For the off chance that 343 read their forums

[My BR iZ RusTyy]

Hello fellow Halo fans, I would just like to express a few elements that have been brought forward in other threads as I have some thoughts about them, hopefully 343 read and react to these "issues" as I see them though I wouldn't expect them to completely rewrite the game but perhaps make a compromise?

 

Anyway, here we go.

 

Loadouts, not a big deal but makes the game unbalanced somewhat, players in <H3 were all the same, no advantages or disadvantages. Though this may not be an issue depending on how you earn weapons and the ranking system(s) involved.

 

Random weapon drops/locations, gives an advantage to the team controlling the majority of known weapon locations if they can be known. A big part of social and competitive play is controlling the map with power weapons, Having a better weapon just land in your lap just seems boring to me, where is the excitement and satisfaction in that?

I want to feel that I've been playing towards weapon control and that I have had a positive influence in the outcome of the game because of my tactics, not because of a random weapon spawn.

 

Progressive ranking system, If you can earn xp from using forge, completing challenges, losing a game, being bad but still winning a game ETC... then Halo 4 will not be competitive, though I have read that there may well be a more competitive (perhaps Trueskill) based system aswell (please provide evidence for this if you have any, thank you).

 

Ok so lets just say a progressive ranking system detours boosters and derankers because there isn't any motivation for doing such things, that seems like a really lazy way of "solving" the issue. All that is doing is removing what is positive about a trueskill based system so no-one will want to boost... why not improve the reporting system instead.

 

Armour abilities, Ok so I understand Halo has to evolve and develope but seriously? jetpacks, riot-like shields, ETC... Some may argue they are fun to use which would be fine in a social playlist, however a competitive game has to be balanced IMO, Armour abilities just don't allow for this.

 

 

I'd like to define a word, "fun". Some may define this as sticking someone with a plasma nade or just running around with a shotgun racking up the kills which is all good. Fun for me in H2/3 was trying to reach the next level and the satisfaction when I did, it was beating a level 50 and leveling up because of it.

 

I love the argument I've read a few times on this forum that having fun with your mates and enjoying the game is more fun (or important) than ranking up, like as if to say the two idea's cannot co-exist, of course you can have fun with your mates, communicate and enjoy the game and rank up at the same time, infact many players do play with their mates when ranking up.

 

I do not see a good case against having social and competitive playlists.

 

Please comment! I would like to read other peoples views on the matters I have presented.

 

Thanks for reading

[Tallgeese]

Good post but this is the community forums. I would suggest posting this over at http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/.

 

Just a couple things of note, weapon drops are random timed, and random weapons so to an extent they can not be known.

AA's are not in traditional playlists, and may not be in the more competitive playlists

There is supposedly a ranke system yet to be announced, keep an eye out for tomorrows halo bulletin on HaloWaypoint. We know the game at least matches players based on skill, this was stated by David Ellis.

Weapon Unlocks for loadouts come pretty steadily, and you rank up much faster than you did in Reach

[Ryu♥Hayabusa]

Weapons are balanced as hell. This helps give more customization to the game. Invalid argument.

The Armor Abilities are also balanced as hell. No hovering with a sniper anymore, and no blocking explosions. The argument you presented is invalid.

Frankie said they were holding back the ranking system for now. After the progression system was revealed.

Random weapon drops and ordnance drops must have gotten you confused. See, the random drops are usually away from players and drop power weapons, etc. Ordnance drops (Only in infinity gametypes) are acquired when you get five kills. Whether you die or not, you still get it. These features are not in regular slayer playlists.

 

Note that when I say invalid argument, I don't mean you are wrong and ignorant, I mean the argument you presented is solved by current knowledge.

If you have more concerns, feel free to ask here or by PM. I am not affiliated with 343i, but I know all legal knowledge there is to know of Halo 4 at this moment.

[Cocoa]

If you want a game with no Armor Abilities, no specializations, no loadouts and no random weapon spawns why not just play Halo 3?

 

I want new features and new gameplay for a new game.

[My BR iZ RusTyy]

Weapons are balanced as hell. This helps give more customization to the game. Invalid argument.

The Armor Abilities are also balanced as hell. No hovering with a sniper anymore, and no blocking explosions. The argument you presented is invalid.

Frankie said they were holding back the ranking system for now. After the progression system was revealed.

Random weapon drops and ordnance drops must have gotten you confused. See, the random drops are usually away from players and drop power weapons, etc. Ordnance drops (Only in infinity gametypes) are acquired when you get five kills. Whether you die or not, you still get it. These features are not in regular slayer playlists.

 

Note that when I say invalid argument, I don't mean you are wrong and ignorant, I mean the argument you presented is solved by current knowledge.

If you have more concerns, feel free to ask here or by PM. I am not affiliated with 343i, but I know all legal knowledge there is to know of Halo 4 at this moment.

 

I never said the weapons seem unbalanced, what I was implying was that if matchmaking is such that player "A" hasn't earned as good a weapon as player "B" then player "B" will have an advantage, same applies with anything you can specify in a loadout. Though this concern may be moot when more information comes forward about exactly how players are pitched against each other.

 

Well I think we will have to disagree about Armour abilities, I feel they mess with map and weapon control far too much.

 

More of a rhetorical question, but why would Frankie hold back such crucial information about Halo 4?

 

Ah ok, sorry I'm not as clued up as I could be on Halo 4, so Random weapon drops aren't actually random? The location of weapon drops are dynamically calculated based on players location(s)

 

So what is contained in an ordinance drop then?

 

Thanks for your input matey

 

If you want a game with no Armor Abilities, no specializations, no loadouts and no random weapon spawns why not just play Halo 3?

 

I want new features and new gameplay for a new game.

 

Not saying I'm fully against all of the proposed changes and I do feel that games have to "evolve" to keep people interested and to solve problems in previous games, I am simply "voicing" my concerns, this is a forum for discussion, correct?

 

I would love to still be playing Halo 3 but not enough people play it anymore for it to be enjoyable for me.

[Tallgeese]

I never said the weapons seem unbalanced, what I was implying was that if matchmaking is such that player "A" hasn't earned as good a weapon as player "B" then player "B" will have an advantage, same applies with anything you can specify in a loadout. Though this concern may be moot when more information comes forward about exactly how players are pitched against each other.

 

Well I think we will have to disagree about Armour abilities, I feel they mess with map and weapon control far too much.

 

More of a rhetorical question, but why would Frankie hold back such crucial information about Halo 4?

 

Ah ok, sorry I'm not as clued up as I could be on Halo 4, so Random weapon drops aren't actually random? The location of weapon drops are dynamically calculated based on players location(s)

 

So what is contained in an ordinance drop then?

 

Thanks for your input matey

 

 

 

Not saying I'm fully against all of the proposed changes and I do feel that games have to "evolve" to keep people interested and to solve problems in previous games, I am simply "voicing" my concerns, this is a forum for discussion, correct?

 

I would love to still be playing Halo 3 but not enough people play it anymore for it to be enjoyable for me.

 

You unlock weapons at a stead rate, but you have to purchase them with points. So You and I could both unlokc the DMR at the same time, but I choose to wait for the Carbine...so it comes down to what youre own preferences are.

Armor abilities have been scaled down far more than Reach and the maps were built with them in mind this time around.

Frankie chose to wait on releasiing that info because 343i knows the majority of the community wants the 1-50 system or some type of ranked system...why not save the best info for last?

Correct, weapon drops are dynamic to an extent. The Placements of where weapons drop are set, BUT the weapons that drop their drop at random times, and are random weapons from a pre-set list of wepaons. Example: One weapon drop may contain a sniper 33%, Shotgun 33%, Rocket Launcher 33% and Binary Rifle 1%...so those weapons only drop within their percentages, while another weapon drop may contain a sniper 20%, Rocket Launcher 30%, Shotgun 30%, Needler 20%. Hope this helps.

Ordinance drops contain 1 grenade type (frag or plasma or pulse), 1 powerup (overshield, or movement, or damage boost), and 1 power weapon (needler or sniper, or shotgun etc.) The contents of the ordinance drop changes depending on the map size, and gametype, but there will always be 1 grenade, 1 powerup, and 1 power weapon. Now when i drops you have the option to choose 1 of the 3 to use, you can not take all 3 options.

[My BR iZ RusTyy]

You unlock weapons at a stead rate, but you have to purchase them with points. So You and I could both unlokc the DMR at the same time, but I choose to wait for the Carbine...so it comes down to what youre own preferences are.

Armor abilities have been scaled down far more than Reach and the maps were built with them in mind this time around.

Frankie chose to wait on releasiing that info because 343i knows the majority of the community wants the 1-50 system or some type of ranked system...why not save the best info for last?

Correct, weapon drops are dynamic to an extent. The Placements of where weapons drop are set, BUT the weapons that drop their drop at random times, and are random weapons from a pre-set list of wepaons. Example: One weapon drop may contain a sniper 33%, Shotgun 33%, Rocket Launcher 33% and Binary Rifle 1%...so those weapons only drop within their percentages, while another weapon drop may contain a sniper 20%, Rocket Launcher 30%, Shotgun 30%, Needler 20%. Hope this helps.

Ordinance drops contain 1 grenade type (frag or plasma or pulse), 1 powerup (overshield, or movement, or damage boost), and 1 power weapon (needler or sniper, or shotgun etc.) The contents of the ordinance drop changes depending on the map size, and gametype, but there will always be 1 grenade, 1 powerup, and 1 power weapon. Now when i drops you have the option to choose 1 of the 3 to use, you can not take all 3 options.

Ok I see what you are saying about the weapons and how players decide what they want to buy, but say player "A" has only earned 100 SP (credits) and so cannot buy the BR but player "B" has enough credits and so buys the BR, can these two players be pitched against each other? Sorry for my ignorance.

 

Well we can interpret the fact that Frankie has chosen to wait so long to release the ranking system info in different ways, you interpret it as he is saving the best news until last, I interpret it as he is trying to get as many people as possible to pre-order the game. Maybe I'm being too negative, but lets face it 343i are a business and as such need to make money.

 

Ok I now understand the weapon drops (Thanks for explaining), the ordinance drops seem awful to me, like I mentioned before I really dislike the idea of being handed a power weapon (even if everyone can get one), I want to earn it, lets be honest you'd have to be terrible at the game to not get 5 kills.