The Halo Bulletin: 11.8.12

[Archangel Tyrael]

 

The Halo bulletin.

 

Read below for more details

 

Source:

Halo Waypoint

Over the past few days, babies were born, presidents were elected, and games were released—one of which just happened to be Halo 4.

 

To say we’ve been overwhelmed by the response to our game would be an understatement. We’re humbled by your feedback and blown away by how many of you are spending significant amounts of time traversing our virtual battlefields. Here is a teeny-tiny peek into our day one numbers:

 

More people played Halo 4 in the first 24 hours than any other Halo launch day in history.

 

We’ll be sharing more details on Monday, but that should whet your appetite for the hard stats that are coming. Thank you for playing our game and stay tuned for additional updates, because we have some amazing things planned for the future of Halo 4.

 

Midnight Madness

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a very surreal moment when the clock struck midnight on November 6. A day almost four years in the making, a single tick of the clock marked the occasion as stores around the world began releasing Halo 4 into the wild. From a

to Jen Taylor and Steve Downes dual wielding Sharpies and smiles, over 10,000 midnight launch events around the world played host to a variety of different festivities, making the launch of Halo 4 a night to remember.

 

Check out this pictorial recap showing how your fellow community members celebrated the release of Halo 4.

 

The vast majority of 343 attended a launch event, and we had a blast celebrating the release of our game with you. We hope you had a good time, too!

 

Halo 4 Housekeeping

While the launch of Halo 4 went off without a hitch for the majority of you, a small percentage of players are experiencing a few different issues. We are tracking these issues and providing regular updates in the following forum thread: Issues being investigated.

 

Please utilize that thread for reporting any and all problems you may be experiencing (we also have a Halo 4 FAQ, so check to see if your issue has been covered there first). We kindly ask that you utilize that thread for actual issues with the game. While we absolutely care that you think Cortana’s thighs are too large, that is not the appropriate place to make that post. You know who you are.

 

Here are a few of the more common questions (and their relevant answers) we’re seeing right now.

 

 

Y U No have game manual?!

 

In an effort to save the world (and by world, we of course mean trees), we created an in-depth online interactive guide. You can access that here: http://www.halowaypo...n-US/Halo4Guide.

 

 

How does the install process for Disc 2 work?

 

Disc 2 contains largely multiplayer content. You can put it in at any time, even before Disc 1, and install the content. You will get a slideshow, some music and a progress bar. After a few minutes, you can remove that disc and never deal with it again. Everything multiplayer, including Spartan Ops, Forge and Campaign can then be launched from Disc 1.

 

 

My Disc 2 is failing to install. HELP!

 

If you’re experiencing issues installing Disc 2 content, choose “Spartan Ops” or “War Games” in the menu. You will see a message saying you need to install the content. Please choose the “Download from Xbox LIVE” option.

 

If you have done a partial install with Disc 2 (i.e., your last install was either corrupt or interrupted), delete the old package before attempting the reinstall process. You can delete the old package by following the below steps:

 

1. Go to the Xbox Dashboard

2. Go to the “Settings” tab

3. Select “System”

4. Select “Storage”

5. Select “All Devices”

6. Select “Games and Apps”

7. Select “Halo 4” from the list of games

8. Select “Spartan Ops Season 1.0”

9. Select “Delete”

10. Select “Yes” to confirm

11. After it deletes that package, select “War Games” from the list

12. Select “Delete”

13. Select “Yes” to confirm

 

 

My Xbox crashes every time I try to go to Halo Waypoint from Halo 4. Fix it!

 

You fix it! You can do that by deleting Halo Waypoint and reinstalling it.

 

 

What’s up with the daily XP cap?

 

The daily XP cap is intended to preserve the integrity of the progression system. In other words, it’s in place to provide an early gate from players running amok in their progression. When we launched, we had a bug where double XP tokens were being consumed even when you went over the cap. That has since been fixed. In the coming weeks, we will be monitoring how many players are hitting the cap so we can respond accordingly.

 

 

Sometimes I see a different set of hoppers, and my SR gets set back to 0. Why does that happen?

 

What you are seeing are “fallback hoppers”. When you enter this mode, you will see a UI notification. It shows up on the “Find Game” screen for War Games. In previous Halo titles, you’re dependent on the servers to get the information you needed for Matchmaing, and if they go down, you can’t play. Fallback hoppers are a new functionality for Halo 4, and they allow people to continue playing Halo 4 when there are server issues.

 

In order to preserve the integrity of the online experience, there are some limitations to this functionality:

 

• Reduced XP earn rate, counted as offline XP

• Players in the fallback hopper cannot play with those that are using the regular server hoppers

• Player customization is disabled (no armor, loadouts, emblem)

 

Since the server isn’t actually available in fallback hopper mode, you’ll be missing functionality that the server provides. This includes:

 

• Spartan Ops

• File Share

• Service Record

• Commendations

• Challenges

• Double XP tokens

 

You will automatically be switched to fallback hoppers if you fail to download a necessary file. You’ll remain in fallback hoppers for up to 10 minutes after the services return. When in this mode, it’s a good idea to relaunch the game on a regular basis, so you can reenter the regular hoppers as soon as they’re available.

 

 

Now that we’re done with the housekeeping, we’d like to say that we hope your experience with Halo 4 has been nothing short of pleasurable. If that’s not the case, definitely let us know here.

 

Next Week's Matchmaking Playlist Update

As you read the above title, you’re probably thinking, “We get a Matchmaking update already?!” and the answer is yes, you do indeed get a Matchmaking update already. Welcome to Halo 4, Spartans!

 

Halo 4 Matchmaking updates will occur on a more frequent basis than what you’re accustomed to with Reach. Instead of monthly updates, we will be providing weekly updates, with the goal being to provide fresh content on a regular basis. We will maintain a static set of playlists and feature one or two “rotational” playlists on top of that. We will be monitoring trends and statistics closely so we can react accordingly to your preferences and likes. For instance, if one of our rotational playlists consistently holds a higher population than one of our static playlists, we will consider swapping them out based on player demand. The process will be fluid and based on numbers, and we’re extremely excited about the benefits of our new approach.

 

So, what brand new playlist do you get next week? You get everybody’s favorite “Boom, headshot!” game type. Oh yes, it’s time for SWAT! By the way, please excuse the sobbing you might be hearing right now. It’s Frankie, weeping his man-tears of joy.

 

Now, on to the nitty-gritty of SWAT in Halo 4.

 

We’ve carefully balanced the damage resistance to allow both the Battle Rifle and the DMR to compete against each other in SWAT. Another change is that we’ve removed the shield HUD; so combined with disabled radar and no ordnance, you get even more visibility during a match.

 

Below are the exact number of shots it takes for each weapon to kill.

 

• DMR – 3 bullets to the chest, 1 bullet to the head

• Magnum – 3 bullets to the chest, 1 bullet to the head

• BR – 7 bullets to the chest (this gun shoots three bullets in a burst, so the first bullet of the third burst will kill the player), 1 bullet to the head

 

These are the maps that will appear in the SWAT playlist.

 

• Haven

• Adrift

• Complex

• Abandon

• Solace

 

Here are some strategies for those unfamiliar with the SWAT game type.

 

• Aim for the head!

• Use a DMR for long range encounters and a BR to sweep hallways.

• A Magnum is more effective than melee at very close range because of its incredibly fast fire speed.

• Use callouts with your teammates; communication allows you to work more efficiently as a team.

• Pick up a DMR or BR off of an enemy. Having both weapons is a big advantage.

• Learn the maps to keep your reticle at headshot level.

 

And finally, here’s a preview of our planned settings.

 

 

 

Mode

SWAT

Teams

4v4

Score to Win

600 [60 Kills]

Loadout 1

DMR, Magnum

 

Loadout 2

BR, Magnum

Grenades

Disabled

Shields

Disabled

Damage Resistance

.8 – Headshot = Instant kill

Motion Tracker

Off

Infinite Ammo

On

Shield HUD

Disabled

Ordnance

Disabled

 

 

 

We hope you love SWAT in Halo 4. After you’ve had a chance to play it, be sure to visit the Matchmaking section of our forums to leave your feedback about this particular game type.

 

 

See you next week, and thanks again for joining us on this amazing journey. We appreciate your support, more than you know.

 

<3,

bs angel

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[Guest RedHAWK7268]

when halo 4 came out, some questions i would ask u are in forge do u think their could be a map say 2x the size of forge world from reach. 2 why did you decide to take falcons and hornets out of the game? and my final question is do u think they will make it sucessful and add in different add ons like being able to fly spartan ships such as falcon, hornet, and possibly pelicans.

[Trevo91]

Will there be unlimited sprint, or sprint at all for that matter, in swat?

[Guest OriGiN Starduck]

Do we have any word on what day this will come out on exactly?

[ReddLionz]

Listen, there has to be some sort of larger expansive forge map in the game. My friends and I would really enjoy building bases on Forge World in Reach, and this is simply not possible within the dimensions of the current forge maps. Even a port of Forge World would be nice, just something so that the community can create whatever they want, like in Reach. Please, 343, create an expansive forge map like Forge World so that we have as much fun on Halo 4 as we did on Halo Reach. Many, many fans want it.

[MrWebslinger]

I would like to echo the suggestions about the forge environment but also want to beg for our old game types back. Speedflag, Assault, CTF one flag, etc.... This was a huge disappointment when I realized a lot of the old options are missing.

[Guest Bulzeeb]

In addition to the previous concerns stated, I would like to throw out a quick blurb stating that many custom lobbies in prior Halo games relied heavily on an important factor: custom game modes. Halo 4 is currently lacking in a few modes that could really open up the creativity of map makers.

 

I must say Halo 4 is a fantastic continuation of the series. With expectations of weekly updates, I believe 343i has the means to polish this into an even greater game.

[CsDarKnight]

Should of let us use the Covenant Carbine. ):

[Guest angry]

you fix it!? Whats with the attitude 343? You broke the game before you delivered it not us!

[Guest elegantsorrow]

can i just say the exp cap is bs lol ive been in lobbys with players who are new and they kick ass just as well as any 40+ and it lets them get a sneak peak at the armor they can get

[Guest Dave]

Remove solace from this playlist. No offence to the creators but its a garbage map for anything except flood. Cross map shots the second the game starts and you can cross map from anywhere on the level.

[Guest elegantsorrow]

ok here ya go fix this go to my file share and look 2 guys HALO03692 and XTOXIC SNIPEZX in flood they could not be killed in flood like they got hit but wouldnt convert and they had dmrs and everyone came up as enemys i belive ya need to fix this problem really bad

[Guest AddyH44]

Ok, I'd just like to say, that I love the game. The campaign part anyways, and multiplayer when I can actually play it. But most of the time I can't play it because I am STILL having huge connection problems on war games. I can play anything else just fine, but war games is just straight up unplayable for me do to lag. I have a near perfect connection with open nat, and this is the only game I've owned since I've had xbox live that's lagged this much. I know a small amount of other people are having this problem, and I wanna know why the hell you aren't fixing this instead of doing multiplayer updates. Fix the game you have before you start adding stuff to it.

[RoosterTeethFan]

1) if you want forge world go play halo reach (not alot of fans liked forge world)

2) if you want the old game types go play halo reach

3) Solace is an awesome map for slayer its one of the best on the game

4) if you have connection problems that sucks to be you it really does

5) the xp cap is to make sure people dont play through all the ranks in a week which i bet some of you have tried to do

6) this is not 343s website but a fan site if you want them to read comments go to waypoint

[Guest Z3rosiris]

I have also seen that flood problem, and have been experiencing lag only in spartan ops when I play in a party haven't tried war games in a party yet but my connection has a slow speed and lags in any game but there is noticeable extra lag when I'm playing spartan ops in a party which I would like to be fixed as my friends have connections that should not lag and mine does not lag near that much when in war games or playing spartan ops alone.

[Darkman24]

i am having an issue with my 2XP not even applying. Dewxp.com sayd i have 92 applied but i am seeing nothing from the game...any thoughts. It worked the night of the release for a short while then totally stopped.

[Guest LeonardVanguard]

Game point system is broken. There are no ill effects for dying a lot. For instance, last game I played:

 

me: 16 kills, 3 deaths, 9 assist

other guy: 16 kills, 28 deaths, 10 assists

 

He gets more points than me by 10. He died 25 more times than me. What the hell?

[Guest WarofRage]

I beat it on legendary and for some reason it doesn't allow me to get the 117 emblem and armor which i don't under stand my friend did the same thing and got it what the hell did i do wrong.

[Guest jdude0822]

PLEASE fix these glitches, they are absolutely ruining the game. The flood glitches, the go inside the wall glitch in complex, getting kills from the grave with swords, also please fix the fact dmr beats battle riffle at all ranges, there is no reason to use a br at all.

[Livebigwinbig]

343 really needs to take a step back from trying to change so much in the multiplayer. Coming from a person who started playing Halo 1 back in the day, the progression over the series has added a few weapons here and there and a few new items (jetpack, etc). These were all fine because they weren't much of a stretch. I feel like Halo 4 has changed around the damage and health a ton from past games. Above all else, when you got hit in an old Halo game it zoomed you out. This made it key to get the first hit and made it possible for a person going up against two people to win the fight. Now, unless it is one on one there is a tiny chance you will make it out alive. It is like 343 was trying to make it so fair that it ruined the game because it is almost impossible to become extremely good. PLEASE set the damage charts back to what they have always been. Next, why are there only four maps to play Team Slayer on? Plenty of the big team battle maps are perfect for 4v4. Actually, one of them was already in an old Halo. The graphic updates and everything are cool... but you just took away what has always been Halo from your new game. I honestly feel like I am playing a new game/series that I have never played.

[Guest Abeeeee]

game is seriously trash... toook it back to gamestop for 23$ cash and im happy i did. i didnt pay 65$ to play reach again..... its the same game as reach. 343 u guys really messed up. nobody likes your game. playlists SUCK. MATCHMAKING SUCKS. LOBBYS SUCK! only thing u got right was the campaign but everyone knows it all about the multiplayer.... There is no competition what so ever in H4 unless your lucky enough to match pros. 2/10 is my rating over all and it only got a 2 for the campaign. I have been playing halo since H1 but tomorrrow night i will switching to Black Ops 2 and wont look back.

[sir goopeyboots]

take the xp cap off wtf. makes it not even werth buying

[ELVIS7]

I would like to echo the suggestions about the forge environment but also want to beg for our old game types back. Speedflag, Assault, CTF one flag, etc.... This was a huge disappointment when I realized a lot of the old options are missing.

 

Why did you decide to remove half the custom game settings and pretty much 70% of game types! every week I hang with friends and play custom games... you guys really ruined the halo series for me! and why the heck did you try making halo like call of duty, you did a worse job and it's plainly absurd!

[Casey_TheWizard]

Game is great. im loving it and wanting to play more but i cant because there is an xp limit. why?

[Caboose The Ace]

i love this game so much great job 343