[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

It was the same in Halo 3.

Wait, really? I could have sworn there was. Has my memory gotten rose-tinted glasses this quickly?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Actually Leonard is right (probably unintentionally). I played H3 multi SUnday and I feel its my duty to now share with you what it looks like from a CoDers perspective (Much like I gave a Haloers perspective on CoD4 a few months ago).

I'll give you a hint: Not good.

Too much action?

[The Final Dakar]

Too much BR.

Edit: I should dig up my CoD post, because aiming is such worlds apart in the two.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Wait, really? I could have sworn there was. Has my memory gotten rose-tinted glasses this quickly?

Not in campaign.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Too much BR.

Edit: I should dig up my CoD post, because aiming is such worlds apart in the two.

It's always been that way, especially the death match and team death match. That's why I avoid death match or free for all. I tend to play Big Team Social or the Objective games (CTF, - because it doesn't rely on being good with a gun. If your playing death match, you have to be a pro with the BR. As I was told once, learn to use the BR or don't play Halo 3.

Griffball is a hoot. 2 teams of 4 with hammers and swords, with a "ball" (bomb) in the middle.

[KCrosbie]

I need the last firefight achievement for Oni Alpha Site (would have had it if the damn game hadn't lagged out when we had over 194K points the other night!)

Anyone here still need the endure achievement cause I still do.

[EDIT] All I need now is the endure achievement!

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

It's always been that way, especially the death match and team death match. That's why I avoid death match or free for all. I tend to play Big Team Social or the Objective games (CTF, - because it doesn't rely on being good with a gun. If your playing death match, you have to be a pro with the BR. As I was told once, learn to use the BR or don't play Halo 3.

I don't need a lecture, I've played the game before. All I'm saying is I have no found perspective, and its not good.

The assumption that the objective gametypes don't rely on this is ludicrous. You're not taking that bomb or flag anywhere if the other team is pelting you from a distance.

It's all shoot-strafe left-strafe right. Or shoot-jump. I can see the appeal for the skilled, because one person can really dominate a game, even defensively. I think the weapon balance is over-rated because everything is rationed so heavily.

I'll admit the game will probably seem less horrible once I get used to the increased health, different aiming, and radar.

Originally Posted by Leonard 

Griffball is a hoot. 2 teams of 4 with hammers and swords, with a "ball" (bomb) in the middle.

Griffball blows if the other team has a better ping.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

It's all shoot-strafe left-strafe right. Or shoot-jump. I can see the appeal for the skilled, because one person can really dominate a game, even defensively. I think the weapon balance is over-rated because everything is rationed so heavily.

Isn't it that way with all first person shooters? Is COD different? I've never played COD - I used to be hooked on UT (UT99, UT2004, etc.). I was thinking of picking up COD4, but then COD:Modern Warfare 2 came up.

[The Final Dakar]

Yes, COD is different. Aiming, jumping, health. radar, style of map layout, average number of players. Admittedly someone good can still dominate, but its harder to swing a game, IMO.

---

Oh yeah, one last thing I forgot to mention, quitting/disconnected players. Unbalanced teams is the lamest part of Halo. CoD4 suffers from a lot of "Host Ended Match" because of poor game quality, but thanks to server migration that will no longer be an issue in 2.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Yes, COD is different. Aiming, jumping, health. radar, style of map layout, average number of players. Admittedly someone good can still dominate, but its harder to swing a game, IMO.

Well I guess I'll get my first taste of COD with Modern Warfare 2.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar

Oh yeah, one last thing I forgot to mention, quitting/disconnected players. Unbalanced teams is the lamest part of Halo.

Agreed. I've played many unbalanced games against a whole team of 50's (and they earned their 50's, they didn't buy them) and many games where everyone disconnected (as you can see from my penalty EXP, I very rarely give up and disconnect), and hated it. Then again I've experienced unbalanced teams and quitters in Saint's Row 2 multi-player.

[Stogieman]

So I guess it's safe to say we're not having a "RIP Halo" night this week.


p.s. - FU you Borderlands!

[sek929]

Yeah Borderlands will already overlap the release of MW2 anyways, but I wouldn't count it out just yet.

I had countless stints with Halo 2, sometimes I didn't play for a whole year and then would play 1000 matches within 6 months.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

p.s. - FU you Borderlands!

Yeah, you didn't hear me crying when everyone was buying/playing WaW.

[Stogieman]

Funny you should mention that. I recall having only one Nazi Zombie meetup with Bogues/Sek/KCros. We never did get around to boosting those multiplayer achieves.

[KCrosbie]

I'd still like to boost those WaW multiplayer achievements if you're up for it Stogie.


BTW, I had a great multiplayer sesssion on Halo 3 last night.

[KCrosbie]

Damn man, the overkill achievement and the sword kill achievements are pissing me off! F'n lame!

[Stogieman]

You really need to get those achievements when your rank is still low and playing against crappy players. It's almost impossible to get when you have a rank over 25. Anyways, I thought you were boosting or did you get those previous achievements the legit way?

[Stogieman]

Halo Waypoint was release for the xbox yesterday. Looks like Bogues already discovered the avatar awards.

[The Final Dakar]

Yeah, it took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on there.

You've got the most achieves out of all of us, you get anything special?

[Stogieman]

I got Dare's Recon helmet for beating Vidmaster: Endure. Other than that.... no.

[The Final Dakar]

Actually, is there a list somewhere of all the stuff available?

[Stogieman]

yes

[The Final Dakar]

You know, this might explain why ODST shipped with no Avatar Awards. God you are lame MS.

BTW, Recon Helmet but no Recon Armor? And no gifts for Halo 3 achieves? (probably a technical limitation)

[Leonard]

Yeah, I installed Halo Waypoint, too, last night, in between watching TV. I got 4 notifications of Avatar awards, so I gotta check what I got, when I get home from work today.

[Stogieman]

I agree, this is lame. No award for beating the games 100%. Thanks MS!

Also, don't think it's a technical limitation. Waypoint scans all of your achievements from Halo 3, ODST & Halo Wars. I was in the avatar marketplace and there sure are plenty of Halo 3 items for sell.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Also, don't think it's a technical limitation. Waypoint scans all of your achievements from Halo 3, ODST & Halo Wars. I was in the avatar marketplace and there sure are plenty of Halo 3 items for sell.

Ahh, here's your piece of cheese (carrot) so we can entice you into buying the rest.

[The Final Dakar]

Except right now the only thing they're enticing you to do is buy ODST.

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

I was in the avatar marketplace and there sure are plenty of Halo 3 items for sell.

Yeah, sold, not to be won.

[Leonard]

Woohoo! Got me a whole Halo suit from the waypoint avatar awards, and even a covenant monitor guy that moves around. I think I'll call him Church, or is it Tucker...

there's also a couple of t-shirts. I seemed to have unlocked 5 out of the 6 awards.

[Stogieman]

Blurry Halo Reach screenshots leaked on the net

[KCrosbie]

Oh yeah...




So I was boosting the vidmaster lightswitch achievement last night while hammered at 2am and we were doing grifball cause of the double exp weekend. We were taking turns winning so we would get to 50 exp. Well when I woke up at around 5am, I saw that I was banned for 2 weeks from gaining exp! I guess when I passed out, I was staying still and it was noticed. It sucks too because I was 1 win away from getting the achievement. Anyone heard of someone getting banned from being away from the controller?

[sek929]

haha, you drunk.

[The Final Dakar]

I'm not one for Avatar GamerPics, but I have to say I love stogie's new one. The avatar looks ashamed to be wearing that helmet.

[KCrosbie]

So my bro Stogie and I were watching vids on Halo Waypoint last night and if you haven't seen it, you gotta watch the IGN top 10 kills of the week! There are 4 different weeks on there and we were both laughing our asses off. Some of the kills were just ridiculously hilarious and incredibly lucky!

[Stogieman]

If you don't have Halo Waypoint, you can find the videos on YouTube.

YouTube - IGN's Top 10 Halo 3 Kills (Nov. 26 - Dec. 1)

#2 is my absolute favorite.

[The Final Dakar]

Halo: Reach Boasts New Tech, Bigger Battles - Halo: Reach - Kotaku

Another key piece of information is that in many areas the game's been stripped back, to bring it more into line with the original Halo, to which this title is serving as a prequel.

The shield/health system from Halo 1 is back, and both spiked and flame grenades have been removed from the game. Equipment has also been simplified, with a single slot created for power-ups that be swapped in and out like a third weapon.

---

I did watch those videos last week. The warthog ones were entertaining.

[sek929]

I actually like health bars in games and that third powerup slot sounds interesting.

Even before ODST dropped I was still more excited for Reach. After playing the, in my opinion, lackluster ODST it leaves only Reach to rekindle my love of Halo.

[The Final Dakar]

I, uh, don't much care. But its interesting to note their intended gameplay changes.

[sek929]

Well, I for one know that MW2 will eventually get stale for me and I'll need another online matchmaking game to replace it.

Of course a health bar system implemented in mutliplayer can be very tricky business.

[KCrosbie]

Felt like resurrecting the thread...

Halo Reach new multiplayer rules

In Bungie's weekly newsletter they have announced an overhaul of the multiplayer system. Bungie.net describes rank in Halo: Reach as "a global, cross-gameplay-mode-encompassing representation of the time you've spent in the game." It says "rank as you knew it in Halo 3, is dead." It goes onto explain that the player's rank will increase over time as they earn credits. So overall your rank will indicate how much time you have spent playing Halo: Reach.

Bungie say credits can be achieved by:
* Finishing games and Winning Games in Matchmaking
* Commendations - Commendations are persistent, aggregating awards that will advance through gameplay
*Challenges and achievements

Challenges will be issued daily and weekly to give players an incentive to keep coming back. They may include things like "Kill X players in Matchmaking" or "Maybe we'll ask you to play a Mission like few have dared..."

As your rank and credits increase, you can spend your credits on new armour to allow more customisation then ever before. It says though that "The stuff you earn with Credits is purely cosmetic", meaning the flashy new helmet you just bought, will be no better then any of the other helmets, it might just look cooler!

Bungie says the reason it has changed its multiplayer ranking system is because the "vast majority" of Halo 3 players never climbed to the upper ranks.

Interesting...

[The Final Dakar]

Refined, polished, punishing: Ars plays Halo: Reach multi

Certain game modes will ask you to choose from a selection of armor powers, which come with a set loadout when you spawn. You'll still be able to pick up any weapon in the battlefield, but these powers will affect your strategy and give you some advantages in certain situations.

The jetpack was the most remarked upon addition to multiplayer, and it adds a very welcome sense of the vertical to the game. It's also wonderful to simply fly over the head of an opponent stalking you with the energy sword. You have a limited amount of thrust, and you can take falling damage if you fly too high and don't have the energy left to break your fall. Spartans can also take the Sprint ability, which is simply a flat run to increase your speed, while taking away your ability to shoot. The Elites can take the Evade power, which allows them to dodge and roll away from attacks, just like they do in the single-player game. Throwing a well-aimed grenade, only to have your prey tuck and roll to the side and continue to come after you is unsettling, to say the least.

Active Camo is now an Armor Ability as well, giving the player a limited time to be less visible. Standing completely still makes you completely invisible, while walking, running, and shooting makes you easier to pick out. Armor Lock is an interesting ability: when activated the Spartan crouches and becomes completely invincible, but cannot shoot or move. It's an easy way to soak even the most powerful weapon shots, and if you stay down for long enough, you throw off an EMP charge when you get up, killing the shields of nearby enemies and allowing you to quickly turn the tables. It's a risk/reward move, but when used well it's a very effective tactic.

You choose your Armor Power when you spawn, and can change from one to the other as many times as you'd like in a single round. Don't worry: there are still plenty of game modes that don't allow these powers if you like a more classical experience. Each game mode offers different loadouts, with a combination of weapons and Armor Abilities to choose from, and those will be specific to different game modes and maps. In the final version you may also be able to customize these yourself.

The largest change in the multiplayer of Halo: Reach is the Invasion game mode. Maps with multiple objectives, played with Spartans against the Elites, will make this mode a hit among fans of a more tactical and team-based experience. The map we played was Boneyard, a large graveyard for decommissioned ships. The Elites have to climb onto a vessel being held by the Spartans, and stand inside set areas for twenty seconds to unlock the next area. The second area features vehicles, upping the scale of the battle, and each progressive step allows both sides to choose from more powerful loadouts and Armor Abilities.

Stand in the highlighted section to take control of that area, finally getting access to the power core
After opening the second set of doors, the Elites have to steal a power core and walk it to an extraction point to win. At this point in the round there will be Scorpions and Wraiths fighting; there is a Warthog available, as well as Ghosts, and all the loadouts are available. The last push, with the Elite running the power core to safety, can be incredibly chaotic, and team play is essential to win. The round ends either when time runs out or the Elites steal the power core, and then roles are reversed.

That sounds like fun. If anyone played the underrated TimeSplitters 2, there was one challenge which had you working your way across a map against a set defense. Personally I love the scenario because it's like a "storm the beach." Of course, I think it requires maps specially designed for it for it to play well, but we'll see.

[KCrosbie]

Thank goodness for buying ODST. At least we can try the game's demo. All these additions to the game is definitely going to change the element of the game, especially being able to go camo as an elite. I can see that as a strategy that'll piss people off as much as campers.

[The Final Dakar]

The Elite death scream better be back.

[sek929]

This all sounds very interesting, I love MW2 but to be honest I miss the Halo style multiplayer at times, usually when I'm sucking at MW2.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by sek929 

This all sounds very interesting, I love MW2 but to be honest I miss the Halo style multiplayer at times, usually when I'm sucking at MW2.

Agreed, I was far more addicted to Halo than any other Mutliplayer game since Goldeneye.

As much as i love MW/MW2, halo fits my run n' gun style more (based mostly on the fact that i can win a battle when someone had a large jump on me i.e. plasma nade' a bogues favorite), as we all know i'm not fantastic at either game but i think i'm slightly better at Halo.

[sek929]

Someone gets the drop on you, you jump over his head and assassinate him.

That's the stuff!

Plus, getting one-hit kills with the sniper rifle actually required skill.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Plus, getting one-hit kills with the sniper rifle actually required skill.

A skill i NEVER had

[Stogieman]

There's a new video up on xbox live called Halo Reach - Carnage Carnivale. You guys HAVE to check it out. Can't wait for the beta to start.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Kevin Bogues 

As much as i love MW/MW2, halo fits my run n' gun style more (based mostly on the fact that i can win a battle when someone had a large jump on me i.e. plasma nade' a bogues favorite), as we all know i'm not fantastic at either game but i think i'm slightly better at Halo.

Yeah, I don't look forward to everyone here abandoning MW for Halo. If do buy the stupid game it'll be purely to use the vehicles.

[klb5090]

grrr

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

There's a new video up on xbox live called Halo Reach - Carnage Carnivale. You guys HAVE to check it out. Can't wait for the beta to start.

Good video! worth a look.

So lets plan a NN' Beta Meet-up

Friday May 7th?