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Halo: Reach Beta Thread
- Thread starter GhaleonEB
- Start date
I'm guessing about 7 months till ship.
I hope its enough time. I wonder if the feature set finally caught up with bungie. The core feels watered down to me, possibly the result of scrambling to match this ridiculous feature set they have set.
I wonder what the attitude at Bungie is like about the polarized opinions on the Reach beta. Those guys have been busting ass and I hope the criticism of an unfinished product is taken the right way. Maybe I hold my opinion in too high a regard, likewise of Halogaf. I hope this game isn't released and a year or two later we start hearing rushed to market stories like halo 2, but this time it feels like a beta by definition. Not knowing much more about the game making process, I'm not sure what to make off the overall game experience, and what to expect as possibly changing. I know what I have seen so far won't keep me playing beyond the first 2-3 month rush. I'm probably in the minority though.
I hope its enough time. I wonder if the feature set finally caught up with bungie. The core feels watered down to me, possibly the result of scrambling to match this ridiculous feature set they have set.
I wonder what the attitude at Bungie is like about the polarized opinions on the Reach beta. Those guys have been busting ass and I hope the criticism of an unfinished product is taken the right way. Maybe I hold my opinion in too high a regard, likewise of Halogaf. I hope this game isn't released and a year or two later we start hearing rushed to market stories like halo 2, but this time it feels like a beta by definition. Not knowing much more about the game making process, I'm not sure what to make off the overall game experience, and what to expect as possibly changing. I know what I have seen so far won't keep me playing beyond the first 2-3 month rush. I'm probably in the minority though.
godhandiscen
There are millions of whiny 5-year olds on Earth, and I AM THEIR KING.
Me.Blueblur1 said:
I was dead serious on getting the Legendary Edition, and I had even set apart some money for the Reach 360 Slim. However, after playing the beta I am going to just get the regular Reach game. I don't like the Reach core mechanics. I don't think its a matter of balance, I think Halo Reach is just aimed to a different audience, and that is fine, it's all about choices.
I actually haven't changed my avatar because I am lazy, I don't care anymore.
Dirtbag said:
They are shipping on September, so the final game will have around 4 more month of polish more or less considering that the beta in general is an old build and that they have to lock on features and changes a while before the actual ship date.
Also, I am pretty sure that Bungie is taking the feedback just fine. They are obviously going for a different set of gamers this time, so the backlash might have been expected.
I am mostly dissapointed on how the Arena and the armor unlocks just don't do it for me. I hate MW2 with all my guts but the fucking unlocks and mini challenges in that game are addictive as hell. Granted, I haven't seen all that the system in Reach has to offer, but I don't have any interest in improving my Arena rank, or earning fake money to buy pieces of armor that I can't even look at while I am playing. Seriously, why do I care how my Spartan looks if most of the time I cannot see him, and all armor permutations are barely distinguishable from each other? In MMO's it works because you are constantly looking at your character and its a passive game, but in an FPS, I rarely ever care how my character looks like.
thunker 9000
Member
Weird bug I just encountered.
Invasion, I was shooting an elite with the DMR from about medium range. None of the shots were registering as hits. I switched to my sniper, and the dude disappeared. About a second later he appears right on top of me.
I'm thinking this was some sort of network divergence. where the game became out of sync.
I made a film here: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=745831 Any chance one of you kind fellows could render it for me?
The game in question is here: http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/gamestats.aspx?gameid=6812902&player=Gouglas
WAT
In other news, I got my first
Sharpshooter medal in that game 
))))
Invasion, I was shooting an elite with the DMR from about medium range. None of the shots were registering as hits. I switched to my sniper, and the dude disappeared. About a second later he appears right on top of me.
I'm thinking this was some sort of network divergence. where the game became out of sync.
I made a film here: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=745831 Any chance one of you kind fellows could render it for me?
The game in question is here: http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/gamestats.aspx?gameid=6812902&player=Gouglas
WAT
In other news, I got my first
))))I had a weird Invasion dream last night. It had Phase 1 Spartans starting with AR's and Shotguns + Sprint. Covenant had Evade + Plasma Repeater and Needler. :lol No weapon drop until Phase 3 and only the Rockets could be found and no Human vehicles.
I only played 5 games! Get out of my dreams Bungie!
I only played 5 games! Get out of my dreams Bungie!
les papillons sexuels
Banned
I'm a bit too lazy to go back and check, but could anyone update me on the list of commendations that players can get?
My opinion of the beta has gone back and forth but now that some time has gone by i can honestly say i don't really like it. Now that everyone has figured out how the game works and what is effective, the game has turned into a complete cheese fest. Short, mid-range, and long-range game play are all completely broken.
It's been said a million times already but take out the reticule bloom. It takes way longer to kill someone from mid to long range with a regular gun than it did in Halo 3. If you are going to add the armor abilities the kill times need to be far less than Halo 3. The way it is now you will pretty never kill someone that knows what they are doing from any distance without team shooting or grenading them first. They are just going to run away every time you get the first couple shots.People keep saying the grenades are overpowered but its really how weak every other regular gun is that makes the grenades stick out like a sore thumb.
I did just get a really crappy internet connection though so im hoping that has something to do with some of my complaints with the game. I don't think it can make it this bad though.
It's been said a million times already but take out the reticule bloom. It takes way longer to kill someone from mid to long range with a regular gun than it did in Halo 3. If you are going to add the armor abilities the kill times need to be far less than Halo 3. The way it is now you will pretty never kill someone that knows what they are doing from any distance without team shooting or grenading them first. They are just going to run away every time you get the first couple shots.People keep saying the grenades are overpowered but its really how weak every other regular gun is that makes the grenades stick out like a sore thumb.
I did just get a really crappy internet connection though so im hoping that has something to do with some of my complaints with the game. I don't think it can make it this bad though.
Rodney McKay
Member
Jexhius said:
"Tank beats EVERYTHING!"
strikeselect
You like me, you really really like me!
GloveSlap said:
I think that's kinda the point. 5 shot kill + reticle bloom forces more teamwork which is what I think Bungie was aiming for.
Individual skill takes a backseat to teamplay in Reach.
thunker 9000
Member
Pookaki said:Weird bug I just encountered.
Invasion, I was shooting an elite with the DMR from about medium range. None of the shots were registering as hits. I switched to my sniper, and the dude disappeared. About a second later he appears right on top of me.
I'm thinking this was some sort of network divergence. where the game became out of sync.
I made a film here: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/Reach/FileDetails.aspx?fid=745831 Any chance one of you kind fellows could render it for me?
The game in question is here: http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/gamestats.aspx?gameid=6812902&player=Gouglas
WAT
In other news, I got my firstSharpshooter medal in that game
Thanks to whoever rendered it
Played a bit with my cousin and we came up with some good ideas and analysis.
Was looking forward to Invasion from the get go...love team games and it seemed like a decent concept even though there were no details.
Preface: I like all sorts of fps games and don't pigeon hole myself into preferring a particular type. Love team games too.
Invasion was pretty good and the maps are large. Played too many matches and made myself late for another engagement and during that time we won some by blowouts and lost some by blowouts and everything in between. Seems balanced b/w the 2 sides from my playtime.
The good:
-massive level
-evolving loadouts
-the mayhem
-the framerate never buckled stayed smooth
-final objective
The bad:
-uninspired objectives
-massive level largely unused
The could use tweaking:
-unique colored markers at each objective. Instead of 2 red units for the first objective make one red and the other green/blue
-some loadouts weren't given but they could have made for some exciting sequences.
Let's talk about the bad...the objective of standing in a square can be exciting if the area and context of battle is exciting. Otherwise it's bland and uninspired.
The area where you do a lot of the fighting for those sorts of objectives is rather boring in this level.
For the first objective the left sided one if you spawn as a Covy...Stairs are a chokepoint and the hallway that goes around is a hallway with no cover. The other side has stairs too and a bit more cover to make things interesting but it's on a flat level and there is no "vertical" combat.
For the second objective one you have 1 area that is rather desolate and closed so the combat is a spamming nade sort of deal. The one outside by the Spartan vehicle bay is pretty good because it is a bit more open and there is some cover provided by concrete barriers.
And....there could be another objective from the get go. Spawn Covies at the VERY end of hte map and the Spartans on the ground right by their base. Or at the same place they already start at and they can jump down.
To create a normandy beach style feel there could be a new first objective for Covy's to open up access to the Spartan base. Say the stairs have to come down. Give both sides jetpacks and it could be a great opening objective that sits in the middle of the field.
Jetpacks might make the "first" objective where you go up the stairs more fun too because it isn't so much a choke point and both sides have it. It will add some vertical combat to the first objective as well.
Previous Halo maps had some interactive parts where you can open up barriers and lower bridges. Think Last Resort. Don't see anything like that here yet. Those can be interesting secondary objectives that aren't mandatory but make life easier.
There should be an objective where you have to destroy something too. That could be a good first objective I was talking about in that field. So presume a generator that powers some shields that blocks the stairs. The gens could have 3 sides protected and one exposed so it's not very easy to target. My cousin was raving about Resistance 1 or 2 having something like this and yeah...just went on. Sounds like a good idea...seems prime for this.
So it was fun but those first 2 objectives have very odd combat spaces and this mode could be a much much better if those spaces were made more interesting with cover and perhaps multiple tiers.
The map is huge and great but who ever thought out the gameplay for Invasion could have been more creative in using that level more and in creating interesting combat scenarios. Some people are finding the first scenario a bit much so like I said make it another objective and that ground can be an exciting warfare zone with all that cover.
In fact a battle there would look a lot like the ODST ad playing out in the game. Or the Blomkamp shorts. MAKE IT HAPPEN BUNGLE!
Was looking forward to Invasion from the get go...love team games and it seemed like a decent concept even though there were no details.
Preface: I like all sorts of fps games and don't pigeon hole myself into preferring a particular type. Love team games too.
Invasion was pretty good and the maps are large. Played too many matches and made myself late for another engagement and during that time we won some by blowouts and lost some by blowouts and everything in between. Seems balanced b/w the 2 sides from my playtime.
The good:
-massive level
-evolving loadouts
-the mayhem
-the framerate never buckled stayed smooth
-final objective
The bad:
-uninspired objectives
-massive level largely unused
The could use tweaking:
-unique colored markers at each objective. Instead of 2 red units for the first objective make one red and the other green/blue
-some loadouts weren't given but they could have made for some exciting sequences.
Let's talk about the bad...the objective of standing in a square can be exciting if the area and context of battle is exciting. Otherwise it's bland and uninspired.
The area where you do a lot of the fighting for those sorts of objectives is rather boring in this level.
For the first objective the left sided one if you spawn as a Covy...Stairs are a chokepoint and the hallway that goes around is a hallway with no cover. The other side has stairs too and a bit more cover to make things interesting but it's on a flat level and there is no "vertical" combat.
For the second objective one you have 1 area that is rather desolate and closed so the combat is a spamming nade sort of deal. The one outside by the Spartan vehicle bay is pretty good because it is a bit more open and there is some cover provided by concrete barriers.
And....there could be another objective from the get go. Spawn Covies at the VERY end of hte map and the Spartans on the ground right by their base. Or at the same place they already start at and they can jump down.
To create a normandy beach style feel there could be a new first objective for Covy's to open up access to the Spartan base. Say the stairs have to come down. Give both sides jetpacks and it could be a great opening objective that sits in the middle of the field.
Jetpacks might make the "first" objective where you go up the stairs more fun too because it isn't so much a choke point and both sides have it. It will add some vertical combat to the first objective as well.
Previous Halo maps had some interactive parts where you can open up barriers and lower bridges. Think Last Resort. Don't see anything like that here yet. Those can be interesting secondary objectives that aren't mandatory but make life easier.
There should be an objective where you have to destroy something too. That could be a good first objective I was talking about in that field. So presume a generator that powers some shields that blocks the stairs. The gens could have 3 sides protected and one exposed so it's not very easy to target. My cousin was raving about Resistance 1 or 2 having something like this and yeah...just went on. Sounds like a good idea...seems prime for this.
So it was fun but those first 2 objectives have very odd combat spaces and this mode could be a much much better if those spaces were made more interesting with cover and perhaps multiple tiers.
The map is huge and great but who ever thought out the gameplay for Invasion could have been more creative in using that level more and in creating interesting combat scenarios. Some people are finding the first scenario a bit much so like I said make it another objective and that ground can be an exciting warfare zone with all that cover.
In fact a battle there would look a lot like the ODST ad playing out in the game. Or the Blomkamp shorts. MAKE IT HAPPEN BUNGLE!
SnakeXs said:
I feel like he does but I suck very bad at the game. My rating is in the 1300-1400s.
Close combat: it's all about double melee
Mid range: Usually kill the guy but die too or vice versa
Long range: Shoot the guy but he manages to run away before the final shot
All of that is "broken" when compared to Halo 3. Dual deaths were not as common and the melee was strong enough to take out the guy so there was one winner and long range it was easy to slow someone down by shooting at him. Slow them enough to get the final blows in.
So I concede that I'm probably playing this game wrong...can you tell me how? It's not just me too...I play Halo 3 nearly every weekend with my cousin and he feels the exact same.
We might have Halo 3 habits which we have to get rid of to be good here...
Iknos said:
Fully agree with this. I hope Bungie have much more varied objectives in the final version. Territories + 1 Flag CTF just ain't that compelling. I guess its mainly current gametypes, remixed for Invasion. Tbh I was hoping for have some NPC's in there. :lol Yes attacking generators to drop the shields on the first 2 objectives makes more sense than the Elites just hanging out near the territory.
I also agree about the map. It is awesome and huge but the way it is designed through objectives funnels people through a very narrow part of it. It Battlefield has taught me anything, it is that long maps with objectives in a line work better. A good chunk of Boneyard is utterly ignored. They should really add something else to get people to head over there an utilize the full size of the map.
Why is the Banshee even in the game? :lol There is no way I should be able to kill a Banshee with a DMR by myself.
I find Invasion fun, dumb fun, but fun. It's definitely not as frustrating as the other playlists for me. I really don't get why the vehicles suck so much though, they added all of these anti vehicle weapons and people can destroy vehicles with their Pistols? Doesn't make much sense to me...the DMR/NR really shine on Invasion though, just like I thought they would.
It's saddening that the game has split my core Halo 3 group up so much, some like, some hate.
I find Invasion fun, dumb fun, but fun. It's definitely not as frustrating as the other playlists for me. I really don't get why the vehicles suck so much though, they added all of these anti vehicle weapons and people can destroy vehicles with their Pistols? Doesn't make much sense to me...the DMR/NR really shine on Invasion though, just like I thought they would.
It's saddening that the game has split my core Halo 3 group up so much, some like, some hate.
Yeah, it's really obvious they're having a harder time with this release. Halo 3 played it safe but in doing so made sure that it was polished as fuck. This feels like a beta, hope behind relatively behind where they were with Halo 3's MP doesn't result in a messy launch.Dirtbag said:
bobs...onGaf
Member
Dirtbag said:
I dont think its fair to truly complain about the beta, a lot of the problems with the game seem to stem directly from bugs more than the gameplay. The Bungie guys have done an awesome job and Reach will appeal to a lot of people. The biggest critism I can give Reach is how much it seems like 'non-Halo' fans love it, while the Halo fans seem divided by it.
If the full game plays like the Beta I can see myself playing it for maybe a few months then going back to Halo 3, I will probably still play it fairly often though. Sometime I want to write why I dont think Reach sits well with me, but I want to do it properly, I guess ill wait till I have more time to make sure the post doesnt just look like a hate post and more of a constructive critism post.
oversensitive
Banned
Tank beats everythig!
I don't know how you can say that. I'm a huge Halo fan and I love Reach. What is this different set of gamers? The one that likes a slightly different melee system than what Halo 3 had? Or the one that doesn't want to play the same game over and over and over again? Because in that case you may be right.godhandiscen said:
Don't be so afraid of change.
About the rewards I can see what you're saying. We're obviously just seeing a very, very small part of that system, but I hope there is a little more to it than just armor permutations in the final game.
pringles said:
Or at the very least, there better be a fuck load of permutations. Having gotten all the armor bits I want in the beta now, the credits I earn are completely meaningless to me. I get that Bungie doesn't want to go the Call of Duty route when it comes to leveling breaking up the core gameplay, but if I end up with my Spartan and Elite permutations looking the way I want within a couple of weeks of the full game launching, I fail to see any reason to remain invested in earning credits.
The way they're doing it now though seems a little too tepid. Like they're on the brink of the "go all the way or don't do it at all" argument when it comes to leveling.
bobs...onGaf
Member
This post on HBO is so true:
oversensitive
Banned
quick question, except for the silly avatar items.. what does the beta give you for playing before the full retail release?
Ten-Song said:
They already said that the Beta would only have a few basic armour bits. The Beta is not really for the armour, more to do with gameplay and glitches etc. I expect Bungie to roll out a load of armour bits and probably keep introducing new bits as the game pans out. Maybe some retro Halo stuff.
Maybe they should have gone the Forza route and have a livery editor on there. :lol
Prophet Steve
Member
A lot of fun and the option to give feedback?oversensitive said:
Diablohead
Member
Invasion elite spawn, look around there are nerfles you can pick up. I see a lot of people here miss them and run in normally.
NameGenerated
Who paid you to grab Dr. Pavel?
Battle-bro spawns can be pretty dumb. My friend was flying the banshee over the cliff in front of the base and I spawned up 50 feet in the air and just fell straight into the canyon for a suicide. :lol
Prophet Steve
Member
Yeah, it's apparently also way safer to walk instead of running. And I believe you get a lot more fall damage if you are rolling when you land. Committed suicide twice when jumping out of that big ship.NameGenerated said:
Shake Appeal
Member
Another (probable) bug: on your Game History for Invasion, if you lose you come fourth (i.e. the three fireteams for your side are joint fourth).
Deputy Moonman
Member
I finally got a chance to do some Invasion last night. My first game I was on the covenant side and we won because hardly anyone defended the core. I was able to pick it up and walk all the way to the drop-off point, no problem. The second game was invasion slayer and I was on the spartan side. We whooped up on the elites. My third game was another invasion slayer, except I was an elite this time. We got whooped up on. I think the loadout at the beginning as an elite is horrible. Where you spawn as an elite is bad, because the best way to get down to the ground is to drop off the ledge. But doing this also always results in a little damage taken. At the same time, you're basically completely exposed when trying to get back to the battle field as an elite. While we weren't getting spawned killed back in the building, we were basically getting killed as soon as we ventured outside. So Spartans have some kind of advantage there.
Meus Renaissance
Member
The reason Invasion isn't fun, IMO, is that the feeling of imbalance comes from lacking a sense of numbers on your team. I've only played one round in where by I felt like we had a team and actually got to the objective reasonably fast (against other GAF members). Then my team mate left the game, and I literally saw no one.
Another issue is in the latter rounds, if you can't spawn on your team mate (who by this time is probably dead or MIA), then you have to respawn all the way back to the original spawn point meaning you have to trek an open area by yourself. Why can't there be a spawn point somewhere closer to the objective, even when the objectives move further back?
It makes no sense.
It is fun when it works, but horribly wrong when it doesn't. Spartans have too much of an advantage, simply because Attacking is difficult
Another issue is in the latter rounds, if you can't spawn on your team mate (who by this time is probably dead or MIA), then you have to respawn all the way back to the original spawn point meaning you have to trek an open area by yourself. Why can't there be a spawn point somewhere closer to the objective, even when the objectives move further back?
It makes no sense.
It is fun when it works, but horribly wrong when it doesn't. Spartans have too much of an advantage, simply because Attacking is difficult
Future PhaZe
Member
Blueblur1 said:
Yeah I'm feeling kind of meh. FULLY hyped for the campaign, but the multiplayer isn't going to get the burn I thought I would get.
I don't know that it's Bungies fault in my case...I could imagine going nuts for this years ago. As I get older I find campaign and cooperative experiences to be great and a good use of my hobby time, while Multiplayer seems to really service no purpose and seems to be a waste...I don't really know when this transition began but it's been pretty apparent for me lately. Kind of sad.
Dark FaZe said:
I'm in exactly the same space. I think it's down to the fact that with a group of mates you can play co-op any time and have fun (as we did last night with ODST firefight). With adversarial, unless you dedicate a LOT of time to it to get competent, it's simply no fun getting caught in the spawn/die/spawn cycle.
Meus Renaissance
Member
Who is in charge of the GAF Beta gamertag? Can they accept my FR please
DodgerSan said:
This is pretty much every FPS ever made. If you don't dedicate time to getting good, learning and maps and weapons, it is going to be a very brutal and annoying experience when you try to play. Even more so if you don't play it for an extended time and try and jump in.
I found that with Halo 3. I was super hyped for it but did not play enough to learn the in's and out's. I was pretty average at the game but getting dominated by BR gunners and Snipers picking people off from the other side of the world, I just lost the fun.
At least in Reach I feel like I actually have a better chance. Maybe its the weapon changes and additions, maybe its the Armour Abilities or maybe its just Bungie trying to balance things out a little more and not ending up like Halo 3 which was ruled by the BR.
Reach is not perfect by any means but I find myself playing far more games than I ever did in Halo 2 or 3. Once the full version comes out and people start to play with Forge, Custom Games and the other stuff Bungie have planned, then people might swing around to it. I just feel that the very Hardcore Halo 3 people will take a long time to adjust. They did from Halo 2 to 3, so I expect the same for Reach.
Diablohead
Member
Was there a wise reason as to why the scorpion can 1-shot a wraith?
I agree with what people have said about regular guns feeling slightly weak (I like it) but then power weapons being a plenty and 1 hitting nearly everything even vehicles. Personally I think that the splazer should not be here, we already have rockets with the return of lock-on for air vehicles, and the pro pipe is real good at stopping vehicles, PP overcharge also.
What's happened is that the vehicles have become shit unless you are in a scorpion before it blows up, it's too easy to put one down and little point of actually trying to board a vehicle to steal it, in fact last night I was stopping an enemy tank from killing by rolling up to it and jumping on the engine, as I was planting a grenade my other team mates had already bombarded it with frags and one guy was actually climbing into it (dunno where he came from) so by the time my grenade blew up he was in the tank and died with it.
Cluster FUCK, all of it.
There is way too many rocket and splazer weapons on the walls at spartan spawn.
I agree with what people have said about regular guns feeling slightly weak (I like it) but then power weapons being a plenty and 1 hitting nearly everything even vehicles. Personally I think that the splazer should not be here, we already have rockets with the return of lock-on for air vehicles, and the pro pipe is real good at stopping vehicles, PP overcharge also.
What's happened is that the vehicles have become shit unless you are in a scorpion before it blows up, it's too easy to put one down and little point of actually trying to board a vehicle to steal it, in fact last night I was stopping an enemy tank from killing by rolling up to it and jumping on the engine, as I was planting a grenade my other team mates had already bombarded it with frags and one guy was actually climbing into it (dunno where he came from) so by the time my grenade blew up he was in the tank and died with it.
Cluster FUCK, all of it.
There is way too many rocket and splazer weapons on the walls at spartan spawn.
Chip N Chance
Member
For me, sticky grenades and the plasma launcher are really lagy. Its pretty much the only thing that comes across as being effected by connections. Theres also been a few times where i clearly melee'ed after i was dead, and it still managed to hit him, and get the kill.
A highlight from yesterday's Invasion matches: firing mah lasers!
Slayer classic is the best mode in the game.
I'm beginning to doubt the AA design decisions. If sprint were universal, invis and armor lock were power ups, and the jet pack some form of mini vehicle then the game would be a lot better imo. Universal sprint and no other abiliies in slayer classic is great.
I'm beginning to doubt the AA design decisions. If sprint were universal, invis and armor lock were power ups, and the jet pack some form of mini vehicle then the game would be a lot better imo. Universal sprint and no other abiliies in slayer classic is great.
Diablohead
Member
Every time I pick a class without sprint I forget all about it and usually end up trying to sprint only to trigger my cloaking or armour lock by accident, plus sprint is so handy that I use it over the other abilities way too often. Going invis for me is best to use in a ctf match but I still regreat it often, wishing I could sprint instead.REV 09 said:
Also is it me or does the AR start spartan skill in Invasion have armour lock, but for some reason it will randomly give me SPRINT instead? it's annoying because I selected one and then realise I have the other. And no I didn't accidentaly pick the DMR start which is sprint.