[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

What about switching the regular hogs with the Ghosts at the center base?

Ghosts just seem so underpowered. I prefer the Revenants just because they can seat a passenger.

Originally Posted by sek929 

The end bases could have the covenant thingy, ghost and mongoose so racing to the center would still be worthwhile to get a regular hog, but it wouldn't extremely unbalance things.

Alright, let's try this; Bases: Double Revenant, Banshee (which was less dominant than expected), Ghost where the Mongoose is. Fortress: Double Warthogs, Falcon, Tank, Mongees on the wings. Sort of a Covenant vs. USMC dealie. I can adjust the weapons to compensate, too. Well, except the turrets, which i was way pumped to see actually used a few times last night.

Originally Posted by sek929 

Fun night though. I think CTF works really well in Iron Curtain and I'd love to see 6v6 and up on that scenario. Ninjaball was also awesome.

Yes, it was a pleasant surprise given what directly preceded it. Aside from kavvika's cursing about not being able to find/get to the flag.

Originally Posted by sek929 

I'm not going to lie, Custom game night kind of save Reach from the brink of hatred from me. I kinda groaned in my head when Kcros wanted to go into matchmaking, I find playing with and against you guys to be way more fun.

Amen. A big part of that, however, is playing all those uncommon gametypes.

And again, not enough (good) maps.

[sek929]

In the CTF game I liked how one could traverse the map to the opposing flag without being tracked very easily. Of course that might be more an issue with the party size than the map design, but I think the level of cover and sneakiness is just right.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

In the CTF game I liked how one could traverse the map to the opposing flag without being tracked very easily. Of course that might be more an issue with the party size than the map design, but I think the level of cover and sneakiness is just right.

Aside from using the caves, not sure how you mean.

Oh, btw, did you do a Red Base Tower to Blue Base Tower snipe last night?

[sek929]

Nope, not me.

I mean that after spawn you can hop onto the cannon to the wall, sneak down through the opposing shield, use the mid-point base as cover, sneak right under the front of the enemy base and snag the flag without being out in the open to much.

I was also able to snipe (not well but in cover at least) from the wall without much hassle from even the Gauss Hog. I think, in general, your map has a very good balance of open spaces, advantageous positions, and good cover.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Nope, not me.

Oh it was you, just now how I imagined.

I' noticed the other night that from the Red sniper spawn you can look across, through the gap in Fortress wall for the warthogs all the way to the Blue Rocket spawn.

Originally Posted by sek929 

I mean that after spawn you can hop onto the cannon to the wall, sneak down through the opposing shield, use the mid-point base as cover, sneak right under the front of the enemy base and snag the flag without being out in the open to much.

Yeah, this is thanks to playing on Hemorrhage. I wanted to give various avenues of movement that were efficient and didn't need a vehicle. The secondary base was the first must – there needed to be some form of cover between the main bases and wall.

Then there's the teleporter from the main base to secondary (which only works one way mostly so opposing teams can't just burst into spawn, and to give opposing teams a chance in objective games).

Originally Posted by sek929 

I was also able to snipe (not well but in cover at least) from the wall without much hassle from even the Gauss Hog. I think, in general, your map has a very good balance of open spaces, advantageous positions, and good cover.

After all the hours I've put in that is great to hear.

[Kevin Bogues]

I had a blast last night, and Dakar although they may be a balance problem with the gauss hog, your map is light-years beyond the original hemorrhage and plays better than most BTB maps IMO
Proof of said balance issue involving gauss hog



Few Random Pics from last night

This is what rocket race is about.

and some of this...


sword + air lift = death

Dakar/Fatty mow down KavV1ka


Hey, what's on your leg?

oh i know what the is...


Golf club?!

Dakar sticks AP...and AP sticks Dakar

I threw this...

got this ...(stick of the evening)

[The Final Dakar]

Hats off to everyone who joined us Friday night. Ort 888 decided to chance getting slaughtered and proved to be a valuable eighth that gave us some flexibility on gametype and map selection.

I have some screens I'll be posting later on, so hang on tight.

[The Final Dakar]

Forgot to mention, had some actual fun games last night with fatty. Before we polished off the campaign, we headed into BTB to warm up. What followed was bizarre.


First game – Multiflag on Hemorrhage. Nothing to write home about. Finished with a draw.
Second Game - Multiflag on Hemorrhage. The opposing team loses two player early on and we're grouped with some objective crazed kids playing very aggressively. The game ended with me wandering around their spawn in the Wraith as we got the final cap.
Third Game - Multiflag on Hemorrhage. At this point, fatty and I accepted our fates and voted for it. The group from the previous game stuck around so we push hard again. I get to use the Wraith for yet another game. Another win.
Fourth Game - Multiflag on Hemorrhage. It was supposed to be BTS on Spire, but someone had a disc error that forced a new vote. After everyone voted none of the above, this got selected again. Otherwise, it just unfolded like before.
Fifth Game - Multiflag on Hemorrhage. I don't even know anymore. This time, fatty and I lose our backing team, but luck into half the other team being missing. Domination occurs again.
Sixth Game - Multiflag on Hemorrhage. Fatty and I have decided we will die fighting on this map. This time the fight is dreadfully even until the opposing team stumbles through our teleporter and promptly dies. Their team soon caps. Our team never recovers. Loss.

 

The ridiculousness of the Night

In other news, I have damn near 200k cR, but I want to save up for Heart Attack (300k) only I feel certain I'll be playing another game long before that happens (earned maybe 60k this week really hammering away at challenges).

Also, worst Weekly Challenge yet: Complete all of the Daily Challenges for a given day.


Edit: Forgot: Stogie, Bogues, a made a video fo your epic spawn on the Falcon level.
Bungie.net : Halo Reach : File Details

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Also, worst Weekly Challenge yet: Complete all of the Daily Challenges for a given day.

I knew when I saw that one, that you would hate it.

It is a sort of "nothing" challenge, though.

[The Final Dakar]

That and its worth practically nothing.

I'd rather it have been worth 1000 and reset itself every day of the week.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

and reset itself every day of the week.

Then it wouldn't be a weekly challenge. It would be a daily challenge.

Could they have more than 4 daily challenges? Have 5, and make it the fifth. Then have a weekly challenge.

[The Final Dakar]

So last night I had a strange MM experience. I was put into a game of Firefight with only one other person, who naturally, was AFK.

I gave him about 15-30 sec before the betrayals started. I also let some of the enemies prime him before I blasted him, which didn't count as a betrayal.

Eventually he booted me. Later, he msged me "You = My bitch". This is Halo.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Later, he msged me "You = My bitch". This is Halo.

Yeah, that's Halo. That and the tea-bagging. Oh, and don't forget the team-killing for vehicles.

I've had a couple of firefights where I end up completely alone. Which is disappointing. I don't mind being a team of 2 or 3, but when you're alone it's hard to control 2 dropships of enemies.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

Then it wouldn't be a weekly challenge. It would be a daily challenge.

Yes it would. For this week you get a bonus every time you complete all dailies.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

Yeah, that's Halo. That and the tea-bagging. Oh, and don't forget the team-killing for vehicles.

On the bright side, I have yet to hear the n-word. Though I do have opposing teams auto-muted and my psych profile set to quiet or whatever the equivalent is.

[Jawbone54]

I wasn't aware you could auto-mute opposing teams. I've got to get back into the settings (when I finally return after what has been the busiest freaking month of my life).

[The Final Dakar]

Man, you missed some serious shit Friday.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

That and its worth practically nothing.

Exactly. A daily challenge should never be worth more than a weekly. Here are today's challenges.

Shootin' and Lootin' - 1500cR
Kill 150 enemies in any game mode in Reach.

Return of the Mack - 3000 cR
Kill 50 Elites in Campaign today on Normal or harder.

Above the Law - 500 cR
Complete a Round in Firefight Matchmaking without dying.

Home Field Advantage - 1400 cR
Win 7 games in multiplayer Matchmaking.

Weely Challenge (aka "Nothing Challenge"):

Your Daily Dose - 2000 cR
Complete all of the Daily Challenges for a given day.

[The Final Dakar]

First NN Meet-up Breakdown: Ninjaball on Reflection


Waiting for Godot


While I spawned near the ball, my initial possession was short-lived. Here, Bogues skulks around a corner, in wait of his hunters.


Hail Mary


A few possessions later, and we're back to Bogues. Here he does his best Bret Favre impression (no, he's no sexting his dong to the younger Cros). "K, go long!"


Double Impact


A subsequent possession later, K returns to his old stomping ground, but unfortunately, find himself getting stomped by Myself and the revenge hungry Bogues.


Chivalrous Chubby


My first big run of the game comes to an end at the hands of kavvika. Fatty bursts upon the scene in time to watch my body do a cartwheel, and to invite kavvika to take his prize. And be impaled.


Take a load off


His own epic run concluded, Sir McBlobicus sits down for a breather as a pack of Spartans trips over themselves trying to make way to the ball.


Mr. Magoo


Bogues' shortsightedness leads him to assassinate kavvika even as he fires at the ball Ninja. Karma occurs instantly in the form of DakarZero.


Role Reversal


My final, epic run starts by chasing down one of my prospective hunters. It's like watching a deer take a sawed-off to a guy in a tree.


Skyscraper


Near the end of my victory run, I fly across the map. In the background skyscrapers also soar above ground.

FInal Stats and Notes


Outside of the beginning, this was pretty much a two man game. After my first big run, Fatty put up a good response to keep it close, but a later possession put him a very commanding lead. On my second large possession, I crafted a subterranean strategy, and kept to the rear of the map, mostly in the lower tunnels. I imagine some in-fighting was ocurring by this point, as by this time Bogues was up to his usual stat-padding tricks (with no hope of victory) and as I closed in on Fatty's score I heard one of those exchanges I love so dearly:

"Wait, who has the ball?"
(slight pause)
"Dakar! He's hiding down in the back."

Too late. The damage was done. I took the lead and shortly won by hitting the score limit.

Oddities: I swear during the rewatch of the match I heard the announcer give the one-minute and thirty-second warnings twice each. Not in rapid succession, either.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Man, you missed some serious shit Friday.

Yeah, that's what I saw. October is the month of our conference, and I have no life until the night of the 24th. Sucks.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Yeah, that's what I saw. October is the month of our conference, and I have no life until the night of the 24th. Sucks.

This game will be dead by then.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Exactly. A daily challenge should never be worth more than a weekly.

I don't have a problem if a daily challenge is worth more than a weekly, as long as the challenge is proportionately harder.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

This game will be dead by then.

That's my M.O.

[boy8cookie]

When's the next meet up? I'm going to have a few more people on... maybe 3-4.

[Leonard]

This version of Halo puts way too much gamer points on finishing the campaign on legendary. I had 20 achievements before starting the campaign, Now I have 27 achievements now that I haves started the campaign, and yet I only have 325 gamer points?!?

275 points for completing the HALO: Reach campaign on legendary is ridiculous.

Heck, I'll only get 75 points when I finish the campaign on Heroic.

[KCrosbie]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

First NN Meet-up Breakdown: Ninjaball on Reflection


Hail Mary


A few possessions later, and we're back to Bogues. Here he does his best Bret Favre impression (no, he's no sexting his dong to the younger Cros). "K, go long!"


Double Impact


A subsequent possession later, K returns to his old stomping ground, but unfortunately, find himself getting stomped by Myself and the revenge hungry Bogues.

I swear everytime as soon as I got the damn ball I was getting blasted on by someone.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

[b]

Role Reversal


My final, epic run starts by chasing down one of my prospective hunters. It's like watching a deer take a sawed-off to a guy in a tree.

LOL! Which nub was that? That's priceless!!!


All in all it was pretty fun. We should have played a round or more of Juggernaut because only a couple of us actually got to be the juggernaut in that one game we played.

Too bad I can't play this weekend. I'll be in Disneyland.

[sek929]

Continuing the long-standing tradition of Dakar and I playing Multiflag CTF on Hemorrhage I had a gem of a game where I got a Be the Bullet (15 Sniper kills) and Untouchable (25 killstreak) to start the game off. Which is sort of misleading because I didn't die for at least the first two-thirds of the game.

We started on the bad side, that is, the side without the awesome cliffside sniper area I'm used to. The other team was actually incredible aggressive so I perched myself on the ledge that mostly has a view of our own base. It took the other team, at least one guy, a dozen or more kills to finally come get me, but of course I was ready and dispatched him quite easily. After that it was gravy and there wasn't a Warthog, Revenant, Mongoose, Ghost, or guy on foot that didn't catch my wrath. This map is an utter abortion once you get a good sniper perched where he wants to be, more so when there are two.



Just for fun I had a look at the heatmap for Hemorrhage, or rather Forge world (stupid that you can't select the map individually) and here are the results of my kills with the sniper rifle.



This is the normal intensity, and as you can see the Blue Base has my kills spread around the less-than-ideal cliff area whereas the Red Base cliff has quite a stark difference. From the red dot I can pretty much kill anyone anywhere on the map, and most of those kills are preying on the poor folk who spawn in my line of sight, which is most of the map.

[sek929]

As I continue to beat my chest regarding sniper proficiency...

We had (surprise!) yet another CTF Game of Hemorrhage earlier in the night that actually did not end in a 0-0 tie. The other team was down two guys right away but incessantly kept the pressure on. I had mild success with the sniper at first but didn't do anything interesting with it. It wasn't until about 3 minutes left in the game where we had finally managed to get the other flag out of the base and into view.

Dakar holds on to the newly-spawned sniper for yours truly and I proceed to wither abuse on the other team at spawn trying to get to their flag, which is halfway across the map now. Out of nowhere our flag gets taken and I miss a crucial shot on the carrier just before he slips into the teleporter. Now our flag is also halfway. What followed was 4 brilliant shots that essentially halted the other team's progression within a span of 15 seconds.

First off I headshot the flag carrier once he exits the teleporter.


Secondly, headshot the guy who grabs it one second later.


Third shot caps an enemy at spawn about to enter Ghost.


Finally, headshot mongoose driver out of mid-air as he dismounts to grab flag.


RELOAD

[Leonard]

WOW... definitely not playing a game against Fatty on Hemorrage (or Paradiso). Then again, that map is a Sniper's paradise. Always has been since it was called Blood Gulch.

It looks like Bungie's bringing back the Living Dead Playlist on Oct. 19.

[Stogieman]

Hahaha sek, that mongoose headshot is damn impressive.

I got a lot accomplished in Halo Reach today.



1. Finished my solo run of campaign on Legendary.
2. Completed all the daily challenges
2. Got promoted to Major
3. Completed a few lingering achievements.

I don't know about you Bogues but Pillar of Autumn was pretty tough in a few areas. The whole mission took me almost 3 hours to complete. There were 3 sections that gave me a tough time. The very beginning of the mission, the boneyard area and the waves of Brutes near the end. I tried taking your advice at the very beginning but the shitty weapons and ammo supply made it nearly impossible. Instead of taking it slow and killing every enemy, I ended up hauling ass and tossing grenades until I reached the mongoose.

Boneyard was tough because I had a shitty checkpoint and the Elite with the fuel rod cannon was making my life a living hell. The wave of Brutes section was difficult but he secret stash of ammo you showed me really came in handy. With the exception of those 3 areas, Pillar of Autumn was pretty easy.

Played a total of 5 games of invasion tonight and on the 5th game I finally got the Skunked achievement.

Bungie.net : Reach : Game Details

[The Final Dakar]

Bungie.net : Noble Map Pack - 11/30/2010 : 10/14/2010 6:00 AM PDT

Anchor 9 allows 2-8 Players to face off in game variants including Free for All, Team Slayer and Team Objective.

Tempest supports 8 – 16 Players and offers a variety of modes including Free for All, Team Slayer, Team Objective and Big Team Battle. Tempest also provides players with a huge Forge palette, allowing them to create new custom map variants that can be shared with the community-at-large.

Breakpoint offers multiplayer mayhem for 8-16 Players, and supports the Invasion and Big Team Battle game variants.

**** you, bungie.

It's not out of character for them to offer maps this early, but given how bad and sparse the maps included are its far more insulting this time round. At least they didn't change the price.


---

I'm not posting any more breakdowns or pics until I start getting some love for the one above.

Also, bogues/crosbie owe me at least an acknowledgement for posting this:

Originally Posted by Dakar

Edit: Forgot: Stogie, Bogues, a made a video fo your epic spawn on the Falcon level.
Bungie.net : Halo Reach : File Details

[Leonard]

Oh, poor Dakar, he gets no lovin'... [cue Righteous Brothers's "You've Lost That Lovin Feelin" from Top Gun soundtrack]

We're only getting 3 new maps, ho well, I'm still busy with the campaign on Heroic. I think I'm starting the 6th level. The campaign's been alot of fun so far. I see I missed a couple of achievements on level 2 - not really sure when level 2 started. I'll have to go back after I'm done the first playthrough of campaign and get them.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I'm not posting any more breakdowns or pics until I start getting some love for the one above.

Also, bogues/crosbie owe me at least an acknowledgement for posting this:

Actually JUST got a chance to watch this video, talk about the ultimate terrible spawns in a game, i'll have to agree this is much worse than anything in MW2. haha. I'm glad it took us half the level to realize that you could call another falcon for pick up, although did we really need it? we were raping those levels both on heroic and legendary.

And about the breakdowns, it was by far my favorite thing about the H3 thread and its one thing that Halo provides (Dakar style) that no other game can compete with (yet? black ops?) and you know i love you dakar.

on that note.... MORREEEEE Breakdowns!

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I imagine some in-fighting was ocurring by this point, as by this time Bogues was up to his usual stat-padding tricks (with no hope of victory)

This seems to be my usual style, i play the objective type game until about half way through and if i'm losing.... i start the killing. which the picture of me assassinating kavV1ka is perfect example of, but i do love assassinations.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Just for fun I had a look at the heatmap for Hemorrhage, or rather Forge world (stupid that you can't select the map individually) and here are the results of my kills with the sniper rifle.

this is unbelievable, we all know your a sniper, but in the same spot that consistently? ludicrous.

[The Final Dakar]

Think bout how often he has to spawn on that side of the map for that to happen, too.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Also, bogues/crosbie owe me at least an acknowledgement for posting this:

I haven't seen the video yet and keep forgetting to download it to my xbox. I will do so tonight.


Looks like another night of Firefight for me:

More than a Handful - 750 cR
Kill 77 enemies in multiplayer Matchmaking.

One Spartan Army - 2500 cR
Kill 250 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking.

Hyper Lethal Vector - 2000 cR
Kill 100 enemies with headshots in Firefight Matchmaking.

Blast Radius - 600 cR
Kill 30 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking with grenades.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Looks like another night of Firefight for me:

More than a Handful - 750 cR
Kill 77 enemies in multiplayer Matchmaking.

One Spartan Army - 2500 cR
Kill 250 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking.

Hyper Lethal Vector - 2000 cR
Kill 100 enemies with headshots in Firefight Matchmaking.

Blast Radius - 600 cR
Kill 30 enemies in Firefight Matchmaking with grenades.

Those challenges looking tempting - as in I could actually finish them in the time limit I have to play tonight, except for the Hyper Lethal Vector. I may not get that in 1.5-2 hours. I'm not Fatty.

But I really wanted to work on the campaign missions and finish them off at least once.

[sek929]

I have only a little above 100 headshots total in Firefight so far. I am averaging about 3 per match so I'd need to complete 30 Firefight games.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

Incoming rant about new maps...

Ok Bungie, so you have three (seemingly) new maps for sale, awesome! Must be great to re-make maps from 10 ****ing years ago, bundle them with a 60 dollar game and then release real content later, you ****ing lazy assholes.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

I have only a little above 100 headshots total in Firefight so far. I am averaging about 3 per match so I'd need to complete 30 Firefight games.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

It's much easier than you think. Go into Score Attack, choose Gruntpocalypse, rely soley on your pistol. 100+ grunts to kill each game. even if you're headhsot rate is 33% that 3 games/30 min.

Incoming rant about new maps...

Originally Posted by sek929 

Ok Bungie, so you have three (seemingly) new maps for sale, awesome! Must be great to re-make maps from 10 ****ing years ago, bundle them with a 60 dollar game and then release real content later, you ****ing lazy assholes.

Precisely. Also, Forge World maps don't count as 5 separate maps (seriously, how much work was Hemorrhage outside of making the terrain?).

Here's the million dollar question: With the reduction in playlists compared to Halo 3, how long til this game's MM is rendered unplayable by the unwashed DLC masses?

[sek929]

I'm not buying a single piece of DLC for this game.

Halo 2 - Bought all the map packs
Halo 3 - Bought all but one map pack
Reach - Suck my balls

[The Final Dakar]

No shit.

[Stogieman]

I read somewhere that Bungie will be handing out free DLC codes to anyone that submits a picture of themself teabagging a Fallout New Vegas disk.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Finally, headshot mongoose driver out of mid-air as he dismounts to grab flag.

It's worth noting that this one happened right in front of my face. I was lining up to wreck him with the revenant and fatty just finished the job for me.

Originally Posted by sek929 

I have only a little above 100 headshots total in Firefight so far. I am averaging about 3 per match so I'd need to complete 30 Firefight games.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

I managed t do it one game of Gruntpocalypse last night. I was rather pleased with myself.

Also, you get insane commendations for all those headshots.

---

4000 cR up for grabs in one challenge today. Worth twice as much as the Weekly and infinitely easier.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I managed t do it one game of Gruntpocalypse last night. I was rather pleased with myself.

It took me 2 games of Gruntpocalypse and one game of Sniperfight. Those grunts with fuel rods seem to get me every time - BOOM, right in the face! or BOOM, side-swiped when my attention is on another group of grunts.

Also, I used a few grenades on the grunts to get the other challenge.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

4000 cR up for grabs in one challenge today. Worth twice as much as the Weekly and infinitely easier.

Oooh, and what are the challenges today?

[The Final Dakar]

The rest are under 1k, I think.

[The Final Dakar]

BTW, I can't figure out the betrayal system. I plaed a game of BTB yesterday, got the Wraith on respawn and some dude starts DMR me after I float away. So I just straight up killed him from far away with the Wraith. He left me alone the rest of the game, surprisingly.

[The Final Dakar]

Pro griefing: Bungie.net : Reach : Game Details

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

Oooh, and what are the challenges today?

Shootin' and Lootin' - 4000 cR
Kill 400 enemies in any game mode in Reach.

A Great Friend - 900 cR
Earn 15 assists today in multiplayer Matchmaking.

No 'I' in Team - 360 cR
Earn 6 assists in a multiplayer Matchmaking game.

Up Close and Personal - 250 cR
Kill 5 enemies with close quarters combat in a multiplayer Matchmaking game.

[Kevin Bogues]

Made some decent headway this weekend, I'm now into Major which only leaves 125k till Lt. colonel.

Played entirely to much rumble pit (which now finally puts my lifetime k/d to 1.05, I'm not sure how I stayed under 1 for that long.) My impressions about rumbel pit are this..

Remove infection/safe havens
I am addicted to oddball and juggernaut
I hate the cage
I love sword base
Generally speaking guests are so terrible I win matches by 10+ kills
Crazy king is a cluster f*ck
Elite slayer is awesome (spawn+stickies FTW)