Halo: Reach Discussion

[Limited]

Might hit up some games before heading off to bed, long long day it was today =\

[sevlag]

would play more but nope...my cunt of a sister has to play modern letdown 2 with her circle jerk of guy friends

So i have to wait till 2:30 pm tomorrow to play and get kicked off AGAIN...I'm gonna go sell modern shitfest this week

[Warsaw]

Say you had it first...claim seniority...or is she older than you?

[Amit]

I wonder how long it'll be before we see some real Halo CE work done on Reach. Now that the beta's dropped, that is.

[English Mobster]

Anyone else not downloading Playlist data?

[Warsaw]

That would be most of us. Too many people on their servers all of a sudden.

[Donut]

i joined in with onotix and thearbiter, arby was playing fine before, and onotix apparently managed to get into a server. i still havent played a game yet :saddowns:
been waiting for over half an hour. main menu's music is p cool. thats all i can tell you about this game

[BobtheGreatII]

So has anyone played invasion or generator defense yet? Or is that coming later. Because I haven't seen them.

[DEElekgolo]

fileshares work with you guys? I can't upload anything.

[Warsaw]

So has anyone played invasion or generator defense yet? Or is that coming later. Because I haven't seen them.

Perhaps adding them into the playlists is part of the reason why the servers are down? All I've played are team slayer, stockpile, and one-flag CTF.

[Teltaur]

Perhaps adding them into the playlists is part of the reason why the servers are down? All I've played are team slayer, stockpile, and one-flag CTF.
Nah, they're getting added on later dates. The only thing that got opened up today was the Arena playlist, and I doubt that caused the server issues. I think it's just the shift from 10,000 people to 1,000,000 in a day that's killing the servers.

[staticchanger]

fileshares work with you guys? I can't upload anything.

Mine seems to work http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=32297

[English Mobster]

Well.

This game is fun.

[FRain]

Yeah, don't see what you guys are complaining about.

Also, pistol is win.

additionally,
Stockpile on Powerhouse is epic fun

E:

Invasion doesn't turn on till Friday, and Generator Defense (Network Test 1) doesn't start until the 14th.

[Siliconmaster]

Stockpile is indeed a lot of fun. Powerhouse works the best for it, though Sword Base is pretty fun too. Much more of a clusterfuck though, with all the levels, and falling flags, etc.

[ejburke]

After 3 games, I officially suck. I haven't really played any significant amount of competitive Halo since Halo 1 and that was on the PC. Apart from playing BF1943 last summer, I haven't really played competitive FPS since 2005 or so. Oh well, if there's a time to suck, it's now. I just need to find my shot, learn the maps and weapons, and pay more attention to the radar and I'll be okay.

[ExAm]

Played a few games with Rob before he left.

<3 Armor Lock. Killed a dude with the burst while he was waiting for me to come out of it.

[Siliconmaster]

Armor lock is an interesting ability- on the one hand, you can own the hell out of anyone nearby with the EMP. However, if the other guy has any sense and a few seconds to spare, he can just sit back and then grenade spam you to hell as soon as you emerge from it. In my opinion, pretty darned balanced.

Also, it sounds cool. :downs:

[TVTyrant]

After an hour session, one thing was apparent:

DMR Airborne supremacy :iamafag: No longer will I have to wait for them to pop up their heads. Instead, I can follow them and harass them from the air like the super soldier I was meant to be. Im liking the Halo 1ish features, but am still waiting for the PC version to be announced :\

[t3h m00kz]

I heard they were gonna release it right after Halo 3 and ODST PC get released.

IE never ;(

[Con]

SWAT on Powerhouse is super fun.

[Timo]

I've been downloading it on a 10mbit connection for the past 5 hours and it's still only 70% complete, lol.

[p0lar_bear]

Well, I've found that the only way I can truly enjoy this game is by playing it as unconventionally as possible with a bunch of friends.

Pooky, Teekup, and I went in to Free For All with tentative cease-fires and did all sorts of shit to fuck with players. We'd gang up on one person that was being particularly pro and knock them clear off the 1st position on the scoreboard, I'd have them guard me while I sat there with the Oddball, we sat, invisible, on the edge of the destroyed bridge in Powerhouse and took potshots at people as they flew around the center area on jetpacks (nobody ever found us), and we found that the needle rifle is awesome and better than the DMR in every way possible.

Grenades still need to fuck right off, and I managed to cop an awesome (http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=107569) mutual kill (http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=107669) after an epic profag standoff.

Most fun I've had with the beta since it came out. I just can't play alone.

[Timo]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFFFF

Just turned the TV on and the 360 controller to see where the download was at. The screen was still dimmed after I turned the controller on so I retardedly press B to wake the 360 up. I was greeted with a "download cancelled" message, and that I could resume the download. However when I went to resume it, it just started again from 1%. It took 7 hours to reach 80%. Now it's at 1.

[PlasbianX]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFFFF

Just turned the TV on and the 360 controller to see where the download was at. The screen was still dimmed after I turned the controller on so I retardedly press B to wake the 360 up. I was greeted with a "download cancelled" message, and that I could resume the download. However when I went to resume it, it just started again from 1%. It took 7 hours to reach 80%. Now it's at 1.

I accidentally did the same thing yesterday, but after it sat at 1% for a while, it jumped back up to where it left off.

[Hunter]

OMG, This game is amazing. I was up till 3AM last night waiting for it to download, then I had a game and fucked around in theater.

Go up close to most objects and look at the amount of detail they have put in the textures, its intense. Loving the jetpack :P
There always always seem to be a way to counter someone if your good enough so you can get out of most situations if you are good. I can't seem to assassinate anyone though :( I hold melee which hits them but then I am left standing there holding melee and end up getting killed.

I did sneak behind someone and managed to jump on his back until I got shot in the back.. typical.

Seems like a new game but still Halo, the Beam Rifle is awesome, I had like a 5 kill streak with it, and it was a pisser, killed the same guy like 3 times and I could hear him bitching through my TV (Always loved that feature on Halo 3) and at one point heard him shouting shit whilst he was running off lmfao.

Can't wait to get home now :) Just wished more of my mates would stop being arses and give the game a chance and play it, but they are stuck on Mw2 (Understandable, too many campers these days though). Add me on XBL people, but tell me who you are when you add me: MLB Destroyer (Bitch about my British accent and I will rape you).

[Timo]

I accidentally did the same thing yesterday, but after it sat at 1% for a while, it jumped back up to where it left off.

Turns out this was the case, thank god.

Also, note that i'm probably no going to be the one playing this most of the time, it'll be one of my flatmates on my account. I don't have a mic either :\

[sevlag]

Say you had it first...claim seniority...or is she older than you?
I'm older...but she of course has the parents on her side >.>

Covy slayer is the best its made of pure win

also alot of profags whining about no BR in Reach-around beta

[Hunter]

Can someone explain to me how you assassinate people? Does the player stop assassinating if you get hit by a bullet? Because I have tryed plenty of times and it does not work, apart from once when I took him from behind ;P

[sevlag]

Can someone explain to me how you assassinate people? Does the player stop assassinating if you get hit by a bullet? Because I have tryed plenty of times and it does not work, apart from once when I took him from behind ;P
you hold down the melee button when you go to hit em in the back.

at school ATM

[ejburke]

You don't "stop" assassinating, you can only assassinate when a guy would have died from a normal melee attack. That's the only time it engages. The fact that these guys are shooting you means they had too much health to be taken down from the front.. It's not a power attack, it's purely a visual treat that has no impact on gameplay, other than possibly leaving you vulnerable.

[Hunter]

Edit: So wait from the shields to pop and then assassinate?

[FRain]

You can only assassinate from behind. You cannot assassinate from the front, it doesn't work (from what I know!). There are 3 animations, one if you're both in midair, one if you're landing ontop of him, and one if you're both at ground level. You have to melee, make it connect, and hold down the melee button.

[Hunter]

But in a video you see a player get punched in the stomach - Of course it may have been removed, but I don't see why :(

WE NEED CUSTOM GAMES BUNGIE!

[staticchanger]

Now that things are running smoothly If anyone wants to play add me my gamertag is General Routon.

[Kornman00]

WE NEED CUSTOM GAMES BUNGIE!
Sorry mate, but it's a beta, not a demo

[staticchanger]

Sorry mate, but it's a beta, not a demo

If you go look at the Bungie feedback forums its sad. People think Beta means free game. You should have to take an intelligence quiz to play the Beta.

[thehoodedsmack]

But in a video you see a player get punched in the stomach

I thought they explained that as being the tail-end of an assassination: having hit them from behind, and spun the enemy around to finish with a gut-paunch.

[ejburke]

I could have sworn I did a couple of head-on assassinations in the 8-10 matches I've played. Times where I'm in a close-quarters fight and I wind up pulling an assassination unexpectedly. Maybe I just got lucky, but it seems unlikely that a guy I'm trading bullets with would turn his back on me. Oh well, it's really not worth all this consternation.

[k4is3rxkh40s]

Played a couple rounds yesterday with a friend. Was pretty awesome. It still feels like Halo, but it does feel fresh with the abilities. Expected a bit more, but it's still beta so it could be that much better at full release. Was pretty funny; had my friend baiting people into a room with an over-hanging area, I'd then drop down behind and assassinate them. Lulz ensued between us.

[teh lag]

It's fun but I can't say I had more fun playing the beta than I did playing H2 or 3 multiplayer. It just feels like another iteration of the same game with a few tweaks here and there. It's not bad or boring by any means but I'd say don't kid yourself into thinking it's something massively special. Armor abilities are easily more smoothly integrated into combat than equipment was, so I give them praise for that.

I can't understand why they switched the controls though. I really don't get why X isn't for armor abilities. Kinda bugs me, though I'm sure I'll get used to it.

[Dwood]

You've always been able to change the layout of the controls. Shouldn't be that big of a deal because of it. Oh and people who think that there's innovation left in FPS': There really isn't ever going to be anything huge added that will completely and utterly revolutionize gameplay. The only thing we'll see in First person shooters are changes in style, and refinement of the current set ups basically from here on out, until people start bringing in more wii-like motion control.

[Limited]

You don't "stop" assassinating, you can only assassinate when a guy would have died from a normal melee attack. That's the only time it engages. The fact that these guys are shooting you means they had too much health to be taken down from the front.. It's not a power attack, it's purely a visual treat that has no impact on gameplay, other than possibly leaving you vulnerable.
You assassinate when your not in the guys FOV.

Dwood, you have no idea what your talking about, there are some pretty revolutionary FPS gameplay elements being worked on right now.

[FireDragon04]

Yeah I love reach. END

Played nearly 60 games since the beta came out last night for me in the UK... I'm addicted... taking a break though.

[Dwood]

Examples please, 9mm man.

[Hotrod]

It won't let me play the Beta :( I've been searching for a game for like an hour now, and it didn't give me anything...I was really excited to play this...but I guess it's not gonna happen. Anybody got any ideas?

[Hunter]

I just realised why I can't assassinate anyone, you hold B not RB right? Well, it said that in a video...

[k4is3rxkh40s]

I just realised why I can't assassinate anyone, you hold B not RB right? Well, it said that in a video...

You hold whatever button your melee is mapped to(B if you chose the Recon controller configuration)

[Limited]

Examples please, 9mm man.
NDA, although theres other info on the web.

Beta has got very laggy recently and takes ages to find a game now, before it was near to instant. Least theres noobs who have no idea where weapons are and all that jazz :D

[=sw=warlord]

Found the beta menu remix for download.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP_YZlNXe_U
Downloading it at the moment.

[sevlag]

god headhunter is intense, but sprint breaks it, managed to get a guy with a skullamanjaro, then booked it to the score zone on sword base by literally leaping off a cliff into the zone

[Disaster]

What they should do to make it more intense and to balance sprint, would be to decrease the armor ability time increasingly based on how many skulls you are carrying.

[BobtheGreatII]

That's actually not too bad of an idea...

[Disaster]

So, if your carrying 10, you have no armor ability.

[ejburke]

Question about Stockpile: Can't some jerk teammate pick up and drop flags that are already in the scoring zone to claim credit?

[DEElekgolo]

Question about Stockpile: Can't some jerk teammate pick up and drop flags that are already in the scoring zone to claim credit?
http://deelekgolo.codebrainshideout.net/Pics/2010-05-04_1630.png

[FireDragon04]

Any thoughts on what they'd do to address the stockpile problem in retail? Make it so that who ever drops it is the only one to get the point untill it is taken out of the capture point by the other team? I dunno - might be something simpler i can't think of.

Quite obviously [CAPTAIN OBVIOUS] we're playing a beta so there's alot that will change between now and retail, so it will be interesting to see what changes. I'm trying to think what changed between Halo 3 Beta and retail other than Trip Mines, Carbine and play model material.

Anyway, i've played a good 60 games, not as many as i would have liked but i've got end of year final exams and deadlines going on at the moment so its crazy, i will continue to play though - and soon... INVASION will be playable.

[ejburke]

I guess it would be a pretty simple fix; they could just disable the ability of the team to pick up flags that are already in the scoring zone, like a Blue player can't pick up the blue flag on CTF. It's kind of weird that this never occurred to them, though.

For the skullamanjaro/sprint issue, they should make the 10th skull act as an oddball and replace your weapon, except without the reduced foot speed. If you use an armor ability, you drop the 10th skull.

[Arteen]

I don't see what's wrong with using sprint for the skullamanjaro in headhunter. Gimping a player with 10 skulls is just going to make skullamanjaros rarer and significantly more luck-based.

[Futzy]

I've had the ammo display bug out a few times, where two different ammo meters would be displayed at once, but I don't know the conditions since it was during fights.

[Donut]

I've had the ammo display bug out a few times, where two different ammo meters would be displayed at once, but I don't know the conditions since it was during fights.
oh jesus that was a bug? i knew something was wrong when i picked up a sniper rifle and there were 32 bullets in it. happened with the needler and assault rifle alot too. i was getting really confused.

[TVTyrant]

Focus rifle is death incarnate. Freaking badass weapon.

[t3h m00kz]

Found the beta menu remix for download.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP_YZlNXe_U
Downloading it at the moment.

Aaaand where's the link

[=sw=warlord]

Aaaand where's the link

That is the link, if you look up how to download youtube to mp3 you'll find all the info needed.

[t3h m00kz]

Oh. Youtube reduces quality, so I assumed there was an actual link in the desc. MY BAD

[Delta4907]

http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=70153
Not mine, but it's hilarious.

[Rob Oplawar]

I've played quite a bit and for the most part I love it. The biggest thing for me aside from the obvious bugs that will be fixed is that ever-present concern of armor ability abuse, which we've been afraid of since it was announced. I love the jetpack, and I can't really see anything wrong with it- each pro it offers has an equally strong con and it feels balanced. I haven't seen sprint or dodge abused at all either- it doesn't feel "unfair" for somebody to have a brief rapid movement (on the contrary, I smile and applaud every time a distant guy with a sword surprises me with a sprint). What these abilities all have in common is that all they affect is your movement. I think we're used to people having varying levels of skill in movement- taking a sneaky path, narrowly avoiding the melee, pulling off an impressive jump. The point is I think that it extends their existing ability in a way that doesn't affect your ability to kill them.
Armor lock and camo, on the other hand, are starting to irritate me. In the vast majority of cases, they're just another ability, and I love to use them and have them used. It adds variety to the game. Still, they're open to abuse. The recharge time on the armor lock is so short that if two people have that ability they can alternate so that one of them is locked at all times while another can shoot at all times. This is a good tactical move, but it is quite difficult to counter without strong coordination and its effectiveness doesn't fade with time; it feels unbalanced. I'm not calling it broken, and in most cases I'm perfectly fine with it, but every once in a while in team slayer I'll lose 50-20 because two guys on the other team are spamming armor lock.
I was going to cite an instance where the camo was abused in KOTH, but really the problem was in the placement of the hill and the fact that the guy was camping, something you really can't do much about anyway.

I've heard people complain about the grenades a lot, saying they're too powerful, but I feel ok with them. Many times I'll be surprised to be killed by a single grenade while at full shields and health, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that in itself. There does seem to be a bit of an issue with grenade spamming in some gametypes, but that's just something that needs to be tweaked in the loadouts.


On the whole I am very much enjoying this game despite the few gripes one is bound to have about any game.

[Sasc]

I too am enjoying the beta. The Armour Abilities have given the game a significant boost and have certainly refreshed the tried-and-tested Halo framework. I particularly like Sprint and I use it constantly. I also love being able to do long-jumps while using Sprint, very cool.

I think the weapons fill their roles a lot better than they have in previous Halo games, especially with the replacement of Halo 3's overused BR with the pistol, DMR and the carbine weapon. I believe that Reach's iteration of Halo 3's all-round BR is certainly a step in the right direction, and certainly discredits the "one weapon for all" use of the BR.

The covenant sniper laser is just awesome, very cool weapon. I also think that the AR is the best out of all the games it has appeared in. I don't really know what it is I like about it, but I just works. I've had very little experience with the grenade launcher mainly because I still have no idea where it spawns. Having said that it's only on one map. Same goes for the covenant sniper laser too, in both respects.

I'm also impressed with the quality of the game in terms of its development. It is still in a pre-released state, yet it is so very polished and balanced, very impressive. It is far from perfect though, as I do believe that the grenades' and the aa's need some tweaking, but very enjoyable so far!

[ICEE]

lol, my odst disk is 300 miles away. oh well

[ThePlague]

Will your credits go over to the regular game, or will you have to start from scratch?

[jcap]

Will your credits go over to the regular game, or will you have to start from scratch?
They said in the Reach preview video that they won't carry over. :(

[ThePlague]

That's bs :\

[FRain]

Not really. From what I know it's not quite as simple as that.

[Con]

qLfk-LPA1No

Here are some neat tidbits you may not have known.

[Donut]

loved the air assassination. that was wonderful.

[Arteen]

How is "there are mid-air assassinations" a myth? I've done mid-air assassinations a dozen times already and have been assassinated like that at least half-a-dozen times. Bungie even showed off a 3D rotating image of a mid-air assassination prior to the beta. That said, I liked the myth about grenade momentum being able to kill.

[Hunter]

Its Bungie we are talking about here. There are probably loads of cool features no one notices. Lmao.

[sevlag]

How is "there are mid-air assassinations" a myth? I've done mid-air assassinations a dozen times already and have been assassinated like that at least half-a-dozen times. Bungie even showed off a 3D rotating image of a mid-air assassination prior to the beta. That said, I liked the myth about grenade momentum being able to kill.actually as a witness, (being the reciever of it). grenades do a SMALL amount of damage, so if one where to put someone at one bar and say hit them with a nade, it COULD possible kill them

direct impact with frag seems to cause a small amount of damage.

also P. Pistol is rape, they brought back the awesome H1 one

[ODX]

Those guys don't really do 'myths' so to speak, it's just a bunch of tricks and glitches really.

[Hotrod]

Is it just me, or does the Needler take more than a single clip to kill somebody? I don't know how many times I've tried using it, only to have it empty on me and see the enemy bash me in the face.

[ejburke]

I just had a long string of games in a row where 2 or more players on the other team quit at the start of the match. This "opt out" matchmaking seems to be to blame. People have no intention of playing a new game, but are busy admiring their stats and are inadvertently rolled into the next game and have to abandon the match in order to quit playing.

It wouldn't be so bad if matchmaking made any effort at all to replace them, but it never has and still doesn't. What a shame.

[sevlag]

I just had a long string of games in a row where 2 or more players on the other team quit at the start of the match. This "opt out" matchmaking seems to be to blame. People have no intention of playing a new game, but are busy admiring their stats and are inadvertently rolled into the next game and have to abandon the match in order to quit playing.

It wouldn't be so bad if matchmaking made any effort at all to replace them, but it never has and still doesn't. What a shame.
retail game will probably provide penalties to those who quit mid match (ex. lose Cr and/or rank if your exp bar is low enough)

[ejburke]

I'm sure there will be, but if Halo 3 is any indication, it's not going to ensure very much. It seemed like half the games I played in Halo 3 before I quit were "kiss your sister" affairs that were won or lost by uneven teams. This recent experience has brought a lot of bad feelings to the surface.

Matchmaking should funnel new players into games-in-progress and then give them the option to stay in that "thread", in which case they will be in every subsequent game from the start, or leave the "thread" and possibly join another game in progress (or lobby in progress, if a new game hasn't started yet). It would be exactly like how a dedicated server works -- you initially join mid-match and then just keep playing there until you hop onto another server. When players leave (as they should be allowed to do with no penalty), they at least have a chance of being replaced. I don't understand why, after 3 games, it isn't do-able.

[Rob Oplawar]

I know they give a subtle little beep/click noise when you get placed into a new game, but I feel like the problem would be slightly resolved if that indication were a lot more obvious. I can't tell you how many times I've been checking my stats and then been surprised to see it's already selected a gametype I would have voted against. Perhaps if there were a visual indication on the stats screen once you're placed in a game- like a small pullout comes out from the left previewing the options you have available, or something.

...Hm, it would probably make more sense for me to post this on b.net, where it would have an infinitesimally better chance of being heard by Bungie folks.

e: Also, where the hell are my goddamned player-versus-player stats? They were in Halo 2- one of the stats menus would let you highlight one of the players in the list and all the other players would be updated with the number of times you killed them and the number of times they killed you. Why on earth did they take that out?

Also also, are your medals in those stats? I haven't seen a way to view all the medals I got in a game (through the stats in-game), but it occurs to me I haven't really looked for that so it might be there and I haven't noticed.

[Limited]

Jeez Rob, just click A on your name in the post carnage report.

[TeeKup]

First day was amazing. Second day was shit. Holy hell all the pro-fags invaded on the second day, I tried playing and got out-fagged by GRENADE SPAM, everyone on the enemy team spamming the jetpack and consistent other faggotry.

[Futzy]

Is it just me, or does the Needler take more than a single clip to kill somebody? I don't know how many times I've tried using it, only to have it empty on me and see the enemy bash me in the face.
I've killed two people with a single clip before.

[Arteen]

Is it just me, or does the Needler take more than a single clip to kill somebody? I don't know how many times I've tried using it, only to have it empty on me and see the enemy bash me in the face.
You have to keep the target 'painted' and it'll work beautifully.

[Rob Oplawar]

Jeez Rob, just click A on your name in the post carnage report.
oh, really? hurf durf. :<

[sevlag]

First day was amazing. Second day was shit. Holy hell all the pro-fags invaded on the second day, I tried playing and got out-fagged by GRENADE SPAM, everyone on the enemy team spamming the jetpack and consistent other faggotry.
yep...its starting to happen, look at the Bnet forums too, alot of MLG profags whining about the "skill gap" being lessened because of no BR

[Siliconmaster]

They have the DMR, they should stop complaining. Still has long range headshots, you just can't spam it as much.

[TeeKup]

yep...its starting to happen, look at the Bnet forums too, alot of MLG profags whining about the "skill gap" being lessened because of no BR

Are you serious? God those kids need to get shot.

[Limited]

I've been using the armor lock ability alot recently, I used to not like it, I suppose I didnt use it in the right situations.

I now only use it when I'm about to get owned by nade spams, or the guy has a sword or whatever.

[=sw=warlord]

I just had possibly the best game of swat I've ever had.
2 of my team mates left so it was just two of us left against 4 and I somehow got more kills than the entire other team combined.
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/GameStats.aspx?gameid=3700980&player=hpc%20cobby87

[Hunter]

Team SWAT = WIN
Covi Slayer = WIN

Oh, and because I am retard I have only just figured out why the plasma launcher thing didn't fire when locked on. You have to release the trigger... I though that it fires when charged, but holding the trigger just allows you to lock and charge more plasma to fire.... Dammit.

[Timo]

I've only played about three games on a sdtv, it's pretty fun but I have no idea what half the damn weapons are anymore :x

[TeeKup]

The sniper rifle has returned to is former glory. I swear the sniping mechanic in Halo 3 was fubared beyond belief. The pistol is awesome, so happy to see this. The assault rifle is SPAMMY as ever. The Needle rifle is better than the DMR could ever hope to be. The needler is still jesus (that's a good thing). The Focus rifle is kinda cool. The shotgun is actually useful, and the grenade launcher is awesome.

GRENADES NEED TO FUCK OFF THOUGH.

[Pooky]

Yeah, grenade spam and jetpacks are pretty annoying. The thing that really irritated me though was when I got booted for teamkilling from a JUGGERNAUT game from ONE random unlucky grenade. Bungie really needs to pull the stick out of their collective ass and turn off friendly fire for social playlists.

[sevlag]

Yeah, grenade spam and jetpacks are pretty annoying. The thing that really irritated me though was when I got booted for teamkilling from a JUGGERNAUT game from ONE random unlucky grenade. Bungie really needs to pull the stick out of their collective ass and turn off friendly fire for social playlists.
jetpacks can get annoying, but its fun to just shoot them out of the air

[Hotrod]

You have to keep the target 'painted' and it'll work beautifully.
Yeah, I tried it again today, and I actually managed to do some damage with it. This is how the Needler always should have been.

[p0lar_bear]

The Needler is 7 needles to drop shields, then stick 7 into your victim for a supercombine. As always, the needler is fairly easy to dodge by strafing.

[TeeKup]

The Needler is 7 needles to drop shields, then stick 7 into your victim for a supercombine. As always, the needler is fairly easy to dodge by strafing.

Any intelligent person can easily avoid the needler, strafe right or left and move forward to the needles arc behind you. This doesn't mean the needler is useless however. You just need to learn how to use it right (directed towards other people.)

[sevlag]

is it friday yet... also more H3 BR fags whining about Reach not taking "skill" to play

[Hunter]

The BR in Halo 3 was just fail... The main thing about this game that I HATE is that almost EVERYONE are just AR fags and just keep there finger on the trigger until the clip is empty then spaz out on melee. It pisses me off... Bungie should allow you to create classes so that you aren't stuck with the AR every time you spawn which people just use to spray and pray...

The AR is the reason i don't play Halo... spray frenzy...

[sevlag]

The BR in Halo 3 was just fail... The main thing about this game that I HATE is that almost EVERYONE are just AR fags and just keep there finger on the trigger until the clip is empty then spaz out on melee. It pisses me off... Bungie should allow you to create classes so that you aren't stuck with the AR every time you spawn which people just use to spray and pray...

The AR is the reason i don't play Halo... spray frenzy...
...but allowing customization youi make a gap between new players and those who have had the game for X amount of time

having the pistol AR spawn with different AAs is fair as EVERYONE starts off on even ground with weapons instead of having some faggot spawn with a DMR and scout then rushing to his favorite spot...

on a side note, Jetpack is getting annoying, "wanna fight like a little bitch and spray from the sky"? well do I have the AA for YOU

[Futzy]

on a side note, Jetpack is getting annoying, "wanna fight like a little bitch and spray from the sky"? well do I have the AA for YOU
I agree that the jetpack is terrible for slayer, but it is almost impossible to go without on Swordbase CTF.

[Warsaw]

is it friday yet... also more H3 BR fags whining about Reach not taking "skill" to play

I'm laughing at this because of all three released core games so far, only Halo 1 took any measure of actual skill to play.

I don't see where all the jetpack hate is coming from, to be honest. Unless that person has a grenade/rocket/plasma launcher, they are pretty easy to take down. I never use the damn thing for that very reason (only really use Sprint, but sometimes I use Camo). Also, I see nothing wrong with the AR either. In Halo 1, everyone sprayed with the AR. In Halo 3, everyone sprayed with the AR. What else are you going to do? Burst firing in a furball fight is just moronic; if you want to mix it up go grab that nearby plasma repeater (there is almost always one near anywhere, and I love it).

My favourite gametypes so far are Head Hunter on Powerhouse and Oddball/Juggernaut on Sword Base. In Oddball, I just ignore the ball and mess with the srs players. Can you say assassination bonanza?

I was going for a skullamanjaro last night, and I got assassinated while standing in the score zone. I'm still trying to work out how that happened, and why they didn't count before I died. Glitch mb?

[Rob Oplawar]

Yeah, I notice it takes a fraction of a second to score in headhunter; it's not instantaneous, for whatever reason.
The first time I played headhunter I absolutely cleaned up 25 to a next best of 10, but since then I've been getting my ass kicked. There's so much shit going on I never can seem to hold onto any skulls long enough to score. :C
Not that I'm claiming the gametype is broken. I just suck.

Guys I have work to do but I can't stop playing the beta halp.

[Warsaw]

I left after I died, but that was because I had to go eat dinner. Not including that one, I've only lost a single round of head hunter. Every other time I just clean house; the trick is in scoring every single skull you find instead of waiting until you have a decent amount to turn in. This ain't Tribes 2, so Flag Whoring doesn't help; you don't get any special bonus for turning in a lot at once.

Speaking of Tribes 2, they should put in a "Yard Sale!" announcement whenever someone loses 5 or more skulls and mark it with a nav and maybe get rid of the skull counts over ourheads.

[ejburke]

The delay is probably due to the scripting. Or lag.

I haven't encountered headhunter yet. I pretty much stick to grab bag and was hoping to see a Team Headhunter, but I guess it's not there. Free-for-all is too much of a clusterfuck of grenade spam for my taste.

When does Invasion kick in? Friday? Early? Late?

[TeeKup]

I'm eager for invasion friday. I'm about to go try and bear some more rounds in the already MLG beta.

Some, of you I don't have your LIVE tags. KnightOfAvalon. Hit me up guys.

[sevlag]

When does Invasion kick in? Friday? Early? Late?
probably late, I'm up for beta if anyone else is, noone on my list likes it really, they've gone back to modern letdown 2

[ICEE]

If you shoot someone with the needler a few times, they don't explode and the needles don't break, then you bring out the needler rifle and shoot them with that, will they superdetonate?

[sevlag]

If you shoot someone with the needler a few times, they don't explode and the needles don't break, then you bring out the needler rifle and shoot them with that, will they superdetonate?
dunno, i hate how the needler no longer causes rupture damage as well as impact...i miss that

[Warsaw]

The only game type where I find grenade spamming to be a problem is any CTF (including Stockpile) game. It's almost impossible to recover the flag because you have to sit there, vulnerable, for 10-15 seconds. All the enemy has to do is lob a grenade and give you a whack to the face and they've got your flag again. Possible remedy is allowing the flag recovery to go faster the more team mates you have around it.

[Arteen]

The new flag return system is terrible. They should just use the Halo 3 system.

[Con]

They should award extra cR if you switch to the enemy team to balance it out.

So far my least favourite map/gametype combo is 1-flag on Powerhouse. Headhunter is a cool idea but it gets frustrating. Picking up any skulls makes you a huge target and you just end up getting killed after all the work you did killing the first guy. It's really hard to get the skulls then make it all the way to the drop zone safely.

[ejburke]

I don't see why they can't just have a cumulative hard cap on the amount of time the flag can be on the ground before it's returned.

Personally, I like the old school Halo 1 CTF system -- flag carriers move at normal speed and flag returns on touch. Now that there's sprint and jetpacks, do we need a slowed flag carrier, since he already can't sprint or jetpack? The old school way required clean getaways, which were infinitely more exciting and rewarding than the BS of inching the flag forward we've had since Halo 2. It should be harder to capture a flag than defend it.

And yes, I do know that touch return and normal movement speed are options, but if they don't get used in playlists...


GT: Echo Ten

[PlasbianX]

I'm not getting how the needle rifle works. I can't seem to get a single kill with it.

[Siliconmaster]

I'm not getting how the needle rifle works. I can't seem to get a single kill with it.

Think of it as a DMR with super-combining explosions. Go for headshots and you'll be rewarded.

[ejburke]

What do you guys think of the armor customization? Nothing looks good to me. I'm sure there will be better stuff in the retail, but it all just looks so amateur. One of these helmets has a joker grin and everyone's footwear has caution tape on it. Sloppy, lazy, unappealing stuff. Also, where do the emblems go? Also, also, I still am unhappy with the available emblem options. Are we that afraid of penis emblemss that we can't have any creative freedom? [/fashion police]


GT: Echo Ten

[BobtheGreatII]

The only reason I can figure the feet have the caution tape is because they were prototype armor. And I think it's silly that the emblem isn't on the shoulder pad like normal... : /

[annihilation]

Emblems are stupid anyways.
The only time you really notice them is in the pre-game lobby.

[Donut]

but i like my frowny face :saddowns:

[BobtheGreatII]

I liked to see them on my armor so I could tell myself from the other players when i took a picture...

[Donut]

If you shoot someone with the needler a few times, they don't explode and the needles don't break, then you bring out the needler rifle and shoot them with that, will they superdetonate?
i cant say for sure, but if i remember correctly in halo ce if two different weapons fired the same .projectile, they could combine for the superdetonation. that means next to nothing at this point though, so idk...

[Ifafudafi]

The needle rifle and needler shoot different .projectiles; you can tell because they have different speeds, attachments, and their associated .damage_effects have different properties.

So, no.

[Darqeness]

Also on the topic of emblems, they've taken out the Marathon emblem :(

[TeeKup]

1 flag CTF on Swordbase is the most broken thing I have ever seen. If the attackers have decent flag guards, then it's the easiest thing to do to take the flag to the grav lift and launch it up the capture point, waiting for someone to quick cap it. I had a round last 30 seconds. What the fuck man.

[Pooky]

The only game type where I find grenade spamming to be a problem is any CTF (including Stockpile) game. It's almost impossible to recover the flag because you have to sit there, vulnerable, for 10-15 seconds. All the enemy has to do is lob a grenade and give you a whack to the face and they've got your flag again. Possible remedy is allowing the flag recovery to go faster the more team mates you have around it.
I hate anything with flags in this game. 1 flag on Sword Base is BULLSHIT. If the people are playing are halfway intelligent, the flag will be taken within 3 seconds of the game starting and up the lift to the score zone within 10. 1 flag on Powerhouse is the exact opposite. It's virtually impossible to flush all the defenders out of their base, and by the time you do, there's usually 30 seconds left in the game. Then they start spawning behind you and camping your score zone.

[Donut]

The needle rifle and needler shoot different .projectiles; you can tell because they have different speeds, attachments, and their associated .damage_effects have different properties.

So, no.
thats what i was thinking too, but this is different engine so stuff might work differently in this game. submit it to those halo mythbuster guys

[Lateksi]

I've had too few pleasant objective games in the beta... Now I just play this game for Team Slayer.

Also, the Plasma Launcher with the seeking nades is fucking cheap.

[ExAm]

The plasma launcher is indeed cheap.

Also, loving the grenade launcher.

[sevlag]

The Plasma Launcher isnt 100% accurate with seeking, it seems to like to take sharp turns with its projectile and sometimes doesn't lock onto the target AT ALL

Invasion is tomorrow, get ready for more wambulance

also, more "I want my BR back" on the Bnet forums

[TeeKup]

The plasma launcher is indeed cheap.

Also, loving the grenade launcher.

I love the regular grenade launcher to death. So fun.

[Pooky]

The plasma launcher is indeed cheap.

Also, loving the grenade launcher.

I must be the only person who doesn't find the plasma launcher cheap. It's basically just a more powerful needler, and the projectiles are just as slow and easy to avoid.

[Siliconmaster]

I barely ever run into it, and the few times I've gotten to use it I usually manage to stick the wall in front of me, and blow myself to oblivion. :downs: Makes for some funny moments.

[Hotrod]

I've only used the Plasma Launcher once, and I've found it to be a great addition to the game. It's something new and interesting, which is always good if you ask me.

[Heathen]

Actually, the needle rifle and needler can use each others needles to make a supercombined explosion.






seen it.

E: I also do not think it is cheap.

[=sw=warlord]

Apparently bungie is getting pissed off with all the MLGfags.
http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=43858579


That's it. There, there. Get it out. Get it all out.

(Standard forum rules apply.)

KNOWN ISSUES
-You had a 50 in Halo 3
-You strongly believe Caps Lock is an underutilized communication tool
-You believe that manners are optional
-There is nothing in this world that can temper the burning rage you feel inside
-Opinions are facts unless they do not align with your own

[Donut]

BUT THE BR WAS THE BST IN HALO THIS GAME JUST COPIES OFF OF CALL OF DUTY WITHOUT THE BR EVEN THOUGH CALL OF DUTY HAS MORE 3 ROUND BURST WEAPONS THAN ALL THE HALO GAMES PUT TOGETHER.

there are only a few kids at my school who have played the beta, and theyre all whiny bitches about the br being gone. i cite E3 halo 2. the DMR is the halo 1 pistol mixed with the E3 halo 2 battle rifle. in other words, its sex in one of those ball pits like they have at mcdonalds, except not dirty and not full of aids.
also BR IS ARE FAVORITE WEAPON. BRING IT BACK PLZ!.:maddowns:

hopefully the mlg profags will just stick with halo 3 and let us casual halo players have some fun with reach.

[sevlag]

+rep for Urk is all I gotta say

[jcap]

Holy shit, I'm glad Bungie actually grew a set instead of bending over to MLG.

I do think the game has some weapon problems. The grenades are overpowered for your walking speed, though I really like the increase in damage from the pussy grenades in Halo 3. I just wish they had a longer fuse and that the player speed was increased.

As much as I hate MLG, I really believe all of the weapons are too identical. I don't agree with them that everyone should always start with a DMR that is 100% accurate and can kill in 4 shots, but I do think the weapons need to be a little more useful. I find that most of the weapon damage is fine, but the clip size kills it. When you add the reticule bloom, it makes it extremely difficult to get a kill in 1 clip. Yeah, you are supposed to pace your shots, but you can't possibly think that 1 shot per second is reasonable...

The problem I've noticed is that this game is turning into more of a melee-fest than Team Slayer ever was in Halo 3. Now that one clip of any weapon can hardly kill someone at medium range, I find myself in melee battles about 90% of the time. In close-range combat, it's sadly more efficient to run up to someone and BRB combo them than it is to shoot. Sure, BRB is a glitch I found in the first 10 games I played last Thursday which will be patched (I'm not claiming credit, OK!), but I don't even need the combo to kill most of the time since I still have shields left.

To fix the beat down issue, aside from either increasing damage or decreasing reticule bloom, they need to make each consecutive melee take longer. The first melee fires off instantly, but it takes 1.5 seconds before you can melee again. The next melee takes 3 seconds, and so on. It should also help the problem seen in both Halo 3 and Reach where players will charge pressing their melee button, just hoping to get within lunge range. It could also be applied to the sword melee.

See how I can balance the game, though? You don't need to make all weapons do identical damage in one clip, you just need to properly balance everything else so the weapons fit in. This is my biggest gripe with "weapon balance" bullshit.

Also, I said earlier on that the reticule bloom should be reduced. Really, it does need to be. Look, reticule bloom is fine in games like COD which are essentially 1-hit kill. In Halo, you need to bring down shields, and then bring down health, so the bloom is offset already.

[Warsaw]

Why are people whining so much about the bloom? I have yet to get any issue with it preventing me from making a kill. My DMR shots always land where I want them, I fire off about two rounds every second, and the bloom hardly goes anywhere. I just loathe this melee lunge which, upon more games played, I have realised is still in the game. It needs to be gone. Period. Remove it, and it becomes less of a UFC-type slam fest and more gunplay...kinda like how Halo 1 is.

Also, Bungie tells is health is back. Well, in my opinion it's only "sort of" back. Over 90% of the time you either have full health or three bars. The health is so weak that you can die in one punch once your shields pop. I was under the impression that our Spartan-III super soldiers were wearing high-tech armour, surely they can take at least two, right (and don't tell me "hurf durf it's a game derp", because this affects gameplay)? As it stands, health is just a lip service. It's almost like Bungie would prefer we go back to the regenerating health because as it stands, it might as well be. I say make health more resilient, leave shields alone, and make all the guns just a hair stronger while leaving melée damage around the same.

[Donut]

is it just me or are the spawn points kind of what the fuck? like ill kill one guy, turn around a corner, and get rail roaded by everyone on the enemy team at the same time in the same spot like a traveling pack.

[sevlag]

is it just me or are the spawn points kind of what the fuck? like ill kill one guy, turn around a corner, and get rail roaded by everyone on the enemy team at the same time in the same spot like a traveling pack.
nto just you..and fuck yeah invasion is tomorrow

[Champ]

Holy shit, I'm glad Bungie actually grew a set instead of bending over to MLG.

I do think the game has some weapon problems. The grenades are overpowered for your walking speed, though I really like the increase in damage from the pussy grenades in Halo 3. I just wish they had a longer fuse and that the player speed was increased.

As much as I hate MLG, I really believe all of the weapons are too identical. I don't agree with them that everyone should always start with a DMR that is 100% accurate and can kill in 4 shots, but I do think the weapons need to be a little more useful. I find that most of the weapon damage is fine, but the clip size kills it. When you add the reticule bloom, it makes it extremely difficult to get a kill in 1 clip. Yeah, you are supposed to pace your shots, but you can't possibly think that 1 shot per second is reasonable...

The problem I've noticed is that this game is turning into more of a melee-fest than Team Slayer ever was in Halo 3. Now that one clip of any weapon can hardly kill someone at medium range, I find myself in melee battles about 90% of the time. In close-range combat, it's sadly more efficient to run up to someone and BRB combo them than it is to shoot. Sure, BRB is a glitch I found in the first 10 games I played last Thursday which will be patched (I'm not claiming credit, OK!), but I don't even need the combo to kill most of the time since I still have shields left.

To fix the beat down issue, aside from either increasing damage or decreasing reticule bloom, they need to make each consecutive melee take longer. The first melee fires off instantly, but it takes 1.5 seconds before you can melee again. The next melee takes 3 seconds, and so on. It should also help the problem seen in both Halo 3 and Reach where players will charge pressing their melee button, just hoping to get within lunge range. It could also be applied to the sword melee.

See how I can balance the game, though? You don't need to make all weapons do identical damage in one clip, you just need to properly balance everything else so the weapons fit in. This is my biggest gripe with "weapon balance" bullshit.

Also, I said earlier on that the reticule bloom should be reduced. Really, it does need to be. Look, reticule bloom is fine in games like COD which are essentially 1-hit kill. In Halo, you need to bring down shields, and then bring down health, so the bloom is offset already.
The bloom is fine and so is the clip size. It's not hard to get a kill without having to reload unless you're spraying. I do, however, agree that the grenades are a little too overpowered.

[Donut]

the grenades are A LOT too over powered. if im at full shields and health, some asshole shouldnt be able to throw a grenade across the fucking map and kill me with it.

also just played a team of kids that all used armor lock. that is the most broken shit i have ever seen. all 4 of them camped in the same area with armor lock, and just as you would try to kill one, the asshole would turn on armor lock and his buddies would kill you.
i thought i might enjoy this game. now im realizing that its just as fucking irritating as every other halo game.

[ICEE]

Apparently bungie is getting pissed off with all the MLGfags.
http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=43858579


I think we should have an official impolite and totally self righteous rant section on modacity.

[teh lag]

I think we should have an official impolite and totally self righteous rant section on modacity.

...Please... no...


The more I play the beta the more I get used to it (armor abilities are becoming second nature) but also the more I'm noticing its flaws. Stuff just bugs me mainly. Small things.

Health packs don't stand out from the environment - I was talking with Searphim earlier and he thought they were scenery before he figured out he could use them. The PR... why is it gone? What is the meaning of the plasma repeater? I guess this is just whiny-whiny-I-like-old-stuff-better but if it was me I'd just buff the PR for MP only if I really needed a direct Covie analog to the AR. Why is stealth in the KOTH gametypes when it doesn't seem to earn you points when you use it on the Hill? (At least that's what it's been like for me in the FFA playlist...) What's up with

One of these helmets has a joker grin
and

everyone's footwear has caution tape on it
? What's up with the FP animations on some weapons? (AR+DMR+Pistol+Shotty are the main offenders, some things I'm actually fond of).

It's these little things that bother me. It's fun but it just feels like an "ehh"-worthy jump from Halo 3.

[Siliconmaster]

The PR... why is it gone? What is the meaning of the plasma repeater? I guess this is just whiny-whiny-I-like-old-stuff-better but if it was me I'd just buff the PR for MP only if I really needed a direct Covie analog to the AR.

As I remember, Bungie said that they wanted the Elites to have a weapon that matches the AR for multiplayer. In the campaign, we'll still see the PR, but for multiplayer the plasma repeater is the new primary elite weapon. I like it- feels powerful, and both it and the PR were really spray-and-pray weapons, much like the AR. Bungie's choice makes sense to me.

[ejburke]

Frag grenades can 1-hit kill? Are you sure? I was playing Team Slayer on Swordbase and some guy was camping one of the side ledges. I tossed a perfect grenade that settled right under his feet, but still had to DMR him to finish him off.

By the way, would they PLEASE stop spawning my team right in front of the yellow grav lift that leads to the room that the entire opposing team happens to be camping? It's like everyone on your team has to die before they figure out that it isn't safe.

[Donut]

they one hit kill. if they dont, something is fucked because i got killed by frags alone so many times.

also melees. what the fuck. sprint up, double melee, success. even if someone is shooting you, you still win. use a shotgun and nobody will touch you

[ejburke]

I agree that double melee is kind of wrong. There should be a knockback to put the enemy out of range temporarily so you can't just immediately follow up the melee with another one. Unless he has his back to a wall.

E: Also, I don't really understand why they bothered with a health system. In Halo 1, the shields were a smaller percentage of overall health and recharged slower, so base health was an important resource that you had to closely monitor. In Reach, most of your health is shields, they recharge quickly, and you die mostly from headshots, explosives, or melee, which completely circumvent whatever base health you may have and kill you instantly when your shields are down. As a result, I barely pay attention to my base health, as it just isn't very important.

[FRain]

Damn it, why is that whenever I see "AA" I think antialiasing, god I'm a nerd >__>

[jcap]

the grenades are A LOT too over powered. if im at full shields and health, some asshole shouldnt be able to throw a grenade across the fucking map and kill me with it.
If you are sitting on a fucking grenade, it's your own damn fault if you die. That's why if the fuse was longer and the walking speed was increased, it would balance out the grenade damage. If you can't move out of the way, then tough shit.

[Donut]

sorry, cant survive a hailstorm of grenades :U
basically, i just played this game for 4 hours, hated every game i played, bitched whole time, etc... i seriously doubt they are going to fix anything anybody complains about anyway, so i will not be buying this.
i guess halo just isnt my game :nsmug:
E: did this beta totally ass fuck odst or what? iv been trying to load the campaign for a half hour. im not even exaggerating. it was a little before 10:30 when i tried to play the campaign. its 10:56 right now. what the fuck?

[ejburke]

Damn it, why is that whenever I see "AA" I think antialiasing, god I'm a nerd >__>I think "anti-aircraft". As an aside, can missions where you have to take out AA emplacements in shooters please die? So sick of stock military objectives. I'm currently placing the over/under on anti-aircraft assaults in Reach's campaign at 3.

[jcap]

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=43856245&viewreplies=true&postRepeater1-p=18#43884342

Guys, back me up please!

Also, repost this stuff in the HUD thread, since I don't know where it really belongs: http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=43855771

E: oh and someone please make mention of "Red team - score". It might also help to link to them directly: http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/dialogue.html?cat=multiplay&orderby=name&page=1

E2: Ugh, this might need its own thread. -_____-

If anyone thinks it needs one, you can create it with your own opinion, just link it here and we'll keep it alive.
(http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/dialogue/multiplay/redteamhastheflag.mp3)

[Warsaw]

I agree that double melee is kind of wrong. There should be a knockback to put the enemy out of range temporarily so you can't just immediately follow up the melee with another one. Unless he has his back to a wall.

E: Also, I don't really understand why they bothered with a health system. In Halo 1, the shields were a smaller percentage of overall health and recharged slower, so base health was an important resource that you had to closely monitor. In Reach, most of your health is shields, they recharge quickly, and you die mostly from headshots, explosives, or melee, which completely circumvent whatever base health you may have and kill you instantly when your shields are down. As a result, I barely pay attention to my base health, as it just isn't very important.

That's exactly what I said on the last page. The health is just there as a lip service, it's almost like Bungie would rather just stay with the regenerating health.

[ejburke]

That's exactly what I said on the last page. The health is just there as a lip service, it's almost like Bungie would rather just stay with the regenerating health.And I'd respect them more if they went firmly in one or the other direction. The current health model occupies a no man's land of pointlessness.

[sevlag]

Health does seem useless as most times I'm either full health or 3-1 bar(s) melee is the most used ToD...

on a side note, invasion starts today, hopefully THIS wont be a fuck up

[ejburke]

Yes, Invasion certainly looks promising. It's really the only mode I'm interested in at retail. I just hope it doesn't take forever to match 12 players (with frequent "failed to match" restarts) and it isn't impacted too badly by players dropping. Those are the things that killed BTB playlists for me in previous games.

The best 16-player Halo experience is still on PC. Do something about it, Bungie.

[sevlag]

going to play it ALL week this week, and good luck to malloy who is goin for the 20K Cr add-on for the police helmet

[Arteen]

The best 16-player Halo experience is still on PC. Do something about it, Bungie.
AR/pistol/2frag/noAA starts. Classic weapon set only. Touch return on flags. Flag carriers run at full speed. No marker above a stolen flag. Invincible vehicles. Flag must be at home to score. Decrease shield strength. Large, symmetric, outdoor vehicle map. Friendlies on radar only. OS and camo powerups. 8v8.

Bungie, make it so.

[ejburke]

AR/pistol/2frag/noAA starts. Classic weapon set only. Touch return on flags. Flag carriers run at full speed. No marker above a stolen flag. Invincible vehicles. Flag must be at home to score. Decrease shield strength. Large, symmetric, outdoor vehicle map. Friendlies on radar only. OS and camo powerups. 8v8.

Bungie, make it so.You haphazardly scrawl that on a semi-crumpled piece of paper and I'll affix it with a dagger to Bungie's front door. Wait, is their front door glass? Well played, Bungie. Well played.

[sevlag]

You haphazardly scrawl that on a semi-crumpled piece of paper and I'll affix it with a dagger to Bungie's front door. Wait, is their front door glass? Well played, Bungie. Well played.
so? daggers can be wedged in glass windows...

[Kornman00]

Security would have you on the ground before you could lift the dagger 'n paper to the door :snafubar:

[ejburke]

Oh, I have a plan for Jerome. I hear he is susceptible to bears.

[Arteen]

Beta wishes so far:


Increase jumping height. Powerhouse especially has a few spots where you should be able to jump up effortlessly, but can't. For example, near where the focus rifle spawns. Yeah, you can still jump up there, but it's easy to get caught on the ledge there. It feels a bit sloppy, design-wise. Similarly, Elites can sometimes be a bit too tall for certain parts of the map, like the mid bridge/reception window on Swordbase, or below the roof of the small building near the focus rifle on Powerhouse.
Slight speed increase. It doesn't need to be super-fast like Elites, but it makes strafing and general movement a bit too slow.
Nerf grenades. Either in range or power, I'm not sure which, but as of now they're way too easy to kill with. If you can throw well, you should be able to kill someone with a pair of frags, but now, you just need to throw in their general direction and you'll get the kill. I thought Halo 3's grenades were perfect.
For the pistol and DMR, decrease the bloom, and slightly decrease the minimum rate of fire. The NR seems pretty good as is, and I think the bloom is perfect for the sniper. I think bloom is a neat idea (and not new to Halo), but its implementation in Reach is a bit excessive.
For the pistol and DMR, drastically increase the magazine size, and slightly increase it for the NR. You should be able to at least kill two people with a single magazine, or possibly even three if all your shots are perfect.
Slightly nerf the armor lock. I think perhaps only two usages per full charge, longer recharge time, slightly shorter usage time, and slightly decrease the shield recharge rate with in an armor lock.
Make CTF not suck. As in, no marker above a stolen flag, and use the Halo 3-style flag return system where more players can return a flag faster, and you don't have to stand right on top of the flag to return it. If the offense can get the flag a ways out of the base on Powerhouse, the only way the defense can prevent the cap is through a time-over.
For 1-flag on Powerhouse, move the defending point to somewhere between the current point and the (non-broken) bridge. Everyone takes the flag the same way, because it's the fastest, most reliable way.
For 1-flag on Swordbase, just do something to make it more interesting, and prevent the 20-second captures by taking the grav lift.
Slightly decrease the focus rifle's strength and slightly decrease its overheat time.
Get rid of the Splaser on vehicle maps, or at least don't put it on every single vehicle map. "But you haven't even used it yet!" Yeah, so? Bungie's said it's basically unchanged. Well, it was a terrible weapon in Halo 3, so it's probably going to be terrible now. It's a 1-hit sniper rifle that can instantly destroy a vehicle and kill everyone in them, and since the beam has width, you only have to be 'close' with your shots, as opposed to actually hitting your target.
Similarly, make flying vehicles more susceptible to gunfire. Yeah, I don't really know how they work in Reach yet, but I'm really hoping that we don't need a designated anti-air weapon just to take them down. They were lame in Halo PC, lame in Halo 2, and lame in Halo 3.
Decrease ammo on the plasma launcher. It's like the FRG of Reach. Too many shots for a weapon that's really easy to use.
OS, camo and custom powerups. They are most certainly not made redundant by armor abilities.
For territories, territories should become neutral before you can capture them. If you're taking an enemy's territory, it should go enemy->neutral->yours. It should take a bit longer to capture a neutral territory than an enemy territory.
Let me see how many of each medal I get in the post-game carnage report, and display them better so I can see more of them at a time. The Halo 3 system was better.
Slightly increase sword lunge range.
Top half of players should get a win in FFA, not just first place.
I shouldn't get the Close Call medal if I die a moment after killing my opponent, and I shouldn't get the Revenge medal if I die a moment before killing my opponent. But with Revenge, if I also get a Death from the Grave, then I should get the Revenge too.
Still show the location callout name after I die.

These are mostly minor request now:


More colors (where did the magenta-esque colors go?), all of the previous games' emblems, and more medals! There should definitely be a special medal for killing someone with the special animation.
Bungie, if you're getting rid of equipment because "you don't know what the other player has", then make it more obvious when a player has a certain armor ability.
Even if it has a long refresh time, how about a bubble shield AA? Armor lock just isn't the same.
Good job Bungie, Juggernaut is actually fun now, but I still want a purely FFA version which plays like regular slayer, except there's a juggernaut in play, too.
Flamethrowers!
Slight stun/speed decrease on the target when firing the plasma repeater or plasma pistol. The repeater right now just feels like a blue assault rifle.

These modifications would make the game feel great, not that the game isn't fun already.

[=sw=warlord]

Invasion is finally up.

[Pyong Kawaguchi]

Invasion slayer is awesome.

[Siliconmaster]

Heading into Reach now to see how Invasion plays- can't wait.

[sevlag]

it plays great, just wish you saw the area get glassed if elites won...only cool stuff happens when SPARTANs win

[TeeKup]

Invasion is fun when you have competent team mates.

[jcap]

I don't know about the respawn system. Some like it, but I really absolutely hate it. I wish it was just standard respawning and you didn't need to wait for your team mate to be out of combat. With only 6v6, it's a mess. Additionally, you always tend to spawn on the complete opposite side of the territory in Invasion Slayer, which is a load of bull. It takes only 10 seconds to capture, and by the time you get there, it has already spawned a vehicle and you get your ass kicked.

It also needs to be 8v8.

[Limited]

I agree with Jcap, respawning is awful. I also freaking hate invasion, why on earth to elites spawn directly below where spartans spawn, therefore they will just fuck you up instantly.

[Warsaw]

Beta wishes so far:


Increase jumping height. Powerhouse especially has a few spots where you should be able to jump up effortlessly, but can't. For example, near where the focus rifle spawns. Yeah, you can still jump up there, but it's easy to get caught on the ledge there. It feels a bit sloppy, design-wise. Similarly, Elites can sometimes be a bit too tall for certain parts of the map, like the mid bridge/reception window on Swordbase, or below the roof of the small building near the focus rifle on Powerhouse.
I Agree completely. More than once have I been killed because I couldn't jump over that ledge in a timely fashion.

Slight speed increase. It doesn't need to be super-fast like Elites, but it makes strafing and general movement a bit too slow.
I think we need more increase on the strafe, but not as much in the forwards and backwards movement. Maybe a 5% increase in forward motion, and a 10-15% increase on the strafe.

Nerf grenades. Either in range or power, I'm not sure which, but as of now they're way too easy to kill with. If you can throw well, you should be able to kill someone with a pair of frags, but now, you just need to throw in their general direction and you'll get the kill. I thought Halo 3's grenades were perfect.
I don't think the grenades themselves are the problem, rather they highlight two other problems. One of them is player speed, which, as you mentioned, is too slow. The other is the terrible resilience of the health. Give us health that is as tough as it was in the first game, and grenades will behave properly.

For the pistol and DMR, decrease the bloom, and slightly decrease the minimum rate of fire. The NR seems pretty good as is, and I think the bloom is perfect for the sniper. I think bloom is a neat idea (and not new to Halo), but its implementation in Reach is a bit excessive.
Still not seeing the problem with the bloom on either of these weapons. The point is to force you as a player to regulate fire without actually capping the rate, thus preventing spamming for headshots like we used to do with the pistol in Halo 1 and the Battle Rifle in all the other games. If they lower the rate of fire at all on either of the guns, then there is no point to the bloom at all, especially if you also decrease it. If I had to take a guess, I'd say that you are trying to use the DMR and pistol at too close of a range to fire slowly but too far away to have that not matter; that tells me you need to use a different gun for that engagement range, period.

For the pistol and DMR, drastically increase the magazine size, and slightly increase it for the NR. You should be able to at least kill two people with a single magazine, or possibly even three if all your shots are perfect.
Again, haven't had problems. I will say that it's much harder to get headshots, and that can be frustrating. Theoretically, you can kill three people with a full magazine, since it's a four-shot kill weapon. It's just that the hit-box for the head is tiny now, and we don't get a headshot indicator in the crosshair (or if we do, I can't see it). I think the magazine on the DMR should remain, since it checks players from sitting atop their favourite spot and raining down death with abandon. You can still do it, but you also have to watch out since you'll be vulnerable more often. Essentially, the DMR is the M6D from Halo 1, but with a 4SK. If it's actually 3SK, someone please tell me, because I haven't been able to pull that off.

Everything I said there also applies to my opinion of the Needle Rifle. Remember that it also supercombines. If you keep fire on the target, it's much more effective than if you just chipped away.

Slightly nerf the armor lock. I think perhaps only two usages per full charge, longer recharge time, slightly shorter usage time, and slightly decrease the shield recharge rate with in an armor lock.
Hell yes. Most annoying ability in the game.

Make CTF not suck. As in, no marker above a stolen flag, and use the Halo 3-style flag return system where more players can return a flag faster, and you don't have to stand right on top of the flag to return it. If the offense can get the flag a ways out of the base on Powerhouse, the only way the defense can prevent the cap is through a time-over.
Yes.

For 1-flag on Powerhouse, move the defending point to somewhere between the current point and the (non-broken) bridge. Everyone takes the flag the same way, because it's the fastest, most reliable way.
But you also die 50 times along the way. I've seen players take it the long way past the Plasma Repeater spawn, and do so with relative impunity. Still, I agree, the bases are too close together.

For 1-flag on Swordbase, just do something to make it more interesting, and prevent the 20-second captures by taking the grav lift.
They did. The grav lift is gated off now. At least, it was last time I played.

Slightly decrease the focus rifle's strength and slightly decrease its overheat time.
Agreed

Get rid of the Splaser on vehicle maps, or at least don't put it on every single vehicle map. "But you haven't even used it yet!" Yeah, so? Bungie's said it's basically unchanged. Well, it was a terrible weapon in Halo 3, so it's probably going to be terrible now. It's a 1-hit sniper rifle that can instantly destroy a vehicle and kill everyone in them, and since the beam has width, you only have to be 'close' with your shots, as opposed to actually hitting your target.
While this would make the Splaser pointless to have in the game, period, I still agree. Though here's a better idea: leave them in FFA Slayer vehicle maps, but remove it in team objective games.

Similarly, make flying vehicles more susceptible to gunfire. Yeah, I don't really know how they work in Reach yet, but I'm really hoping that we don't need a designated anti-air weapon just to take them down. They were lame in Halo PC, lame in Halo 2, and lame in Halo 3.
I didn't have issues taking down Banshees in Halo PC, but they were a load of hooey in Halo 2 and Halo 3, especially with the lack of fall damage and loss of the guided rocket launcher. Bungie, fix it.

Decrease ammo on the plasma launcher. It's like the FRG of Reach. Too many shots for a weapon that's really easy to use.
Side stepping behind a barrier or sprinting away perpendicular to enemy LoS can evade. It's not that bad, especially because it has to charge. More often than not, it's a Pyrrhic victory for the user.

OS, camo and custom powerups. They are most certainly not made redundant by armor abilities.
Perhaps have an option in the game creation menus where you can either have armour abilities OR traditional powerups, but not both.

For territories, territories should become neutral before you can capture them. If you're taking an enemy's territory, it should go enemy->neutral->yours. It should take a bit longer to capture a neutral territory than an enemy territory.
You mean take longer to capture an enemy territory than a neutral one? If it's going enemy->neutral->yours, that's more steps than neutral->yours. But yeah.

Let me see how many of each medal I get in the post-game carnage report, and display them better so I can see more of them at a time. The Halo 3 system was better.
Agreed.

Slightly increase sword lunge range.
Definitely. This weapon is near useless against anyone who sees you coming, which makes it pointless to have because otherwise you could just get an assassination. Also, the shotgun and hammer top it.

Top half of players should get a win in FFA, not just first place.
First, second, and third place all get a win bonus in FFA. At least, I've been getting win bonuses for that. In addition, also had a game where we ended up in a 3-way tie for first place, and the game gave all three of us the first-place winnings.

I shouldn't get the Close Call medal if I die a moment after killing my opponent, and I shouldn't get the Revenge medal if I die a moment before killing my opponent. But with Revenge, if I also get a Death from the Grave, then I should get the Revenge too.
Agreed.

Still show the location callout name after I die.
Would come in handy for telling team mates where the enemy is/was two seconds ago.

These are mostly minor request now:


More colors (where did the magenta-esque colors go?), all of the previous games' emblems, and more medals! There should definitely be a special medal for killing someone with the special animation.
Hell yes. I want to be my classic Halo 1 pink colour, since we are back in Mk. V armour. :maddowns:

Bungie, if you're getting rid of equipment because "you don't know what the other player has", then make it more obvious when a player has a certain armor ability.
Jetpacks are easy to find, camo gives itself away. Armour lock and sprint, on the other hand, have no indicators.

Even if it has a long refresh time, how about a bubble shield AA? Armor lock just isn't the same.
I would say only allow that for team games, since it would be pretty useless in a Free For All. You could use it to shield team members taking fire while they in turn protect you.

Good job Bungie, Juggernaut is actually fun now, but I still want a purely FFA version which plays like regular slayer, except there's a juggernaut in play, too.
[b]Hell yes. Ninjanaut, here I come!

Flamethrowers!
Lul.

Slight stun/speed decrease on the target when firing the plasma repeater or plasma pistol. The repeater right now just feels like a blue assault rifle.
Plasma repeater does stun...at least, it did when I was using it to hose people. It only stuns if the shields are down though.

Adding one of my own here, but change the way weapon respawns work. It's infuriating to have to wait for whoever has the shotgun or Rocket or Sniper to put it down before being able to pick one up yourself. And no, people wouldn't just be whoring it because it would still take forever to spawn. It worked fine in Halo 1, so why the hell is there allowed only one shotgun or one sniper rifle? On that token, change the shotgun back into a regular weapon because it is a terrible power weapon. You can't do shit with it unless you are at "in-your-face" point blank, otherwise the other player has just as much chance (actually more) of killing you than you do of killing him; that does not fit the definition of power weapon. Hell, it's like the only things not power weapons are DMR-type guns and bullet hoses. No wonder everyone spams the AR, that's all you can have.

These modifications would make the game feel great, not that the game isn't fun already.

Done.

E: Also want to reiterate that the melee lunge needs to go. Serious, I want to get kills with my trusty cannon, not my fists. If I wanted to do that, I'd play the latest fighting games, not Halo.

[Champ]

I wish it was just standard respawning and you didn't need to wait for your team mate to be out of combat
You don't have to respawn by your teammate.

[CabooseJr]

It takes too long to respawn even when the timer is 0. >:(

[Limited]

Okay invasion slayer is fucking awesome, regular sucks balls though.

[Warsaw]

It's almost like Halo is trying too hard to be UT or Tribes.

[sevlag]

anyone up for invasion? so far I like it

[TeeKup]

Invasion Slayer is ANNOYING as hell when the other team is coordinated and all your allies want to do is kill things instead of getting objectives. 2 games in a row all my allies were running around like headless chickens, I saw an ally trying to snipe an elite with the DMR for 5 goddamn minutes before I TK'd the idiot. Honestly I prefer regular invasion when the Defenders aren't MLG idiots and the game can go somewhere. As for Slayer, I like it when both teams are organized and work well, not why I just stated about the idiots.

Slayer also tends to bug me when I randomly die from half-way cross the map by some idiot with a DMR, but thats mostly player behavior. Slayer also needs to work on where it spawns you in conjunction with the objective. I don't like trekking the entire damn map only to have a scorpion in my face.

[Warsaw]

To be fair, the DMR is supposed to be used half-way across the map...that player is using it properly.

[p0lar_bear]

To be fair, the DMR is supposed to be used half-way across the map...that player is using it properly.

Using the weapon correctly, yes. Doing the right thing, no.

Also, played a game and I like the concept behind it very much. Though I refuse to play without a buddy.

[Warsaw]

I have yet to play Invasion at all, and will probably do so tonight, but if part of the objective includes preventing the enemy from achieving his, how is it not doing the right thing assuming he's effective at it?

[Malloy]

bug: says 'flag' dropped when the 'data core' is dropped :\

[=sw=warlord]

My impressions so far?
Other than some spawn issue's I've had I'm actually enjoying this beta a lot.
Reminds me of playing Halo CE at a afterschool social club I went to when it came out.
The health system I quite like, I'm not seeing any of these grenade spam issues people are complaining about.
Halo was always about Guns, grenades, Melee and that is how it should remain, You start off with 2 grenades and if you are lucky you will get 2 kills with them which isn't really something to be raging about.
More often than not I get kills by assassinations or the magnum.

I noticed they've decreased the shots fired by the Spartan laser down to 4 shot's which took me by surprise a little, for a day or so I avoided the pistol but at one point I was forced to use it and realised just how decent it was in close range.
My current opinion is this is what Halo 2 should have been like, same with Halo 3.
I can see myself playing invasion an awful lot if they fix the spawn issues, I was spawning in the middle of no cover as a elite and being picked off until I used the load out with the evade ability.

[Darqeness]

Is it just me, or does the UNSC announcer in Invasion sound a hell of a lot like Colonel Campbell from Metal Gear Solid?

[=sw=warlord]

Is it just me, or does the UNSC announcer in Invasion sound a hell of a lot like Colonel Campbell from Metal Gear Solid?
I was actually thinking the same thing.

Just been shown this:
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=640542

[ExAm]

What the fuck is up with bungie's player? I can't click any of the buttons, or even right click the flash object.

[Warsaw]

My impressions so far?
Other than some spawn issue's I've had I'm actually enjoying this beta a lot.
Reminds me of playing Halo CE at a afterschool social club I went to when it came out.
The health system I quite like, I'm not seeing any of these grenade spam issues people are complaining about.
Halo was always about Guns, grenades, Melee and that is how it should remain, You start off with 2 grenades and if you are lucky you will get 2 kills with them which isn't really something to be raging about.

Except we've all but left out the guns for the most part. 90% of kills are by melée or grenade, and half of those still are pure melée. I agree that this is much better than Halo 2 and 3, but it still needs some serious tweaking.

[Arteen]

*bloom and stuff*
Basically, my issue is that if we're supposed to pace our shots, why not just make the gun shoot slower? They accomplish the same goal. I can see how a bit of bloom would be cool. For example, you quickly make 4 body shots, wait a moment to let the bloom decrease, and BAM headshot. It also makes you have to be precise to shoot targets far away. My main issue is that after you fire one or two shots, your next bullet isn't going to go anywhere near the center. It just seems disingenuous. I do like how bloom works for the needle rifle. You need to slow down your later shots, but the first few shots are pretty accurate. I think a slight decrease in bloom would do wonders. Yeah, you can get used to it, but there doesn't seem to be a good reason for having the bloom as drastic as it is.

[Warsaw]

Well, let me phrase it this way: it's puts the balance in the hands of the player as opposed to having the game hold your hand all the way. It forces you to be a responsible shooter. Managing the bloom is what will set the new player apart from the experienced player. If you just make it shoot slower, then there is no gap at all.

Also, I've been firing it about as fast as I can, and I have yet to see my shot not go where I was pointing. To be honest, it feels like the bloom is there to look fancy but does nothing to the performance of my gun.

[ExAm]

It definitely makes a difference at longer ranges. Close up, not so much at all.

[English Mobster]

I was actually thinking the same thing.

Just been shown this:
http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=640542
HOT WARTHOG ON ROOF ACTION

[Siliconmaster]

Bungie weekly update: Yay fixes!

[Warsaw]

I find that clip most amusing. If one could get into the gunner's seat like that, it would have some awesome implications.

[Con]

HOT WARTHOG ON ROOF ACTION
how does something like this even happen.... I thought gravity was something devs devs had down pat :\

[ODX]

Watched a video of an Invasion game (Elite perspective, guy also has a Spartan one too and other junk):
Laser starts around 3:47, skip to 4:00 though and..well, just watch >_>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktfJESmfFRM&feature=channel

Looks like it is exactly the same as Halo 3, rapes any vehicle that comes in its way.

Edit: What's up with the elites holding the weapon with two hands now, I kind of liked the one-handed way found in Halo 2 and 3.

[Warsaw]

Ok, yeah, laser needs to go. That, or make it into a one-time use weapon. Actually, I really like that idea.

Also, I thought they were trying to make the Elites seem more alien. Should make up some Covenant language for the Covenant announcements which would alert players into reading the message.

[sevlag]

no problem with the laser, not seeing it TOO much to complain...is it me or do elties seem to win 8/10 times in invasion

still a fun game type, if anyone is up for it Im ready to go anytime

[English Mobster]

Spartans have won 8/10 times on me, buddy. I think it's just you.

[sevlag]

Spartans have won 8/10 times on me, buddy. I think it's just you.
another victory for the elites :3

[Arteen]

Well, let me phrase it this way: it's puts the balance in the hands of the player as opposed to having the game hold your hand all the way. It forces you to be a responsible shooter. Managing the bloom is what will set the new player apart from the experienced player. If you just make it shoot slower, then there is no gap at all.

Also, I've been firing it about as fast as I can, and I have yet to see my shot not go where I was pointing. To be honest, it feels like the bloom is there to look fancy but does nothing to the performance of my gun.
It isn't a particularly fun new feature. I find it to be just an unnecessary overhead, since it's not that difficult to fire the gun a bit more slowly. The only reason it sets a new player apart from an experienced player is that the new player doesn't realize how quickly his shots will start missing if he fires the gun as fast as possible. I was watching a video on Waypoint, which was a recording of an MLG guy during one of his first matches. It was so painful to watch because his shots are all lined up perfectly but he still misses. It just seemed so wrong to me. A little bloom (like on the NR) if nice, but on the pistol particularly it is too much and it's a significant deviation from how a player would expect the pistol would behave.

Bungie's not afraid to make using certain weapons easier when they could otherwise require skillz, such as the new ghost reticle on some of the Covie weapons. The excessive bloom seems contrary to this.

And, totally called it. The splaser is still a terrible, terrible weapon and Bungie should feel sad about creating it. Also, vehicles seem to have no durability whatsoever and it's hard to tell when they're going to explode.

Also also, Invasion is kinda-sorta fun, but Invasion Slayer is really fun when it's not horribly glitchy. Two games, Elites spawned with ARs, noone had AAs in tier 1, nothing dropped from territories in tier 1, and throughout the game, you could only spawn on your bro; you couldn't select any default spawn point. I wasn't expecting anything this broken, Bungie. Good thing it's a beta.

[Pooky]

Detailed Invasion review:

Vehicles are made of paper

Elites spam plasma grenades

Spartans spawn kill with the DMR

THE LASER IS BULLSHIT

[TeeKup]

I would have enjoyed the most of the things invasion if it weren't for the simple fact that the Spartan Laser exists and that whenever I try and snipe everyone on the entire enemy team berserk rushes me or spams me from long distance with a goddamn needle rifle.

[sevlag]

Detailed Invasion review:

Vehicles are made of paper

Elites spam plasma grenades

Spartans spawn kill with the DMR

THE LASER IS BULLSHIT...yeah thanks for the -rep because i hold a different opinion about the laser than you

anyways still haven't been killed enough by the laser to warrant "it sucks" , Invasion slayer could use some tuning as MLG pro overran the playlist from the looks of it, but oh well

I repeat I haven't been killed enough by the laser to warrant the "its cheap" opinion

[Warsaw]

It isn't a particularly fun new feature. I find it to be just an unnecessary overhead, since it's not that difficult to fire the gun a bit more slowly. The only reason it sets a new player apart from an experienced player is that the new player doesn't realize how quickly his shots will start missing if he fires the gun as fast as possible. I was watching a video on Waypoint, which was a recording of an MLG guy during one of his first matches. It was so painful to watch because his shots are all lined up perfectly but he still misses. It just seemed so wrong to me. A little bloom (like on the NR) if nice, but on the pistol particularly it is too much and it's a significant deviation from how a player would expect the pistol would behave.

Bungie's not afraid to make using certain weapons easier when they could otherwise require skillz, such as the new ghost reticle on some of the Covie weapons. The excessive bloom seems contrary to this.

And, totally called it. The splaser is still a terrible, terrible weapon and Bungie should feel sad about creating it. Also, vehicles seem to have no durability whatsoever and it's hard to tell when they're going to explode.

Also also, Invasion is kinda-sorta fun, but Invasion Slayer is really fun when it's not horribly glitchy. Two games, Elites spawned with ARs, noone had AAs in tier 1, nothing dropped from territories in tier 1, and throughout the game, you could only spawn on your bro; you couldn't select any default spawn point. I wasn't expecting anything this broken, Bungie. Good thing it's a beta.

I dunno, if I saw that video I'd be all smug inside knowing that MLG players have to start over just like everyone else, learning how to compensate for recoil. Seems plenty fair to me. Bungie may have made things easier in the past, but that doesn't mean they will or have to this time. Hell, I'm all for making the game harder, the last two were too easy, which is why I sucked at them in multiplayer.

I guess you and I will just have to be content with our opinions. We'll see what Bungie does in the end. I have a feeling that the bloom won't deviate much from where it currently stands.

[English Mobster]

I, for one, am in favor of the bloom.
As a vehicle guy out of preference, I'm not liking the return of the laser, but a skilled driver can avoid them. I managed to force a guy with the laser today into using all of his shots trying to shoot my Banshee down. I dodged until he was out of ammo, then I fuel rod'd him.

[Pooky]

In the last Invasion game I played I saw 5 vehicles die in 5 laser shots. It's so powerful and easy to use I have to wonder why the vehicles exist at all. You can just sit up on a faggoty little ledge where no one can see you and destroy all the vehicles before anyone knows what the fuck.

[ExAm]

And when those shots are gone, it won't be back for at least another several minutes. Cry some more, learn to avoid it. I haven't even used it more than once, and I've been killed very few times by it. People are generally incompetent.

Also, I convinced several parties that I was Scottish today.

<3 invasion

[FRain]

I just realized why everything seems overpowered.

No one does anything about it.

Oh, theres a lazer guy. K, ignore him, cause he totally wont cease fire just for me.
(lased)
WTF THE LASER IS SO OVERPOWERED.

This is what EXACTLY happened in a game of mine except replace Laser with a Scorpion.

the Data Core was on the stairway to the phantom
okay guys, last stand, 30 seconds left, lets go! GET THE DATA CORE
(DATA CORE TAKEN)
(SCORPION BLOWS UP CARRIER AT DISTANCE)
(3 seconds later)
(DATA CORE TAKEN)
(SCROPION DESTROYS CARRIER AGAIN)
(another 2 seconds later)
(DATA CORE TAKEN)
(FUCK MAN DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF)
Whiny kid: MAN THAT FUCKING TANK IS SO FUCKING OVERPOWERED FUCKING GET RID OF IT REAAAA (quoting his almost exact verbatim lmao)
Me: (facepalm), yeah yeah yeah, i'll go jack it, brb.
(destroyed)
(core taken)
(core captured)
Whiny kid: man why am i doing all the work on this team.
Me: ...

See, if I know there's a laser up, I attempt to find him and avoid vehicles, not just grab a vehicle and hope for the best.

Also, invasion is fucking amazing and you suck.

[sevlag]

In the last Invasion game I played I saw 5 vehicles die in 5 laser shots. It's so powerful and easy to use I have to wonder why the vehicles exist at all. You can just sit up on a faggoty little ledge where no one can see you and destroy all the vehicles before anyone knows what the fuck.
I htink I know why Im not aggravated by the laser, I'm the one on the end shooting it...thats not to say i spam targets, I only shoot more dangerous targets (ex. wraith) for some reason the banshee survived the a direct laser blast...

I admit the cool down time between shots needs to be upped, because its too quick to fire

[English Mobster]

The Banshee is fast, and a skilled pilot can make what appears to be a direct hit just clip the Banshee's wings. I'd imagine that's what happened; boot the film up for theater and slo-mo when the Banshee almost gets lasered; I guarantee you the pilot "strafed" (of a sort) in the Banshee.

[sevlag]

The Banshee is fast, and a skilled pilot can make what appears to be a direct hit just clip the Banshee's wings. I'd imagine that's what happened; boot the film up for theater and slo-mo when the Banshee almost gets lasered; I guarantee you the pilot "strafed" (of a sort) in the Banshee.
to be honest he wasnt boosting or coming at me, he was doing the "liesurely flyby" thing and i hit him dead on, oh well some guy on my team two shoted him with a DMR and killed him xD

[Pooky]

Cry some more, learn to avoid it.


Also, invasion is fucking amazing and you suck.

Personal attacks, blanket "QQ" responses, what quality arguments :allears:

Though I do like that suggestion to "avoid" a hitstan, instant kill weapon with near infinite range and massive aim assist, while sitting in a vehicle which is a huge, often slow target. Don't tell me about the charge time and targeting laser either. The former is irrelevant when firing from cover (which any intelligent person will be), and the latter is barely noticeable even when no attempt is made to hide it.

It's also super fun trying to hunt the laser guy down when all your vehicles are gone and you're being spawn camped by a scorpion, because he probably isn't hiding way up on a high ledge, and your ONE available sniping weapon totally doesn't paint a gargauntuan "KILL" sign above your head the moment you open fire.

[ExAm]

You're speaking as if you have absolutely no options for cover. GET THE FUCK BEHIND SOMETHING.

[Pooky]

You're speaking as if you have absolutely no options for cover. GET THE FUCK BEHIND SOMETHING.

I'm speaking because I think that vehicles have lost nearly all their influence and power in a firefight due to the sheer dominance of the laser. A Wraith or Ghost that has to spend all its time hiding from the laser campers isn't contributing much to the game, is it? The Spartans in Boneyard already have the Rocket Launcher, which is a powerful anti-vehicle tool in its own right, but one that actually requires skill and effort to use. The laser is just an unnecessary redundancy that rewards people for unimaginative tactics and makes getting in your vehicles a rather unappealing prospect.

[p0lar_bear]

You're speaking as if you have absolutely no options for cover. GET THE FUCK BEHIND SOMETHING.
Speaking from my luck and experience on the matter in similar scenarios:

Incoming hail of grenades. :v:

Or a spammy scorpion.

I think the biggest issue with the laser is the fact that it's often used when nobody sees it coming. Like, oftentimes, say, on sandtrap in H3, of course everybody expects to get lasered if they get in a vehicle at match start. But, after it gets used and the game goes on, vehicles come out and start doing their thing. Then out of seemingly fucking nowhere, you get lasered while trying to escape after your gunner just died in a firefight.

[sevlag]

regardless of vehicles, boneyard still focuses heavily on "on foot" combat so laser becomes more or less a anti-personnel weapon

still think invasion is pretty fun

[Arteen]

Hell, I'm all for making the game harder, the last two were too easy, which is why I sucked at them in multiplayer. I guess you and I will just have to be content with our opinions.
Yeah, but I don't really see it as making the game harder, since you just have to shoot slower to be accurate. It just feels tedious to always have to fire a gun slightly slower than it allows any time you want to use it, when the playability could be improved just by making the gun shoot slower in the first place. I can live with it if it doesn't decreasein the final, but meh.

More thoughts on the beta:


How to balance the plasma launcher without nerfing its tracking: make its projectiles do half-damage. This would change the dynamics of the weapon tremendously, for the better, but it would still be a powerful weapon.
The vehicle combat, at least on Boneyard Invasion, isn't any good. It's way too easy to EMP a vehicle when an entire team gets grenade launchers. As an Elite, you can jetpack high above a Scorpion, hit it with an overcharge, then drop grenades on it. Bye, bye tank.
I have no idea when my vehicle is about to blow up or die. I've committed suicide in a Banshee because I performed a loop up into a ceiling accidentally and that apparently killed me? When I'm flying around in a Banshee and get shot by a Scorpion, I usually have no good indication what happened to me until I respawn and see the tank. It just looked like I suddenly died. I've seen (and been in) Wraiths that didn't last 5 seconds after spawning, same with Scorpions. When you're in the midst of combat, you have no clear indication as to when your vehicle is going to blow up, and it's always invariably 'way too soon'.
Fix Invasion so I can actually see where all my teammates are at all times, not just when they're obstructed by geometry. While we're at it, don't make their indicators so pale. I've seen (and caused) so much friendly fire because people cannot tell at a glance if a vehicle is hostile or friendly.
Similarly, as an Elite, if someone else has the core and I don't have line-of-sight, then I cannot even see the marker above the core. What the heck?
I dunno, but Spartans seem to get all of the cool loadouts. I know they should get a slight advantage due to being slower and weaker, but Elites don't get any fun weapons, and the sword is severly gimped compared to a shotgun, since the sword has barely any lunge and can be blocked.
Laser? Terrible, terrible weapon. It seems unchanged since Halo 3, which is a bad thing. You really can't evade it, even in a Banshee, if the user is half-competent. No, the charge time and red beam really don't make a difference. How to balance it? I'd suggest not giving the beam a width. If you miss, you miss. On vehicles, the beam has to intersect the driver or else it does much less damage. Or preferably get rid of it. The laser doesn't miss because you have leet banshe skillz, it misses because the user f'ed up.
What happened to the turret seat on a tank being durable? At full health and shields, I'll just get killed by a Wraith mortar. I liked how in Halo 3 you could survive a bit longer than that.
Regular Invasion isn't all that fun. As an Elite in tier 1, have fun rushing past all of those DMRs. If you and your battle bro die, have fun trekking all the way back to the ship from your spawn point. Either that or one of you hides near the ship the whole time, and the other one rushes the territories. Too bad that's not any fun for half the team. For tier 2, the inside territory is too easy to defend, so there is no reason to try taking it over the outside territory. Overall, the progression from territories->territories->1FlagCTF isn't particularly interesting. It doesn't feel like there is much variety between each match.
In Invasion, spawns (especially for Elites) tend to be very far away. Either one Elite hides and their battle bro continually respawns and rushes for the objective, or they both try to fight, die, and have a long trek back. Not fun.
In Invasion Slayer, one third of the map is never used. No territories spawn over there and there are no spawn points over there, so Bungie might as well just block it off.

[jcap]

The vehicles were so damn overpowered in Halo 3 and invincible to literally anything that there weren't enough lasers on maps.

I haven't played against enough vehicles yet, since I usually die by another heavy weapon before I can even do damage to the vehicles, but when I was driving in them they did feel like they take damage easier. Well, maybe they don't take damage easier, as more damage is inflicted on them...

Invasion needs to be faster paced.

[sevlag]

I like the warthog chaingun turret, now people can jsut sit on that all day and kill, the turning speed is :\

I hate hate HATE incopitent teammates on invasion, whats that you say? the elties have the laser and rockets? well now HOW THE FUCK DID THEY GET THOSE?

[Warsaw]

They rushed past the armoury on the way to the Tier 2 objective? Somebody doesn't have to die for them to get those.

Personally, I think Invasion would be infinitely more entertaining if it were more similar to a Halo-spun version of Unreal Tournament's Warfare or Assault modes instead of a hack of Territories and CTF.

Also, when the Elites get the core, a base alarm should sound off until it's returned or end of the match.

[sevlag]

They rushed past the armoury on the way to the Tier 2 objective? Somebody doesn't have to die for them to get those.

Personally, I think Invasion would be infinitely more entertaining if it were more similar to a Halo-spun version of Unreal Tournament's Warfare or Assault modes instead of a hack of Territories and CTF.

Also, when the Elites get the core, a base alarm should sound off until it's returned or end of the match.
there is a sort of alarm that sounds when the core is "cracked"

[Pooky]

The vehicles were so damn overpowered in Halo 3 and invincible to literally anything that there weren't enough lasers on maps.

I haven't played against enough vehicles yet, since I usually die by another heavy weapon before I can even do damage to the vehicles, but when I was driving in them they did feel like they take damage easier. Well, maybe they don't take damage easier, as more damage is inflicted on them...

Invasion needs to be faster paced.

Uh, what ?

Shit, vehicles, run for cover! Quick, use one of the four available anti-vehicle explosives or 2 methods to EMP (most of which spawn right in the goddamn bases)! Failing that, shoot any given part of the vehicle with a laser for an instant kill!

Vehicles were gimped as fuck in Halo 3, and Halo 2. The pattern needs to stop.

[Warsaw]

I remember when killing a vehicle took a well-timed grenade and a series of well-placed shots. :-3

[Pooky]

I remember when killing a vehicle took a well-timed grenade and a series of well-placed shots. :-3

That, or an overcharge plasma pistol followed by a mag or two of pistol spam. Halo 1 had methods of vehicle ownage that were powerful and useful, but still allowed the machines to have a position of prominence on the maps.

[Futzy]

http://derekdennison.codebrainshideout.net/reach/IMG_6511.jpg

Anyone else notice this? Posted it on Bungie.

[Warsaw]

What am I looking for?

[Futzy]

You can't see the random face stretched across the doorway?

[Arteen]

Yeah, saw that in my first match, but couldn't remember where it was to post it.

[jcap]

I remember when killing a vehicle took a well-timed grenade and a series of well-placed shots. :-3
Yeah, I liked that. But that was when vehicles would actually flip and eject passengers. That was also during a time where grenades did severe damage.

[Pooky]

That's why I feel like they should drop the pretentious bullshit with anti-vehicle instant kill weapons and go back to the old system, where vehicles can take damage from any form of attack save melee, yet they're durable enough to take a decent amount of said punishment.

[Warsaw]

They do severe (if inconsistent) damage in Halo: Reach, too. Problem is not the grenades, it's the excruciatingly slow player speed and the general lack of resiliency in the health bar. Oh, and the addition of realistic vehicle physics doesn't help. :maddowns:

E: Oh, that's what I was looking at. I wasn't sure if it was a stretched face or if that was a legitimate piece of the map. I've only played one round of Invasion, so I'm not too familiar with the map. I do like the large number of sniper rifles and rocket launchers available...:D

[FRain]

btw, that you suck, was directed at everyone.


Personal attacks, blanket "QQ" responses, what quality arguments :allears:

Though I do like that suggestion to "avoid" a hitstan, instant kill weapon with near infinite range and massive aim assist, while sitting in a vehicle which is a huge, often slow target. Don't tell me about the charge time and targeting laser either. The former is irrelevant when firing from cover (which any intelligent person will be), and the latter is barely noticeable even when no attempt is made to hide it.

It's also super fun trying to hunt the laser guy down when all your vehicles are gone and you're being spawn camped by a scorpion, because he probably isn't hiding way up on a high ledge, and your ONE available sniping weapon totally doesn't paint a gargauntuan "KILL" sign above your head the moment you open fire.

So, go spawn with a pro pipe, and go disable his shit, and go jack it, thats almost EXACTLY what I did when we were getting spawncamped by a tank.

[Atty]

Played Invasion Slayer, didn't find it all that fun. Probably because my team was a bunch of randoms who didn't talk or really know how to play, just focused on spamming whatever explosives they could get their hands on and whoring vehicles.

[sevlag]

Played Invasion Slayer, didn't find it all that fun. Probably because my team was a bunch of randoms who didn't talk or really know how to play, just focused on spamming whatever explosives they could get their hands on and whoring vehicles.
seems to be a rampant problem in invasion slayer

[Donut]

i have not yet found a single sniper rifle, nor have i even seen a laser in invasion so far, and so far elites have won every single time

[FRain]

Sniper spawns at the "junkyard" position in Phase 3, as does the Splaser and Rocket Lawn Chair

[Donut]

ok spartans have won one time, but that was because we killed a tank that blew up on top of the core thing so nobody could get to it
E: spartans won again, but thats because i was playing on their team :-3
actually no, we won because we camped with shotguns, and i blew shit up with the laser. holy fuck the laser...

[Warsaw]

I like it when there's one Elite thinking he's all badass camping with the sword, and then you show up with a shotgun and teach him who's boss. :-3

[Donut]

yeah i would have gotten an open season hanging out on top of the core if i hadnt used the laser to blow up 2 banshees.

[sevlag]

seems spartans are learning to duck to avoid a elite's fists

[Warsaw]

It's good to be short, what can I say. They also better not edit that, since it's a legitimate tactic.

[Donut]

2 things: on invasion, elites can stand on top of the objective for the first part, and apparently still score while being immune to any kind of grenade spam
also, i think i just got a double kill for blowing me and a team mate up with a rocket after the game ended. lol.
E: i just tried. how the fuck did they get on top of the objective?
E2: shotgun + armor lock need to get the fuck out. basically just armor lock gtfo.
E3: wow playing invasion, my team mate died as a guy quit out, and i cannot spawn now. im sitting here watching this as i type. i have been "waiting to spawn" for over a minute now
E4: spawned after 1:30, it seems the announcements for "shut out" and "skunked" are reversed. as in, it will read "shut out" but the announcer will say "skunked" and vice versa

[sevlag]

found an interesting video on Bnet show casing elite using an armor lock animation and spartans doing a unique evade animation, I put pics of it in the Reach thread that I took from the film, lost link itself

anyways im getting jack shit with Cr now after being a WO grade III

[ODX]

Got to play it. (Not sure if this has been talked about) 1 Flag CTF on Swordbase is the easiest shit ever. Me and my friend just cooperated, ran in there spamming grenades into the tunnel the defends have to come though, took the flag and ran like hell back to base through the gravity lift. Defense? Pfft, have a guy sprint up there quick to spam grenades at the falling attackers, and the other guy gets into a position behind the barrier behind the flag with armor lock. Once the scout guy dies, have him go armor lock too.

Cheap shit, fun shit, doesn't feel much different from Halo 3 though.

Sevlag: Perhaps this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKFBJXnbtqQ&feature=related) might be the video? It's backwards Invasion, so Covenant are defending and Spartans are attacking, sprint animations are being used for elites and evading for Spartans.
Edit: Then again, Elite's running animation is just sped up whenever they sprint, not sure about Spartan evading. Elite at around 1:30 DOES use Armor Lock, and has a red shield rather than blue.