Halo is one of the few games that gives players access to a vast amount of different options and tweaks we can make to all gametypes. Even what’s available in a regular Halo game is usually needing a mod for PC games. So then why are we never utilising and taking advantage of this?
I think what 343i needs to do is to use the beta playlist to create new gametypes and even use regular gametypes but with altered options and tweaks every week. Can be as simple as a small tweak to shield strength, moving a power weapon or large ones like creating limited gametypes, or even making a small change to the map in Forge.
Let’s see what we can come up with. Such as regular Team Slayer/Rumble Pit with shields at 175% and health at 25%. Increased movement speed and jumping. A SWAT gametype with Shotguns or ARs. An automatic weapons only gametype. Grenade Launcher and Concussion Rifle only loudouts. Rocket Launchers and Armour Lock. Even just small changes like headshots turned off, health regeneration to 100%, etc.
Doing this, we can draw in players regularly as there will always be a new gametype for them to try out. Have a look at something like Gears of War 3. Every week creating a new gametype and altering the options. Their recent one is low health, no DBNO, Frags and Hammerburst only. Even this set-up has caused all players to utilise cover more often (usually in a regular match they just run forward with a shotgun). They’re keeping the content alive by just simple altering the options on top of their DLC. If you promise extra credits for playing the gametype then players might stay around longer (think of it as double exp weekends for Halo 3) and can give them a chance to improve their commendations that they normally couldn’t in a regular gametype.
Not only can this bring in regular players, but you can also test out the tweaks and get player feedback to see which options they liked and which options you can change to go into the regular playlists. Maybe the majority of players like Team Slayer with 125% shields and 75% health. Maybe SWAT with shotguns should be thrown into the regular SWAT playlist.
This way we can even find better balance options rather then wondering which side of the people arguing on the forums should be listened to and hoping for the best at a further date.
Halo has pretty much strived on the community and the different ways we played the game. Have a look at SWAT, Infection, Grifball, all were created by the community who played with the options. SWAT has been there since the beginning, people wanted one-shot precision battles. Infection heavily relied on the players being honest and changing teams when they were killed with a Sword. Grifball was a one-time joke in the RedvsBlue series that got a lot of attention and implemented into regular gametypes at a later date. Why are we, the players, preventing Reach from doing the same thing?
You can even look at it this way. As an early beta look for Halo 4. By playing around with the options we can get a better look at what players universally considered balanced, which maps they liked playing, how many power weapons they were happy to be on the map. Look at the player feedback and consider how to apply them to Halo 4 so we can get a better prepared multiplayer game that even an early access beta can have trouble finding.
> Even just small changes like headshots turned of
I like the idea of the beta playlist but, seriously. These are some bad examples. An FPS without headshots? Listen to yourself. That would be like a blunt pencil…pointless.
Read your post from top to bottom and there is a bunch of great stuff, I would like to single your Beta playlist idea out as my favorite. If 343 had monthly gametype trials with increased credit payouts, challenges etc in the Beta TU playlist, it would be a huge draw and would be a ton of fun for the community. It would also give 343 a chance to see what alternate playtypes the current and by exstension, future players would be interested in being a dedicated playlist in 4.
I agree that 343i should experiment – but not with options. We can do that if we’re so inclined.
What they should experiment with is Megalo. Bungie created an amazing gametype scripting language, that allows the creation of wholly-new and redistributable gametypes and types of objectives without the need for a TU. But only the devs have access to it. Bungie used it to create quite a few interesting things – Halo Chess (pre-release), HaloBall, Power Slayer, Invasion Skirmish, Grifball – but 343i has, so far, only used it as a means of selectively enabling TU changes.
Given what we already know about the system (through observed uses and through an HBO interview with JonnyOThan), it’s clear that Megalo has a huge amount of power and can be used to do things that the community has requested. VIP? Possible, depending on memory limits in the script interpreter. A Forgeable trigger-like system? Seems possible. An Infection gametype that gives points for reaching a Haven, rather than killing from one? Yep. An on-foot Race gametype? Definitely. But we get nothing.
I think that 343i should find a few people who can be trusted with the requisite knowledge, and have them just work on Megalo gametypes to be implemented.
These are all great ideas, but it is clear, to me, that 343i is devoting most of it’s resources and manpower to Halo 4. Reach is the in-between transition piece between Bungie and 343i’s stewardship of Halo, and is being treated as such, evident in rather piecemeal playlist updates outside of the larger TU. It has been awhile since a new community gametype (or even community maps) have been added to a Halo game.I expect only nickel-and-dime updates until H4 drops.
Making a playlist that experiments with the game and maps is a great idea for Reach.
I had a friend who abandoned halo after Reach was released for the same reasons many other players did. Even though he did not like Reach as a whole, he said its greatest strength and point of interest for him was its diversity. He could appreciate all the different playlists and gametypes at his disposal.
Going through with a beta playlist like this, and following through with the suggestion to use Megalo more extensively, would play right into Reach’s strengths in my opinion.
That Megalo thing can be good but there are enough options in the default settings that can allow us to create many new gametypes for a long time. You can look into Megalo if we need another way to alter the settings.
I know that 343i is focusing on Halo4 but if they can’t even do this with the current game then what’s stopping them from doing it with Halo4? Once Halo4 is released will they offer no support, under the excuse “We’re working on Halo 5!” (seriously, who announces a trilogy before gameplay footage for the first game)
Maybe we should let the community members help with this and leave them in charge. How about that snickerdoodle, she seems nice.
Also, what’s up with the cherry picked replies? I gave 1 example out of, what, 10? Completely going against the purpose of the thread…
agreed. That playlist isn’t being used for anything anymore anyway…
And the ideas you suggested totally suck… But the point you are trying to make is awesome.
But yeah, they should add a mix of competitive gametypes along with new ideas for action sack, for example. One big experimental mix. I’m looking forward to being a test subject already
> agreed. That playlist isn’t being used for anything anymore anyway…
> And the ideas you suggested totally suck… But the point you are trying to make is awesome.
>
> But yeah, they should add a mix of competitive gametypes along with new ideas for action sack, for example. One big experimental mix. I’m looking forward to being a test subject already
Well, we don’t know if they totally suck. We haven’t tried them. That’s the whole point, you can’t dismiss something based on the cover.
I’m not to sure about an overall mix. I was talking about a new or current gametype with tweaks to the options.
I’ve hardly played Action Sack. While there were a few good gametypes there were some I didn’t like and avoid that playlist for those reasons. I think the average player thinks the same, wanting variations of the same gametype for a playlist. I know I had a hard time playing Rumble Pit or Team Slayer when SWAT and Living Dead was in those playlists.
> > agreed. That playlist isn’t being used for anything anymore anyway…
> > And the ideas you suggested totally suck… But the point you are trying to make is awesome.
> >
> > But yeah, they should add a mix of competitive gametypes along with new ideas for action sack, for example. One big experimental mix. I’m looking forward to being a test subject already
>
> Well, we don’t know if they totally suck. We haven’t tried them. That’s the whole point, you can’t dismiss something based on the cover.
Indeed. I remember back when I thought that Sprinting Zombies would kill Living Dead – only to find that it was way more balanced than Evade Zombies.
> > Maybe we should let the community members help with this and leave them in charge. How about that snickerdoodle, she seems nice.
>
> Hahaha, flattered but no thanks. I don’t want that kind of pressure and all that angst directed my way!
>
> Plus, have you seen the gametypes I come up with?? I’m pretty sure the community as a whole would not be impressed.
> Well, we don’t know if they totally suck. We haven’t tried them. That’s the whole point, you can’t dismiss something based on the cover.
True, however my biggest issue was with disabling headshots, which I don’t see working out in any way at all, as the headshot weapons are the only ones I use. But yeah, one experimental mix will definately better than one currently pretty much useless playlist.
> > Well, we don’t know if they totally suck. We haven’t tried them. That’s the whole point, you can’t dismiss something based on the cover.
>
>
>
> True, however my biggest issue was with disabling headshots, which I don’t see working out in any way at all, as the headshot weapons are the only ones I use. But yeah, one experimental mix will definately better than one currently pretty much useless playlist.
Well, that suggestion was just a way to balance the overall sandbox of the game. When I tried it I even found myself pacing my shots more often even on 100% bloom. But that was just me, you would need a lot more games and testing to prove or disprove that theory.
But that’s another thing, even if I’m wrong and it makes no difference or even breaks the sandbox even worse then testing the gametype is still a success because we found out what doesn’t work and can look at other options to explore. If this happens every week then we can find what it overall balance rather then making one test and hoping that was the right one.
This is a neat thread! I’d love to see the Beta Playlist used to test all kinds of different gametype variables. It would be real neat to see what else Reach’s Megalo system could do with the sandbox. I’d absolutely jump at the chance to play a Halo Reach match with the following settings:
85% bloom on ALL sandbox items- Shield bleed-through disabled on all UNSC sandbox items (Spartan Laser and Gauss Hog exempt)- Headshot bonus enabled for all non-energy projectile based sandbox items (UNSC, Needler, Spiker, and NR) - Shield bleed-through enabled for all plasma/energy based sandbox items (Spike Rifle included)- Vehicle damage increased by 5% on all plasma/energy sandbox items (Spike Rifle not included)
That sounds like some pretty smooth evolved combat to me!
> > Even just small changes like headshots turned of
>
> I like the idea of the beta playlist but, seriously. These are some bad examples. An FPS without headshots? Listen to yourself. That would be like a blunt pencil…pointless.
