Spray and Pray Playlist

[Arctic Vortex]

I'd be all for it. Even though I didn't play Halo: Combat Evolved Matchmaking, I love CQC battles.

[Cassi]

 

 

No I mean that there aren't as many spray and pray players in Halo 4 and the population of this playlist would not likely be able to surpass MLG or Team Slayer Pro. It's not an opinion... it's an educated guess.

 

No, I'd pretty much lable it an opinion.

 

Here's why:

 

Casual folks tend to gravitate towards the auto's, while try-hards choose the most OP weapons exclusively. They do not use any other weapons (like the "scrub" AR, ect), because only these OP weapons (almost always some sort of precision weapon) are somehow the only "skillful" weapons in the game. These people tend to gravitate to the Slayer Pro and MLG playlists, including the folks who think they're MLG material when they're really not, which is most of them.

 

Since there are more casuals in Halo, or any game for that matter really, there will likely be more spray players. This forum is, like all forums, not truely representative of the game's population as a whole, since probably only 1-5% of the population even knows about it or cares enough to post.

 

Thus, since the majority of this game is populated by casuals who either aren't "good enough" to use the "skillful" weapons or even know there is a such a distinction, most are using the "Spray and Pray" weapon set.

 

Casuals drive this game, not the so called "pros".

 

Trust me, put in a "Spray and Pray" playlist, and the population would soar, along with the number of complaint threads bashing Halo 4 for being "noon friendly" by the "pro" crowd, even though the playlist doesn't even indirectly affect them.

 

 

I'd be all for it. Even though I didn't play Halo: Combat Evolved Matchmaking, I love CQC battles.

 

A player after my own heart.

[TornadoFlame]

No, I'd pretty much lable it an opinion.

 

Here's why:

 

Casual folks tend to gravitate towards the auto's, while try-hards choose the most OP weapons exclusively. They do not use any other weapons (like the "scrub" AR, ect), because only these OP weapons (almost always some sort of precision weapon) are somehow the only "skillful" weapons in the game. These people tend to gravitate to the Slayer Pro and MLG playlists, including the folks who think they're MLG material when they're really not, which is most of them.

 

Since there are more casuals in Halo, or any game for that matter really, there will likely be more spray players. This forum is, like all forums, not truely representative of the game's population as a whole, since probably only 1-5% of the population even knows about it or cares enough to post.

 

Thus, since the majority of this game is populated by casuals who either aren't "good enough" to use the "skillful" weapons or even know there is a such a distinction, most are using the "Spray and Pray" weapon set.

 

Casuals drive this game, not the so called "pros".

 

Trust me, put in a "Spray and Pray" playlist, and the population would soar, along with the number of complaint threads bashing Halo 4 for being "noon friendly" by the "pro" crowd, even though the playlist doesn't even indirectly affect them.

 

 

 

 

A player after my own heart.

thats also a opinion. so nobody knows if it would soar but i don't think much people would want to play a playlist for hours where your limited to few weapons.

[Cassi]

 

thats also a opinion. so nobody knows if it would soar but i don't think much people would want to play a playlist for hours where your limited to few weapons.

 

True, it is just an opinion...or educated guess, some might say. lol

 

As for the lack of weapons, what about SWAT? A good number of people play that for hours with only the DMR and BR available. Two weapons.

[TornadoFlame]

True, it is just an opinion...or educated guess, some might say. lol

 

As for the lack of weapons, what about SWAT? A good number of people play that for hours with only the DMR and BR available. Two weapons.

there is only 1 playlist where you can are one shot and a shot to the head kills you. People can use ar's and autos in any playlist mostly and thats probably why.

[Cassi]

Additionally, there really wouldn't be that many weapons banned in the playlist. Still more than CE had, and folks didn't complain about a lack of firepower choices in that game, right?

[Bloody Initiate]

Here's another way of explaining it:

 

Players like options.

 

If you take away their options, they want power in return.

 

If you just take away options, you have taken away a thing they like and given them nothing in return.

 

In SWAT and Snipers you take away most of the weapons, but you make everyone deadly at any range. That's the removal of options and the addition of power. In MLG they remove a lot of stuff but give you a professional pat on the back for doing well, and that doesn't even help that much (Those playlists typically have a very small and dedicated population until the next game comes out).

 

Never take away options without giving them something very special in return. A spray and pray playlist takes away options, does nothing else.

[RedStarRocket91]

What you suggest isn't unreasonable. I suppose the magnum could remain (it's true the little sucker isn't quite as lethal at mid-long range), I was just hoping to avoid folks trading the DMR for the pistol, but you're right, the magnum isn't quite as powerful and unbalancing in such a playlist.

 

I would also love to see some forged arenas. I think someone posted a Forge Map Pack not too long ago that had some really awesome remakes in it, like The Pit and Turf. Maybe some of these?

 

As for limiting the weapons further, idk. I didn't want to restrict it too much for fear of limiting choices and thus formenting boredom. I'm looking to recreate the CE feel, with the Halo 4 sandbox.

 

Do you think people would be content with just the CE weapons for loadouts and ords?

 

Btw, thanks so much for the warm welcome. This place is awesome (barring the influx of trolls after H4's release lol).

 

Remakes of old maps could definitely be looked at - they DO tend to be quite a bit smaller than Halo 4's default maps, after all, and I think most people have gotten pretty good at Forge right now, so presumably they'd be fairly accurate. Plus, there were some really great Forge maps in Reach, and it'd be interesting to see the best of those updated and brought into Halo 4's matchmaking - if perhaps controversial!

 

I think you're right about restricting weapons, cutting them down that much is probably going too far, at least in Matchmaking. A 'Classic' playlist really is another idea altogether, and things like the Suppressor and Storm Rifle can be a lot of fun to use.

 

For all the trolls we've had arrive since release, I think we're one of the friendlier Halo forums out there - and it's always great to see someone new start out with fresh ideas!

[Cassi]

Here's another way of explaining it:

 

Players like options.

 

If you take away their options, they want power in return.

 

If you just take away options, you have taken away a thing they like and given them nothing in return.

 

In SWAT and Snipers you take away most of the weapons, but you make everyone deadly at any range. That's the removal of options and the addition of power. In MLG they remove a lot of stuff but give you a professional pat on the back for doing well, and that doesn't even help that much (Those playlists typically have a very small and dedicated population until the next game comes out).

 

Never take away options without giving them something very special in return. A spray and pray playlist takes away options, does nothing else.

 

This I can agree with. You make a very good point here; one that I cannot refute.

 

 

 

Remakes of old maps could definitely be looked at - they DO tend to be quite a bit smaller than Halo 4's default maps, after all, and I think most people have gotten pretty good at Forge right now, so presumably they'd be fairly accurate. Plus, there were some really great Forge maps in Reach, and it'd be interesting to see the best of those updated and brought into Halo 4's matchmaking - if perhaps controversial!

 

I think you're right about restricting weapons, cutting them down that much is probably going too far, at least in Matchmaking. A 'Classic' playlist really is another idea altogether, and things like the Suppressor and Storm Rifle can be a lot of fun to use.

 

For all the trolls we've had arrive since release, I think we're one of the friendlier Halo forums out there - and it's always great to see someone new start out with fresh ideas!

 

Yeah, this is a really nice forum. I think a round of applause is in order for the folks who keep it up and operational.

 

Btw, if you haven't downloaded the Forge Map Pack, I strongly recommend that you check it out. Very high quality forging, imo. I'd write the uploader's GT for his credit, but I'm not sure if that's a violation of the rules here.

[RedStarRocket91]

Btw, if you haven't downloaded the Forge Map Pack, I strongly recommend that you check it out. Very high quality forging, imo. I'd write the uploader's GT for his credit, but I'm not sure if that's a violation of the rules here.

 

As long as they've linked their own GT to their forum name, it's completely fine

[Caboose The Ace]

i do like this idea causl would feel right at home as well but maybe 343 could implement it a rotation playist weekend it would be intresting to see and play

[l Xenoes l]

If any of kind of playlist was implemented that brought back the old Halo 3 feel then I'd be all for it. I do love being able to spawn with a precision weapon so if an enemy has one I'm actually able to defend myself. I can't count how many times I spawned with an AR in Halo 3 and got killed over and over because the other team was full of BRs they picked up and keep me from doing so. But with the DMR ruling pretty much every playlist it keeps people from using any other weapon. I was glad to actually see people using the AR in Regicide. It gave me that old Halo 3 feel again and I loved it. I found more people using AR type weapons rather then the DMR or BR and I loved it! Wish there was a playlist that encouraged more CQC type encounters. Once Grifball is added and some Team Doubles I doubt I'll be playing anything besides those and Dominion just because I'm tired of using nothing but, the damn DMR. One reason why I stopped playing is because I was so bored of every game type being the same.

[Bloody Initiate]

Was thinking more on this today while at work, I focused on things you could do to make the gametypes entertaining when you are taking away many of the weapons normally available.

 

Effectively I ended up wanting to make people "super" so that you can make up for the limitations of their weapons. For example, if you keep people moving the normal speed then you have players spotting and meeting each other at mid-range still, the range at which they suffer.

 

So I thought a speed boost would be the first thing you'd want. It makes the players more capable of closing the gap as well as strafing more effectively to make their combats more exciting. I don't know how much of one though, 110% or 120% at most probably.

 

Automatic weapons can actually afford to be a lot more mobile than marksman weapons because they're more forgiving. You can leap all around someone while keeping the reticule on their body since you don't need to score headshots. For this I suggest a boost to jump height, an increase in player gravity to keep the jumps from becoming too floaty/slow, and deactivating fall damage so that players never regret exploring their newfound mobility. I've never actually taken fall damage in Halo 4 yet though, so I don't know if it's even a concern.

 

In ANY custom gametype I would design I'd reduce the shield recharge wait. 4 seconds would be the maximum I'd ever put in a game (Any longer and you wonder why you have shields in the first place). For a gametype that gives players faster speeds and such I'd go even lower to 3 or 2 seconds. The idea of this gametype is that players don't feel like they need to hide a lot, they feel comfortable getting out there and raining hell on people. You can't have a long recharge wait in a gametype like that.

 

Obviously I'd also preset the loadouts. In addition to it being the only way players can control loadouts with custom options (that I know of), some weapons and abilities just make a lot less sense in such a gametype. I may not think the boltshot is broken, but it's designed to kill players who have automatic weapons and need to get in close (The boltshot's kill range is just about the ideal kill range of an automatic weapon). I don't like games that are designed to punish players for acting naturally. No boltshots, no marksman rifles, and no need for things like "firepower" since I can decide the starting weapons.

 

Toying with the idea of 110% damage to boost the range of the weapons, but I've actually tested it and combined with the already-faster kill times of Halo 4 it gets excessive very quickly.

 

Possible loadouts:

 

Assault:

Assault Rifle

Storm Rifle

Pulse Grenade

Thruster Pack

Shielding

Dexterity

 

Likely to be the most popular and the "go to" of them. Good at being on the front lines and surviving there, hopefully.

 

 

Support:

Storm Rifle

Plasma Pistol

Frag Grenades

Autosentry

Grenadier

Ammo

 

Originally this loadout had a jet pack because that would have made sense early on in Halo: Reach, but I'm not sure it makes any sense ever in Halo 4. I gave him two plasma weapons so he could knock shields off for his teammates and Ammo so he doesn't have to sacrificie position for supplies as often. Combine that with autosentry and you have a guy who can make an area very hazardous for the enemy. Guy should score a lot of assists and grenade kills, forcing players to think twice about playing TOO dumb.

 

 

Guardian:

Suppressor

Not sure what his secondary should be, might go magnum.

Plasma Grenades

Hardlight Shield

AA Efficiency

Explosives

 

He's meant to bait people into range and cover his teammates' retreats. Hardlight shield is the closest thing to a wall you can make. Suppressor is the best up close of the automatic weapons I think, also he has plasma grenades to punish people who walk right at him and the explosives upgrade to keep the grenades that land behind him from hurting so much.

 

 

Tactician:

Magnum

Plasma Pistol

Pulse Grenade

Promethean Vision

AA Efficiency (or Resupply)

Stealth (Or Sensor if Stealth isn't possible)

 

He may look strange in a full-auto focused playlist, but this guy's job involves informing his team of enemy locations and making sure they get the first shot in most fights. He's also far down on the loadout list so he becomes a bit of an offbeat option.

 

 

Specialist:

Suppressor

Plasma Pistol

Frag Grenades

Hologram

Mobility

Ordnance Priority

 

I feel cheated any time the preset loadouts don't include one with hologram, just because I love seeing that thing used effectively. What you have here is a power weapon player. It's designed to run for power weapons off of spawn and then to get them via ordnance more often.

 

 

Medic:

Scattershot, what?

No secondary

Frag Grenades

Regeneration Field

AA Efficiency

Dexterity

 

Because what list of preset loadouts is complete without one? Bottom of the list because I don't think a regen field will be necessary considering my above suggestion of shortening the shield recharge wait. It has a scattershot because that's the worst shotgun it could have without getting a boltshot. Plus a weapon whose projectiles ricochet opens up a whole new kind of "spray and pray." I also like medics to be able to defend themselves, so if someone gets in this guy's face they'll regret it.

[Cassi]

Wow, I'm actually a little touched! You really put a lot of thought into how this playlist could work, and your ideas all sound really fantastic.

 

Thanks so much for the input!

[Barack Obama]

I think this is a great idea! I'd defiantly play it.

[OMG Treason]

Id probably kill myself in an all AR game with the way Halo 4 was designed lol. Ill stick to my BR/DMR

[Nick Fuller]

 

 

Despise Regicide (though I love Team Regicide, imagine that. lol). Would rather have a normal FFA, to be honest.

 

I hate regicide too except I enjoy team regicide also hahah. Thing is each game of regicide I get 20-30 kills with using only AR. I don't bother using grenade kills or melee kills.

[Halogeek99]

Firstly, it wouldn't be much PRAY in it. Itll be old school Halo game play! In Halo 3 MM everyone was all out. Everyone! There was a lot of AR + tactical nade tossing, team killing and complete melee-fests. And there's very much skill in that too. Those were the glory days of Halo as I remember it.

[ProudDrunkIrish]

People keep saying that there is no skill in AR use but yet there is!!! In H3 I loved my BR and would always go get one but one of my friends never left down his AR and he was bloody invincible with it he had the AR/Beatdown down to a T and it worked well.

 

I miss the days where beatdown timing was so important and you would get into mad beatdown frenzies with half the teams involved lol, saying that what a deadly game Halo 3 was............

[Bloody Initiate]

I created the gametype I outlined above and uploaded it to my file share if anyone is interested in trying it in customs.

[Cassi]

I created the gametype I outlined above and uploaded it to my file share if anyone is interested in trying it in customs.

 

Yeah, I did the same (haven't uploaded to my fileshare, tho). It's actually a really fun gametype, but I feel like it could be kinda dull without a bunch of players (but that's really true of any gametype).

[D-38 Boss]

So it's basically a CQB gametype?

 

I could get behind that.

[l Xenoes l]

People keep saying that there is no skill in AR use but yet there is!!! In H3 I loved my BR and would always go get one but one of my friends never left down his AR and he was bloody invincible with it he had the AR/Beatdown down to a T and it worked well.

 

I miss the days where beatdown timing was so important and you would get into mad beatdown frenzies with half the teams involved lol, saying that what a deadly game Halo 3 was............

 

The AR does require a lot of skill to use. Have to be able to out play people using a mid to long range weapon which isn't always easy depending on the map you're on. You have to pick your fights a lot more carefully because if you get double teamed then your chances of being able to kill even just one of the players isn't very good. Using grenades wisely is also key when it comes to using the AR effectively. I'm on the last tier for the AR; I'm only on 176/1000 so it's gonna take a bit. I can't wait to have it done but, I'll be sad when I do cause then it'll be back to using the BR/DMR and every game being the same long range camp fest.

 

I long for the old days of Halo 3 where the AR was up there with the best weapons of the game and the game had an equal amount of long range and CQC type battles. Now it's about 80/20.

[ioniablackbird]

try the new maps, Thats all you hear is AR/ Suppressor fire.

[T O lR T A]

Yeah let all the double pummelers and ar users gathered into that playlist. lol