> General Fix-Ups and Housekeeping
> - Enabled Fileshare Searching
> - CSR Released, Viewable on your SPARTAN Service Record
> - Fixed Final Killcam Not Occurring Properly in many playlists
> - Fixed map exploits on several maps
> - Released Specializations for everyone
> - Improved Join-In-Progress Logic
> - Added option to decline Join-In-Progress games
> - Fixed animation glitches, like reload on Boltshot
> - Removed Daily EXP cap; upped experience that can be gained from a War Games match to be equal to that from a SPARTAN OPs match
I think that most of these are already being worked on. We already know Fileshare is on its way, and the ranking system details are still a little sketchy. I’m sure that 343 is keeping an eye on the JiP logic, the map exploits, and the Killcam. The option to decline JiP would be very nice to have.
As for the Specializations, I believe they’re still going to do waves of people. Probably add some incentives to continue the game to unlock. Either that, or they release two certain Specializations for everyone starting in January, and then two every month thereafter. Should they do that? I don’t think so. I believe once someone’s reached Level 70, they should get access to the rest.
> Custom Games
> - Added ability to Enable/Disable Flag-At-Home to Score
> - Fixed Instant Respawn Issues, where disabling Instant Respawn would still allow players to instant respawn
> - Added ability to make classes with any specializations/weapons/packages not just default options
> - Added Race, Assault, VIP as gametypes
> - Added in Fine Editing to Forge Mode
> - Fixed issue with Forge maps where lighting could break if budget went over a certain amount used
It seems as though Grifball has the options for Assault already built into it, but I may have read into that wrong. Race would be nice to have, but I prefer Team Regicide to VIP. Fine editing, lighting fixes, and even some of the other Forge glitches really do need to be worked on, but I don’t know if that’s 343i or Certain Affinity. CA have said on their YouTube channel that they will accept any constructive feedback you send to them there.
The ability to disable Instant Respawn would be great, and to bring back other options from the old CTF (1-Flag and Neutral Flag, especially).
> General Sandbox Updates
> - DMR reload time slightly increased to highlight its role as a long-range weapon and decrease its viability as a CQC weapon in comparison to other rifles
> - Carbine reload time slightly decreased to make it a more interesting choice compared to other rifles as a mid-range choice
> - Boltshot charged blast now uses all the ammo in the magazine, and cannot be fired without a full magazine. This is to define the charged-blast as an “all-or-nothing” attempt, rather than a general use tactic
> - Heavy vehicles have their health slightly increased to better deal with the increased amount of anti-vehicle weapons available to players
> - Light Armored vehicles (Warthog, Ghost) have their health significantly increased to better deal the amount of anti-vehicle weapons available to players
I love two of your ideas here. The DMR reload time would be a great change to make, as the DMR is reloading at just about the same rate as the BR. Since the BR is supposed to be the more mid-range option, the DMR should be modified in such a way that it has a slight disadvantage over the BR in that range. I also love the idea of the Boltshot charge being an all-or-nothing. I do use the Boltshot a bit during multiplayer, but I’ve never really liked the idea of being able to charge twice in a row before reloading. This will also give the Shotgun and Scattershot a reason to be used over the Boltshot.
As for the vehicles, I believe that they do need a little more armor, but not enough that they’re nearly indestructible [not to say that’s what you are saying here, but I have seen the argument made before]. The Ghost, to me, was a bit too powerful in previous games. I do think they need their splatter speed changed, though, because I shouldn’t be able to splatter someone moving at half speed sideways on a Ghost. That’s a bit ridiculous. I would also add some ammo tweaks, especially for the Incendiary Cannon and the Binary Rifle. I believe they are too powerful for the amount of ammunition they carry.
> Playlist Updates
> - Introduced Map Locking - If a map is voted for twice in a row, it cannot be voted for again until another map has been played in that lobby. This is to stop some of the repition seen in some playlists, particularly BTB
> - Settler and Relay added into appropriate playlists
> - Regicide replaced with “Free For All”, a 6 player FFA playlist.
> FFA Settings
> - 6 Players, parties of 6 max
> - Plays Regicide, Infinity Slayer, Oddball, King of the Hill
> - Maps are Complex, Haven, Abandon, Adrift, Harvest, Relay, Settler, Solace
> - Flood; Removed Flood’s immunity to headshots
> - BTB - Added CTF, Assault, King of the Hill to available gametypes
Map Locking would be a great idea. As would the FFA playlist. BTB having King of the Hill would be a bit ridiculous, though. Perhaps a 5v5 Team Objective playlist that has CTF, KotH, Oddball, Assault, Extraction and Regicide. And, of course, a BTB playlist that didn’t revolve just around Slayer. Add in Dominion, CTF, and Extraction, perhaps.
The other playlist I’d like to add to the discussion is a “Static” Slayer. Have the Ordnance Drops on the map act like the old placed weapons in Halo, and make Personal Ordnance longer to get to, but have better weapons that aren’t usually available on the map. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the flavor of Ordnance Drops, just try to reduce the randomness of it. Sniper Rifle goes in X position, and respawns every 3 minutes, whereas the Binary Rifle can be one of the Personal Ordnance that takes about twice as long to get as Infinity Slayer. Something like that. I understand that they would need to modify the map layouts themselves to do this, but if that was run alongside Infinity Slayer for a week, we could see whether or not players gravitate towards one or another. If they’re equal, perhaps keep them both.
Overall, I like a lot of the ideas presented here. I think some of them are already being planned for the future, but others need to be brought to the forefront.
