• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Halo |OT13|

Status
Not open for further replies.

Plywood

NeoGAF's smiling token!
The Hunger Games was pretty dope.
battle-royale-posteruzuuq.jpg
 
I persist that the list view (now 'Songs' view) is by and far the best way to display / access songs, so the new version of iTunes doesn't really offer much for me.

new itunes sucks. no art preview for selected song. can't choose to put column browser on left in list view, forces you to have it on the top which is horrible for long lists ie artists, they removed cover flow view.

The new iTunes is the product that bumped Halo 4 off the top of my "most disappointing products of 2012" list that nobody gives a shit about.

There are so many elements of iTunes 11 that make NO SENSE AT ALL. Like columns that should line up that don't just because someone felt lazy I guess? I spent my first 2 weeks with it just trying to make it look and act more like iTunes 10.

I installed Songbird for Christ sake--and nobody's done that since 2006.
 
Loners will rejoice.
I am ready to rejoice.

I know people are craving for 4v4 symmetrical maps, but Relay is a perfect example of an incredibly bad donut-style map.
I remember hearing that the map was being tweaked before it's release out into the matchmaking wilderness. Maybe there will be additional ways to get to the donut from the center. And raise the middle to obscure the insane sightline.
 
The bulletin gives me hope.

And I just started Forza Horizon after not playing Gran Turismo 3 for the PS2. I have rediscovered my love of racing games.

Honestly, I can only do like one simulation racing game per generation. I do enjoy them just not as much as arcade racers. I have Horizons sitting here from Black Friday, haven't had a chance to pop it in yet though.

I just updated my iTunes... anyone else in love with the new version?

I actually love the new version. I was getting pretty tired of the old look. Love the smart search bar, even if it is a bit slow in indexing.
 

Deadly Cyclone

Pride of Iowa State
Good note by Frank in the bulletin. When you actually look at what a monumental task it must have been to go from 5 people to finishing Halo 4 it must be staggering. The small bit that I know about development makes be really wish I could have seen the entire process from those initial five, to the game going gold.

Like Halo 4 or not you have to commend 343 for even existing, and making a solid product in the end. Hopefully they are true to their words when stating they are learning from the mistakes made. I guess we'll see!


Also from gaming side:

QFT

you can tell the visuals were their priority NOT the gameplay. Worst Halo period.

SP= CE >reach> odst> 3> 2>4

MP=CE > 2 > reach > odst > 3 > 4

4 was really pretty but nothing more.

Reach better than ODST, 2, 3 and 4? Wut.


EDIT: Don't go into that thread. That goes double for Dax. Some Halo 3 campaign hate going on too.
 

ElRenoRaven

Member
Ah nothing like waking up to more discussion.

Been playing Halo 2 a lot lately... Am I the only one who thinks that the Spartans in Halo 2 look better than in any other Halo?

Yea I'd have to say Halo 2's Spartan look was perfect. It was honestly my favorite design. Halo 3 was close but they toned it down and made the green a lot darker on Chief's armor.
 
Reach better than ODST, 2, 3 and 4? Wut.


EDIT: Don't go into that thread. That goes double for Dax. Some Halo 3 campaign hate going on too.
I'm fine with people liking whichever game the most, it's not that surprising that people like different things.

The thread is fine, lots of love (and hate) for every title.
 

Diseased Yak

Gold Member
Hey all, I have a code from Amazon that I didn't realize I still had, it's the pre-order bonus "Web" Armor for pre-ordering Halo 4. I don't want it. First person to PM me gets.

Edit: CODE IS GONE!
 

gAg CruSh3r

Member
I never actually did one of these but I will do it :)...


How long have you been a member of NeoGAF? How long have you lurked?

Ahh since |OT11|.. It's very interesting what you guys say o.o...

How old are you? What country or state are you posting from? (Optional)

I'm 20, I'm from Idaho and no Idaho is not all about potatoes.. -.- but they are very good... We have many fun things here too!

How long have you been a Halo fan? Have you played all the games?

I been a fan since Halo CE I remember the first time my friend introduced me to this game! Oh the love and joy we had playing campaign over and over whenever I came over.

I had bought a Xbox with my own money months prior to Halo 2. I got live at least a month or two after Halo 2 was releases because I wanted High speed Internet and it took a while to get it. I used the Free 2 month trial Xbox live it came with and since then I have had live. My gamer tag is 7 years now!

I have played and bought all Halo's even Halo Wars :)...

What mode do you spend most of your time in?

FORGE!!! Oh how I love forge!... We have a group called the Eastern Idaho LANs and we have LANs every 2-3 weeks or so. I'm there Forge Master haha... I mostly make fun game types along with the maps I make. So if anyone wants to try Flood Race, Super Saiyan Slayer, or Hunger Games. Just ask :).. I do love infinity slayer and objective game types. I wish they had big team battles with slayer and objection games in it( Good old Halo 2 BTB)...

What is your favorite playlist?

Infinity Slayer! It would be BTB but the maps have the worst vehicles and stuff in them. They should keep that damn Mantis out of it unless its Heavy Big Team... Please for the love a god they need to add objective game types! Ahhh -.- enough ranting..

Help us get to know you better. (Optional)

I am married and do have a 3 month old boy :).. We where married before she got pregnant so don't judge :)... I will be becoming a License Denturist here soon.( I build dentures or other prosthetic devices)

If anyone wants to play some custom games or MM you can add me but make sure you tell me your from NeoGAF or else I would delete it. I get a lot or request from noobs.. -.-
My GT is gAg CruSh3r ( Funny story about my GT I have not changed it since I made my account. Also I thought Chrusher was a sweet GT. So when I made my account it was already taken so I decided to put my initials in front of it witch is gag hahaha. I did not really think it through oh well. :)

Enough about me! I hope you guys enjoy me luking and commenting here on NeoGAF!
Ps: sorry for type-os haha I have to get ready for work and was in a rush.
 

AF Jon

Neo Member
I don't get why people have Halo 3's MP rated so low as often as it seems to be. I always thought it was on par with 2, at least.

Not as good as Halo Wars, of course.
*shot*
 

rakka

Member
The new iTunes is the product that bumped Halo 4 off the top of my "most disappointing products of 2012" list that nobody gives a shit about.

There are so many elements of iTunes 11 that make NO SENSE AT ALL. Like columns that should line up that don't just because someone felt lazy I guess? I spent my first 2 weeks with it just trying to make it look and act more like iTunes 10. .

yeah, I did exactly this. tweaked settings as much as I could to make it more like previous iTunes. in the end I thought fuck it and went through the trouble to downgrade to iTunes 10. first time I've ever done that and I've used iTunes for a very long time.
 

kylej

Banned
Could we please get a timeline on when we will get basic features from a 5 year old game added to Halo 4?

I know 343 is very proud of assembling a team with Microsoft funds, but I've heard that like 20 times. When will we the consumer actually see some worthwhile additions to the game? The big news after winter break is we'll be getting a temporary doubles playlist?
 
Could we please get a timeline on when we will get basic features from a 5 year old game added to Halo 4?

I know 343 is very proud of assembling a team with Microsoft funds, but I've heard that like 20 times. When will we the consumer actually see some worthwhile additions to the game? The big news after winter break is we'll be getting a temporary doubles playlist?
Team Regicide was an extremely worthwhile addition to the game, and the hint of loners being able to enjoy matchmaking more is enough to get me antsy for the update. If the TU comes around the time of the next DLC, that would be great. I'm ready to hear what changes are coming any time now.

It's also interesting to note that 343 audited the playlists so you no longer have to scroll up or down to see them all. I guess they did that for the Cross-Promotional Challenge, but it's still a smart choice that hopefully sticks around. But don't take away TR to fit in other shit I won't play.
 

Tawpgun

Member
Could we please get a timeline on when we will get basic features from a 5 year old game added to Halo 4?

I know 343 is very proud of assembling a team with Microsoft funds, but I've heard that like 20 times. When will we the consumer actually see some worthwhile additions to the game? The big news after winter break is we'll be getting a temporary doubles playlist?

I'm a bit disappointed in the actual content of the update, but I am thankful they at least acknowledged the issues.

Basically, I said a while back if 343 didn't at least ACKNOWLEDGE the games problems then I'd be more or less done with them until further notice.

But they did... barely. Its still super vague, and there are even some decisions being made right now that make no fucking sense. Such as a TEMPORARY doubles playlist? What? It should have been standard since launch.

And super disappointing we have to wait another whole month and potentially more for file shares, but at least they're working on it.

There was mention of custom game options so at least they're looking into it.

I wish we could at least know what this next TU is about. Just tell me if its more fixing glitches oriented like last one, or gameplay/balance/features oriented like I'm hoping for.
 

AF Jon

Neo Member
I wish we could at least know what this next TU is about. Just tell me if its more fixing glitches oriented like last one, or gameplay/balance/features oriented like I'm hoping for.

Boltshot can cross-map now.

I'm glad that they're looking into new playlists for rotation and working on file share and customs fixes, at least. The promise of new, actual small maps (Complex is not a small map, I don't care how many times I see it in regicide or 4v4) is nice, but we'll see what actually pans out.
 

Tawpgun

Member
Can someone post the contents of the bulletin here? Waypoint is blocked at work :(

To summarize

Happy New Year

Letter from Frankie: Proud of what we were able to create, for a first game from a new team wasn't half bad. Realize we made mistakes, could do stuff better ie communication, DLC fiasco, features missing. We're sorry we will continue to work on this stuff, but still proud of my team and the game.

Silentium is coming out.

SpOps Season 1 continued.

Forge playlist (temporary)
Doubles playlist (temporary)
Grifball playlist (temporary)

FFA and Team Snipes maybe

Something something

<3 bsangel
-------------------------------------

At least Fyrewulff can stop crying about 343 supporting MLG and ignoring the community cartographers since the opposite has happened.
 

IHaveIce

Banned
Grifball will stay forever.

All kids will hop in there and boost their K/Ds.

I say the population for Grifball will be in the top 3 in the game
 

Dirtbag

Member
How long have you been a member of NeoGAF? How long have you lurked?

Halo 2

How old are you? What country or state are you posting from? (Optional)

31 / New Orleans, LA

How long have you been a Halo fan? Have you played all the games?

Was debating on getting a mac just to play Halo, pumped when CE switched to xbox.
Bought a console 2 weeks from launch and been hooked since.

What mode do you spend most of your time in?

Slayer / 1 Flag

What is your favorite playlist?

Skirmish - Halo 2
Objective - Halo 3

Help us get to know you better. (Optional)

One of the original Halo GAFers
Went to the first meetup at PAX.
Kind of an asshole, probably smarter then most of you.
My girlfriend looks like jessica alba.
Soccer / kickball
 

kylej

Banned
I'm a bit disappointed in the actual content of the update, but I am thankful they at least acknowledged the issues.

Basically, I said a while back if 343 didn't at least ACKNOWLEDGE the games problems then I'd be more or less done with them until further notice.

But they did... barely. Its still super vague, and there are even some decisions being made right now that make no fucking sense. Such as a TEMPORARY doubles playlist? What? It should have been standard since launch.

And super disappointing we have to wait another whole month and potentially more for file shares, but at least they're working on it.

There was mention of custom game options so at least they're looking into it.

I wish we could at least know what this next TU is about. Just tell me if its more fixing glitches oriented like last one, or gameplay/balance/features oriented like I'm hoping for.

Yeah I mean I feel like every weekly bulletin is the same.

Very proud of the team, we did a lot with a little... no. Every business is hard as shit to build, every product is hard as shit to launch, the difference is most businesses aren't a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft. There are no cafes in most businesses. There are no lounges with plasma TVs. There are no trips to NYC to hang out with celebrities. I've never seen a group of people congratulate themselves more on doing their job than 343. I completely understand being proud of the team and what people have accomplished, but don't try to frame it as though the struggle excuses some of the faults.

There are approximately zero people reading this:

We have a lot to learn. We made a lot of mistakes. We can do better. And we know this, and we will.

that were disappointed with Halo 4, but will now return to the game because of that statement. It means nothing to anyone but the people who already know you made mistakes.

There are approximately zero people reading this:

The overhaul of an amazing game engine &#8211; but one that really needed to be overhauled

who then feel better about playing a Halo game with the worst frame-rate drops in the series.

Then I read this

It may not have ended up precisely the way you imagined &#8211; there are simply too many voices and perspectives to make all of the people happy, all of the time

is it the community's fault that we're missing features from Halo 3? Frankie talks about how by all objective measures Halo 4 was a success. Missing core components of your predeccessors is a pretty damn objective failure.

and I read this

&#8211; but we think of the community as a direct and democratic extension of the team and, indeed, of the development process.

What was influenced by the community? Any examples? Was FUD or TTL asking for Complex? If the community is such a direct and democratic extension of the team, which part of the community asked for the first map pack to be big brown maps? Was that ReadyUpLive or r/Halo's fault? Could you guys have democratically put up a vote with the major communities asking if recreating Seattle during crunch time was a good idea? I just find it hilarious that after a year of Trust Us, Feels Like Halo, now suddenly the community is apparently a direct extension of the team and there are just too many gosh darn voices to be heard to make people happy. To extend this makeshift olive branch while simultaneously refusing to outline the next title update is hysterical to me. To this day, we still have no idea who, why, or how 343 makes any of their matchmaking decisions. We open up the weekly bulletin every week and hope there's something interesting. That is literally the only involvement we get with matchmaking updates.

No end user gives a rat's ass about the development process of anything. You don't think about the thousands of man-hours that go into the labeling of every single product in a grocery store, you just buy it. Give us some actual hard definable timelines for when we'll be getting fileshare, when we're getting a ranking system, when we're getting video uploading. Where are these features? Everything is always one or two weeks away. We'll have more details to share in a bit! As someone who hasn't played Halo in over a month, all I took from that update is that video game development is hard and that we'll be getting minor playlist updates in 3 or 4 weeks. Well, no shit. Sometime in the future we'll get missing features added and a title update. Oh and we have more outsourced table-scrap maps to look forward to that we'll have to pay for. Halo 4 is hitting all time low daily peak populations right now, there are 200 people in the playlist of their new DLC pack, and a 4 year old download-only PC game is ahead of it in activity, but who cares, the team is working hard! Puhleaze. I'm sure Frankie will respond to this by calling me a troll and that I hate Halo and hate everything and am moving the goalposts and should leave GAF as I have been told by him before, which is fine, but it doesn't change the fact that all the 9.8's and long hours in the world can't stop this game from falling further on its face if they keep heading down this same path.
 

TheOddOne

Member
What was influenced by the community? Any examples? Was FUD or TTL asking for Complex? If the community is such a direct and democratic extension of the team, which part of the community asked for the first map pack to be big brown maps? Was that ReadyUpLive or r/Halo's fault? Could you guys have democratically put up a vote with the major communities asking if recreating Seattle during crunch time was a good idea? I just find it hilarious that after a year of Trust Us, Feels Like Halo, now suddenly the community is apparently a direct extension of the team and there are just too many gosh darn voices to be heard to make people happy. To extend this makeshift olive branch while simultaneously refusing to outline the next title update is hysterical to me. To this day, we still have no idea who, why, or how 343 makes any of their matchmaking decisions. We open up the weekly bulletin every week and hope there's something interesting. That is literally the only involvement we get with matchmaking updates.

No end user gives a rat's ass about the development process of anything. You don't think about the thousands of man-hours that go into the labeling of every single product in a grocery store, you just buy it. Give us some actual hard definable timelines for when we'll be getting fileshare, when we're getting a ranking system, when we're getting video uploading. Where are these features? Everything is always one or two weeks away. We'll have more details to share in a bit! As someone who hasn't played Halo in over a month, all I took from that update is that video game development is hard and that we'll be getting minor playlist updates in 3 or 4 weeks. Well, no shit. Sometime in the future we'll get missing features added and a title update. Oh and we have more outsourced table-scrap maps to look forward to that we'll have to pay for. Halo 4 is hitting all time low daily peak populations right now, there are 200 people in the playlist of their new DLC pack, and a 4 year old download-only PC game is ahead of it in activity, but who cares, the team is working hard! Puhleaze. I'm sure Frankie will respond to this by calling me a troll and that I hate Halo and hate everything and am moving the goalposts and should leave GAF as I have been told by him before, which is fine, but it doesn't change the fact that all the 9.8's and long hours in the world can't stop this game from falling further on its face if they keep heading down this same path.
tumblr_m7jy2aLyfw1r3ovdbo1_500.jpg
 

Louis Wu

Member
Bulletin copypasta (minus image):

I feel like we haven't talked since last year

Greetings and salutations, dear reader, and welcome to the first Bulletin of 2013. I wanted to write you an eloquently penned introduction, full of cleverly-crafted phrases intended to evoke emotional responses relevant to the recent warm and festive holiday season, except I couldn't remember the name of the traditional party favor typically used during celebratory occasions. So I opened up my favorite search engine, typed in "things you blow at parties", and proceeded to get lost in the deepest, darkest depths of the intertubes. Suffice it to say that it wasn't safe to go alone. Thankfully I wasn't truly alone, because after a few weeks of operating at partial capacity, 343 as a collective entity is officially back and running full steam ahead into the anxiously awaiting arms of the New Year.

Earlier this week, as people across all disciplines of the studio readjusted to the daily grind, we took several hours to get together as a group and sync about what we accomplished last year and what we hope to accomplish this year. As we looked back at 2012, we called out the positives, talked extensively about the negatives, and eventually switched gears to everything that is and will be 2013. I'll touch on some of the lattermost things shortly but first Frank would like a few minutes of your time. When he initially mentioned he wanted to write part of today's Bulletin, I was all, "You want to do half of my work?" And he was all, "Yes, but only half. Don't even try to pawn the whole thing off on me." Then I was all, "Whatevs, dude. Just start writing already." And he did.

From the face of Frank

2012 was supposed to be the end of the world. Instead, it was the beginning of ours. Halo 4, despite being the seventh or eighth game in the Halo series (depending on how you count them), was our first game. That is to say, our first-ever fully fledged title, built from the ground up creatively and technologically. So let me save you the trouble of trolling my statement: We have a lot to learn. We made a lot of mistakes. We can do better. And we know this, and we will. But I don't want to spend the first moments of the year thinking about the negatives, because frankly, I am incredibly proud of both the team and the game that team created.

And for a first effort, it wasn't half bad.

Stepping into Bungie's oversized shoes would have been difficult, even for a well-established team. The challenge of wrangling that engine, that universe and that community was dizzying, even withering. Four years ago when our charter began, the challenge of starting the seed of a development team and then creating a sequel to Halo terrified us. A small group of us - names you know, like Kiki Wolfkill, Bonnie Ross, Kenneth Scott Josh Holmes and other characters who have moved on to different projects, different places - was tasked with doing something that was almost impossible.

But the team grew. And we learned. And we're still learning. And the game arrived and it succeeded. Halo 4 is the best and fastest-selling Halo game in the series. It won critical acclaim. It won awards, from Best Graphics at the VGAs to Game of the Year at the Inside Gaming Awards. We altered the engine. We expanded the universe. We innovated in storytelling, technology, and even marketing. It wasn't flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but by most objective criteria, it was a resounding success. So we know we have a lot to do. And we know we have a lot to learn. But we also know that we now have the capacity, the teamwork, the technology and the experience to do much better next time.

But my point is this: If you'd asked me three or four years ago if we thought we'd be where we are now, I would have looked doubtfully at you and said, "That's a lot to ask." But the team, through miracles of collaboration and individual contribution - and lakes of blood and tears - waded into the challenge with gusto and worked obscene hours with passion and verve to get it done. And now we're beginning to really understand what "it" is.

I think that, perhaps perversely, rather than being looked at askance with doubt and cynicism, in some corners we've been given extra latitude - the only benefit of low expectations. And then the ability to exceed those expectations.

There are a ton of things we wish we'd done better: Features that didn't make it into the final game. Glitches that emerged. Missteps made. DLC fiascos. Communication breakdowns. But there were things that went astonishingly well - the creation of a genuinely competitive AAA studio chief among them. A collection of talent and souls that can do something genuinely amazing on this and next-generation hardware. The overhaul of an amazing game engine - but one that really needed to be overhauled - and an amassed education on systems, people, code and audience that will stand us in great stead for the future.

Some of the high points of the last few years have been products as well as people - like Halo: Anniversary and Forward Unto Dawn. There have been amazing events - Halo Fest, the E3 debut, ComicCon - all blurring into a sea of faces, excitement, light, and noise.

But the most important aspect of our success, and our efforts now and in the future, has been this community - a demanding, imaginative, engaged, vocal, varied and intelligent swarm of personalities, groups and individuals, each with subtly to radically different interests in this vast and varied universe we're charged with. That isn't lip service, nor is it pandering. You guys pay for the privilege of playing our game, and you have every right to have a voice in its development.

It may not have ended up precisely the way you imagined - there are simply too many voices and perspectives to make all of the people happy, all of the time - but we think of the community as a direct and democratic extension of the team and, indeed, of the development process. A litmus test, a pH strip and a sounding board for ideas and innovations, you are the tension between the need for change and evolution, and the necessity of inertia.

Technically, this should be a retrospective, but it's safe to say I'm more excited about the future than the past. Excited about what this team is already working on. Excited about what this team is capable of. And excited about the future of Halo. A future we want you to be a part of. A future we're building for you.

A look at early 2013

While Frank's words present the perfect note to end on, I'd like to share a little about the future he spoke of. One of the best parts about being blessed with the caretaker role of such an expansive universe is the opportunity for exploration, and books play an important role in that. Halo: Primordium came out in early 2012, and Halo: Silentium, the third novel in the Forerunner Saga written by Greg Bear, is slated to be released on March 19, 2013. Here is a little about it, for the fiction fans amongst you:

In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos, which continued in Halo: Primordium. Now, in the last years of the Forerunner Empire, chaos rules. The Flood, a horrifying shape-changing parasite, has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies. Internal strife within the ecumene has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses.

Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian, a husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict, hold the keys to salvation. Facing the consequences of a profound tragedy, one of them must commit a great atrocity in order prevent an unmatched evil from dominating the entire universe.

As far as Halo 4 goes, we have some fun stuff planned for late January and beyond. After the Infinity Challenge concludes, regular Matchmaking updates will start up again (and that includes the return of the second half of Spartan Ops Season 1, which features brand new stories, missions and locations). It's important to note the below scheduled is not finalized and could very well change, but as of right now, here is what we're tentatively planning:

Week of 1/21
Spartan Ops Episode 6: Five new missions and an accompanying new CG cinematic.
"Forge Test" playlist (name not final): A rotational hopper featuring small Forge maps such as Relay. Help us test these maps by providing feedback and reporting bugs that will assist us in getting them ready for Matchmaking!
Specializations: Pioneer and Pathfinder Specializations unlocked for all players.

Week of 1/28
Spartan Ops Episode 7: Five new missions and an accompanying new CG cinematic.
Grifball playlist: A rotational hopper featuring everybody's favorite virtual sport. Catch the disease!
Specializations: Engineer and Stalker Specializations unlocked for all players.

Week of 2/4
Spartan Ops Episode 8: Five new missions and an accompanying new CG cinematic.
Team Doubles playlist: A rotational hopper for those of you that like action of the 2 vs 2 variety.
Specializations: Rogue and Tracker Specializations unlocked for all players.

Matchmaking updates go live every Monday, and potential playlists for the month of February include both FFA and a new and improved version of Team Snipers. Late February will also bring both a Title Update and the Majestic Map Pack (which includes two small maps and one medium-sized map) to Halo 4 as well. Expect more information on all of those things next month.

While we're excited about our upcoming Matchmaking updates, I'm also excited about some of the things that may be low on your priority list but are high on mine. Take communication, for instance. I believe we need to work harder to get you information. We communicate through Bulletins, blog articles, social media channels and our forums. While that may sound like a lot, there are still numerous people asking questions about information that is already out there. That means we need to work harder to make sure the information is where you are. We've already started this effort on the forums (which is the first and most important place we look for feedback). We launched a "News" section, where we provide links to all headline articles, press releases, and blog articles we publish on a daily basis. There are also threads in that section where you can suggest a topic (Battle Rifle bulletology, anyone?) or ask a question for a future Bulletin. We'll continue working on our communication, and you can gage our efforts by keeping an eye on the following forum accounts:

Forum Team: General support
MM Systems Team: Matchmaking information
bs angel: General updates

For now, I'm going to let you soak up all of the above information. Fret not, though, because we'll meet again. Same time, same place next week, as a matter of fact. Until then...

<3,
bs angel

P.S. Discuss.
 
is it the community's fault that we're missing features from Halo 3? Frankie talks about how by all objective measures Halo 4 was a success. Missing core components of your predeccessors is a pretty damn objective failure.
What you fail to grock here is what you've always failed to grock. The Halo community is more than just you and your friends. By the numbers most Halo players are in it for campaign and not the strict parameters of multiplayer that many here seem to require.

Its like you live in your own little bubble.
 
Bulletin copypasta (minus image):
Minus the image? Well what's the point then? :p
that were disappointed with Halo 4, but will now return to the game because of that statement. It means nothing to anyone but the people who already know you made mistakes.
There are approximately zero people reading this:
who then feel better about playing a Halo game with the worst frame-rate drops in the series.
Then I read this
is it the community's fault that we're missing features from Halo 3? Frankie talks about how by all objective measures Halo 4 was a success. Missing core components of your predeccessors is a pretty damn objective failure.
and I read this
What was influenced by the community? Any examples? Was FUD or TTL asking for Complex? If the community is such a direct and democratic extension of the team, which part of the community asked for the first map pack to be big brown maps? Was that ReadyUpLive or r/Halo's fault? Could you guys have democratically put up a vote with the major communities asking if recreating Seattle during crunch time was a good idea? I just find it hilarious that after a year of Trust Us, Feels Like Halo, now suddenly the community is apparently a direct extension of the team and there are just too many gosh darn voices to be heard to make people happy. To extend this makeshift olive branch while simultaneously refusing to outline the next title update is hysterical to me. To this day, we still have no idea who, why, or how 343 makes any of their matchmaking decisions. We open up the weekly bulletin every week and hope there's something interesting. That is literally the only involvement we get with matchmaking updates.

No end user gives a rat's ass about the development process of anything. You don't think about the thousands of man-hours that go into the labeling of every single product in a grocery store, you just buy it. Give us some actual hard definable timelines for when we'll be getting fileshare, when we're getting a ranking system, when we're getting video uploading. Where are these features? Everything is always one or two weeks away. We'll have more details to share in a bit! As someone who hasn't played Halo in over a month, all I took from that update is that video game development is hard and that we'll be getting minor playlist updates in 3 or 4 weeks. Well, no shit. Sometime in the future we'll get missing features added and a title update. Oh and we have more outsourced table-scrap maps to look forward to that we'll have to pay for. Halo 4 is hitting all time low daily peak populations right now, there are 200 people in the playlist of their new DLC pack, and a 4 year old download-only PC game is ahead of it in activity, but who cares, the team is working hard! Puhleaze. I'm sure Frankie will respond to this by calling me a troll and that I hate Halo and hate everything and am moving the goalposts and should leave GAF as I have been told by him before, which is fine, but it doesn't change the fact that all the 9.8's and long hours in the world can't stop this game from falling further on its face if they keep heading down this same path.
You undermine your self with your own argument a bit, but I get what you're saying.
So does anyone here really.
What you fail to grock here is what you've always failed to grock. The Halo community is more than just you and your friends. By the numbers most Halo players are in it for campaign and not the strict parameters of multiplayer that many here seem to require.

Its like you live in your own little bubble.
Sure, but that player base is a significant bubble.
Hard to look at those population numbers and not think there must be dissatisfaction out there. Not necessarily the same dissatisfaction.
 

Dirtbag

Member
I want some facts, but at least there is acknowledgement that they fucked up... then proceeded to mention it's the best halo game that won awards.

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt though, since that's about as much as they can say as the face of microsoft gaming. I've stopped playing the game. We'll see what the TU does for me in 2 months.
 
Kyle, genuinely asking...

Is there a "point of no return" for you in regards to coming back to the franchise? While I certainly don't share your views, I appreciate the fact that you at one time were very passionate about the same game(s) I am passionate about, and I do think that it sucks that it's gone down this path for you.

It feels like reading about someone talking about a failed marriage (not to bleed hyperbole). Often times that person who is so right for someone else for the long term just doesn't last and stand the test of time when paired with another.
 

Dirtbag

Member
What you fail to grock here is what you've always failed to grock. The Halo community is more than just you and your friends. By the numbers most Halo players are in it for campaign and not the strict parameters of multiplayer that many here seem to require.

Its like you live in your own little bubble.

I've got to be honest on that one though. 4 might be the best looking of the campaigns, but its the worst or at best 2nd worst campaign out of all of them. The encounters are smaller / the AI is more shallow and less reactive / the scripted parts are routine / the vehicle trench runs were overdone / the new enemy classes lack feedback, hierarchy, and are a chore to fight / memory constraints created a disappearing weapon problem.
 
Hard to look at those population numbers and not think there must be dissatisfaction out there. Not necessarily the same dissatisfaction.
I think those population numbers are cherry picked to show the worst as they are never anywhere near that low when I play (8-10pm PST). And at least from my anecdotal perspective many players I know just don't get what makes Halo tick (how to properly change things up for Halo's shields and sandbox), still can't get that in a few matches, and go back to COD where its comfy and warm, with small levels and SMGs. Its a game with some stiff competition.

I've got to be honest on that one though. 4 might be the best looking of the campaigns, but its the worst or at best 2nd worst campaign out of all of them. The encounters are smaller / the AI is more shallow and less reactive / the scripted parts are routine / the vehicle trench runs were overdone / the new enemy classes lack feedback, hierarchy, and are a chore to fight / memory constraints created a disappearing weapon problem.
And they made Reclaimer, which to me is the worst Halo level in the history of ever, even though I'm sure it seemed great on paper. Composer on the other hand is the real star of the Halo 4 campaign for me. Its hit or miss really, with some of the best encounters to be found in Spartan Ops, which is kind of surprising.
 

Dirtbag

Member
I'll never understand why beating COD matters. If COD was playstation exclusive, I'd understand.. but what does it matter to occupy second place when you are still playing first place on their machine and paying for their overpriced online gaming service to do so.
 
I've got to be honest on that one though. 4 might be the best looking of the campaigns, but its the worst or at best 2nd worst campaign out of all of them. The encounters are smaller / the AI is more shallow and less reactive / the scripted parts are routine / the vehicle trench runs were overdone / the new enemy classes lack feedback, hierarchy, and are a chore to fight / memory constraints created a disappearing weapon problem.

Agreed here.


What you fail to grock here is what you've always failed to grock. The Halo community is more than just you and your friends. By the numbers most Halo players are in it for campaign and not the strict parameters of multiplayer that many here seem to require.

Its like you live in your own little bubble.

It's not just Multiplayer features that were lost. Things like Campaign and "Firefight/SpOps" Theatre are big omissions for me. And the replacement of Firefight with the travesty that is Spartan Ops.
 

kylej

Banned
What you fail to grock here is what you've always failed to grock. The Halo community is more than just you and your friends. By the numbers most Halo players are in it for campaign and not the strict parameters of multiplayer that many here seem to require.

Its like you live in your own little bubble.

1) You're quoting something that has no connection to your point

2) I'm not sure I have ever said I want the game tailored to my own interests. For years the things myself and others have requested would benefit nearly every person who plays the game. Hell I include like 6 wildly different communities in that post alone. What you fail to grock is that I don't play MLG, I'm not an ultra competitive unemployed 17 year old. When I want customizable controls, or more display options, or a better framerate, or want better Forge for map designers, or want a more intuitive matchmaking lobby, or want to be able to share cool moments with my friends like old times, these are not requests that benefit only myself or only HaloGAF. They improve the game for everybody.

Kyle, genuinely asking...

Is there a "point of no return" for you in regards to coming back to the franchise?

Yes if all the people who I enjoy playing Halo with stop playing Halo. I'm pretty close now after Halo 4. juices, devo, tawpgun, tunavi, Ken, thermite, ram, trasher, capt blood, overdoz, plywood, booties, free, all my friends from somethingawful, all the other long-time halogaffers like metroidvania, eazy, vhfive, backflip, etc. Everyone stopped playing. Removing Squad Slayer for no reason got rid of half of them, Halo 4 got the rest. I didn't play Oddball Swordbase because it was fun to play alone, I played it because it was an excuse to bullshit and goof around with cool people. That's the only reason I play Halo. 343 is chasing a market they'll never get at the cost of killing off parts of their fanbase.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom