Cassi

I take no offense whatsoever. I freely admit that my highest rank was 42 in Halo 3 (never played Halo 2 online), and BTB has never been my cup of tea (Halo 4's version even less so). I defer to your experience regarding both high-level play and BTB strategies. That being said, I understand what you're saying. My experience, however, shows me that when visible rank get's involved, the scum of online gaming invariably emerges: The overly-competitve and nasty players who use their rank and skill as nothing more than a tool to berate and humiliate others, protected as always by the veil of anonymity that the internet so kindly offers. It's not the ranks I have issue with. It's the sub-humans who overwhelming try to obtain it with the mistaken belief that the digital number next to their name makes them just plain better than everyone else. And let me tell you, these folks (usually kids, 11-18) aren't shy about espousing this belief. Kinda ruins the game, at least for me anyway.

Ok, but let's say those "hardcore" players you're about to engage aren't really that hardcore after all. Let's say they "bought" their rank. So because you thought they were tough stuff, you decided to forgo the tank, allowing them access to it. Not only have you been fed misinformation, but it's cost you a very powerful weapon. All because a little symbol told you to alter your tactics. If you're claiming that rank provides you with valuable tactical information, that goes both ways. It could very easily deceive you into altering your tactics to your detriment. You "can" overthink a situation. Might as well just get in the game and play. After all, it's just that, a game.

Oh, I'm not opposed to it. Not at all. I just find the whole thing "stupid", including the inference that the game is "bad" without it. By all means, enjoy your meaningless badge of virtual skill if and when they make it available in game. Personally, I feel there are FAR greater things they could worry about implementing or tweaking...

I might. I played ranked in Halo 3 (a lot), but if they do implement a Ranked/Social divide, I'll likely spend most of my time in the latter.

Looks like a lot of fun! Can't wait to take a look around these islands!

Fair enough, but I don't see why a symbol matters all that much in regards to that. If you want to brag, win the game first, "then" spout off like a pompous 12 year old with a lack of responsibilty in life. What's the point of acting like a self-important ****** before the match even begins?

You'll find out who is "good" and "not as good" as soon as the game begins. I fail to see how having this information a few seconds beforehand makes any tactical or strategic difference, beyond simple "bragging rights". Just play the game.

Because not everyone likes to use the DMR?

Maybe you ought to go join the military, I hear there's no radar there either. You might find that it's you, however, that's the "bad kid". Point being: This is a VIDEO GAME, and I rather enjoy having my radar. If I wanted to simulate real combat and recreate "All Quiet on the Western Front", I'd join the military, "kid". : /

Well, for not speaking English, you speak it better than most others. lol As for Halo being dead, I disagree. Different, yes. Dead, no.

Whatever I'm feeling like at the moment. Mostly Infinity Slayer like everyone else, with some Griffball thrown in here and there. Unfortunately, my time to play has declined steadily. And to be honest, I once shared your mentality, Tornado. I was a very competitive player, and would brag on my rank almost every day. I'd even talk trash with the best of 'em. But now that I'm heading into my mid-twenties, work and home life have taken priority over halo. Plus I didn't like the person I was becoming when I was competitive; I could be a serious ***** to those around me when I found myself outmatched. So I turned away from it and became a "casual noob" as so many like to say. These days when I play, I have good games, and I have bad games. I try to win, but if I don't, eh, no big deal. And you know what, I've been pretty unfair to you Tornado. While the likes of Wargod still irritate me to no end, and are a prime example of why competitive players get a bad rap, you're not all that arrogant really. You can even be downright reasonable, and I'm sorry I've been so snippy and judgmental towards you. That wasn't very nice, and I apologize. I wouldn't be opposed to 343 implementing a Halo 3 style ranking system...so long as they created a social playlist for everyone else to have a good time in too.

^ My point proven.

Yup, we just couldn't get that 50. That *has* to be the reason we don't like the ranking system. We're jealous, that's all. *rolls eyes*

"in a way its about bragging rights." Vanity at its finest. Check! "Comparing to others..." A need to compare epeens. Check! "How will I know if they're good or not?" An inability to determine skill level beyond what a digital number represents. Check! So, in short, an arrogant individual that demands recognition and respect based on a number under their name. If it cannot be seen, then not only is it worthless to have, the individual also suffers the impairment of not being able to judge a like-minded soul, even though they will almost certainly become aware of the opponent's skill level once the opponent is engaged in-game. Sounds like the common ********* with a bad superiority complex, and further coupled with a severe sense of entitlement. Yup, sounds like a "Hardcore, Competitive" player; If they aren't complaining about the "OP Assault Rifle" or circle-jerking each other in regards to their "L33T 5Kills", they're crying about an "invisible" rank system. Go figure. You'd think they have lives of some sort, or at least something more important to worry about than whipping out their virtual wangs like a bunch of adolescent primitives looking for confirmation of their supposed "greatness". Guess not. : /

Ok, so I hate to be "that" nerd and all, but there's no such word as "jedis". The term "Jedi" is both singular and plural. And now I feel very unattractive. lol

I remember many of these games...god were they wonderful. I can still remember playing the original Mortal Kombat on the Sega Genesis. A simple, yet incredibly engrossing fighter. Lost many hours of my life to that game and it's sequels. lol Same goes for Gauntlet. "RED WARRIOR NEEDS FOOD!" lol

And I applaud you.

*Cortana makes bad joke during combat* Everyone smiles and chuckles. *Roland makes VIRTUALLY SAME JOKE during combat* Nerd rage! How unrealistic! It's a combat scenario aboard a military starship! No place for jokes!!! Either the majority of you have NEVER seen the opening of CE's campaign aboard the PoA, or... ...you're all blinded by a pair of lavender, PIXILATED tats. Why does it take a girl to see the real issue here? lol

...... Christ you're dumb. I feel like I need to start a petition to revamp the public school system, because it is CLEARLY failing our youths. Goodbye.

My reply wasn't directed at the MLG playlist. More the MLG organization, mindset, and players dedicated to Halo as if it were their God. I apologize, maybe I didn't make that clear. I brought up the spray and pray playlist because I felt that if MLG players could whine and complain for their own playlist (while denoucing everyone else as "AR noobs"), then why couldn't the "noobs" have their own playlist, dedicated to their own playstyle. I'm a little ticked off because any time someone disagrees with a supposed MLG fan, they're made out to be "bad players" who "don't understand the game" or its history. That simply isn't true. I've been playing since CE, and I can remember very clearly that I didn't NEED the incentive of ranks to to boot up my xbox and play some halo on Blood Gulch or Hang 'Em High. I played, trying to win, but even if I didn't, I had a blast playing. I didn't throw a *****-fit and claim the game was "too casual" or "noob-friendly", and I didn't make a dozen threads on the internet crying for changes to be made. Listen, if you're this invested in Halo, where you play 300 games a week, you're just sad. If every game takes, say, 10 mins, and you're playing 300 a week, that's 50 hours a week of Halo, or about 7 hours a day. Which means you probably don't have a real job (PT at BK while going to school doesn't count), and are probably too young to realize Halo, and competition in general, isn't everything. You've got a lot of growing up to do, but it'll happen eventually. And when it does, you'll realize just how silly all this "MLG" **** really is, and just how wrong it was to demean others as "casual bad kids". That's all I'll say on the matter, and I'll leave you to your hardcore thread. You could always try hard for the sheer satisfaction of "winning". Maybe the losing team will get XP too, but so what. You won. You beat them out and snatched away their victory. Is that not incentive enough? Bah! Like I said, I'm done with this. I've said my peace. And it's cool. I didn't mind the dude thing. I just like watching boys squirm once in a while.

Im a girl, btw, not a dude. Halo's population decline could be because of a number of things. To say it's about only a ranking system or MLG is rather ignorant and a big assumption. The competiton against Halo has grown since 2004 and 2007. I'd wager that has something more to do with the low population. And btw, nothig is stopping you from playing the game like it's a sport (it's not tho) or a second job (also not true). You don't need a ranking system to show off, and gou don't need MLG to play competitively. JUST PLAY SUPER-DUPER HARD, like you normally do. Geez... Also, again, casual does not equal "goofing" retards. We play to win just like everyone else. *rolls eyes* So casuals aren't outfitted with mics and don't know all the call outs. Whoopdie ******* doo! Jesus Christ you people just love the smell of your own farts. Get a life. It's a game. Play a couple matches, do your best, and turn the ******* thing off. Playing Halo like you're in a ******* military squad is ******* retarded. Go join the military if that's what you're after, or join a REAL SPORT if you're looking for adoration and big bucks. Sad.

You can be a casual player and still try to win. Hardcore is not synonomous with trying to win To say otherwise is "moronic". Holy Christ you people have an inflated ego. CasualLand? Oh my god, as if casuals are soooo retarded, lacking in skill, or otherwise incapable of playing to win. Casuals play to win like everyone else. The difference is, when we lose, we don't cry foul, and we don't flood the forums with "Halo needs this..." or "HALO IS DYING...", and we don't ***** to thr developers about what a ****ty game they've made simply because it's not like a live military simulation. Want that? Go join the Marines. We simply laugh at the fun we had, boot up another game, and have at it. We also don't treat the game like an olympic sport. And we tend to stop playing after around 6-10 games a day or two...instead of 300 per week. Halo will do better without MLG. I'm 99.9% positive of that...mainly because short-sighted try-hards such as yourself will finally take a hike. Give it a rest, pal.

The mere fact MLG even EXISTS is beyond sad. As if it's the NBA or some other equally ridiculous organization. Halo isn't a SPORT. It isn't a JOB. And it WILL survive without MLG...and probably do a lot better as a result, honestly. You aren't special. Get over it and play the game like a normal person. Or, get off your *** and go play a real sport (where you can similarly be idolized by a select group of like-minded individuals for contributing absolutely nothing of value to society). At least in that scenario you have the opportunity to "earn" millions of dollars. *Glorious, "casual" days ahead*.

Yeah, quite the ******, that one. He could have at least scored "1" kill with it. *shakes head*

At least the guy just stole your's. I played a game of BTB recently where an ally drove past on a ghost, saw me call down a binary rifle, and then turned around and splattered me for it. Proceeded to camp inside a base and waste pretty much all 6 shots. Gah!