more about the game at this point.

Every "interview" or official comment about Halo 4 has just been recycling the same stuff about respecting the original trilogy, about how the game will let us get to know the Chief more and about this mysterious new world which is active and alive. There's been no real news in ages - even the HaloFest stuff was vague and they danced around supplying any hard details.

I want facts, hints, vague or cryptic descriptions.

*goes back to re-reading Glasslands*

I'm sure it's on schedule, but the lack of info does suck.
 
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