UPDATE 6/4/09: The retail collection is dead, according to epic; but there will be an online version that has additional stuff over the Dark Corners map pack. (Aside from the poster and other tangible components). Dark Corners has also been dropped to 1200 ms points ($15) as well, so the extra content in All Fronts will be at a slightly higher price, rather than the same.
we decided to make Dark Corners available for 1200 points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, a reduction from 1600. Don't get me wrong, Dark Corners is the biggest Game Add-on we've ever released, and it was a good deal at the old price, but based upon community feedback this just felt like the right thing to do. Also, we've decided to release the All Fronts Collection on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in order to make it available to the widest audience possible. The All Fronts Collection will be priced at 1600 Microsoft Points, and both offers will be available July 28th at 12:00 AM GMT in twenty-five countries around the world.
Source:
http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/987/987928p1.html
So, to recap (if I understand things correctly)
-Dark Corners DLC: 1200 MS Points ($15) has 7 new multiplayer maps and new singleplayer chapter "Road to Ruin)
-All Fronts Collection: 1600 MS Points ($20) contains the Flashback Map pack (5 maps), the Combustible Map pack (3 maps), the Snowblind Map pack (4 maps), and the aforementioned Dark Corners DLC (7 maps and a singleplayer chapter)
Older, out of date stuff saved stuff below for posterity and what could have been.
Wow. So Epic is releasing an addon in stores for $20 that includes
-The Flashback Map pack (5 maps)
-The Combustible Map Pack (3 maps)
-The Snowblind Map Pack (4 maps)
-A new Dark Corners Map Pack (
7 new multiplayer maps)
-A new set of campaign levels called "Road to Ruin"
-GoW 2 poster
-Xbox 360 theme
-Strategy guide
All for $20 bucks (1600 ms points on live if you just want the new stuff.. err what?)
Still, I'm excited.
“Gears of War® 2†Enlists 5 Million Recruits Worldwide; “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection†Launches July 28 Unleashing All-New Campaign and Multiplayer Content
Global entertainment phenomenon launches a new assault at retail stores and Xbox LIVE this summer
“Gears of War 2,†the entertainment blockbuster of 2008, has surpassed 5 million copies sold worldwide, and the overall “Gears of War†franchise unit sales have eclipsed the 11 million unit mark. The momentum doesn’t stop there – to commemorate these milestones, Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games will unleash the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection,†a value-packed compilation that combines all previous “Gears of War 2†Game Add-ons with brand new multiplayer and campaign content. Available only at retail, the new collection invades store shelves worldwide on July 28 for $19.99/£14.99/€19.99.
Included in the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection†is the “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners†Game Add-on, which features seven new multiplayer maps and a deleted campaign chapter titled “Road to Ruin.†In “Road to Ruin,†Marcus and Dom return to the Locust Hollow in a scene that can be played two ways, guns blazing or in all-new stealth mode.
Click here to view all screenshots
The seven new multiplayer maps in the “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners†Game Add-on are:
* Allfathers Garden: Honor the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
* Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting their flank formation and evasive skills to the test, players will fight to control the Boomshot.
* Sanctuary: Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.
* War Machine: In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, players will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
* Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it’ll be a one-way trip.
* Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and “processing†are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it’s better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
* Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.
In addition to the new content, the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection†also contains every “Gears of War 2†Game Add-on released to date, including the classic “Flashback†Map Pack, volatile “Combustible†Map Pack and the winter-themed “Snowblind†Map Pack. Also included is an introduction to “Road to Ruin†from Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, along with a custom Xbox LIVE theme, collectible “Gears of War 2†poster and a strategy guide. Containing over 3,600 Microsoft Points worth of content, the “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection†is an incredible value at $19.99.
Already enjoying the previously released “Gears of War 2†collection of map packs? Available day-and-date with “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection†via download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the “Dark Corners†Game Add-on will be available separately for 1,600 MS Points.
“Gears of War 2†is available exclusively on Xbox 360 and is rated “M†for Mature by the ESRB and PEGI 16+. “Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection†and “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners†will be available in LIVE-enabled regions worldwide, where “Gears of War 2†is available. For more information about “Gears of War 2,†visit GearsofWar.com.
Source:
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19555/Gears-of-War-2-Enlists-Over-5-Million-Recruits-Worldwide-Gets-All-Fronts-Collection/
EDIT: Added some other goodies to the list that I forgot about
Posts
19 maps and more single player content for $20? I'm soooo glad I haven't bought any of those map packs yet.
I'm with you on this. I really don't have an interest in multiplayer asides from co-op.
Same.
And from looking at the screenshot we're going to see Marcus and Dom pretend to be Locusts. You know, the part in the campaign where Marcus was looking at a Locust helmet and was all "I have an idea!" and then Dom was like "I want to shoot them!" Yeah. This is probably what they were originally planning.
Also, I would still pay money for the PC exclusive GoW1 missions, epic!
Still this is a pretty awesome collection. I'll be picking it up when it drops
....indeed
Yeah. I mean, I'd play Horde on the multi maps, but that's not why I'd buy the thing.
Is there a way to change the priority at which maps are selected in multiplayer? What I mean is this: I mostly play the execution/warzone gametypes. I really don't care for the other ones and I'd like to play the new (or remakes of the old maps) more frequently without having to play the other game modes (annex, meatflag etc). As far as I can tell it's merely RNG when the match loads, but it sure feels like the maps that shipped with the game are given a much stronger weight than say the "flashback" maps. And I am assuming that you can only play snowblind maps (and presumably these as well) by selecting those playlists.
I don't know if Epic ever stated how the queue works for the execution/warzone playlist (name escapes me right now). Whether it is divided into seperate queues for people with the extra maps and those without or a combination and then the game decides when it connects everyone what maps are possibilities based on who bought the xpacs and who didn't.
I just don't understand people's obsession with river.
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This almost makes up for the connectivity issues. Almost.
yeah, that's what this game's multiplayer needed- tight corridors so every weapon except the shotgun is borderline useless
jesus christ as if tagged grenades weren't already 100% deadly and unavoidable, cutting off sections of the map at once, a minefield? jesus
Never gonna happen, unfortunately. I had the chance to play the PC version recently and the excuse epic gave for not giving the PC stuff to the 360 definitely holds up - the PC chapters have way higher enemy counts and environmental complexity. I had to drop the detail levels way down on my aging PC just to play them, where the rest of the game held at a fairly constant 35-45 fps.
Yeah, GoW2 looks better, but in terms of the scale of the firefights, the PC-exclusive GoW1 chapters are way more hectic than anything else in either game. A shame, because they're fucking awesome, and the Brumak fight is sweet.
Yeah, those two maps sound pretty tight in but don't act like it's representative of all the maps they are offering:
* Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.
i posit that gears of war multiplayer is so god damn broken it's ridiculous
i could wax god damn lyrical about how shitty it is
Not to utterly derail the thread, what's so broken about it? I guess you can PM me if you don't want to just take the thread clean off topic.
aw snap 8-)
Yeah, I do fine in Gears and I don't get hit by tagged grenades or fight in shotgun only battles 24/7. Sounds like stuff that only happens when you rush the fuck in.
These would be my thoughts. Certainly going to pick this up. How much will it be in the UK?
nah, this is a gears thread, it's hardly de-railing
i guess i'm primarily annoyed by the fact that lag is such a god damn issue
but since you're askin',
cover is nigh useless since it limits your maneuverability and vision, medium range combat is useless since people can be revived off the floor when you shoot them with the assault rifle, so close combat is emphasised, since you don't want people to revive- so you use the instant-kill close range shotgun which has no margin for error. you either die or kill them, depending on lag, and dying instantly with little indication is not fun.
i'll admit i'm not an amazing player but a game where the shotgun beats the assault rifle in most scenarios has problems
additionally- the boomshot grenades move too fast to dodge the splash damage, the frag grenades have an absurd radius with no time to evade them, planted mines are almost unavoidable, the meat sheild protects you from chainsaw but the metal sheild does not, and the mortar offers no indication of where it is coming down, so, there's that
I realize this wasn't addressed to me, but I just wanted to add my own thoughts. I would disagree on pretty much every point you made, and I'll try to explain as best I can.
The mortar makes a very distinctive sound and takes a fair amount of time to actually hit it's "target". While there is no "GTFO OUT NOW1!!!ONE11!" flashing red light on the ground, unless you are actively engaging someone you can easily look up or sprint to cover to be sure. While I do't particularily like the mortar itself I don't think it's impossible to predict its trajectory from looknig at where the shell is headed.
Similarly the boomshot seems fine to me since I don't think you should be able to dodge the firing of the grenade. Although the boomshot is tough the fight against its far from impossible. Planted grenades are in the same sort of category for the sole reason of you need to just go with your best bet of your opponent's move. Odds are they will put grenades in certain spots (the corners on ruins for example), just as they will likely fire the boomshot somewhat near you on a hipshot rather than actually targeting you. It's frustrating to die to those kind of things but it isn't an auto-death.
Your point about frag radius seems more along the lines of a lack of situational awareness.
I'll give you the chainsaw meat shield/boom shield thing...makes no sense to me but I guess they needed to "balance" the boom shield.
As far as the shotgun being a trump weapon...well I have not seen that be the case even in execution (which would fit your description). Downing someone or providing support fire is very important and often downing someone is more beneficial than the outright kill for the simple fact of gaining a meat shield. That isn't even taking into consideration the ability to set a trap for the other team.
Finally if you don't think cover is relevant then you probably aren't playing against competant opponents. If you are exposed people should be making you pay. It's not always bad whn the other team tries to revive their downed teammate. Now you get 2 kills instead of just one because lancer/hammerburst fire will down one and often people are stuck in the cycle of continually trying to revive a teammate. It's tough to get this when you are the only one shooting but that's why you communicate with your team. Mic or not, odds are they still hear you.
I'm not trying to get on you, if the MP isn't your thing that's fine and it is clearly far from perfect. But lag causing problems is one thing, I don't think mechanically these things are a problem. 99% of the time if I die it's because I screwed up and I know how to correct it. Of course then there's people who run screaming across the map chainsaw revving and no matter what you sink into them they still eviscerate you. But that doesn't happen much anymore.
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The biggest problem really is lag. Your bullets aren't landing where or more importantly when they should be because of it. As such it can (and does) take a full clip or possibly more to down someone on XBL. That being said offline this isn't really an issue or even online if you have a decent connection or can score appropriate hits (more headhots vs center mass).
Note: I have no technical data to back up the headshot vs central mass part.
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Why should you feel miffed about it? If you just bought them yesterday, you have a fair point, but assuming you have had them for awhile (they have been out for a couple months now), you have seen plenty of playing time with them, and in purchasing them you felt they were of enough value. If I had already purchased them, I would be excited this pack is coming out, as to allow more people to own them all and get them into playing rotations much more often and get more use out of them. Do you get upset when you buy a TV and then 6-12 months later you see it for 500 dollars less? Same type of thing. Early adopters pay more for newest thing. Can't let that sour you.
EDIT: I didn't mean that to sound so confrontational. I think it was just reading multiple people being really upset that they had already bought the old map packs. But really, this thing doesn't release until basically August, people. That is still 3 months away. More than fair to people who already bought the old packs, IMO.
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Gears multiplayer can be laggy but when it is not, it is glorious. I still prefer it 1 or 2 to anything else even CoD4.
You can down two people in a single active reloaded clip from the hammerburst, it does plenty of damage. I can do this pretty consistently on XBL, even with lag.
WingedWeasel basically covered most of my points, but I'll elaborate on my own views on a couple of them.
It shouldn't be hard to know the mortar is coming. I mean, the game sends out a global broadcast when the enemy picks it up for the first time, that's your hint to either get some roof above you or hunt down the guy with the mortar asap.
The boomshot is a very strong weapon in the hands of a skilled player, certainly. The power weapons need to be good so they become points of contention on the map. If your team wins the battle for the boomshot they should be rewarded accordingly.
I'm not sure how you are unable to dodge grenades. The enemy has to pull them out (unless they had them out already), spin them around as they aim them, then they have to travel through the air, land, wait a bit, and then blow up. If you know the enemy is throwing a grenade at you there's no reason why you shouldn't roadie run out of there.
I think that's one of the important things to realize in GoW2. Your character is very good at running away, when you roadie run, enemies can at best move as fast as you, but if they try to attack you at all they will slow down and you will get away. Enemy throw a frag/smoke at you? Roadie run away. Enemy going to rush your position with a shotgun and you don't have time to respond? Roadie run away, etc.
Downing people is important, even on execution. If they are downed they can't hurt you or your team mates. Downing on other modes forces the enemies to clump together, making them ripe for grenades or for a flanking attack to tear them apart. Cover is very important, especially against ranged power weapons, but also because if you get downed behind cover it's much safer for your team mates to pick you back up. A common trick of mine if someone is fighting in the open is to down them with my hammer burst, emptying the clip, then do an active reload. When another enemy runs out to revive him, you can do the person reviving and then the revived person in order with a single clip. Now you've got two people down and two easy kills.
The shotgun is a vastly overrated weapon in my opinion. I'm not the greatest player ever or anything but I usually top the teams I play on and I pretty much use the hammerburst exclusively, and always replace my shotgun with a power weapon. And even with a power weapon I often use the hammerburst instead, having the power weapon on my person just keeps the enemy from getting it. If someone, or a couple, rush you with shotguns and you see it coming soon enough just light up the lead guy, then melee him once he's close enough for the down, grab him as a meatshield and take down his friend. If they surprised you and are too close just roadie run away.
Flawed? Yes. Unbalanced? Maybe. Broken? Come on, get over it people. It is not broken anymore. They fixed the game-breaking issues with patches months ago. Outside of a once-in-a-great-while bad host, the multiplayer runs very smoothly now.
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+1
knowing somebody is waddling around with the mortar is pretty useless information, especially if i'm too busy fighting for the point- i want to know where the mortar is heading- like, am i safe here? you know the grenade spawn in the middle of avalanche? not mortar proof, despite having a roof. it's crazy. shit, if i can't counter something, i'd like to be able to avoid it.
it's a powerful weapon in the hands of an unskilled player, actually. what's there to be skilled about? it's fast to aim, fast to shoot, requires very little aiming since the splash is so huge, and it comes with three shots. like i said- i don't necessarily need to counter that, but i'd like to be able to avoid it. getting the boomshot at the bottom of river, say, is a feat to be rewarded but i think it's too generous a reward.
i play a lot of annex/koth since you can respawn. on pavilion, each team has grenades in their spawn rooms and all control points- the mortar, minigun, sheild and pistols- are enclosed areas with plenty of cover to swing a frag grenade in from a ways away. if you're defending the mortar or sheild, they don't even need to see you- they can swing it right over the wall and kill anyone on the point in 2 seconds without ever needing to see you face to face. most people don't aim grenades anyway- the blind throw is fairly accurate and long, and the sheer radius makes up for the inaccuracy.
seriously, it's a guaranteed 3 kills. they have about a second or less perhaps to react.
i have honestly never gained so much distance from a guy by running that they haven't had time to plug me as i run away, slowing me down as i run. shit, you can barely turn while running, so it's pretty piss poor for getting away. there's very little scope for retreat in gears- i consider myself lucky if i get a warning that i'm about to die, much less book it to an exit.
it's pretty risky, though- if they get picked up again it's like they never even got hurt, meaning you just wasted your bullets. it just emphasies close range combat, where things get resolved almost instantly- if they aren't dead, they are ready for a quick excecution at least, with no chance of rescue. this has the side effect of making close range combat confusing, pretty lag-dependant, and altogether horrible.
but unlike the single player, it's worse to be rooted to cover than to be moving around freely.
i can't use the hammerburst, the lag on my shots is too bad. shit, i can shoot the ground and see the dust pop up a good second or two later. i have to rely on the shotgun because hey, it might hit something sometimes if i'm lucky. sometimes sprayin around with the lancer works too.
If you're lagging as much as you say you are though, well, that really sucks. Have you tried port forwarding or anything of that sort to see if it helps.
I'm so glad I never bought the mappacks. Now I'm just waiting for the next free Gold weekend :P
+2
I mean, I really want to buy this, because Gears 2 is great, but damn it, what the fuck, man...
But making someone who got the DLC before pay the exact same price for the new content as people getting it all for the first time?
Fuck you.
You only miss out on the poster and stuff.