A letter from the competitive community ( H5)

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

Nearly 2 years ago I wrote a letter asking you to support the competitive community for Halo 4. That thread became incredibly popular and garnered a lot of supporters.

Well unfortunately I feel like it didn’t do any good. Halo 4 was released and though it was a good game, it lacked what made Halo truly special.

Halo 4 lacked many things that must be improved. Its theater mode was the worst since its introduction in Halo 3, its custom games options were atrocious, spartan ops was a failure, and many fan favorites were removed such as firefight.

I could go on forever on the things that need to be done for Halo 5. Put skulls back in to levels, better custom options, better theater mode, and much much more

But this letter will be focused on the competitive aspects of Halo.

< letter begins here>

Dear 343,

Halo multiplayer should have been sacred. It was perfect. It was fun, fast, competitive, and had a huge community.

When people used to play Halo there was an actually active community. It had the perfect balance of competitive modes and also allowed for fun casual modes such as griffball.

We loved it. The campaign, forge, theater, and multiplayer. We loved all of it.

All we have ever wanted is a sequel to Halo 3, but 3 games later in the franchise and we have yet to get one. Innovation is always welcome, but there is a difference between innovating and changing the core structure of what made it so special in the first place.

343 we are begging you to fall on your sword and actually create a Halo game.

A game that is both fun and competitive.

We as a community want even starts. We don’t want loadouts in Halo, they are in every other game and we want to be different.

We want fun creative maps. You know why the old Halo maps were so great? Its because they were based on the geometry of the play spaces, not the scenery. Create fun, balanced play spaces and then make it beautiful. All you need to do is study Halo 2’s map design ( probably the best multiplayer suite in existence) and use those philosophies in creating Halo 5 maps.

We want a competitive ranking system. Give us something to play for. Playing to unlock a new weapon will only keep us occupied for so long, we need a system in the vein of Halo 3’s 1-50 system to actually give us a reason to try and win.

We also want weapons on map. Ordanance is a gimmick and an attempt at matching Cods killstreak system. Having random ordanance spawns ruins maps because it takes away weapons on maps. With loadouts and ordanance Halos core gameplay is ruined. Map control is virtually non existent.

Just return Halo to the way it was, and the way it always should have been.

Every Halo game post H3 has failed and by continuing down the path Halo is on its fans will eventually give up on. We believe in you and pray you listen.

Thank you

If you agree with this post please leave a thank and if you have your own opinion on what 343 needs to do please post it below

2

I am hopeful. They told us before release that Infinity settings would just be one part of matchmaking. Assuming it wasn’t a flat out lie (i don’t believe they would intentionally tank their credibility), I think they simply had to start scrapping things to make release date.

3

Yes I agree. They even admitted they didn’t get to do all they wanted because they ran out of time.

4

One problem on not having loadouts is that now there are so many weapons, having them as pickups would still make them everywhere and less than half the team would use the default AR (more than likely). Perhaps it will still be a little bit better however.

5

I disagree about Spartan Ops.

As for the rest, I am not a competitive player in the sense that, while having played all Halo games, I do not play MP…at all, but that is true of ANY game I play…that said tho, I wish Halo to return to its competitiveness (as envisioned by the core community)

The farthest we remove ourselves from COD the better

6

We know what we want… Even starts. That means a lot, even starting weapons and traits, even weapons on map, even maps that do not give one side an advantage. Bring Halo back to its core.

7

Yeah, I agree.

8

100% agree

taking away weapons on the map ruined the identity and uniqueness that certain maps had. It also destroys map movement/control. Really I don’t understand it at all, silly decision and its inclusion makes no sense other than to mimic killstreaks from COD.

When 343 first announced ordinance. I envisioned pre-set power weapons for certain maps spawning in different locations on the map, locations that would be tactical and static. However, the weapons would be random (to an extent), and the location random (with a small set number of possible locations). I also envisioned a waypoint appearing at least 10 seconds before the drop to alert all players so that an epic battle could take place for control of that spawn point…

not at all how it turned out unfortunately

9

> When 343 first announced ordinance. I envisioned pre-set power weapons for certain maps spawning in different locations on the map, locations that would be tactical and static. However, the weapons would be random (to an extent), and the location random (with a small set number of possible locations). I also envisioned a waypoint appearing at least 10 seconds before the drop to alert all players so that an epic battle could take place for control of that spawn point…
>
> not at all how it turned out unfortunately

That’s more or less what I think everyone was expecting when it was first announced, and the violent backlash forced them to announce that they were still going to have traditional game types… Infinity was just an alternative setting.

Then Infinity became the whole game and the ordinance was 100 times worse than what I imagined it would be. Its so gimmicky that it took me over a month to realize that they had no intention of rounding out the playlists after launch with all the game types that Halo 3 and/or Reach had. A thousand times the disappointment I felt when I fired up Reach and desperately looked for the nonsocial play lists.

10

> One problem on not having loadouts is that now there are so many weapons, having them as pickups would still make them everywhere and less than half the team would use the default AR (more than likely). Perhaps it will still be a little bit better however.

Well, let’s put it into perspective. In a loadout based system, 90% of the population (I’m pulling that out of my head, but how many people used DMR’s initially and BR’s now?) tend to flock towards the most powerful one. Try any game that lets you pick your weapon, and they all do the same thing. So how many of the weapons are then actually getting used?

Well, how many times do you see a Suppressor, Carbine, Lightrifle, Magnum or even Storm Rifle in play? How many times compared to the BR or the DMR?

So out of 10 some-odd weapons, 4 are getting used commonly.

If we were to say, Spawn with an AR and a BR and have every other weapon be statistically superior in some way, then we’d see far more weapon usage. If everything was an improvement to the default spawn weapon (with the spawn weapon still garnering the ability to counter powerweapons) then you would be inclined to pick up other weapons on the map, right?

And then, not every map has to have the same weapon set. Some maps can have Plasma Rifles and Carbines, others can have Light Rifles and Suppressors, or any other form of weapon sets. Plasma pistols can go back to being anti-vehicle weapons, that while not considered power weapons are still important to control.

So this way, we’d see far more weapons put into play than we do in Halo 4, and it will encourage map movement as well (in some aspects).

I see this as a win-win.

11

Let’s just hope the 90% loss of the player base in 10 months has opened their eyes.

12

Even starts is the biggest thing. As long as map control returns, then I completely trust 343 with the rest.

13

I don’t think Spartan ops was a failure at all. It provided an idea, an outline for halo games to follow. Just like the first firefight was good in odst, it was far from perfect, and then was perfected in Reach. I just hope history repeats itself here.

14

> Even starts is the biggest thing. As long as map control returns, then I completely trust 343 with the rest.

These are some great step to making HALO great in my mind …

here is some Ranked talk that might help

  1. The Importance of Proper Ranked Matchmaking by Vetoed

> > IMPORTANT NOTE
> > This thread’s title once used to be “Proper Ranked Matchmaking > New Features”. However, due to some people misunderstanding the point I wanted to make (and not reading the OP), I have changed it. Please do keep this in mind whilst reading the first part. Thanks in advance.
> >
> > Also, there’s a TL;DR skipping the first part and that highlights the main components of what I consider “required” for “proper” Ranked Matchmaking (scroll down until red text). I’d appreciate it if you read the whole thing though, it’s not that long. Also, be sure to leave a post or thank to show support.
>
> Hello friends.
>
> First off, I must say that I am a very competitive player at heart. But I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this post, whether competitive or casual.
>
> It seems that a lot of you have been very stressed and anxious about some of the new features that were talked about, announced or confirmed. I can’t provide a link for those who don’t know, but please do look around if you care to learn more.
>
> I can’t claim that I don’t feel uneasy about some features announced. I am not going to list them and explain what would suit my personal tastes and needs, even though I would like to believe that it would be the ideal thing to do, based on the experience I have with Halo. And for a few minutes, I ask of you to do the same. We can care about the new features once we TRY them. From there, 343 will use our feedback to improve them. It’s not worth complaining BEFORE that, though. The thing is, there won’t be two opportunities to implement a proper Ranked Matchmaking post-release without a massive update, hence the importance of voicing our concerns right now. So think of this thread as a urgent, desperation call from me, and many Matchmaking players that needs to reach 343’s ears as soon as possible. I hope you, the reader, will join in voicing it.
>
> I have played every Halo game. Each one of them has its ups and downs. None is perfect. I don’t either expect Halo 5 to be. Whether it’s in terms of gameplay, mechanics, or features. But as a Matchmaking player, and a very experienced Halo player (and with the drastic change that Reach was from the usual Halo experience) I have found that I can adapt to most new features that developers decide to bring the to table. I tend not to care until the hands-on / release.
>
> Therefore, regardless of what is announced between now and the release day of Halo 4, I will keep faith and purchase the game. Not as a blind fan, but as a supporter of those who keep my favorite series alive, and as a competitive and skilled player who won’t lose to a “battle” against the features of the game. I will attempt to adapt, because I love Halo. This said, I intend to at least give them a chance to impress.
>
> But 343, what I am about to request you not to leave out, is the most important thing for Matchmaking players in general. Not just competitive ones, but for casual ones as well. The posts in this thread will confirm these words.
>
> Kind of TL;DR starts here
>
> That is, proper RANKED hoppers in Matchmaking.
>
> “Proper” you ask?
>
> - It should appeal to all kinds of players (FFA, 2v2, 4v4, BTB, MLG, that is ALL).
>
> - It needs to be more than a single playlist.
>
> - It should be faithful to the original design of the game (not over-customized, alienating the default players), yet remain very balanced and competitive to be a proper measure of skill.
>
> - The ranks don’t have to be the “1-50 or 100 system”, (even though it would be GREAT for a lot of players) but it HAS to be simple, clear, visible or “reflected” on the player’s nameplate OR global progression in some manner, at all times when connected to Xbox LIVE. That was the biggest downfall of the Arena; no incentive to get high ranks and show them off, as the Divisions were hidden in the depths of the complex Service Record.
>
> - It has to allow players to get FAIR matches with and against people of SIMILAR SKILL, so that even the less competitive players can have a good time and not get spawn-killed over and over by a full team of pros.
>
> - It needs to have a bottom and ceiling in terms of ranking. What this means is that a player’s ranking shouldn’t grow forever even though they keep progressing. It should become limited or “maxed out” to still allow them to find matches, and give players an reachable goal.
>
> - It should be almost unexploitable, yet limit grieving (betrayal for weapons and such). Therefore, it can’t be too stat-oriented, unless there is a high incentive on teamwork (assists, etc).
>
> - It should have reasonable search times! Another one of the Arena’s downfall. Perhaps widen the skill gap for match-ups if population becomes VERY LOW.
>
> - Be creative, <mark>ask us</mark> if needed!
>
> Please, 343. Do not overlook this. I believe you will suceed in making a great game, faithful to the Halo experience, but with your own touch. But this, (having proper Ranked hoppers) is what will keep the game alive and strong in numbers for a long time to come online, like Halo 3 was, and Reach when Arena was good.
>
> Thank you for reading.

Link to old post

15

> Nearly 2 years ago I wrote a letter asking you to support the competitive community for Halo 4.

I was there and now I’m here, wiser. I wish the same kind of lifespan for this thread as its predecessor had.

> We want fun creative maps. You know why the old Halo maps were so great? Its because they were based on the geometry of the play spaces, not the scenery. Create fun, balanced play spaces and then make it beautiful. All you need to do is study Halo 2’s map design ( probably the best multiplayer suite in existence) and use those philosophies in creating Halo 5 maps.

I think a more important thing to do than staring at Halo 2 maps is to actually understand the relation between the movement of Halo and the map design. It’s “easy” to design a balanced map, but it’s not easy to design an amazing map. In terms of map design, movement is a strength of Halo most games don’t have, it should be embraced.

Trick jumping and alternate movement paths are what I’m of course referring to here. Of course cues could be taken from maps like Lockout, but I feel like there is more potential to movement than has been utilized on any map before. And ultimately, there are few maps that have actually utilized alternate movement paths to any meaningful extent. Lockout did, Guardian did barely, but on most maps players are constrained to the obvious paths.

Obviously, looking at any past designs is going to help in seeing what was done right and what can be done better. However, I believe that the most important thing to understand is how can the map design support the gameplay ideals of Halo.

16

I’m going to give an example of where 343 went wrong in the franchise by using the remake of The Pit as an example.

When they brought back the Pit it was great. My favourite map of any game (Halo or other) They added the boxes around the bases to allow for jump-ups (like the MLG version) and that was great. Then they went and put a grav lift in OS tunnel? Where did that come from? It completely changed how half the map plays (of course all the other gameplay changes affect that too)

What I’m saying is that some of the decisions were looking good, but then they made 1 bad decision and that ruined anything that would have been good. I think the one thing that ruined it was not having even starts. Which means get rid of loadouts and get rid of ordnance.

17

Very nice letter! I agree with you in most aspects and I’m glad to see that there are still some nice and friendly people trying to support the community and 343 at last! :slight_smile:

PS: I think Reachs multiplayer wasnt that bad. In my opinion it was the best of all Halo games. Sadly it failed… bad maps (recycled maps), bad patches forced by community…and well… AAs(would be better to have a playlist with aas and one without)

:slight_smile:

18

I agree 110%.

I hope 343 can make this happen and make the Halo community great again.

19

“from the competitive community”

…

Are you the “competitive community”? Is there a official group of people that’s banned together officially called the “competitive community” and you’re their representative? No? Then it’s just your opinion, although a popular one, I will admit.

Not that what you’re saying doesn’t have some merit. It does. But just don’t act like your opinion is actually an official letter typed by the “competitive community”. It’s a letter typed by you.

Thank you.

20

OP, I’ve skimmed over your post, and I’ll say this, tho you do not represent the community as a whole, you do have points I agree with, and there are points I disagree with, such as the part where you say “Ordinance is a gimmick and an attempt at matching Cods killstreak system.” Personally I hate seeing people call features they dislike and/or don’t understand a gimmick, it’s annoying. Granted it is similar to COD’s killstreak system, it’s not the same. it does have it’s uses at times, and in some gametypes it’d be a very useful system as long as it’s not personal ordnance, but a global ordnance system would be great for objective based gametypes like Invasion or flood/zombies/infection.

Tho I truly dislike the idea of having an in game ranking system like the 1-50 because of how many people in the past cheated with it and often stat flamed others for not having a high rank. But I do understand, and agree with a need of a in-game ranking system, one that should be slightly stat heavy and based on playlist/gametype, not a global like in Halo 2-3. Because I really don’t want a global ranking system, and get a level 50 in the same match and have my whole team say “Oh look we have a level 50 on our time, we’re going to win no problem”, only to find out the level 50 very rarely steps foot into a CTF match, and all he does the whole game is focus on killing the other team, and not capturing the flag, thus costing us the game. A good ranking system would be one that like you and others have stated is based off of skill alone, stats are already a good measurement of skill, you can look at a person’s stats and figure out rather or not said person is a good sniper, or shotgun, rather or not said person plays FFA or team based games well.

Tho I agree and disagree with Even starts and no load outs, you have points but at the same time, Halo 5 should have both, load outs should be limited to certain gametypes/gametype settings, not completely removed. AAs should be the same, and in ranked matches they should be limited as a one use ability that players have to fight to equip it, like power ups and weapons, that’s one of the reasons why people enjoyed equipment from Halo 3, it wasn’t something that you spawned with, it was something you had to fight for.