• 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 |OT14| They call it Halo

Soooo... initial impressions of Team Throwdown after playing the first hour of its existence:

  • Played BRs on Simplex
    This map flows really well for slayer and CTF, but we already know that from prior playlists and such. Playing the BRs only variant felt very solid, though, with more battling over positioning and weapons than gametypes with AAs enabled by default.
  • Played KOTH deluxe on Shutout
    Lightrifle loadouts really aren't worth getting unless you plan on switching out your lightrifle right away in most cases. The regen is quite useful, especially in King, but the lack of offensive capability with the LR in its current form is too limiting in my view. DMR loadout is still deadly as hell, most notably if you know the map inside and out from Halo 2. Having the non-random hills that function properly is so nice and I can't imagine ever wanting to play KOTH any other way. This map played really great for KOTH. I have to say, I'm a huge fan of the forced hill moving. It enforces more movement and different setups. You can't just get a lead and keep the other team out of the same hill the rest of the game, since it will move whether or not all of its time is used up. Team-only radar is still something I'll need to get used to.
  • Played BRs on Shutout
    This was just blissful. This slayer mode just feels really right.
  • Played BRs on Abandon
    Got screwed by two randoms. Don't feel qualified to make any criticisms.
  • Played Extraction BRs on Haven
    This gametype feels sooooooo perfect. The objective actually feels like you've earned it when you score, the power weapons work well on the map, no one's trying to boltshot you 24/7, etc. And, best of all, as mastrbiggy put it, there's finally a really effective use for the pulse grenade!

That's all I've played so far, but it felt very good, and was, except one game, quite enjoyable.
 

Akai__

Member
Reposting for new page:

If you pre-order Destiny at GameStop now, you get one of 2 posters. You can choose, which one you want. Both posters, are 2 sided, so that's a total of 4 posters.

Here are 3 of 4 covers:

dJBM7jn.jpg

9OEbMyw.jpg
 

One aspect of Halo 4 that certainly isn't 'good enough' is the sniper rifle. Like, I know those are sweet snipes in those clips but I just can't enthuse over them like 3/Reach snipes. I'm putting it down to there being no headshot medal, silly aim assist, no de-scoping, horrid visual design, flaring reticle, poor sound design and just an overall clunky, heavier, more sluggish feel to the rifle. So disappointed.

Wouldn't a game with less predictability consequently be a more random game? Anyway, that's not important.

What is important is that a player -- no matter how skilled -- can never be sure what AA an opposing player has. This leads to a dumbing down on the player's decision-making process because it reduces the reliability of many tactics.

For example, just say Player A knows that he can stick Player B. He runs up to Player B and quickly throws a stick. To his surprise, Player B quickly whips out the Hardlight shield, bouncing the nade off and following up with a kill on Player A. How was Player A supposed to know that Player B had a Hardlight shield? Was he stupid for trying to get the stick? Does this mean that the best way to play is to completely avoid going for head-on sticks due to the chance that players might have the Hardlight shield?

All of the above also applies to support upgrades and tactical packages. If I see that the rocket guy is no shields and is reloading, I'm probably going to rush him. Oh wait, he had Dexterity and just blew me up. With only one of the four loadouts having the Dexterity perk within the Deluxe settings, I would say that I had a pretty good chance of taking out the rocket guy. Am I dumb for taking that risk? Should we all just stop taking risks altogether just like the sticky situation mentioned earlier? Imagine this is a 49-49 game in an MLG event. Are we truly confident in these settings?

Knowing whether or not someone has a perk is the difference between life and death. Therefore they, too, should not have a place in competitive settings unless everyone has the exact same configuration.

It's a problem that stems back to September 2010 now and instead of remedying it (after the community bitched numerous times about there being no visual indicator of AA's) they convoluted the problem with support/tactical mods. I'll be sticking to V2 settings and avoiding deluxe for the sort of reasons you outlined above. At least the V2 settings don't allow AA's at spawn.

Everyone knows that website ranks won't work except 343. The playlist would be so much more popular with in game ranks in the service record. At this point who gives a shit about cheaters and derankers in Halo. Most have moved on to COD or are DDOS'ing kids in Halo 3. Which is sad but its such a small percentage of the overall ranked population.

What do they have to lose at this point? Why not go all out and make ranks visible in game?

Remember when you were at school and certain teachers would have the terrible idea of punishing the entire class for one classmates behaviour? And you knew that was bullshit even as a 7 year old? That's the solution 343 opted for with regards to an in game ranking system. They essentially threw up their hands and let the cheaters 'win'.
 

heckfu

Banned
Soooo... initial impressions of Team Throwdown after playing the first hour of its existence:

  • Played BRs on Simplex
    This map flows really well for slayer and CTF, but we already know that from prior playlists and such. Playing the BRs only variant felt very solid, though, with more battling over positioning and weapons than gametypes with AAs enabled by default.
  • Played KOTH deluxe on Shutout
    Lightrifle loadouts really aren't worth getting unless you plan on switching out your lightrifle right away in most cases. The regen is quite useful, especially in King, but the lack of offensive capability with the LR in its current form is too limiting in my view. DMR loadout is still deadly as hell, most notably if you know the map inside and out from Halo 2. Having the non-random hills that function properly is so nice and I can't imagine ever wanting to play KOTH any other way. This map played really great for KOTH. I have to say, I'm a huge fan of the forced hill moving. It enforces more movement and different setups. You can't just get a lead and keep the other team out of the same hill the rest of the game, since it will move whether or not all of its time is used up. Team-only radar is still something I'll need to get used to.
  • Played BRs on Shutout
    This was just blissful. This slayer mode just feels really right.
  • Played BRs on Abandon
    Got screwed by two randoms. Don't feel qualified to make any criticisms.
  • Played Extraction BRs on Haven
    This gametype feels sooooooo perfect. The objective actually feels like you've earned it when you score, the power weapons work well on the map, no one's trying to boltshot you 24/7, etc. And, best of all, as mastrbiggy put it, there's finally a really effective use for the pulse grenade!

That's all I've played so far, but it felt very good, and was, except one game, quite enjoyable.

Thanks for the impressions! I'll try and play some tomorrow and would've stayed on longer tonight for the launch but I'm so hooked on House of Cards right now...two episodes to go!
 

IHaveIce

Banned
Reposting for new page:

If you pre-order Destiny at GameStop now, you get one of 2 posters. You can choose, which one you want. Both posters, are 2 sided, so that's a total of 4 posters.

Here are 3 of 4 covers:

lol no date, no real gameplay but pre-order bonus' already announced. Nice :D

Will do it, want to have the poster with the ??Fallen??? I think
 
Thanks for the impressions! I'll try and play some tomorrow and would've stayed on longer tonight for the launch but I'm so hooked on House of Cards right now...two episodes to go!

You're welcome!


The end of the season is just plain amazing. You won't be disappointed.
 

Danny 117

Member
SpOps Episode 10..

What the hell. Why was halseys arm amputated? Also I wanted the line at the end of the season to be 'I want... John' or something but it never came. :L

Finally, does requiem's explosion basically eliminate the possibility of librarian or cortana being alive?
 

Omni

Member
On a positive note, the Apex mission this week was so awesome. Kudos to whoever designed it. I had a blast going through it with 3 other randoms. (plus boarding the thingy was cool)
 

wwm0nkey

Member
Well that was not that bad

They turned
Halsey into a horrible character and made her a walking cliche

Wait let me guess how Halo 5 will play out.
She Helps Jul but John helps her realize the error of her ways but its too late and she gets killed or something on that level of stupid
 
So before SpOps was released, it was said that
People would die during the story. So what major character did? The only deaths I've seen where those of nameless marine 1 to 100. Or did they mean that Halsey died? Her previous character is pretty much dead right now.
 

wwm0nkey

Member
Also in the epilogue
the bullet hole is above the arm yet they cut it off below the bullet entry point?
That was pointless.
 

heckfu

Banned
Also in the epilogue
the bullet hole is above the arm yet they cut it off below the bullet entry point?
That was pointless.

I don't think that's the case. I paid close attention to it and it looks like it was tied off but no skin underneath. I think the bullet hole is still in the sleeve and just bloodied. I think the amputation was done with the wound chopped off too.
 

Akai__

Member
Regarding Dr. Halsey:
Don't know why they had to amputate her arm below the bullet entry, but do you think, she will get a robot arm like Cat? Maybe even a Forerunner arm?
 

Spiders

Member
What a horrible ending.

I really don't like what they've done with Halsey's character, and amputating her arm was just stupid.

At least we'll be getting an entirely new setting for the next season. Of all the installations we've visited in the Halo games Requiem is by far the most boring.
 

wwm0nkey

Member
I just really don't want to play Halo for a long long time now. After that I just can't care anymore.

Might seem extreme but they just ruined something I liked a lot about Halo.
 

IHaveIce

Banned
I just really don't want to play Halo for a long long time now. After that I just can't care anymore.

Might seem extreme but they just ruined something I liked a lot about Halo.

Yeah I get what you mean, I will try the Throwback playlist, if it is good I will keep playing it, if not I have many games in my backlog which I could play

Bought Bioshock (all addons), Bioshock 2(All addons), The Witcher 2, LA Noire (All addons)
for 40€
 

Ominym

Banned
Huh. That was extremely disappointing, poorly written, and overall arguably even considered. I supposed that's what I get for getting my hopes up.
 

Havok

Member
That epilogue is hilarious. The last line made me cringe a little. It's such a baffling direction to take the universe in.

Chapter 3 of this week's episode is really great, and I think that the last half of Chapter 5 where they employ what must be Trait Zones is some of the most imaginative work they've done the entire season.

I flat out did not like the other missions and thought they were tremendous steps backwards from the largely improved design of the second half of the season. Fuel Rod Elites everywhere (between four and six of them in the same relatively small encounter space, are you kidding me?). Binary Knights every 3 minutes. Spawning enemies right behind the player. Walking out of a door and seeing multiple Concussion Rifle Elites, multiple Beam Rifle Elites, and other high-ranking enemies 10 feet in front of your face and they instantly melt you. These do not make for fun gameplay. Fuel Rods and Binary Rifles make for some of the most tedious, poke-your-head-out gameplay I've encountered in the series and to see them go back to it in full force after backing away from them for a little while is frustrating.

The guy that designed Apex and did those missions needs a raise, because they were pretty great across the board. Best episodes of the season: Land Grab, Core, Shootout in Valhalla, maybe Spartan Miller and Thorne, Need to Know, Engine of Destruction (I think? That episode blends together since they reuse combat spaces so heavily), Unfinished Business, Lancer, maybe Science Mountain and The Hammer, Seize the Power, and One Last Time. I think those are fully worth playing, the rest I could take or leave. Five from the first half and eight from the second half - the jump in quality is largely because the lows aren't nearly as low in the second half. Season 1.5 doesn't have a Random Transport or The Challenge, both of which I think are really horrible levels.

I still hope there's a Season 2, because as little as I liked where they took the story in the end, I still kind of want to see more of it because I'm so invested in the universe.
 

zap

Member
Wow. I thought you guys were overreacting... Then I saw it.

Is it possible that
Halsey is playing the elites? Surely she isn't seriously wanting revenge against her own species. I can understand being annoyed at ONI, but actually joining with a religious zealot hell bent on destroying humanity seems a bit much.
 
Fuck, I'm at my parent's home for the entire week, and my brother just broke the only xbox in the house yesterday. I guess I'll just watch the cutscenes now and play the missions when I get home again.

I thought you didn't play Halo 4 anymore? You pretty much call everyone that plays it stupid. Are you stupid too?
 

TheOddOne

Member
The Apex and Harvester levels, man. One reminded me of Halo 3's The Storm, both are now my favorite Spartan Ops levels.

The story took a bizarre nosedive though, it felt out of place. One good thing that came out of it though is
REQUIEM IS GONE, WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
.
 

Omni

Member
That final mission is pretty damn fun. And interesting. We need more 'weird' stuff like that during actual campaigns, IMO.
 

Caja 117

Member
Soooo... initial impressions of Team Throwdown after playing the first hour of its existence:

  • Played BRs on Simplex
    This map flows really well for slayer and CTF, but we already know that from prior playlists and such. Playing the BRs only variant felt very solid, though, with more battling over positioning and weapons than gametypes with AAs enabled by default.
  • Played KOTH deluxe on Shutout
    Lightrifle loadouts really aren't worth getting unless you plan on switching out your lightrifle right away in most cases. The regen is quite useful, especially in King, but the lack of offensive capability with the LR in its current form is too limiting in my view. DMR loadout is still deadly as hell, most notably if you know the map inside and out from Halo 2. Having the non-random hills that function properly is so nice and I can't imagine ever wanting to play KOTH any other way. This map played really great for KOTH. I have to say, I'm a huge fan of the forced hill moving. It enforces more movement and different setups. You can't just get a lead and keep the other team out of the same hill the rest of the game, since it will move whether or not all of its time is used up. Team-only radar is still something I'll need to get used to.
  • Played BRs on Shutout
    This was just blissful. This slayer mode just feels really right.
  • Played BRs on Abandon
    Got screwed by two randoms. Don't feel qualified to make any criticisms.
  • Played Extraction BRs on Haven
    This gametype feels sooooooo perfect. The objective actually feels like you've earned it when you score, the power weapons work well on the map, no one's trying to boltshot you 24/7, etc. And, best of all, as mastrbiggy put it, there's finally a really effective use for the pulse grenade!


That's all I've played so far, but it felt very good, and was, except one game, quite enjoyable.

Haven Extraction is my favorite of the bunch,. Like you said is just perfect, i just dont see this playlist working too well with Deluxe settings against good teams.

Played just one game on dispatch extraction, BRs, the other team quit out before the first extract was even completed so, my experience was cut off.

This playlist is good enough to bring back players, there is really no excuse against Halo 4 and not playing the game.
 

Omni

Member
Yeah, I wasn't expecting that. Clever way to hide sections too.

IMO the best is mission 3. So good.

Yeah, 3 was really fun. Too bad the purple flying ship is kinda dull. I mean, yeah it moved during the mission, but boarding it wasn't anything terribly exciting (the same goes with the explosion as a result... Halo 3's Scarabs are much more exciting to take down - though admittedly a lot of that is the result of Halo 3's brilliant lighting system which gives explosions 'life')

...

I guess the question now is, would people buy a season 2 of Spartan Ops?
 
Top Bottom