Subreddit has become white hot radioactive toxic since they decided to start building more playlists, because people are stark raving mad that “slayer should have been in the game in the first place”, and that’s the whole argument.
In this post, ske7ch says something that we’ve known has been true for years;
“Having both Obj and Slayer playlists results in Obj playlists becoming unhealthy.”
Which definitely explains why they weren’t split to begin with; for playlist health. I had a suspicion this was their reasoning.
Basically, we have a problem that is tremendously difficult to bridge; slayer is more popular, but objective modes are undeniably a huge part of what makes Halo Halo. Do we weaken a section of matchmaking to bring deathmatch to the forefront? Because, frankly, there’s a large chance of that happening again! I remember matchmaking times back in the day getting real long in some of the objective queues.
The influx of players as a F2P game might help assuage that, but to be frank, I think their decision to combine the lists into Quick Play was a smart one, with bringing in occasional events as special lists as a nice touch. Of course, the challenge system really really really conflicts with that setup challenges for specific modes in a playlist with four of them? What the fuck!
Idk, it sounds like a fucked up thing to try and solve, and ske7ch did a good job of conveying the frustration 343 feels at the moment. I think it’s incredible they’re deciding to reverse course partially by the end of the goddamned month; that’s so fast! So we’ll see.
A playlist where people begin to become ANGRY at the game because they can't play a mode they enjoy at all (and frequently quit because of this) is not a "healthy" playlist, and 343 are foolish if they believe it is. Some people want to play Slayer 24/7 and the solution is... to let them. That's the only good solution.
I completely reject the idea that the “only good solution” is doing the same thing they’ve always done which results in populations in certain queues falling to such levels that it causes problems. I’m not saying “don’t add slayer”, I’m saying that I’m glad they tried something while looking at history, being that queue stagnation is a real problem. It clearly didn’t sit well, so they’re working quickly to build something closer to what a chunk of players want. That’s also good! Will we avoid queue stagnation? Dunno! F2P halo, new world, but the data does not bode well. I hope they figure something out.
The game has been out for like, three, four weeks? The amount of doomsaying is wild, both here and elsewhere. I mean, all I did was link to ske7ch’s post and talk about how this is a tough problem, and the heat came out.
What is "queue stagnation" exactly? That sounds made up. "The large majority of players preferring certain modes to others" isn't a real problem (for the devs) if they're continuously playing the game. Trying to FORCE people to play unpopular modes instead of the ones that interest them IS a real problem, though. Despite that, thanks to the Challenges, they do actually have ways to attempt that, without simply refusing to put in a playlist for the obviously most popular mode.
I’m officially in love with the carbine sidekick swap. It feels like the OG noob combo. It’s so silly that the gun I hated most in the game is the one I want most
I do like the pp sidekick swap too but not nearly as much.
But either way you def wanna use sidekick as your swap since it’s one headshot and it’s super snappy
They could make objective modes a bit more attractive if you actually earned xp based on what you do, so if helping out with the objective got you xp in and of itself, as did kills, survives, assists, etc, like most multiplayer games. They need a system that rewards all play at a base level, outside of the basic xp for every match played, which is fine and all but people just assume they’ll account for that when designing rewards and so it’s a wash. It doesn’t feel personal enough to get xp just for playing a match, I wanna know that the stuff I do in the match matters outside of challenges. I know this would be hard to balance with the battle pass rewards in mind but that doesn’t stop it from feeling a bit sterile when challenges and just overall matches played is the only way to earn unlocks, there’s no sense that what you’re doing from moment to moment counts for anything other than the fun of it (which is great, but a seperate thing to the whole unlocks and progression buzz)
They could make objective modes a bit more attractive if you actually earned xp based on what you do, so if helping out with the objective got you xp in and of itself, as did kills, survives, assists, etc, like most multiplayer games. They need a system that rewards all play at a base level, outside of the basic xp for every match played, which is fine and all but people just assume they’ll account for that when designing rewards and so it’s a wash. It doesn’t feel personal enough to get xp just for playing a match, I wanna know that the stuff I do in the match matters outside of challenges. I know this would be hard to balance with the battle pass rewards in mind but that doesn’t stop it from feeling a bit sterile when challenges and just overall matches played is the only way to earn unlocks, there’s no sense that what you’re doing from moment to moment counts for anything other than the fun of it (which is great, but a seperate thing to the whole unlocks and progression buzz)
+1
Right now, if you've done the weeklies, or you're not in a game type that impacts your weeklies, and you're not a fan of the mode, the best thing you can do is try to help the enemy team win.
You could get teeny tiny XP bonuses and have barely any impact, but at least give people a reason to try to do impressive things.
+2
Options
BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
edited December 2021
There are plenty of potential bandaid things they could do, like having persistent objective-based/assist-based XP payouts that exist independent of the weeklies/dailies. Just something to add persistent incentive (and spontaneity) amongst all the ephemeral goal setting
The master chief collection system seemed to work well, just select the game types you want to see and it'll roll you into those modes. Personally I love objectives more than slayer as I get older, back in the day I would grind Team Slayer and Doubles for rank gains in Halo 2/3 and it hurt my ego I never made it to 50 despite sinking years of my life playing the game haha
What I personally would prefer to do is to play lots of Big Team Battle, regardless of mode. That's the most interesting mode for me. Unfortunately, I also want cosmetics, so Big Team Battle is actually something I have to avoid most of the time.
+3
Options
Olivawgood name, isn't it?the foot of mt fujiRegistered Userregular
Big Team Battle is great except that I don't like the maps very much and BTB Slayer is dull as hell
When you have a large number of people in a game, there should be a defined "front" and a defined "home base" and in slayer that stuff rotates too much
Quick play slayer is fine because the maps are usually small, except for the one-flag CTF map which is terrible
I think there's a BTB map for CTF that's all cliffs and canyons and there's some great opportunities for a small group to flank the enemy team, I did it with 3-4 others a few times. As noted, too bad BTB while the most fun for me, is the worst payout.
Woah weird digital foundry have a campaign tech review out. Not gonna watch it myself cos I don’t wanna over saturate myself with campaign stuff, but I’d be curious how it’s going. My impressions based on the multiplayer and footage is that it isn’t really a showpiece stunner with lots of amazing effects but is kind of aiming for a specific look and a kind of reserved sheen, for lack of a better description. Like I’m not seeing loads of crazy effects or anything that screams next gen, which makes sense as it’s cross gen
i just hope we see more visual variety than what we’ve seen in trailers so far, ie basically your usual interior installation levels and the exterior level( going for the second level of Halo 1 look), is all we’ve really seen in gameplay footage.
Edit: oh shit wait looks like all the reviews are dropping, embargo must be up
So reading the reviews and thankfully they are good, but I can’t help but feel instead of excitement Im just relieved. Like it doesn’t have a lot of environmental variety, there’s nothing groundbreaking or overly ambitious about it, which is fair enough. But it kind of feels like I’m just glad it isn’t shit, rather than being blown away by what’s on offer. The graphics and effects in particular are solid, but nothing amazing. It just feels like I’ve played a lot of “next gen” experiences recently and halo doesn’t really seem to be offering that wow factor. It’ll still be super fun to play and I’m glad for the course correct, but the whole vibe I’m getting is that this is indeed a kind of successful course correct and not necessarily something that’s going far beyond that
Hopefully it provides a good baseline for future instalments to do something with a little more punch. Like apparently there’s not much variety in locations, and the kind of herds of animals and a living world vibe I got from the initial teasers appears to be gone. It all just feeds into me being relieved halo doesn’t suck rather than super excited about it or blown away.
ObiFettUse the ForceAs You WishRegistered Userregular
edited December 2021
So if anyone is ever curious, if you start a match before reset and complete your weekly in that match but end the match after reset
You still complete the weekly.
Talk about intense. I [thought] had to get 8 wins in 1.5 hours. Needed a win in the last match, started it at 10:55, got the win when it ended at 11:05 and held my breath the whole time during the victory screen and was insanely relieved when I saw the ultimate challenge show up and animate completed.
ObiFettUse the ForceAs You WishRegistered Userregular
edited December 2021
and now it looks like I'm not getting this week's challenges....
edit: am I dumb, does the weekly challenge not reset until tomorrow?
edit2: the timer above the challenge (at the time) made it seem like it reset 30 min ago.
and now it looks like I'm not getting this week's challenges....
edit: am I dumb, does the weekly challenge not reset until tomorrow?
edit2: the timer above the challenge (at the time) made it seem like it reset 30 min ago.
Reset is on tuesday you have one more day.
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
Tassi is pretty even headed though, I trust him. It's good to temper expectations for the campaign, even if the PvP is pretty fun. And I agree, the Grappling Hook is far and away the best equipment to the point I don't even seek the other ones out, I bet for the story mode it's the same deal
Can I ask people to spoiler like review text or something for those of us who want to wait to play the game before it comes out? Otherwise I can dip from the thread.
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
Also in case you were thinking you'd play at midnight tomorrow night not so. It's 1pm est 10 am pacific on wednesday. I don't do european time zones because I'm not a commie!
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
This is about what I was expecting. Never pre-order games.
It's one guy. All the other reviews I've seen are very positive.
A lot of the statements he made are non-subjective. You can agree or disagree with him on whether you like those elements, but the actual game is not going to differ based on which reviews you find compelling.
0
Options
augustwhere you come from is goneRegistered Userregular
I'm expecting the opinion of 5 to start come around over the next couple years because Halo fans hate most Halo games and they usually hate the most recently released one the most.
On a recent replay of five I didn't mind it. Though I think it would have worked better to have DLC with the non Chief crew than doing both stories in the same game. But having played all the halo games recently its not any better or worse than the other ones.
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
I'm expecting the opinion of 5 to start come around over the next couple years because Halo fans hate most Halo games and they usually hate the most recently released one the most.
Idk, I found 4 to be just OK (and the PvP in that is just a prettied up version of Halo Reach PvP with some different armor abilities). But both campaigns from 4 and 5 were so forgettable I've... Forgotten them.
All the Bungie games are masterpieces, 343 just now found their stride and they've been at it for 10 years now.
Halo 4 was mostly pretty okay but got more annoying near the end and then had that doofy ending. The PVP was pretty alright, as someone who had no Halo nostalgia prior to compare it to. Halo 5 suffers greatly from the way it handles chapter transition and story.
0
Options
Andy JoeWe claim the land for the highlord!The AdirondacksRegistered Userregular
I'm expecting the opinion of 5 to start come around over the next couple years because Halo fans hate most Halo games and they usually hate the most recently released one the most.
Alternate reading: The Halo franchise has gone downhill ever since Halo 1. Also, there's no ODST because everyone loves ODST.
My hot takes:
Halo 1: Pinnacle of the series
Halo 2: Good ideas executed poorly
Halo 3: Pinnacle of the series
Halo 3 ODST: Pinnacle of the series
Halo Reach: Bad ideas executed well
Halo 4: Good freshman effort, bad art direction
Halo 5: W A R D E N E T E R N A L
Honestly what made ODST work that hasn't been done since was telling a pretty local non world ending story and having actual other characters and not just masterchief. But for mainline entries the fan base could not deal with that.
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
Posts
What is "queue stagnation" exactly? That sounds made up. "The large majority of players preferring certain modes to others" isn't a real problem (for the devs) if they're continuously playing the game. Trying to FORCE people to play unpopular modes instead of the ones that interest them IS a real problem, though. Despite that, thanks to the Challenges, they do actually have ways to attempt that, without simply refusing to put in a playlist for the obviously most popular mode.
I do like the pp sidekick swap too but not nearly as much.
But either way you def wanna use sidekick as your swap since it’s one headshot and it’s super snappy
+1
Right now, if you've done the weeklies, or you're not in a game type that impacts your weeklies, and you're not a fan of the mode, the best thing you can do is try to help the enemy team win.
You could get teeny tiny XP bonuses and have barely any impact, but at least give people a reason to try to do impressive things.
I like quick play because it gives me everything.
But I get that some people don't like that and a filter to let you have whatever you want is the smart play.
Seriously and I cannot labour this point enough. Ifff grey 7/10 cod can do this, so can halo
When you have a large number of people in a game, there should be a defined "front" and a defined "home base" and in slayer that stuff rotates too much
Quick play slayer is fine because the maps are usually small, except for the one-flag CTF map which is terrible
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
i just hope we see more visual variety than what we’ve seen in trailers so far, ie basically your usual interior installation levels and the exterior level( going for the second level of Halo 1 look), is all we’ve really seen in gameplay footage.
Edit: oh shit wait looks like all the reviews are dropping, embargo must be up
So reading the reviews and thankfully they are good, but I can’t help but feel instead of excitement Im just relieved. Like it doesn’t have a lot of environmental variety, there’s nothing groundbreaking or overly ambitious about it, which is fair enough. But it kind of feels like I’m just glad it isn’t shit, rather than being blown away by what’s on offer. The graphics and effects in particular are solid, but nothing amazing. It just feels like I’ve played a lot of “next gen” experiences recently and halo doesn’t really seem to be offering that wow factor. It’ll still be super fun to play and I’m glad for the course correct, but the whole vibe I’m getting is that this is indeed a kind of successful course correct and not necessarily something that’s going far beyond that
Hopefully it provides a good baseline for future instalments to do something with a little more punch. Like apparently there’s not much variety in locations, and the kind of herds of animals and a living world vibe I got from the initial teasers appears to be gone. It all just feeds into me being relieved halo doesn’t suck rather than super excited about it or blown away.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2021/12/06/halo-infinite-campaign-review-xbox-series-x-the-unfinished-fight/?sh=14cf866637fe
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
You still complete the weekly.
Talk about intense. I [thought] had to get 8 wins in 1.5 hours. Needed a win in the last match, started it at 10:55, got the win when it ended at 11:05 and held my breath the whole time during the victory screen and was insanely relieved when I saw the ultimate challenge show up and animate completed.
edit: am I dumb, does the weekly challenge not reset until tomorrow?
edit2: the timer above the challenge (at the time) made it seem like it reset 30 min ago.
This is about what I was expecting. Never pre-order games.
Reset is on tuesday you have one more day.
pleasepaypreacher.net
EDIT: I haven't read any reviews but the consensus seemed to paint a positive picture about the game so far.
It's one guy. All the other reviews I've seen are very positive.
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
pleasepaypreacher.net
pleasepaypreacher.net
A lot of the statements he made are non-subjective. You can agree or disagree with him on whether you like those elements, but the actual game is not going to differ based on which reviews you find compelling.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Idk, I found 4 to be just OK (and the PvP in that is just a prettied up version of Halo Reach PvP with some different armor abilities). But both campaigns from 4 and 5 were so forgettable I've... Forgotten them.
All the Bungie games are masterpieces, 343 just now found their stride and they've been at it for 10 years now.
My hot takes:
Halo 1: Pinnacle of the series
Halo 2: Good ideas executed poorly
Halo 3: Pinnacle of the series
Halo 3 ODST: Pinnacle of the series
Halo Reach: Bad ideas executed well
Halo 4: Good freshman effort, bad art direction
Halo 5: W A R D E N E T E R N A L
pleasepaypreacher.net
ehhhhh it's not that good
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
That’s ok, I have another one: The Prometheans are Cool And I Like Fighting Them And I Will Miss Them
I’m gonna miss the Mantis, too. Best Halo vehicle ever, except the Warthog (and variants thereof)
pleasepaypreacher.net