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[Apath]

As long as they don't remove the option to leave a game like in Gears 2. God that was such a stupid/infuriating decision.

 

[alisdair]

BTW, EVERY playlist in Halo Reach should be ranked, just Hide the TrueSkill.

This is the case in Halo 3. TrueSkill matching is lower priority or has a wider range for social playlists, but you should still find that most matches are fairly even. I mostly play highest skill 45s--50s in Social Slayer.

 

[Popeck]

Rendered here:

http://www.bungie.net/Online/Halo3UserContentDetails.aspx?h3fileid=105763524&rfilm=105765455

Brings back memories from Halo 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sAFMljv-2Q

 

[EazyB]

This is the case in Halo 3. TrueSkill matching is lower priority or has a wider range for social playlists, but you should still find that most matches are fairly even. I mostly play highest skill 45s--50s in Social Slayer.

It still tries to do so but the difference between ranked games, where the matching is really close, and social, where it might try to set up decent matches but stuff like this (1 2 3 4) happen far too often. Those links are all from tonight in a playlist with 10k people.

Edit: Speaking of really close:

 

[The Librarian]

good customs night. lots of fun

I had a lot of fun while I was there. Sorry, my connection was unusually bad last night.

 

[RdN]

I wouldnt see any problem if both teams get a win if that ever happened. No one should get Skill/Rank exp, just regular old win exp.

But please do put in some sort of delay from starting another matchmade game if you quit out of one.

Exactly. There should be a system that doesn't allow the person who quitted from stating a new match until the last one he/she was in before finishes.

 

[alisdair]

Those links are all from tonight in a playlist with 10k people.

But that's a brand new playlist. You're like the equivalent of a level 10 playing level 2s. It's too soon to expect TrueSkill to be working.

I guess my main point is that Halo 3's matchmaking setup is largely well thought through. Of all the many things that should be fixed for Reach, I don't think there's much to be done at that level. Except to hire a better playlist manager.

 

[Stormtrooper30]

Betray/kill him with a warthog.

EDIT:

Also wanted to demonstrate the realistic physics Halo 3 has to offer.

http://www.bungie.net/Online/Halo3UserContentDetails.aspx?h3fileid=105763524

Hah, reminds me of the tank flipping on Coagulation customs. So fun.

But please do put in some sort of delay from starting another matchmade game if you quit out of one.

This. This is all we need to deter quitters. And please, for the love of God, do not give both teams exp if one team quits out. That would be the worst fucking idea ever.

 

[Ramirez]

It was this part, "it'll just shut the match down with no one winning/losing it" that baffled me.

Well, if I remember correctly, you could always win the match before it ended if there was no one on the other team.

The whole 1xp per match needs the axe anyways, if you add in a system like COD it will prevent a lot of the quitting I bet. Just make people feel like they're getting some type of reward even if they're getting donged on.

 

[Sai-kun]

Well, if I remember correctly, you could always win the match before it ended if there was no one on the other team.

The whole 1xp per match needs the axe anyways, if you add in a system like COD it will prevent a lot of the quitting I bet. Just make people feel like they're getting some type of reward even if they're getting donged on.

Well yeah, but all of WoW's objectives are CTF/Territories

 

[rac]

Well, if I remember correctly, you could always win the match before it ended if there was no one on the other team.

The whole 1xp per match needs the axe anyways, if you add in a system like COD it will prevent a lot of the quitting I bet. Just make people feel like they're getting some type of reward even if they're getting donged on.

I don't like the idea of switching to something like COD and completely changing the 1xp system, but if I have more games like this my mind may change.

Team BRs on Pit btw.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

I don't like the idea of switching to something like COD and completely changing the 1xp system, but if I have more games like these my mind may change.
Team BRs on Pit btw.

Oh we've all been there, that's why we're pushing for some quitter punishment/dissuading.

 

[rac]

Oh we've all been there, that's why we're pushing for some quitter punishment/dissuading.

You just can't enforce quitting to harshly because a player could have simply just lagged out. If this weren't the case, I'd say whatever playlist they quit out of is now inaccessible to them for the next 24 hours.

 

[Apath]

You just can't enforce quitting to harshly because a player could have simply just lagged out. If this weren't the case, I'd say whatever playlist they quit out of is now inaccessible to them for the next 24 hours.

:lol
Maybe 5 minutes so you don't get people leaving and rejoining if something doesn't go their way, but 24 hours is fucking ridiculous.

 

[Gui_PT]

You just can't enforce quitting to harshly because a player could have simply just lagged out. If this weren't the case, I'd say whatever playlist they quit out of is now inaccessible to them for the next 24 hours.

This quitting thing really needs to be fixed somehow.

For 3 days straight, I've ended up either alone or with just another player against 5 on the other team, almost every game.

This crap is making Matchmaking not fun.

 

[rac]

:lol
Maybe 5 minutes so you don't get people leaving and rejoining if something doesn't go their way, but 24 hours is fucking ridiculous.

Hey if you want to teach a lesson. Who gives a shit if you have to wait 5 minutes.

 

[Apath]

Hey if you want to teach a lesson. Who gives a shit if you have to wait 5 minutes.

This is a game. A game people play for fun. And there are hundreds of legitimate reasons for people leaving a game early but only a handful that really makes them a dick.

Next time you're in a game and want to play another, turn on a timer for 5 minutes and count it out -- it's not as short as you think. I spend, at most, 10 seconds between end-match to searching for the next one.

EDIT: Actually I could see making a 24 hour lockout for a serious playlist like MLG.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

:lol
Maybe 5 minutes so you don't get people leaving and rejoining if something doesn't go their way, but 24 hours is fucking ridiculous.

Agreed, something short but cut-throat is what I'm sensibly looking for.
And it should apply to all playlists, no point if the quitter can just go another one.

 

[rac]

This is a game. A game people play for fun. And there are hundreds of legitimate reasons for people leaving a game early but only a handful that really makes them a dick.

Next time you're in a game and want to play another, turn on a timer for 5 minutes and count it out -- it's not as short as you think. I spend, at most, 10 seconds between end-match to searching for the next one.

EDIT: Actually I could see making a 24 hour lockout for a serious playlist like MLG.

Yeah I was mainly talking about team slayer.
They could make social playlists drop in drop out, where it keeps the same players from the last game for all I care.

 

[Nutter]

You should not be able to start another search as long as your game that you quit out of is still in progress. That will take care of the "oh i had to leave because my mom is calling" because you wont be back in time anyway, so waiting till the game ends makes sense. Now if you lagged out, same principle you can wait till that game ends.

 

[EazyB]

You should not be able to start another search as long as your game that you quit out of is still in progress. That will take care of the "oh i had to leave because my mom is calling" because you wont be back in time anyway, so waiting till the game ends makes sense. Now if you lagged out, same principle you can wait till that game ends.

Get online

 

[Thermite]

You should not be able to start another search as long as your game that you quit out of is still in progress. That will take care of the "oh i had to leave because my mom is calling" because you wont be back in time anyway, so waiting till the game ends makes sense. Now if you lagged out, same principle you can wait till that game ends.

I like that idea. The only real downside I can see happening is if a majority of your team quits out and you want to bail, but there's "that guy" who won't quit out of a match no matter what. Yeah, you quit out of the match, but at the same time, there really was no other option. Why stay there and get killed over and over and over with no chance of getting a single kill? It would be zero fun. You would be stuck in the matchmaking lobby for however long, just because he wouldn't quit out when it was him vs X amount of people on the other team.

 

[Gui_PT]

I like that idea. The only real downside I can see happening is if a majority of your team quits out and you want to bail, but there's "that guy" who won't quit out of a match no matter what. Yeah, you quit out of the match, but at the same time, there really was no other option. Why stay there and get killed over and over and over with no chance of getting a single kill? It would be zero fun. You would be stuck in the matchmaking lobby for however long, just because he wouldn't quit out when it was him vs X amount of people on the other team.

That's not a downside. It's even better if the last player doesn't quit. It really punishes those other quitters.

 

[Thermite]

That's not a downside. It's even better if the last player doesn't quit. It really punishes those other quitters.

Along with you in the process. If it's 5 on 2 (for example), or worse, more than 5, sticking in that match is going to a horrible experience. So you can choose either to stay there, getting killed over and over, getting frustrated, or bail and try to find a more pleasant match. It's obvious which one you'd go with - to me, anyway.

 

[Gui_PT]

Along with you in the process. If it's 5 on 2 (for example), or worse, more than 5, sticking in that match is going to a horrible experience. So you can choose either to stay there, getting killed over and over, getting frustrated, or bail and try to find a more pleasant match. It's obvious which one you'd go with - to me, anyway.

I don't believe I've ever quit a game in that situation. And as I've said in an earlier post, I've been left alone against 5 guys these past 3 days over and over.

It might suck sometimes, but I don't really feel like being penalized because some people can't stand that they've lost a round or that they're dying more than they'd like

 

[EazyB]

I get more pissed off at the one or two players that try hiding for the rest of the 15 minute match more than I get pissed off at the quitters. It's a waste of everybody's time. Quit out and take the fucking -1exp hit.

I'd rather those that stick around in 8v2 matches get banned from matchmaking than quitters. Say what you will about what's fair, those assholes annoy me the most.

 

[Gui_PT]

Maybe if no one quit before those last two people, there wouldn't be a problem

 

[Thermite]

I don't believe I've ever quit a game in that situation. And as I've said in an earlier post, I've been left alone against 5 guys these past 3 days over and over.

It might suck sometimes, but I don't really feel like being penalized because some people can't stand that they've lost a round or that they're dying more than they'd like

3 days in a row, 1 v 5, multiple times, and you've never quit out once? I take it you're a masochist, then?

I get more pissed off at the one or two players that try hiding for the rest of the 15 minute match more than I get pissed off at the quitters. It's a waste of everybody's time. Quit out and take the fucking -1exp hit.

I'd rather those that stick around in 8v2 matches get banned from matchmaking than quitters. Say what you will about what's fair, those assholes annoy me the most.

Couldn't agree more. Everyone could be onto bigger and better things. There's reason to stick around in a situation like 8v2, or 5v1. It's horrible for both parties.

 

[Gui_PT]

Not a masochist, I usually do pretty well against the other team when I'm alone :lol

Edit: It's funny how you guys hate people that are actually playing the game!

As I just said. If people stopped quitting like idiots, this wouldn't even be a problem

 

[Thermite]

Not a masochist, I usually do pretty well against the other team when I'm alone :lol

:lol Yeah, threw that in there as a joke. Kinda.

The problem does lie with the quitters, though. You're absolutely correct. Unfortunately, they're there, and we have to deal with them. There's just no point to staying if you're up against 4 or more dudes when you're alone, IMO. It sucks for the people who have a bigger team, as there's a shitton of downtime, and it sucks if you're the guy who lost his entire team for obvious reasons.

 

[rac]

I get more pissed off at the one or two players that try hiding for the rest of the 15 minute match more than I get pissed off at the quitters. It's a waste of everybody's time. Quit out and take the fucking -1exp hit.

I'd rather those that stick around in 8v2 matches get banned from matchmaking than quitters. Say what you will about what's fair, those assholes annoy me the most.

Have a harsh enough penalty and there won't be any 8v2 camping. However there will be backlash from players who are lagging out of games.

 

[Nutter]

Get online

Sorry Eazy, was watching the game.

 

[Gui_PT]

There IS a shitty downtime, IF you simply hide when you're left alone.

I go after the other team as if i weren't alone

Spoiler

i wish i were a better player everytime i do that =(

But it's a matter of principle. I'm not going to be penalized for being the only one in my team that actually is interested in finishing a match and completing the objective.
You want to be penalized? Be my guest, but I will not let you make me penalize myself.

 

[EazyB]

Have a harsh enough penalty and there won't be any 8v2 camping. However there will be backlash from players who are lagging out of games.

Give them some motivation to get a better connection. Worst case scenario: people with bad connections don't play Halo nor shit up my online experience.

 

[Self Induced]

BTB + Wife = Me - Dignity

fixed

 

[NOKYARD]

You should not be able to start another search as long as your game that you quit out of is still in progress.

It would be even better if they were stuck in death-cam and forced to watch the remainder of the game while they were waiting.

Not a masochist, I usually do pretty well against the other team when I'm alone :lol

As a player who heavily relies on my team i never understood that concept until i saw my son come from behind in a 4v1 Slayer match after his team quit. I remember saying something like "Well, you're screwed now". He calmly said "No, this a good thing. All i have to do is stay near the base and let them come to me. The other team is going to bring me ammo, grenades, and all the weapons i need". The best part of the game was when he pulled ahead by asploding the victory lap party.

 

[Justinian]

Oh man, I just revisited Halo 1 campaign and was blown away by how much it's held against all the other Halo games let alone other shooters. It's somehow made all the other Halo efforts pale in comparison.

The Elites, the AI, the animation, the dynamism of the encounters, even the graphics still have a sleek beauty that is unmatched. Be it rose tinted glasses or whatever I'm viewing the game through, it's obvious Bungie has lost much since the first game.

I marvel at how well animated and cool the marines looked, and think of the abominations in Halo 3. Somehow, the animation and design has taken a regression. The marines actually reacted to where they were being shot, like most of the other enemies. Somehow the later games ditched this for god knows what reason.

The weapons had such punch. Sparks and searing plasma and bass. The melee attacks had such awesome animations, each one unique and lethal looking. The death animations looked mocap in quality. What has happened to Bungie's animators in recent years?? The Elites and grunts move so fluidly and with real weight that Bungie just can't seem to achieve anymore. Everything now is stiff and rigid and unresponsive.

Even things like AI seem far more naturalistic. Fighting Elites is still a revelation. It feels like you are fighting something lethal and calculating, yet graceful and beautiful. The sounds, animation and behaviour all conspire to make you fear these aliens yet relish fighting them. The brutes, for all their pack behaviour lack the immediacy of the true Halo antagonist.

Sigh.

Here's hoping that Reach can mark a triumphant return for Bungie. What's funny is, I have greatly enjoyed every Halo game and replay them constantly yet the original still manages to be the most impressive.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Only too true Justinian. I truly miss Halo1, even Halo2.

Quitters will never stop quitting. But I like the deathcam-until-the-game-is-over idea. So you honestly need to quit for an emergency? Then leaving your console while your death cam is up should hardly be of consequence. But people will still turn off their xbox and restart it. Maybe implement some kind of feature that requires you to be signed into xboxlive for 5 minutes before you can jump into matchmaking. That wuold be cool. I would gladly wait five minutes before hopping in if it meant people weren't quitting nearly as much.

Also, the game should take into consideration that half your team just bailed on you and reduce how much exp. you lose if any. If a person is all by themselves, I think they should gain exp. to be honest. May take longer for the other team to win, but they're still guaranteed a win with the exception of the rare (1 vs, all) slayer game where the other team is retarded.

Also, please let the map get vetoed on before it loads. I'm so sick of sitting there waiting for a map to load only to have to start over when everyone vetoes it.

And please let your rank go down if you take a long absence. I just started jumping into halo3 matchmaking again recently after over 6months of warcraft, and I suck. And I know if i keep losing my rank will go down, but it's kind of harsh and an abomination to my previous stats. I'm proud of my 45 in team slayer, but to be thrown into games where everyone else is on top of their game is kind of stupid. I'd rather be gone for a while and see that my rank has dropped to 30-35 and get to work my way back, but in a more skill friendly setting.

 

[Warm Machine]

Looks like Mega Bloks are doing a Wraith and Pelican along with a big crazy $120 Halo Wars playset.

 

[EazyB]

Looks like Mega Bloks are doing a Wraith and Pelican along with a big crazy $120 Halo Wars playset.

Put me down for a lego ballerina spartan.

 

[Captain Blood]

Put me down for a lego ballerina spartan.

Such grace.

 

[dilatedmuscle]

Nothing like BTB to make me hate Halo 3.

Seriously, remove guest function from online, it is such a drag to the overall quality of matches. Also, if someone's entire team quits, make a pop up message telling them it's ok to quit and that they won't lose their precious 1 XP point.

I hope rank is hidden in Reach, or I hope they go the COD route and everyone can achieve max rank, but have the true skill hidden. Tired of people quitting out before the match even starts.

Absolutely not! i have guest games all the time when people come over and we get high or drink. Halo is the only game we play because its the only game that allows online guests. So many other games are behind because they cant handle all the halo features.

 

[Hydranockz]

So many other games are behind because they cant handle all the halo features.

Pretty much this. Not even guests, but just having more than one player per Xbox. Me and my bro both have tags and it is a blast to play MM together. (We never get party split either, but sometimes whoever we play with might.)

I am not aware of any successful game besides Halo that does this.

 

[Ajemsuhgao]

This has nothing to do with Reach, but,

Does anyone know how many of these shirts were made/sent out? I got one during the Halo 3 ARG thing, and I just remembered I had it. :lol

 

[bobs...onGaf]

Absolutely not! i have guest games all the time when people come over and we get high or drink. Halo is the only game we play because its the only game that allows online guests. So many other games are behind because they cant handle all the halo features.

Dont forget host migration, it took me ages to get games in the Alien Vs Predator demo and so it was really frustrating when the host dropped for the first few games I got.

And theatre mode, that really should come as standard its so good.

In terms of the quitters thing, its annoying when your entire team quits like 3 or 4 times in a row, and its boring playing against half a team when you dominate them. BUT when im alone on the rare occassion I actually really enjoy the challenge and its pretty satisfying pulling off the win.

Just recently I was left alone against 3 players who had all the power weapons, they killed me like 5 times tbagging and so on and then I just destroyed them, without even using power weapons I frenzied them for the win (almost got the running riot!) - it was so damn satifying and hearing them stutter in the post game lobby was awesome :lol .

 

[nilam01]

Oh man, I just revisited Halo 1 campaign and was blown away by how much it's held against all the other Halo games let alone other shooters. It's somehow made all the other Halo efforts pale in comparison.

The Elites, the AI, the animation, the dynamism of the encounters, even the graphics still have a sleek beauty that is unmatched. Be it rose tinted glasses or whatever I'm viewing the game through, it's obvious Bungie has lost much since the first game.

I marvel at how well animated and cool the marines looked, and think of the abominations in Halo 3. Somehow, the animation and design has taken a regression. The marines actually reacted to where they were being shot, like most of the other enemies. Somehow the later games ditched this for god knows what reason.

The weapons had such punch. Sparks and searing plasma and bass. The melee attacks had such awesome animations, each one unique and lethal looking. The death animations looked mocap in quality. What has happened to Bungie's animators in recent years?? The Elites and grunts move so fluidly and with real weight that Bungie just can't seem to achieve anymore. Everything now is stiff and rigid and unresponsive.

Even things like AI seem far more naturalistic. Fighting Elites is still a revelation. It feels like you are fighting something lethal and calculating, yet graceful and beautiful. The sounds, animation and behaviour all conspire to make you fear these aliens yet relish fighting them. The brutes, for all their pack behaviour lack the immediacy of the true Halo antagonist.

Sigh.

Here's hoping that Reach can mark a triumphant return for Bungie. What's funny is, I have greatly enjoyed every Halo game and replay them constantly yet the original still manages to be the most impressive.

That is sooo true. You don't realize it until you decide to go back and replay halo CE. They had to sacrifice so many things for a faster paced gameplay. I really miss the awesome melee jabs, it felt like they had real weight to them. The animation work indeed seemed to be more natural slower though, but still believable. Guns sounded like guns and not like microwave popcorn. Explosions and the physics behind them were some of the best . In halo 3 and 2 they felt really weak. What I hate most though is what they did to the plasma rifle, that thing felt sooo good in CE, what the hell did they do to it.

 

[dilatedmuscle]

Pretty much this. Not even guests, but just having more than one player per Xbox. Me and my bro both have tags and it is a blast to play MM together. (We never get party split either, but sometimes whoever we play with might.)

I am not aware of any successful game besides Halo that does this.

Imagine my situation... I just got XBL a year ago (espires next month) and the first game i played was halo. Ive been playing the franchise for years (splitscreen lan) and i had played it through XBL before but not for any length of time. After playing halo i went on to every other new shooter and realised that no other game has half the features that Halo has... I expected every single online game to have splitscreen matchmaking!! LOL I spent so much time on the Gears of War and CoD Menus/options trying to figure out how to do it... at no avail :lol

Just recently I was left alone against 3 players who had all the power weapons, they killed me like 5 times tbagging and so on and then I just destroyed them, without even using power weapons I frenzied them for the win (almost got the running riot!) - it was so damn satifying and hearing them stutter in the post game lobby was awesome :lol .

The best is when youre playing snipers and a couple of your teammates quit before the game starts. That means the other team can only get kills so often but it means your team has more targets to pick off lol.

 

[dilatedmuscle]

double post, sorry

 

[Gui_PT]

It would be even better if they were stuck in death-cam and forced to watch the remainder of the game while they were waiting.


As a player who heavily relies on my team i never understood that concept until i saw my son come from behind in a 4v1 Slayer match after his team quit. I remember saying something like "Well, you're screwed now". He calmly said "No, this a good thing. All i have to do is stay near the base and let them come to me. The other team is going to bring me ammo, grenades, and all the weapons i need". The best part of the game was when he pulled ahead by asploding the victory lap party.

Your son is my kind of guy.

That didn't really sound good.

What I meant was, that's also why I stay in the matches after being left alone
:lol

 

[Truant]

Oh man, I just revisited Halo 1 campaign and was blown away by how much it's held against all the other Halo games let alone other shooters. It's somehow made all the other Halo efforts pale in comparison.

The Elites, the AI, the animation, the dynamism of the encounters, even the graphics still have a sleek beauty that is unmatched. Be it rose tinted glasses or whatever I'm viewing the game through, it's obvious Bungie has lost much since the first game.

I marvel at how well animated and cool the marines looked, and think of the abominations in Halo 3. Somehow, the animation and design has taken a regression. The marines actually reacted to where they were being shot, like most of the other enemies. Somehow the later games ditched this for god knows what reason.

The weapons had such punch. Sparks and searing plasma and bass. The melee attacks had such awesome animations, each one unique and lethal looking. The death animations looked mocap in quality. What has happened to Bungie's animators in recent years?? The Elites and grunts move so fluidly and with real weight that Bungie just can't seem to achieve anymore. Everything now is stiff and rigid and unresponsive.

Even things like AI seem far more naturalistic. Fighting Elites is still a revelation. It feels like you are fighting something lethal and calculating, yet graceful and beautiful. The sounds, animation and behaviour all conspire to make you fear these aliens yet relish fighting them. The brutes, for all their pack behaviour lack the immediacy of the true Halo antagonist.

Sigh.

Here's hoping that Reach can mark a triumphant return for Bungie. What's funny is, I have greatly enjoyed every Halo game and replay them constantly yet the original still manages to be the most impressive.

Excellent post. Sums up all my feelings about the series.