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[FUNKNOWN iXi]

Even though there clearly are situations where you can drop the pistol, I still say the pistol was an overpowered weapon though and I'll argue that to the end of time. It was simply too viable for too many situations.

Perhaps before making these^ types of claims --

I'm probably just forgetting this but I thought the plasma stun was just the Plasma Pistol? Maybe I'm just forgetting the PR had it

Spoiler

because I never used it

.

I'll just throw this in for the sake of discussion - my friends and I had a Halo LAN a few weeks back where we jumped from game to game. The newer Halo titles feel like vastly different, and I'd argue inferior, games compared to 1 and 2.

-- maybe you should actually get more experience with the game/s first. Statements like what you made above is what the few people who actually put the years of gametime in with these games have been fighting against for years: Ignorant people making ignorant claims based on little to no experience with said game.

Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but it's nonsense to say that a weapon that was proven to not be overpowered in its respective sandbox, time and time again, will always be overpowered. Your definition of "overpowered" seems to be "useful in more than one situation," so if that's what you're arguing than okay, no one can argue against that. But in the grand scheme of things, the CE Pistol was not overpowered. At all.

Not to single you out, but it's posts like yours that the few people were trying to speak up against when the millions of Halo fans joined the franchise after 2004/2007 and were blindly following anything Bungie had to say.

 

[User 73706]

Perhaps before making these^ types of claims --

-- maybe you should actually get more experience with the game/s first. Statements like what you made above is what the few people who actually put the years of gametime in with these games have been fighting against for years: Ignorant people making ignorant claims based on little to no experience with said game.

Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but it's nonsense to say that a weapon that was proven to not be overpowered in its respective sandbox, time and time again, will always be overpowered. Your definition of "overpowered" seems to be "useful in more than one situation," so if that's what you're arguing than okay, no one can argue against that. But in the grand scheme of things, the CE Pistol was not overpowered. At all.

Not to single you out, but it's posts like yours that the few people were trying to speak up against when the millions of Halo fans joined the franchise after 2004/2007 and were blindly following anything Bungie had to say.

"I don't mean to generalize, but I'm going to generalize. I don't want to say your opinion is bad, but you're a pizza shit of such emblematic proportions that you single-handedly doomed Reach, made Halo 4 happen and made Frankie bald."

 

[Sephzilla]

Perhaps before making these^ types of claims --

-- maybe you should actually get more experience with the game/s first. Statements like what you made above is what the few people who actually put the years of gametime in with these games have been fighting against for years: Ignorant people making ignorant claims based on little to no experience with said game.

Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but it's nonsense to say that a weapon that was proven to not be overpowered in its respective sandbox, time and time again, will always be overpowered. Your definition of "overpowered" seems to be "useful in more than one situation," so if that's what you're arguing than okay, no one can argue against that. But in the grand scheme of things, the CE Pistol was not overpowered. At all.

Not to single you out, but it's posts like yours that the few people were trying to speak up against when the millions of Halo fans joined the franchise after 2004/2007 and were blindly following anything Bungie had to say.

Really, did we have to resort to borderline elitism and straw-manning here?

I have plenty of experience with Halo CE and I stand by my statements. Sorry for having a brief mental lapse about one weapon in a game from two generations ago.

 

[GringoSuave89]

I'm a dick.

There, cleaned that up for you. I think it gets to the point faster.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

I should have prefaced it with "not to sound elitist," but that doesn't change what I said. You agreed that there were actually reasons to drop a Pistol, yet in the same post you go on to say that, "regardless of what's presented, I'm going to believe what I want."

My bad if I came across like an assface ;b

 

[Sephzilla]

I should have prefaced it with "not to sound elitist," but that doesn't change what I said. You agreed that there were actually reasons to drop a Pistol, yet in the same post you go on to say that, "regardless of what's presented, I'm going to believe what I want."

My bad if I came across like an assface ;b

There are reasons to drop a pistol, but they're usually for very precise reasons such as saving an AR so you get faster active camo and without sacrificing a power weapon. Stuff, such as that example, is very specific to certain situations and you'd end up picking a pistol back up immediately after said specific instance is over. In general unless you're trying to fill a pretty niche role you'll most likely always have the pistol on you, because in a lot of situations it will be the best option to have.

 

[The Real Napsta]

I can't believe anyone is still anti CE pistol in this day and age.

It's a utility weapon, every halo game has at least one. Deal with it.

 

[Aggrotek]

Have they said whether or not there will be hoppers for specific individual titles?

 

[Twilight Gap]

Abandoned Insurrectionist base, Covenant ship that's been "beached", ONI Bravo 6 courtyard. Hell, the remains of Corbulo Academy if you want more tie ins. So much potential.

Zoba, you are kicking some ass on here!

I had a few ideas the last time I gave Spartan Ops a run-through:

A 1-sided 10-12 player Objective Map in the vein of Relic, Zanzibar, and Longshore. Inspired by The Warrens:

It would be large atrium-style map centered around interactive lightbridges. Players would fight to control the switch(es), and when the bridge is activated, it'd open up a shorter route for objective carriers. The bridge would last anywhere from 25-60 seconds and cooldown for 2-3 minutes. Throw around some light vehicles too, or maybe even a [Halo 2] Banshee. Do they rush the switches to open up the shorter route, or do they take it along the safer, longer routes? Even with a different base design, the lightbridge dynamic has great potential and is already well grounded in the Halo fiction.

A classic BTB map; a paradise for the vehicle player, but also supporting plenty of infantry skirmishes. Hearkens back to Sidewinder, Danger Canyon and maybe a bit of Death Island. Inspired by Apex:

One issue with recent BTB maps is that they have funneled players into choke points, making it all too easy to stick or EMP them. While this kind of design can be an effective way to balance them at points, in excess it restricts their movement and evasive capabilities. A map like Apex could still have some of those chokepoints, but would provide more freedom for vehicles to roam and rampage. Utilizing indoor Forerunner bases that overlook these wide open expanses and caves that channel through them would also provide infantry with some safer routes. As I mentioned earlier, there can be some floating or crashed Covenant Phantoms and Liches around the fields to provide interesting jumps and covies for players while they move around the fields.

This is all standard fare, right? I mean, a big open expanse with tunnels is still a fairly basic map. So, why not shake things up with...

A working Scarab? You're damn right. Well, maybe its legs don't work, but the cannon can be 100% functional and just as deadly as you remember. Drop that badboy (hell drop two) somewhere on the map and let players wield the wrath of the Covenant themselves. This obviously introduces a slew of balance issues itself - What if players sit and camp in it the whole game? What if the scarab gun is dominating my team on top of all the vehicles? Instead of just limiting its ammo or introducing a cool down, this could be on a timer and treated like any other power weapon. Maybe there will be a mad-dash to the Scarab to make use of the turret before it shuts off for a couple minutes.



A traditional 4-10 player Arena map. If you've seen Refuge in Spartan Ops, it speaks for itself:

It has the basic blocks in place for an arena map, but even if it were adapted, it'd still be missing the "hook", if you will.

So why not introduce a rotating platform on the top? This could be switch activated, but could also be on its own timer. A warning would sound when the platform is about to rotate, and new paths would become available while others are closed off. This wouldn't necessarily block entire areas, but change the way they're held and approached for a particular moment.

A 8-12 player map, which is basically Narrows in a volcano. Cauldron also speaks for itself:

This one is basically a map already, but why not raise a few platforms out from the lava every so often? Or not. You've already got a unique space that introduces a hazard that may (or may not) kill players when they step in it.

Some of these may have already found their way into the next game. Some of them may have already been ruled out. Hell, they may all be dumb ideas. Ultimately, the point here is build upon the unique environments that already exist in the fiction and maybe introduce interactive, tertiary objectives to maps to create dynamic gameplay. It's also important for any objectives to increase the movement and offensive strategies of a team to keep the game moving at a good pace. Ascension Anniversary's bubble shield isnt necessarily a bad idea, but it is designed to create a break in the tide of the battle, which could bring encounters to a crawl. It's a good place to start though, unless we'd rather have more UNSC bases in canyons....

I have one last idea inspired by Halo 2's campaign that ill elaborate on later. I tried to forge it in H4 for the longest time, but even with the right layout it wouldn't function at its full potential.

 

[Sephzilla]

I can't believe anyone is still anti CE pistol in this day and age.

It's a utility weapon, every halo game has at least one. Deal with it.

I don't think I'd call myself anti CE pistol. It's fun as hell and it's part of what made CE what it was. I just can't believe that 13 years later we still have people that are in denial about it being easily the best gun in the game by a respectable margin.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

There are reasons to drop a pistol, but they're usually for very precise reasons such as saving an AR so you get faster active camo and without sacrificing a power weapon. Stuff, such as that example, is very specific to certain situations and you'd end up picking a pistol back up immediately after said specific instance is over.

But let's consider CE's very limited sandbox of 8 weapons (console - Pistol, AR, Shotgun, Sniper, Rocket, PR, PP, Needler):

To describe it shortly, the Pistol was never really broken. CE's sandbox was very limited because it was the only weapon that was used midrange aside from the Sniper, so the fact that people call it broken is unfair in that respect.

Now compare it to the other weapons in their respective roles:

• PR/PP vs Pistol -> PR/PP had stun and would dominate the Pistol close range. If the Pistol won, then good job.. Doesn't mean the weapon is broken because there could be many factors that played into that (player skill, out of ammo, low health, etc.)
• AR vs Pistol -> AR had 64 shots and had an incredibly quick melee, and what made it more useful was that you could use it to activate Camo quicker by shooting a bullet.
• Shotgun vs Pistol -> Shotgun was an absolute monster. Nothing else to say about it.
• Sniper vs Pistol -> This is obvious.
• Rocket vs Pistol -> This is obvious.
• Needler was useless.

By giving weapons certain traits you increase their uniqueness and viability in the weapon sandbox, but when every weapon pretty much functions the same then sure, the CE Pistol in Halo 4's sandbox would be broken.

Aside from weapons, another way to balance a returning CE Pistol would be to make a more responsive strafe, increase the movement speed and not have babby level aim assist like in Halo 2. Halo 5 can easily return to AR/Pistol starts granted the rest of the sandbox is balanced properly.

The Pistol is love. The Pistol is life.


EDIT:

I don't think I'd call myself anti CE pistol. It's fun as hell and it's part of what made CE what it was. I just can't believe that 13 years later we still have people that are in denial about it being easily the best gun in the game by a respectable margin.

But who is saying that the Pistol wasn't the best gun in the game? It just wasn't as OP as what people made/continue to make it out to be.

 

[aj1467]

"I don't mean to generalize, but I'm going to generalize. I don't want to say your opinion is bad, but you're a pizza shit of such emblematic proportions that you single-handedly doomed Reach, made Halo 4 happen and made Frankie bald."

Is that why I'm bald too?

 

[The Real Napsta]

I don't think I'd call myself anti CE pistol. It's fun as hell and it's part of what made CE what it was. I just can't believe that 13 years later we still have people that are in denial about it being easily the best gun in the game by a respectable margin.

It's the best weapon in the game because it's so versatile.

 

[Sephzilla]

stuff

I totally get the point for that video, but man, a video named "HALO 2 IS NOOBIFIED" being a credible source just makes me feel like the internet time warped backwards 10 years

 

[feel]

Fire Tashi and hire this Zoba guy. (Y)

 

[EchoChamber]

I though frankie was born bald.

Spoiler

jk

 

[TTUVAPOR]

I don't think I'd call myself anti CE pistol. It's fun as hell and it's part of what made CE what it was. I just can't believe that 13 years later we still have people that are in denial about it being easily the best gun in the game by a respectable margin.

That's just it, it's not the best gun in the game. It's the most balanced starting weapon though. It does exactly what it's suppose to do, protect you from all ranges when you respawn.

Tell me...how fun is it start with say...the H2 SMG and this happens:

Spawn....1...2..die.

Wait for the 3 second respawn timer...1...2...3....

Spawn....yay, I can walk a bit, ooo a BR...i think i'll pick that up...DIE.

1...2...3

Spawn...okay, so this sniper is at the big tower on lockout...okay...I've spawned behind BR tower...what do I do now...I can either go toward the library or I can try going to the top of BR tower and still go for the BR...but I'll get sniped. Hmmm...what about going right side elbow and going to mid-br tower...nope, I'll get sniped. Ahhhh fuck it, I'm going for the BR on top of BR tower (BR3), yay, he's being distracted by someone else...I've almost got it....Yay I'm going to get the BR.....DIE.

This repeats till you get a lucky respawn...like spawning bottom glass of lockout, then you can crouch-walk your way to the sniper and assassinate him in the back.

This is fun??? Bare with me...think about this scenario and all of the other scenarios that have happened with SMG starts. You basically yell at your TV till you get that one lucky spawn where you get a rifle before someone destroys you. I don't call that Halo at all.

On top of that...how is it fun to have the BR and 4-shot freshly respawned players that only have a weak SMG to defend themselves with? That's fun? Sure, if you're drinking some beers and just wanting to fuck around, it's fun, but when you're sober and want to play a balanced fair game of Halo...that's the last fucking thing I'd call fun.

That's what action sack is for. Default slayer should be BR start with an SMG secondary, across the board. Period.

EDIT:

To be honest, and this is my conspircy theory going on...the SMG start is intentional. It was the first step in FPS on the console becoming accessible to increase sales. From the absence of health packs and the beginning of health regen, to the removal of fall damage, increased auto-aim, increased sticky-aim...the plasma pistol becoming a homing missile, the sword auto-lunge, the just hovering over someone's shoulder and registering a headshot with the sniper...it was the beginning of sacrificing balanced gameplay for sales.

It's sad actually. This trend continued with Halo 3, COD2, COD4MW, etc.

 

[Sibylus]

I can't believe anyone is still anti CE pistol in this day and age.

It's a utility weapon, every halo game has at least one. Deal with it.

I was a pistol hater many years ago, but dark times has brought me around.

 

[Metfanant]

That's just it, it's not the best gun in the game. It's the most balanced starting weapon though. It does exactly what it's suppose to do, protect you from all ranges when you respawn

 

[TTUVAPOR]

It's sad he's dead

He was hilarious.

 

[Twilight Gap]

That's just it, it's not the best gun in the game. It's the most balanced starting weapon though. It does exactly what it's suppose to do, protect you from all ranges when you respawn.

Well said. Also agree with the rest of your post.

 

[iFirez]

Did you see that leaked behind-closed-doors demo of MCC? Before it was pulled from YouTube? They showed the Blur cinematic trailer that we've seen the option for in the Extras section of the menu, and let me tell you, it will be glorious. Hood was fantastic, Cortana from the after credits tease was pitch perfect, and Johnson never looked so good. Blur never disappoints.

Holy shit, I just saw that (found another video site with it up still... don't tell Stinkles) - The Lord Hood Moment was chill worthy, and that scene with Thel before becoming the Arbiter in the opening cinematic.... damn I'm far too excited for November 14th (Damn UK release dates).

Hopefully Gravemind won't be little shop of horrors silly flower guy any more. I've always hated that aspect of Halo 2's campaign. The Gravemind is an awesome character but that classic H2 model just has to go.

Yeah, it wasn't the best model, but the way he looked in the Halo 2 Concept art and how he appeard in Halo Legends: Origins were both pretty good in my opinion. It's a shame we never actually saw him (other than the tentacles) in Halo 3 to see what he may have looked like in that updated art style.


Oh one other thing, I hope beyond all hope that the ingame Arbiter model still retains the original silver look to his armor (we've seen that he does in the cinematic shots released) because I still have no idea why they made it all gold/brown in Halo 3, one of the worst changes in Halo 3 imo.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

To be honest, and this is my conspircy theory going on...the SMG start is intentional. It was the first step in FPS on the console becoming accessible to increase sales. From the absence of health packs and the beginning of health regen, to the removal of fall damage, increased auto-aim, increased sticky-aim...the plasma pistol becoming a homing missile, the sword auto-lunge, the just hovering over someone's shoulder and registering a headshot with the sniper...it was the beginning of sacrificing balanced gameplay for sales.

It's sad actually. This trend continued with Halo 3, COD2, COD4MW, etc.

There's no conspiracy to it. Bungie actively tried to kill the utility weapon and they were very open about it, and it's apparent through the later Halo games how they strayed away from the core fundamentals of CE's design.

 

[BeamImpact]

That's just it, it's not the best gun in the game. It's the most balanced starting weapon though. It does exactly what it's suppose to do, protect you from all ranges when you respawn.

I truly hope the Halo CE MCC Playlist will have a healthy and longliving playerbase
I for one will play the heck out of it, just like i did with Halo PC

 

[mcfrank]

I truly hope the Halo CE MCC Playlist will have a healthy and longliving playerbase
I for one will play the heck out of it, just like i did with Halo PC

My old halo 1 crew of 20 people will be on it constantly. Ironically, destiny is the only thing that will be pulling my away from halo 1.

 

[TTUVAPOR]

There's no conspiracy to it. Bungie actively tried to kill the utility weapon and they were very open about it, and it's apparent through the later Halo games how they strayed away from the core fundamentals of CE's design.

I will admit this, I absolutely loved Bungie's gametype of Slayer Pro in Halo 2, it was BR start with SMG secondary, no radar.

When it came up in matchmaking, I was sooo excited.

To solve the world's problems with H2 though, unless they re-design the sandbox, we need a BR start playlist...plain and simple....but I'm gonna say the weapon set on the map needs to be no duels...otherwise it'll be NOOB COMBO all over the place.



Wait...what am I thinking...we're gonna have Halo CE on Xbox Live....damn, wtf is the fuss all about eh?

Cheers!!

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

Wait...what am I thinking...we're gonna have Halo CE on Xbox Live....damn, wtf is the fuss all about eh?

Cheers!!

This is the exact thing I think about when nerds are complaining about Gungooses being added as a bonus treat in H2A playlists.

CE on XBL got damnit! /argument

 

[mcfrank]

This is the exact thing I think about when nerds are complaining about Gungooses being added as a bonus treat in H2A playlists.

CE on XBL got damnit! /argument

Oh goddamnit I can't wait any longer. Give it to me

 

[Syracuse022]

#HireZoba

Zoba for President.

 

[kittens]

That's just it, it's not the best gun in the game. It's the most balanced starting weapon though. It does exactly what it's suppose to do, protect you from all ranges when you respawn.

Exactly. We need to get this engraved on a plaque somewhere and then take a picture of it and then post that picture whenever this conversation comes up.

 

[TTUVAPOR]

Oh goddamnit I can't wait any longer. Give it to me

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Your issues lie with a fundamental problem Halo hasn't yet addressed since its inception, but starting players with SMGs/ARs would be going backwards.

Players should never spawn without a mid-ranged, headshot capable weapon that has a scope. They need to be able to assist teammates from range, ping snipers watching their spawns, and quickly jump back into the fight. The need to pick up a BR off of the map slows the game down and creates a myriad of other problems regardless of the skill of the teams.

But the fault lies in the way the sandbox treats automatic weapons. These are made to be entry-level spray-and-pray weapons that are easy to get kills with, and that's a big part of the problem. By design, they end up being vastly inferior to the precision weapons. IMO, it should be the opposite. Autos that are placed on the map should have an important and relevant advantage over the other weapons. ARs would have big magazines and give the player better camoflauge; Plasma Rifles would stun players; Brute/Forerunner weapons would leave sustained damage or do more damage when you have an overshield, and so on. By making them powerful, giving them unique traits, and reducing their aim assist and stability, they'll be desirable and take skill to use.

This way, we'd give players a capable utility weapon off of spawn - one that can still outpace these automatics and support you throughout the entire game if you so choose - and then we'd place competent autos on the map and treat them like mid-tier weapons, instead of something you just throw away when you find a BR. If you're going to pick up Camo, maybe you'd go pick up the AR for the increased camoflauge. If you've picked up Overshield, maybe you'll dual wield spikers to make use of those perks.

IMO, this increases the meta game, broadens the sandbox, and doesn't handicap people off of their spawn. The best part is, this was already in the game to an extent. The AR made your camo activate faster in Halo CE. CE's Plasma Rifle also had plasma stun, and Brute weapons did extra melee damage in Halo 3.

A solid post but here's a few comments...

1. Have you seen automatics in Halo 4? AR, SAW, Suppressor (when used right).

2. Why do you think loadouts were developed? Your post and every reply under the sun as well. The Reach style keeps the main elements of arena settings but simply allows you to select what weapon you want. Forget map foraging and you get to mix it up for CQC or spawning in the open etc. It removes the need for developer management of spawning weapons, on map spawns, players never getting weapons or spawn killing due to AR starts etc.

3. Playlists and ranked vs. social. Some players want to do commendations so they need to play games with the full range of weapons, many players do this just without care for their KDR etc. Also some gamers aren't good with precision weapons, they need playlists like action sack or some vote variants with AR starts etc. Again see why loadouts were implemented.

4. Your post does not address map design or player count. Maps with CQC are better suited to automatics or even shotgun pick ups etc. Also player count generally affects if a map is open spaces or players are spawning in line of sight etc. MLG spawns are vastly different to BTB or infection spawns. Variety is blessing and a curse for Halo.

Any how I liked what you said but too much arena = less variety. Don't get me wrong I liked your post and thoughts in general but it sort of flies in the face of all the games progressive systems and experience over the years or differing modes of play. There isn't a single rule of thumb that governs all of Halo. I feel the Reach implementation of loadouts allowed player choice of starting weapon, catered for modes with AAs or without and retained more of the arena aspects than 4 did at launch. The current vote variants of 4 outclass launch and previous games IMO. It's a far better hit percentage than miss percentage for quality games and how you want to play the game.

 

[BeamImpact]

My old halo 1 crew of 20 people will be on it constantly. Ironically, destiny is the only thing that will be pulling my away from halo 1.

And so will be my old Halo 1 team, difference is though that we are reduced to a 4 man core after all those years


But for real, what activity can one expect to see in the Halo CE playlist?

Just a few million Xbox Ones out there, majority of the purchasers will go for Halo 2 and 3
Id be surprised to see an activity of above 1000 in the Halo CE playlist :/
Most newcomers to the list might give up early because of the high skillgap, just look at how the Halo Anniversary playlist played out in Reach (100-300 players just weeks after launch)

 

[TTUVAPOR]

And so will be my old Halo 1 team, difference is though that we are reduced to a 4 man core after all those years


But for real, what activity can one expect to see in the Halo CE playlist?

Just a few million Xbox Ones out there, majority of the purchasers will go for Halo 2 and 3
Id be surprised to see an activity of above 1000 in the Halo CE playlist :/
Most newcomers to the list might give up early because of the high skillgap, just look at how the Halo Anniversary playlist played out in Reach (100-300 players just weeks after launch)

I think it'll pull CSGO numbers.

Steam & Game Stats Updated: Jul 09, 2014 - 07:03 PM
Current Peak
76,444 163,294 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

 

[TTUVAPOR]

Delete

 

[GringoSuave89]

I think it'll pull CSGO numbers.

Steam & Game Stats Updated: Jul 09, 2014 - 07:03 PM
Current Peak
76,444 163,294 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

CSGO numbers are pretty damn lofty. Not impossible, just very hard to reach. Are CE fans as rabid as CSGO players?

Spoiler

Yes.

 

[Bsigg12]

I can't believe anyone is still anti CE pistol in this day and age.

It's a utility weapon, every halo game has at least one. Deal with it.

The salt that will pour from your headphones, if you're not in a party, when you 3 shot people who never played in the glory days of Halo CE LAN parties will be incredible. I'm getting all giddy just thinking about it!

 

[ProvenDeadly]

And so will be my old Halo 1 team, difference is though that we are reduced to a 4 man core after all those years


But for real, what activity can one expect to see in the Halo CE playlist?

Just a few million Xbox Ones out there, majority of the purchasers will go for Halo 2 and 3
Id be surprised to see an activity of above 1000 in the Halo CE playlist :/
Most newcomers to the list might give up early because of the high skillgap, just look at how the Halo Anniversary playlist played out in Reach (100-300 players just weeks after launch)

I expect this game to be one of the if not THE best selling One game. At least this years. CE will probably be third. I estimate the breakdown of players to be like this, assuming the day one population is, let's say, 350 or so thousand

150k- Halo 2
100k- Halo 3
65k - Halo CE
50k. - Halo 2A
15k. - Halo 4

 

[Protagonist Jake]

A solid post but here's a few comments...

1. Have you seen automatics in Halo 4? AR, SAW, Suppressor (when used right).

2. Why do you think loadouts were developed? Your post and every reply under the sun as well. The Reach style keeps the main elements of arena settings but simply allows you to select what weapon you want. Forget map foraging and you get to mix it up for CQC or spawning in the open etc. It removes the need for developer management of spawning weapons, on map spawns, players never getting weapons or spawn killing due to AR starts etc.

3. Playlists and ranked vs. social. Some players want to do commendations so they need to play games with the full range of weapons, many players do this just without care for their KDR etc. Also some gamers aren't good with precision weapons, they need playlists like action sack or some vote variants with AR starts etc. Again see why loadouts were implemented.

4. Your post does not address map design or player count. Maps with CQC are better suited to automatics or even shotgun pick ups etc. Also player count generally affects if a map is open spaces or players are spawning in line of sight etc. MLG spawns are vastly different to BTB or infection spawns. Variety is blessing and a curse for Halo.

Any how I liked what you said but too much arena = less variety. Don't get me wrong I liked your post and thoughts in general but it sort of flies in the face of all the games progressive systems and experience over the years or differing modes of play. There isn't a single rule of thumb that governs all of Halo. I feel the Reach implementation of loadouts allowed player choice of starting weapon, catered for modes with AAs or without and retained more of the arena aspects than 4 did at launch. The current vote variants of 4 outclass launch and previous games IMO. It's a far better hit percentage than miss percentage for quality games and how you want to play the game.

I find this post disgusting

 

[mcfrank]

And so will be my old Halo 1 team, difference is though that we are reduced to a 4 man core after all those years


But for real, what activity can one expect to see in the Halo CE playlist?

Just a few million Xbox Ones out there, majority of the purchasers will go for Halo 2 and 3
Id be surprised to see an activity of above 1000 in the Halo CE playlist :/
Most newcomers to the list might give up early because of the high skillgap, just look at how the Halo Anniversary playlist played out in Reach (100-300 players just weeks after launch)

I think it will about equal to Halo 3 and above Halo 4 right out of the gate. However, I think it will have much longer sticking power than any of the other games in the collection. There is a not-tiny group of people who think Halo 1 is the best competitive FPS ever and still play it at LANs. If they are still that dedicated after all of these years, they will stick with an online version for a long time as well.

My prediction on population (assuming the ports are good)

Launch Weekend - Halo 2 > Halo2A > Halo 1 = Halo 3 >>>>> Halo 4
After COD is out and the Halo 5 Beta is over - Halo 1>Halo 2>Halo2A>>>>Halo3>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Halo 4 (basically the order of how good the multiplayer was)

 

[ProvenDeadly]

Playing Halo 4 players in CE will be glorious.

 

[S0cc3rpunk]

I expect this game to be one of the if not THE best selling One game. At least this years. CE will probably be third. I estimate the breakdown of players to be like this, assuming the day one population is, let's say, 350 or so thousand

150k- Halo 2
100k- Halo 3
65k - Halo CE
50k. - Halo 2A
15k. - Halo 4

maybe, just maybe ps4 customers that haven't played halo, might buy an xbox one just to play the collection and give it a try :/

i think its going to be like.
75k-Halo 2
60k-Halo 3
100k-Halo CE now that it has multiplayer
75K-Halo 2 A
20k-Halo 4

 

[Protagonist Jake]

I feel like I need to start playing CE now. Seems like its the Melee of Halo, which I always thought was Halo 2 up until now.

 

[mcfrank]

I feel like I need to start playing CE now. Seems like its the Melee of Halo, which I always thought was Halo 2 up until now.

Best Maps, Best Balance, Best Timing, Best Skill Differential, Best Game.

 

[Defect]

And so will be my old Halo 1 team, difference is though that we are reduced to a 4 man core after all those years


But for real, what activity can one expect to see in the Halo CE playlist?

Just a few million Xbox Ones out there, majority of the purchasers will go for Halo 2 and 3
Id be surprised to see an activity of above 1000 in the Halo CE playlist :/
Most newcomers to the list might give up early because of the high skillgap, just look at how the Halo Anniversary playlist played out in Reach (100-300 players just weeks after launch)

That's because it was Reach. And it played nothing like the original game.

 

[Bsigg12]

Best Maps, Best Balance, Best Timing, Best Skill Differential, Best Game.

You forgot indestructible vehicles. Easily one of the best causes of hilarious deaths. With the upload stuff on Xbox One, some of the clips that will come out of all the games should be incredible.

 

[Solidsoul]

So, while we're hearing a bunch about multiplayer and we're expecting more news in this vain soon, I'm far more excited to hear more about the campaign. Don't get me wrong, the recent Coagulation and Gungoose announcements are awesome and multiplayer will be sweet -- but for me single player is where my focus will be. I've been replaying the Halo CE Anniversary at the moment and while enjoying that again and rewatching the terminals in every level (which are awesome) and it got me thinking about the Halo 2 Anniversary Campaign and terminals.

In the original anniversary Halo, we saw a lot of reused models, textures and such from previous Halo games which was fine because they fit into that game perfectly... However, Halo 2 has everything from one off vehicles and heretic enemies which never appear in the other games in huge series again, I feel seeing how these will be handled is going to be super interesting, as well as seeing the entire first Arbiter level (The gas mine in the atmosphere of Threshold) as that level was awesome in the original.

Anyone else out there have specific levels they're excited to see?

I can't wait to see some of the cinematics in awesome CG quality, especially the opening cutscene with Thel 'Vadamee in the council chambers of High Charity (that broken Installation 04 opening too) and the Gravemind cutscene... My god I can wait to see what Blur do with the Gravemind visually.

Anyway, hopefully we'll see some more single player teases soon - but if I had to make my choices for multiplayer maps I'd like to see alongside Ascension and Coagulation, they'd be: Terminal, Waterworks, Ivory Tower & Relic. But I'm guessing we'll see Lockout above all of those, but I can hold out hope... I was a big BTB player in Halo 2 back in the day so, I hope for more of the bigger maps making a return.

I'm with you man. All I care about are the campaigns, it's the only reason I buy the games. Multiplayer is just icing on the cake.

I think the last cutscene with chief where he says "Sir, finishing this fight." Will be pretty awesome with Blur's cinematics.

 

[Twilight Gap]

A solid post but here's a few comments...

1. Have you seen automatics in Halo 4? AR, SAW, Suppressor (when used right).

2. Why do you think loadouts were developed? Your post and every reply under the sun as well. The Reach style keeps the main elements of arena settings but simply allows you to select what weapon you want. Forget map foraging and you get to mix it up for CQC or spawning in the open etc. It removes the need for developer management of spawning weapons, on map spawns, players never getting weapons or spawn killing due to AR starts etc.

3. Playlists and ranked vs. social. Some players want to do commendations so they need to play games with the full range of weapons, many players do this just without care for their KDR etc. Also some gamers aren't good with precision weapons, they need playlists like action sack or some vote variants with AR starts etc. Again see why loadouts were implemented.

4. Your post does not address map design or player count. Maps with CQC are better suited to automatics or even shotgun pick ups etc. Also player count generally affects if a map is open spaces or players are spawning in line of sight etc. MLG spawns are vastly different to BTB or infection spawns. Variety is blessing and a curse for Halo.

Any how I liked what you said but too much arena = less variety. Don't get me wrong I liked your post and thoughts in general but it sort of flies in the face of all the games progressive systems and experience over the years or differing modes of play. There isn't a single rule of thumb that governs all of Halo. I feel the Reach implementation of loadouts allowed player choice of starting weapon, catered for modes with AAs or without and retained more of the arena aspects than 4 did at launch. The current vote variants of 4 outclass launch and previous games IMO. It's a far better hit percentage than miss percentage for quality games and how you want to play the game.

I'm not against the loadout system, whether it's preset or customizable, so long as the options don't extend beyond the utility range. I don't think players should be spawning with shotguns and swords or everything they need to take down vehicles, and especially not with game-changing perks.

A choice between your preferred semi-auto or auto (whether they employ the changes proposed above or not) satisfies those who prefer either weapon and is a healthy way to move the Halo sandbox forward. That's not to say that the loadout system doesn't introduce its own issues though. Even with the absence of armor abilities, tac-packs and support upgrades, loadouts tend to necessitate a sort of equilibrium, if you will. Weapons with otherwise unique properties are held back so as to not overpower other players off of spawn. It's ultimately not a big deal if there are four or eight weapons that are functionally similar; however, I think it's a missed opportunity for them to become reskins, especially when there often ends up being a superior choice in their midst anyway.

Most of the time, I prefer not to suggest things that would limit the potential of a player, whether it's in the strategies they can use or in the way they can play the game. The post in question was more of a way of attempting to reduce some of the redundancy in the sandbox and reinstate some long-lost weapon perks. It also would create movement and dynamic weapon "pairings", although other mid-tier weapons could easily fill that role. Again, I don't think it's the way to go about doing so, but I'd re-emphasize that a lot of what Halo needs to do now has already been done in its past games.

I found most of the Halo 4 weapons to be goofy though. Reach's Grenade Launcher, Plasma Launcher, Focus Rifle, and to a lesser extent Needle Rifle and Plasma Repeater were unique weapons in the way they functioned. The Focus Rifle could do some damage at range, but it was best used as a super AR. The Plasma Launcher was arguably the best anti-vehicle weapon the series has seen, with the Grenade Launcher filling a similar role (and doing so perfectly) in a lower tier. On the other hand, the new Forerunner and UNSC weapons in Halo 4 felt very homogeneous and lacked some of the charm that created variety in the sandbox. The SAW especially was, for lack of a better term, a "double Assault Rifle", and I actually was disappointed with how deadly both weapons became after the Turbo update.

If loadouts are going to effectively remove a third of the sandbox from the map (which ultimately prevents them from having too many unique characteristics), the second third - that "middle-tier" - is going to need to bring more to the table than small explosions.

 

[Protagonist Jake]

I'm not against the loadout system

I am. Pure even grounds is a much better design decision with the map control based gameplay of Halo.

 

[FUNKNOWN iXi]

All this CE talk gets me excited. Many of us are in this situation of having old friends return to the franchise.