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Halo Thread || Go to the new Halo 4 Thread, this one is done

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Posts

  • Iceshot22Iceshot22 Terre Haute, InRegistered User regular
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    It's been confirmed that Halo 4 has no visible Trueskill ranks.

    343 doin' something right

    Lol wut

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  • jerichotwofourjerichotwofour The artist formally known as S043. Registered User regular
    edited May 2013
    From everything I've seen, 343i is doing something right.

    And I have hit (and blew past) several points of no return.

    jerichotwofour on
    PSN: ZeroFourThree (PS3, PS4) | XBL: JerichoTwoFour (360, XB1)
  • Angel177Angel177 Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    High res pre-order bonus images released!
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_4.jpeg
    Best Buy
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_3.jpeg
    Target
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_5.jpeg
    Amazon
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_1.jpeg
    Best Buy
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_2.jpeg
    Futureshop(Canada)/Tesco(UK)
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_15.jpeg
    Console bonus
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_14.jpeg
    Map pack bonus
    halo_4_dlc_armure_octobre_2012_8.jpeg
    Gamestop

    Angel177 on
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  • NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    Is that third one Amazon or Gamestop? Cause the top two are KINDA obvious...

    Actually, can you just list where each item comes from? Only ones I recognize are Best Buy, Target and the Legendary Unicorn stuff.

    newSig.jpg
  • jerichotwofourjerichotwofour The artist formally known as S043. Registered User regular
    The Gamestop bonus is not in that spoiler tag.

    Probably because HAZOP is ugly and red/black on the forest skin is ugly. There are images out there of it, though.

    PSN: ZeroFourThree (PS3, PS4) | XBL: JerichoTwoFour (360, XB1)
  • Angel177Angel177 Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    Nocren wrote: »
    Is that third one Amazon or Gamestop? Cause the top two are KINDA obvious...

    Actually, can you just list where each item comes from? Only ones I recognize are Best Buy, Target and the Legendary Unicorn stuff.

    Third is Amazon, added names to spoiler :)

    Angel177 on
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  • DisrupterDisrupter Registered User regular
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    It's been confirmed that Halo 4 has no visible Trueskill ranks.

    343 doin' something right.

    Ugh, you do realize this absolutely kills Halo 4 for a LOT of folks. I never understand why folks were anti the 1-50 ranking. It made 2 and 3 way more fun. There is a reason a ton of folks stayed away from Reach. Lack of a good competitive system is the reason.

    I know none of my friends will play Halo 4 specifically because of this fact. Ill probably still play it, but a lot less, and with almost zero enthusiasm.

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  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    Reach lacked a good competitive system? Despite the fact that they had a playlist designed solely for hardcore competitive play, in addition to the MLG-designated playlist?

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  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Reach lacked a good competitive system? Despite the fact that they had a playlist designed solely for hardcore competitive play, in addition to the MLG-designated playlist?

    NOT GOOD ENOUGH, obviously. :P

    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Disrupter wrote: »
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    It's been confirmed that Halo 4 has no visible Trueskill ranks.

    343 doin' something right.

    Ugh, you do realize this absolutely kills Halo 4 for a LOT of folks. I never understand why folks were anti the 1-50 ranking. It made 2 and 3 way more fun. There is a reason a ton of folks stayed away from Reach. Lack of a good competitive system is the reason.

    I know none of my friends will play Halo 4 specifically because of this fact. Ill probably still play it, but a lot less, and with almost zero enthusiasm.

    You mean that lack of a competitive system that drove everyone away from CoD?

    People overvalue the ranking systems from the previous games. Having 2000 more people in H3's ranked playlists meant nothing if 1900 of them were cheaters not actually playing a legit game, boosting to make money off selling accounts.

    The Halo black market is thankfully deader than dead.

    Angel177jerichotwofour
  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    Yeah if anything Halo 3 pissed me off when it started trying to force people to play rank by taking certain playlists hostage.

    Arteen
  • MrDelishMrDelish Registered User regular
    I never understood the number rankings in H3. I liked Reach's system even though I knew I wouldn't ever get higher than the "normal" ranks and would get trashed regularly by dudes with those Forerunner or "Son, I Am Moon" ranks or whatever.

  • DisrupterDisrupter Registered User regular
    Reach's Arena was a stat whore simulator. It literally rewarded you for play that SCREWED OVER your team mates. There were only so many kills to go around so if you wanted them all, you had to purposefully not help your team. It was a sorry excuse for a competitive system. Halo needs a system that encourages teams to work together and put winning ahead of stats, Reach failed at this horribly. This is why you see crazy K/D ratios of like 5-20 on there, but in 2 and 3, a 1.5 would be amazing. People didnt spend time farming kills to increase their stats because rank meant winning was the best indicator.

    I never saw this big issue about the black market. Who cares if someone buys a 50? They will either never be able to use it, or they will lose it as soon as they try. So what if they brag? Who cares?

    The number rankings in H2 and H3 provided a competitive playlist to fight in. It ensured everyone in that playlist was playing to win, and not to stat whore. Everything in reach feels like "practice" for a real game that just isnt there. In H2 and H3, social playlists were fun escapes or practice from the real matches that ranked provided.

    There is a thrill of excitement that occurs in a ranked playlist that Halo reach didnt have, at all. Also lack of a visible number takes away confidence that the match making system is working as intended. And in Reach, it didnt seem like it was at all. Matches never seemed even.

    And COD isnt a good example. In fact, everything about COD is anti-competitive, and its everything Halo is moving towards. Unequaled starts, random gameplay elements, join in progress. Also the team sizes of COD made it so you didnt have nearly enough impact in winning or losing. COD already has a pretty tight lock on that group of gamers. It doesnt hurt anyone to include the game type that so many competitive type players enjoyed. Whats the harm in giving them something they enjoy? Just dont play those playlists.

    Also COD is moving TOWARDS competitive gameplay with BLOPS2. They are having ranking systems similar to SC2. I probably still wont be into it, because the gameplay itself doesnt lend itself to fun competitive play, but it shows you that there isnt a harm in adding it.

    But basically, it doesnt impact you to have it. You arent playing that playlist either way. Like, if its there and you ignore it, thats the exact same situation for you if it doesn't exists. So why celebrate other people losing something they enjoyed? Some sort of schadenfreude?

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  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    the ranks in H2 and H3 did nothing for me, but it was clear people valued them. hence why many people who hit 50 simply restarted on a new account to destroy people of a lower level. they don't encourage competition, they encourage people to play like assholes to move an arbitrary number upwards. the ranks in reach are great because they show a time investment, not indicating skill. sure, you can grind out credits, but it's not detrimental to other people's enjoyment.
    halo 4 sounds better everyday, and having no visible ranks shows that 343 atleast understands the problems those visible ranks caused. in halo 3 if I hit a certain rank, I could move no further. this made me want to not play in those playlists, lest I risk losing my 45 in doubles or whatever. it's a dumb system that rewards only the most jerkish players.

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  • Snake GandhiSnake Gandhi Des Moines, IARegistered User regular
    I don't get big deal about ranks myself, but I do think Black Ops 2 has the right idea. League Play (basically Starcraft 2 ladders) for the people who want that, regular multiplayer for those who don't.

    XBL: That Stone Dude
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2012
    Ranks made it people wouldn't stat whore?

    I can't do this anymore.
    It doesnt hurt anyone to include the game type that so many competitive type players enjoyed. Whats the harm in giving them something they enjoy? Just dont play those playlists.

    Yeah, just don't play Team SWAT because it's ranked for some reason! Nobody is hurt! Except the people that just want to play SWAT and not Team Hostboot Battles.
    Also COD is moving TOWARDS competitive gameplay with BLOPS2. They are having ranking systems similar to SC2. I probably still wont be into it, because the gameplay itself doesnt lend itself to fun competitive play, but it shows you that there isnt a harm in adding it.

    BLOPS2 ranking system is pretty much Reach's ranking system.

    FyreWulff on
  • Angel177Angel177 Registered User regular
    the ranks in H2 and H3 did nothing for me, but it was clear people valued them. hence why many people who hit 50 simply restarted on a new account to destroy people of a lower level. they don't encourage competition, they encourage people to play like assholes to move an arbitrary number upwards. the ranks in reach are great because they show a time investment, not indicating skill. sure, you can grind out credits, but it's not detrimental to other people's enjoyment.
    halo 4 sounds better everyday, and having no visible ranks shows that 343 atleast understands the problems those visible ranks caused. in halo 3 if I hit a certain rank, I could move no further. this made me want to not play in those playlists, lest I risk losing my 45 in doubles or whatever. it's a dumb system that rewards only the most jerkish players.

    And this is why I play with the Bee's. Well said H-Jay.

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  • AvalonGuardAvalonGuard Registered User regular
    I have never played any Halos with Penny Arcade people. Do you guys tend towards the competitive nature of the game or the not-so-competitive? I would love to get in on H4 with this group but I am so average at the game. Like, 1.00 KD and 1.00 WL, typically.

  • DisrupterDisrupter Registered User regular
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    Ranks made it people wouldn't stat whore?

    I can't do this anymore.
    It doesnt hurt anyone to include the game type that so many competitive type players enjoyed. Whats the harm in giving them something they enjoy? Just dont play those playlists.

    Yeah, just don't play Team SWAT because it's ranked for some reason! Nobody is hurt! Except the people that just want to play SWAT and not Team Hostboot Battles.
    Also COD is moving TOWARDS competitive gameplay with BLOPS2. They are having ranking systems similar to SC2. I probably still wont be into it, because the gameplay itself doesnt lend itself to fun competitive play, but it shows you that there isnt a harm in adding it.

    BLOPS2 ranking system is pretty much Reach's ranking system.
    Yes halo 2 and 3 focused on rank based on wins and losses not k/d. People didn't stat farm because nobody cared of your k/d was high if you didn't have a high rank.

    Obviously I don't want playlists only ranked. Did I say that? No. All ranked lists should have a social counterpart like in halo 2 or back when I still played halo 3.

    And everything I've heard about blops says its Gunna be like sc2. Which has some similarities to reach except it's based on wins and losses and not stay whoring

    Having separate ranked versions of social playlists doesnt hurt you,

    And why are folks "afraid" to lose their 45? That's the fun, having something on the line. Of you don't find it fun just don't play it.

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  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    edited October 2012
    I have never played any Halos with Penny Arcade people. Do you guys tend towards the competitive nature of the game or the not-so-competitive? I would love to get in on H4 with this group but I am so average at the game. Like, 1.00 KD and 1.00 WL, typically.

    I was never a 'Bee' really, but I played a lot of ODST and Reach with PA folks (with a little bit of Halo 3) and it was just lighthearted, but real, competition.

    If you were just being a bad bad, you probably wouldn't get regularly invited back unless a space just needed filled; but when we played everyone played to win. It wasn't hardcore and you weren't gonna get bitched at for not being as good as Fyre or something, but everyone generally played at their best, which could vary greatly.

    What I mean is that no one ever really screwed off, unless it was games populated entirely by us and we were just dicking around. We played to win, but there was no real consequence if you lost, except maybe some ribbing for doing something really stupid.

    There was really no downside, it was always fun, and I was always happy to get tossed an invite if I was gonna be playing awhile.

    I know some folks around here are down on 343 and H4, but I decided to pick it up at launch (mainly because of the newegg deal) and I hope there's still good times to be had.

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  • jerichotwofourjerichotwofour The artist formally known as S043. Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    The GS camo skin is so much nicer in those colors.

    I wonder how my assortment of greens will look?

    jerichotwofour on
    PSN: ZeroFourThree (PS3, PS4) | XBL: JerichoTwoFour (360, XB1)
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Disrupter wrote: »
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    Ranks made it people wouldn't stat whore?

    I can't do this anymore.
    It doesnt hurt anyone to include the game type that so many competitive type players enjoyed. Whats the harm in giving them something they enjoy? Just dont play those playlists.

    Yeah, just don't play Team SWAT because it's ranked for some reason! Nobody is hurt! Except the people that just want to play SWAT and not Team Hostboot Battles.
    Also COD is moving TOWARDS competitive gameplay with BLOPS2. They are having ranking systems similar to SC2. I probably still wont be into it, because the gameplay itself doesnt lend itself to fun competitive play, but it shows you that there isnt a harm in adding it.

    BLOPS2 ranking system is pretty much Reach's ranking system.
    Yes halo 2 and 3 focused on rank based on wins and losses not k/d. People didn't stat farm because nobody cared of your k/d was high if you didn't have a high rank.

    Reach has been win/loss in ranked play for almost 2 years now.
    Obviously I don't want playlists only ranked. Did I say that? No. All ranked lists should have a social counterpart like in halo 2 or back when I still played halo 3.

    This leads to playerbase splitting. So instead of one healthy playlist, you have two dead playlists. Not viable to do with every single variant.

  • Angel177Angel177 Registered User regular
    If you understand and embrace the "We played to win, but there was no real consequence if you lost, except maybe some ribbing for doing something really stupid" ideal, that's pretty much being a Bee, I wouldn't find playing Halo as much fun if it wasn't for playing with the PA crowd.

    4829841376_4caa3cc651.jpg

    6103544412_a48002080a.jpg
  • DisrupterDisrupter Registered User regular
    Sorry, I quit reach years ago because of lack of competetive options. Arena based on win loss would be fine for me depending on how it worked

    Even when I'd come back for a month or so I never knew they changed arena

    Split player base isnt the end if the world. Ranked would only exist for the popular game types. I doubt those would be dying

    Plus you're not splitting much, lots of folks whod play ranked just won't play much if it's not there: see reach versus halo 3 player base

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  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2012
    It's straight win loss. Rating is just for your own information.

    also:

    RANDOM TANGENT


    Why you shouldn’t be worried about the (current) lack of Assault in Halo 4, a short story by me.

    I was thinking overnight and this morning about the previous discussion on the lack of Assault. I’ve come to the conclusion that people shouldn’t be worried about this. It’s going to require me to lay some groundwork for how I’m going to explain it though.

    In Halo: Reach, objective play has what I’ll call verbs, because I can’t think of a better word right now, for gaining points or winning. These verbs are:

    you can destroy something (kill a player, a vehicle, or only in FF, a generator)
    you can possess something that you can drop (pick up a ball, pick up a flag, pick up a bomb)
    you can occupy something (stand inside a hill zone)
    you can apply something (a bomb to an arming hill, a flag to a cap point)

    In Halo 4, all of these verbs are still available. It got me to thinking that 343 actually made a clever decision in regards to objectives and a problem Reach has: the Oddball, Flag, and Bomb are all just skins for the same mechanic (possess). 343 has actually removed the objective redundancy in 4, and we now actually have more options. You’ll have to divorce the appearance of what you’re holding from the underlying mechanic, though, to follow what I’m saying.

    In Reach, all of your possessable objectives behave exactly the same way. You can pick them up and toss them back down and smack someone for a OHK. Functionally in Megalo they are the same. In Hot Potato, they just use the Bomb instead of the Oddball, but it still functions like an Oddball in previous games, for example.

    In Halo 4, you now have a new option: you have the objective you can toss (Oddball and all of the Reach objective objects), the Objective you occupy (same hills from Reach), and we now have a new Objective type, the Magjective. An objective that forces you to hold it, cannot be tossed, but gives you a basic weapon. It puts you into a known state.

    It was already confirmed by David Ellis on GAF that Halo 4’s launch selection of gametypes are not the gametypes it’s stuck with for the rest of it’s life. So we now 4 can have new gametypes added post launch, and we know it has a scripting language of some sort. 343 also changed the Oddball to a more generic object than a skull, so it could conceivably explode and make sense (unlike a normal human skull) if 343 wanted it to in a gametype.

    I guess what I’m saying here is that there’s nothing preventing Assault in Halo 4. The bomb object was redundant in both form and function - it’s a flag in ball form that you carry in reverse. The question is if 343's ideal assault would be a Magjective (dedicated carrier, must protect on the way in, minimal defense) or an Oddball (throwable and tossable). All they have to do to make the Magjective work for assault is make it so you have to ‘arm’ it and plant the flag on the stand, then the other team has to stand on it to prevent it from being locked in. Or you could make it the Oddball and it's a round object you hold over an arm spot and plant for an explosion, and there won't be confusion since it's one gametype per playlist.

    So Halo 4 has:

    you can destroy something (kill a player)
    you can possess something that you can drop (oddball)
    you can occupy something (hills)
    you can apply something (ball to cap point in grifball, flagnum to cap point)
    you can trade something (trade your weapons for the objective for your current life)

    Or as an example, if you want an objective you can throw that you steal from the other base, make oddballs that only one team can pick up and make them capture it at their home base, with them being able to toss and throw it to each other on the way back. If 'classic' CTF returns as an actual flag though, I'd imagine it'd either be in this form or as a separate Flag object that doesn't give you a magnum patched into the game.

    CTF:
    Possess (H4: trade) the objective and apply it to your home base cap point

    Assault:
    Possess the objective and apply it to your enemy's base cap point

    Oddball:
    Possess the objective and receive points for time while holding it

    Regicide:
    Destroy a player to gain points

    Dominion:
    Occupy hills to upgrade your base and destroy other players

    FyreWulff on
  • NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    That's all well and good, but I...

    oh, wait, I was confusing Assault with Invasion. Nevermind.
    Besides, Assault was originally (1 and 2) carry your/neutral flag into the enemy base.

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  • ArteenArteen Adept ValeRegistered User regular
    There was no social Team SWAT in Halo 3, which was truly unfortunate. Same for a few other playlists (Snipers, Squad Battle, etc).

  • heckelsheckels Registered User regular
    I just hope there are a bunch of varieties of different flag/ball gametypes in each playlist. Im ok with no 1-50 ranking butif they included it I would of been fine...
    TL:DR I'M PUMPED FOR HALO 4!

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  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    I'll be playing reach tonight if anyone would like to join up

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  • jerichotwofourjerichotwofour The artist formally known as S043. Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    I'm on tonight too, but I'm mostly in campaign. I'm really rusty.

    EDIT: And I'm starting up my marathon with Reach. I'm gonna try and do everything in order, including the ODST break in Halo 2.

    jerichotwofour on
    PSN: ZeroFourThree (PS3, PS4) | XBL: JerichoTwoFour (360, XB1)
  • superezekielsuperezekiel Registered User regular
    Ugggh I want that Tesco/Futureshop helmet with the little teeth. So awesome.

    But the Amazon preorder helmet is also badass to levels too extreme for me to handle. This one kind of preorder bonus I'm okay with. Might put my money down soon.

  • NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    What's the Map Pack Bonus?
    Is that for getting the Season Pass (which is free with LE, right?)?


    You can mix and match armor and paint schemes right? I'm gonna make something SOOOOOOO hideous...

    newSig.jpg
  • Renegade WolfRenegade Wolf Registered User regular
    Nocren wrote: »
    What's the Map Pack Bonus?
    Is that for getting the Season Pass (which is free with LE, right?)?


    You can mix and match armor and paint schemes right? I'm gonna make something SOOOOOOO hideous...

    The Season pass that comes with the LE doesn't actually include the bonus two helmets and emblem that comes with the season pass if you buy it separately

    which is dumb and the main part of the reason I decided to cancel my limited edition preorder and just get standard

  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    Speaking of ranked vs social my problem was when the made Big Team Battle ranked only and turned Social BTB into Big Team Objective or whatever.

    BTB was one of my favorite playlists and it had a pretty big player group when it was social.

    When they moved it to ranked only the player pool shrank drastically making it harder to find matches.

    Basically, it was a issue of fixing something that wasn't broken.

    Dragkonias on
  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Can you get the season pass now?

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  • Renegade WolfRenegade Wolf Registered User regular
    Oh cool, looks like they decided locking off most of the specialization perk things just for limited edition holders was a silly idea. And now anyone who plays halo 4 online within two weeks after launch gets access to them as well
    sy0ey.jpg

    Though it doesn't list any European countries as having the offer available which is really weird

  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Dragkonias wrote: »
    Speaking of ranked vs social my problem was when the made Big Team Battle ranked only and turned Social BTB into Big Team Objective or whatever.

    BTB was one of my favorite playlists and it had a pretty big player group when it was social.

    When they moved it to ranked only the player pool shrank drastically making it harder to find matches.

    Basically, it was a issue of fixing something that wasn't broken.

    Yeah, Ranked BTB's run was thankfully short lived.

  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2012
    Double post:

    http://i.imgur.com/sy0ey.jpg

    So, as it turns out, if you play Halo 4 before November 20th, you get early access to all the specializations. Meaning the LE is basically worthless at this point. You are better off buying the Standard then the War Games Map Pass separately, since the Pass you have to buy is the only one that comes with the extra helmets.

    sidenote: this apparently doesn't apply to European players. Although I'm not sure how they're actually distinguishing by region. European players could probably just make an American doppleganger and get a code by playing on that account then applying it to their account.

    FyreWulff on
  • NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    Well, you do get some armor and the future maps along with some other kibbles and bits.

    newSig.jpg
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