5-20 | And that's all she wrote! The Halo: Reach Beta is now over!
Post-Beta News | Reach Updates after or in reaction to the Beta.
6-04 | The May-ish Bungie Podcast is up, covering the Beta and changes made since.
5-25 | IGN has an interview with Brian Jarrard about how Bungie is using the Beta feedback to update the final game.
5-25 | Bungie has posted a farewell video tribute to the Beta: The Good, The Bad-ass, and the Ugly.
5-24 | Halo: Reach ships September 14th in the US and Europe, September 15th in Japan.
5-20 | Bungie outlines some of the changes and fixes included in the shipping game in this Weekly Update.
5-20 | Brian Jarrard and Chris Carney (Reach MP Lead) talk to OXM about the Beta and changes they're making. (Start a half hour in.)
5-25 | IGN has an interview with Brian Jarrard about how Bungie is using the Beta feedback to update the final game.
5-25 | Bungie has posted a farewell video tribute to the Beta: The Good, The Bad-ass, and the Ugly.
5-24 | Halo: Reach ships September 14th in the US and Europe, September 15th in Japan.
5-20 | Bungie outlines some of the changes and fixes included in the shipping game in this Weekly Update.
5-20 | Brian Jarrard and Chris Carney (Reach MP Lead) talk to OXM about the Beta and changes they're making. (Start a half hour in.)
Post-Beta Changes | Summarizing the above links, here's a list of the key updates Bungie has made since the Beta.
Player Traits | Base movement speed and jump height increased slightly; headshot zone expanded (lower portion of head was obscured taking fire in Beta)
Frag Grenades | Damage decreased one point, damage radius reduced, time from impact to detonation extended
HUD | Targeting reticule made easier to see; directional fire indicators enhanced; shield displays damage correctly (was uneven in Beta)
Melee | Longer delay between melee strikes, fewer simultaneous beat downs
Party Splitting | Parties within the team size limit in a playlist will no longer be split
Sword Base | Plasma Launcher removed; CTF cap and spawn points changed (gameplay is more side to side than up and down now); visuals of rooms given a pass to make them more easily distinguishable
Powerhouse | CTF flag moved from room to lower building roof; Stockpile locations moved
Stockpile | Stockpile spoiling addressed; waypoint colors changed to match teams
DMR | Clip expanded from 12 to 15 rounds
Magnum | Firing rate slowed slightly
Needle Rifle | Clip expanded from 16 to 21 rounds
Assault Rifle | Damage slightly increased
Vehicles
Frag Grenades | Damage decreased one point, damage radius reduced, time from impact to detonation extended
HUD | Targeting reticule made easier to see; directional fire indicators enhanced; shield displays damage correctly (was uneven in Beta)
Melee | Longer delay between melee strikes, fewer simultaneous beat downs
Party Splitting | Parties within the team size limit in a playlist will no longer be split
Sword Base | Plasma Launcher removed; CTF cap and spawn points changed (gameplay is more side to side than up and down now); visuals of rooms given a pass to make them more easily distinguishable
Powerhouse | CTF flag moved from room to lower building roof; Stockpile locations moved
Stockpile | Stockpile spoiling addressed; waypoint colors changed to match teams
DMR | Clip expanded from 12 to 15 rounds
Magnum | Firing rate slowed slightly
Needle Rifle | Clip expanded from 16 to 21 rounds
Assault Rifle | Damage slightly increased
Vehicles
- Overall vehicles are much, much meatier than they were in the Beta.
- Vehicles will no longer just explode on their own, GTA style. Vehicles will only blow up from direct player damage.
- Vehicle damage will now partially transfer to the player, just like youre used to in Halo 3. Youll see this represented in your own shield/health meter as your vehicle takes damage.
- The damage that a player takes depends on the location of the damage being done relative to the player. So, if you throw a grenade underneath a Warthog, the driver is going to take a little bit of damage. If you throw a grenade into the sun roof or windshield, the driver will take significantly more damage.
GAF Impressions | Wrap-up thoughts from HaloGAF
Official Reach Sites | Project Page | Developer Blog | Xbox.com | WelcomeToNobelTeam.com (marketing site)
Official Media | Trailers and ViDocs | Rendered Gameplay Videos on Bungie.net | Screenshots | Character, Weapon and Vehicle Renders | Artwork
Bungie | Bungie.net | Bungie Podcast | Youtube | Twitter | Facebook
Note: Most images in this post are thumbnails, click for a larger version.
Matchmaking
Veto System | Accept the initial map/gametype combo, or vote for one of three alternatives - or none of the above.
Active Roster | A list of all Friends playing Reach, the members of their Party, their status, and player details integrated into the main UI. Useful for quickly pulling teams together, or joining one.
Queue-Joining | If a Friend is in a non-joinable game (i.e., Matchmaking), this will automatically add you to their Party when they become joinable.
Connection Settings & Social Preferences | Options to set connection priorities (quick search vs. strong connection, etc.) and enable matchmaking to bring together like-minded players. Social preferences are just that, and will inform but not determine matching.
Open Mic | Halo 3's push to talk is gone, in favor of open team mic, all the time (though other options are available).
Four-player splitscreen | All playlists support 1-4 players per screen, except Generator Defense which supports 2-player splitscreen.
Active Roster | A list of all Friends playing Reach, the members of their Party, their status, and player details integrated into the main UI. Useful for quickly pulling teams together, or joining one.
Queue-Joining | If a Friend is in a non-joinable game (i.e., Matchmaking), this will automatically add you to their Party when they become joinable.
Connection Settings & Social Preferences | Options to set connection priorities (quick search vs. strong connection, etc.) and enable matchmaking to bring together like-minded players. Social preferences are just that, and will inform but not determine matching.
Open Mic | Halo 3's push to talk is gone, in favor of open team mic, all the time (though other options are available).
Four-player splitscreen | All playlists support 1-4 players per screen, except Generator Defense which supports 2-player splitscreen.
Theater
Saved Films | Similar to Halo 3, games can be saved and reviewed from any perspective, and clips can be taken and saved separately.
Screenshots | Screens can be taken from saved films, which are then transferred to bungie.net for review or can be uploaded to File Share for distribution.
Screenshots | Screens can be taken from saved films, which are then transferred to bungie.net for review or can be uploaded to File Share for distribution.
Bungie.net Integration | The Beta features a large subset of the final b.net support. Aggregate stats and player Service Records are online here.
Service Record | Game history & career stats, in addition to global stats
File Share | Screenshots, Films (Rendered Videos for Bungie Pro members supported), File tagging and searching integrated into the Reach UI
File Share | Screenshots, Films (Rendered Videos for Bungie Pro members supported), File tagging and searching integrated into the Reach UI
Gameplay | Significant new systems and additions that impact combat.
Spartans vs. Elites | The different player models are no longer equivalent - their capabilities are very different and feature prominently in the certain game types.
Loadouts | Playlist-specific combinations of weapons and Armor Abilities, selected in the pre-game lobby and between spawns. See Weapons and Ordnance section for more details.
Assassinations | An optional flourish added to from-behind melee kills, triggered by holding down the melee button. Essentially a way to rub in a kill, they render the player vulnerable for a few seconds as they are performed.
Targeting Bloom | The targeting reticule will bloom and recede with each shot fired, indicating the decay in accuracy between shots. Rapid firing is less accurate than firing methodically.
Spawn System | Players can select from a list of spawn locations after dying. In addition, in the Invasion game type players are paired with a fire team partner (or "battle bro") and can choose to spawn by them, co-op style, as long as they are away from enemies.
Shields & Melee | Melee blows will no longer carry through shields to damage the health beneath it. A melee will pop shields, whether they're full or at a sliver. A melee will likewise drop a Spartan without shields - but no more whittling shields down and then landing a killing blow before shields are down. A smack from behind is as deadly as ever.
Usage | The Spartan is the default player model for most game types. In Invasion and Generator Defense games, games are one-sided with Elites attacking and Spartans defending.
Size Matters | Relative to Spartans, Elites are significantly larger, have more health, move much faster, and recharge their shields more quickly.
Health | Spartan health bars recharge in sections: up to the nearest third lost. (i.e., lose nearly all your health, it recharges 1/3 back). The remainder requires health packs. Elites health recharges completely.
Size Matters | Relative to Spartans, Elites are significantly larger, have more health, move much faster, and recharge their shields more quickly.
Health | Spartan health bars recharge in sections: up to the nearest third lost. (i.e., lose nearly all your health, it recharges 1/3 back). The remainder requires health packs. Elites health recharges completely.
Loadouts | Playlist-specific combinations of weapons and Armor Abilities, selected in the pre-game lobby and between spawns. See Weapons and Ordnance section for more details.
Assassinations | An optional flourish added to from-behind melee kills, triggered by holding down the melee button. Essentially a way to rub in a kill, they render the player vulnerable for a few seconds as they are performed.
3D Quicktime of an air-to-air assassination (save-as).
Targeting Bloom | The targeting reticule will bloom and recede with each shot fired, indicating the decay in accuracy between shots. Rapid firing is less accurate than firing methodically.
Spawn System | Players can select from a list of spawn locations after dying. In addition, in the Invasion game type players are paired with a fire team partner (or "battle bro") and can choose to spawn by them, co-op style, as long as they are away from enemies.
Shields & Melee | Melee blows will no longer carry through shields to damage the health beneath it. A melee will pop shields, whether they're full or at a sliver. A melee will likewise drop a Spartan without shields - but no more whittling shields down and then landing a killing blow before shields are down. A smack from behind is as deadly as ever.
Player Rank & Reward Systems | Halo 3's Ranking and XP systems are scrapped, in favor of a Credit-driven system to track and reward player investment in Reach.
Rank | All-encompassing representation of a player's investment in Reach, driven by Credits. The more lifetime Credits earned, the higher the Rank. Rank has no impact on matchmaking - that is driven by Trueskill, which is entirely behind the scenes (not displayed) in Reach.
Credits (cR) | Awarded for playing Reach (Campaign and MP) and achieving certain goals. In the Beta, credits pay out for completing and/or winning games, and for Commendations.
Commendations | A persistent record of player behavior in numerous areas. Examples include Headshots, assists while driving the Warthog, and more. Credits pay out for reaching Commendation milestones.
Armor Customization | What you do with all those Credits: customize your Spartan (and Elite). In the Beta, customization is limited to the helmet, chest, and shoulders. Each piece can have multiple augmentations, and require a level of cR earned to access. (i.e.: 10,000 lifetime cR earned to access, 500 cR cost to purchase) Armor is cosmetic only.
Credits (cR) | Awarded for playing Reach (Campaign and MP) and achieving certain goals. In the Beta, credits pay out for completing and/or winning games, and for Commendations.
Commendations | A persistent record of player behavior in numerous areas. Examples include Headshots, assists while driving the Warthog, and more. Credits pay out for reaching Commendation milestones.
Armor Customization | What you do with all those Credits: customize your Spartan (and Elite). In the Beta, customization is limited to the helmet, chest, and shoulders. Each piece can have multiple augmentations, and require a level of cR earned to access. (i.e.: 10,000 lifetime cR earned to access, 500 cR cost to purchase) Armor is cosmetic only.
The Arena | A ranked, ultra-competitive set of Slayer playlists featuring an overarching seasonal rating model. Ratings and Divisions are Arena-specific, and separate from the overall Reach Ranking system. See here for an explanation of the Personal Rating formula.
Level Field | Spartan vs. Spartan, utilizing Trueskill for matchmaking (which remains hidden).
Personal Rating | In each game you receive a Rating based on your individual performance (even on team games). The rating formula will be published prior to the Beta start.
Daily Rating | Play 3 games in one day to get a Daily Rating, which is an average of your best game ratings that day. These are used first to qualify for a Division, and then for personal performance evaluation and record keeping.
Divisions | Achieve 3 Daily Ratings in a single Season to qualify for a Division (Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Onyx). You progress up - and down - Divisions over the course of a Season based on your Daily Ratings.
Seasons | Seasons span a calendar month; the Beta will run for one Season. At the end of a Season, your Divisional Rating becomes final, and your performance becomes part of your Service Record (e.g. Top 10%, Silver Division). All Ratings reset after each Season.
Personal Rating | In each game you receive a Rating based on your individual performance (even on team games). The rating formula will be published prior to the Beta start.
Daily Rating | Play 3 games in one day to get a Daily Rating, which is an average of your best game ratings that day. These are used first to qualify for a Division, and then for personal performance evaluation and record keeping.
Divisions | Achieve 3 Daily Ratings in a single Season to qualify for a Division (Steel, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Onyx). You progress up - and down - Divisions over the course of a Season based on your Daily Ratings.
Seasons | Seasons span a calendar month; the Beta will run for one Season. At the end of a Season, your Divisional Rating becomes final, and your performance becomes part of your Service Record (e.g. Top 10%, Silver Division). All Ratings reset after each Season.
New Gametypes | See the Guide link in each for additional details.
Invasion | Players: 6v6 | Playlist: Invasion | Map: Boneyard | Guide
Invasion Slayer | Players: 6v6 | Playlist: Invasion | Map: Boneyard | Guide (scroll down)
HEADHUNTER | Players: 8 | Playlist: FFA | Maps: Sword Base, Powerhouse | Guide
Stockpile | Players: 4v4 | Playlist: Grab Bag | Maps: Sword Base, Powerhouse | Guide
Generator Defense (Network Test 1) | Players: 3v3 | Playlist: Network Test 1 | Map: Overlook | Guide
Invasion Slayer | Players: 6v6 | Playlist: Invasion | Map: Boneyard | Guide (scroll down)
HEADHUNTER | Players: 8 | Playlist: FFA | Maps: Sword Base, Powerhouse | Guide
- Players drop a single flaming skull when killed; collect the skulls and bank them at the movind depots to score.
- The number of skulls a player is carrying is displayed in a waypoint over their head which everyone can see - the more you carry, the bigger the target you are.
- 25 skulls to win, or bank 10 at once for the instawin. (FFA-only in Beta, FFA and Team in shipping game.)
Stockpile | Players: 4v4 | Playlist: Grab Bag | Maps: Sword Base, Powerhouse | Guide
- A CTF variant with four neutral flags for either team to collect and return to their stockpile, which are scored every 60 seconds.
- Flags reset to new, random locations every 60 seconds, and opposing teams can remove flags from the enemy capture point before they are scored.
- Score 10 flags, or the most in 10 minutes, to win.
Generator Defense (Network Test 1) | Players: 3v3 | Playlist: Network Test 1 | Map: Overlook | Guide
- Elites vs. Spartans, with the latter defending three generators from attack.
- Spartans can lock down generators for ~30 seconds at a time, after which the generator must cool down and is vulnerable.
- Elites must destory all three generators to win.
- Note: this playlist is, as the name implies, a networking test more than a gametype. Generator Defense may or may not make the shipping game.
Returning Team Gametypes | Modes coming back from Halo 2 or 3, featured in the Grab Bag playlist.
Team Slayer | Team SWAT | Slayer Covy (Elite vs. Elite) | 1-Flag CTF | Oddball | Team Crazy King | 3 Plots
Returning FFA Gametypes | Modes coming back from Halo 3, featured in the FFA Playlist.
Slayer | Slayer Pro | Slayer Classic (fixed weapons, no Loadouts, Sprint only AA) | Oddball | Crazy King | Juggernaut
Maps | The Beta features two all-purpose maps (Sword Base and Powerhouse) and two special-purpose maps (Overlook and Boneyard). Hit the Guide link on each for additional details.
Sword Base | Playlists: FFA, Grab Bag | Guide
Powerhouse | Playlists: FFA, Grab Bag | Guide
Overlook | Playlist: Network Test 1 | Guide
Boneyard | Playlist: Invasion | Guide | 3D Quicktime (Save-as)
Powerhouse | Playlists: FFA, Grab Bag | Guide
Overlook | Playlist: Network Test 1 | Guide
Boneyard | Playlist: Invasion | Guide | 3D Quicktime (Save-as)
Armor Abilities | The evolution of Halo 3's Equipment, Armor Abilities can be used indefinitely, after a short recharge. They are selected as part of a Loadout.
Jetpack | Elites and Spartans | Enables flight for a brief time. On the downside, it's noisy, makes you an easy target, and you can take fall damage if you drop from the max height.
Active Camo | Elites and Spartans | Renders the user nearly invisible, and scrambles the radar of anyone nearby, including the user, alerting players that someone is camouflaged. The faster you move the more visible you are.
Armor Lock | Elites and Spartans | User locks into place and deflects all weaponry and vehicles - effectively a temporary invulnerability. The ability has three levels of effect, from a brief pause to a prolonged stance with an EMP fired off at the end to drain shields and disable vehicles - friendly and hostile. The user is stationary and thus exposed for retaliation.
Sprint | Spartans Only | Enables Spartans to briefly run about the same speed that Elites move at native speed. Cannot fire weapons while sprinting.
Evade | Elites Only | A diving roll that enables Elites to shed locks (Needler, Plasma Launcher), get behind opponents quickly and dive into cover with speed. It an be used twice before recharging.
Active Camo | Elites and Spartans | Renders the user nearly invisible, and scrambles the radar of anyone nearby, including the user, alerting players that someone is camouflaged. The faster you move the more visible you are.
Armor Lock | Elites and Spartans | User locks into place and deflects all weaponry and vehicles - effectively a temporary invulnerability. The ability has three levels of effect, from a brief pause to a prolonged stance with an EMP fired off at the end to drain shields and disable vehicles - friendly and hostile. The user is stationary and thus exposed for retaliation.
Sprint | Spartans Only | Enables Spartans to briefly run about the same speed that Elites move at native speed. Cannot fire weapons while sprinting.
Evade | Elites Only | A diving roll that enables Elites to shed locks (Needler, Plasma Launcher), get behind opponents quickly and dive into cover with speed. It an be used twice before recharging.
Returning Weapons | In addition to frag and plasma grenades, the following weapons return from Halo 3, tweaked but functionally similar.
New Weapons | The new toys.
Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) | The new BR. Single-shot, 3x zoom, the go-to rifle for mid to long range.
Magnum | The same stopping power as the DMR, in a smaller package. Higher rate of fire is offset by the 2x zoom, shorter range and lower accuracy when firing rapidly.
Grenade Launcher| AKA, the "pro pipe". Single shot per magazine. Secondary fire: hold the trigger to "cook" until ready to serve; "cooked" grenades let off an EMP, ideal for knocking out vehicles.
Plasma Repeater | The AR for Elites. Rapid-fire plasma weapon.
Focus Rifle | A cross between the Beam Rifle and Sentinel Beam, it fires a long-range sustained beam that cuts through shields and armor in seconds.
Needle Rifle | The Covenant answer to the DMR. Fires needles at mid to long range; if three impact on soft tissue (ie, not shields) they super combine and explode.
Plasma Launcher | Fires 1-4 explosive, tracking plasma missiles, with a charge up similar to the Spartan Laser.
Vehicles | Five Halo staples return largely unchanged from Halo 3. Of note: the Warthog chaingun can now overheat.
