Been there, done that: Halo 4 needs Incentive

Games Other Halo
1

Been there done that. I went out of my way to grind for credits in Halo Reach to get to Inheritor. I reached my goal 1 year after Reach launched, September 2011. At Bungie Day 2011 I was a Reclaimer. I played firefight, earned challenges, always searched with friends, played constantly. But for what? A silly skull helmet that I could wear? Sure that’s part of it, but that’s on the low end of the totem pole. It was for a rank. A feeling that I had reached the top of the mountain.

Here we are about 2 and a half weeks into Halo 4 and I’m sitting on a level 38 spartan. I have played just enough to unlock my emblem that I have been using in my past Halo games. I play with buddies when I’m online and occasionally I just through Spartan Ops to see the story and how it unfolds.

Halo 4 seems like another “grinding for rank” kind of game. I’m sure most of you don’t mind the unlocks right now, but when you get up to level 60 - 70+, it’s going to many more games to play, especially when the XXP offers die down this January. Halo 4 is a progression based game.

Earn X Credits
Get X Commendations
Get X Challenges
Unlock X Emblems
Unlock X Starting Weapons
Unlock X Support and Tactical Packages

You name it, Halo 4 has the option to unlock it. Halo has always been about being the better player, not who has put more time into the game. Now naturally, players that have spent more time learning the maps, callouts zones, central locations of the maps and where they each get the most traffic, normally will rise to the top.

I already start to find myself getting that feeling of “grinding” for my rank. Let me tell you, the journey is much more enjoyable than the end result. Getting there is the best part. If you’re going to spend hours on hours of gaming just to get that top rank, that’s great. But coming from someone that did that exact thing in Halo Reach to Inheritor, it’s just meh now. I won’t be doing that with Halo 4, just because I don’t have the time nor energy nor effort to put there.

I just feel like winning needs to play a bigger role in Halo 4. Why don’t we make it so the losing team gets 0 XP? Would that drastically change the way this game is played? Absolutely. Players would be constantly seeking out new strategies to get the edge. This game would instantly because of competitive player market. Forums would rage, chaos would be had.

However, I just know that the solution of “grinding for credits” even when you lose a game will only last so long. Reach is a prime example of this. Been there, done that, got the T Shirt.

What motives and incentives would you like to see in Halo 4?

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Losers get 0 XP, YES!

But I’d rather have a Halo 2 or Halo 3 ranking system.

3

1-50 CSR, incentive to win, incentive to get better, incentive to play.

Have a ranked hopper with FFA, 4v4 slayer, BTB, snipers, swat, 4v4 objective, doubles

Social hopper with infinity slayer, regicide, multi-team, social BTB, ect.

4

Why stop there? Let’s go all the way back to the very roots of the series, Halo: CE, where losing got you nothing, and winning got you nothing.

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> Why stop there? Let’s go all the way back to the very roots of the series, Halo: CE, where losing got you nothing, and winning got you nothing.

That’s fine by me.

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> Why stop there? Let’s go all the way back to the very roots of the series, Halo: CE, where losing got you nothing, and winning got you nothing.

In this day and age, that would be silly. Ever since Bungie created the incentive to win in Halo 2, the Halo series has always been a “winning driven” game. Cutting that off from the current population is what has created these two dissonances in the Competitive/Social aspect of Halo.

People don’t realize if there was an incentive to win, the competitive players could play with other competitive players. Social players could play with social. It’s a preference. Right now we’re mixing all the fish in the same aquarium.

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> > Why stop there? Let’s go all the way back to the very roots of the series, Halo: CE, where losing got you nothing, and winning got you nothing.
>
> In this day and age, that would be silly. Ever since Bungie created the incentive to win in Halo 2, the Halo series has always been a “winning driven” game. Cutting that off from the current population is what has created these two dissonances in the Competitive/Social aspect of Halo.
>
> People don’t realize if there was an incentive to win, the competitive players could play with other competitive players. Social players could play with social. It’s a preference. Right now we’re mixing all the fish in the same aquarium.

I do not know who you’ve been playing Halo with, or how you’ve been playing, but it (and generally, any form of video game) has ALWAYS been ‘winning driven’. When people play CE, or, in this day and age, on the MLG circuit itself (where there is no visual ranking, no individual accolades, and things are extremely competitive), do you think they go into it with a mindset of “Oh, well, might as well just go ahead and lose this one, pffft, there’s no reason to really even try at winning.”?

No.

Not everyone needs a carrot on the end of a stick to play, or even enjoy a game. At current, there is an incentive to win in Halo 4, the Victory Bonus. Granted, it’s not the incentive people want, but there is an incentive never the less.

Ranking systems being removed had little to do with the dissonance between the two communities. From what I have experienced, most of the players that label themselves ‘competitive’ have a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, and tend to look down their noses at any one who says anything contrary to what they say, even going so far as to outright resent other players for enjoying the game as it is, simply because it’s not the exact game they want. The community caused this schism, not the game.

8

> Not everyone needs a carrot on the end of a stick to play, or even enjoy a game.

I agree. I don’t need one. What I WOULD LOVE along with many other gamers I talk with is some incentive to win. They enjoy getting something that the opponents don’t get, because they outperformed them. I’m not talking about a stigma between competitive and social gamers, sure that’s caused on it’s own. I’m talking about a reward that you get in game, or perhaps the “lack of” for the losing team.

Teams would communicate more, maybe that might drive players to actually talk their microphone and plug it in. For those that play regularly and want to make friends through Halo 4, this would assist in the process. Right now it’s just enter game, play game sit in lobby and wait for next game. No assembly required, rinse and repeat.

> Ranking systems being removed had little to do with the dissonance between the two communities

Go post that on the MLG forums and see what happens. Is has everything to do with dissonance between the two communities. Why would 343 Industries even bother throwing something in there in about 6 months to appeal to the competitive community? Bleh.

Halo 4 is fun, don’t get me wrong, but after about 5 games I’m bored. I never had this feeling in H2 and H3.

9

there is incentive. its to win. if winning isnt good enough then thats your own fault not the game’s fault.

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> Ranking systems being removed had little to do with the dissonance between the two communities. From what I have experienced, most of the players that label themselves ‘competitive’ have a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, and tend to look down their noses at any one who says anything contrary to what they say, even going so far as to outright resent other players for enjoying the game as it is, simply because it’s not the exact game they want. The community caused this schism, not the game.

Because the “Competitive” community comes up with coherent thoughts and long several paragraph threads, and the “casual” community responds with, “UR WRONG HALO 4 IS DA BEST”

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> > Ranking systems being removed had little to do with the dissonance between the two communities. From what I have experienced, most of the players that label themselves ‘competitive’ have a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, and tend to look down their noses at any one who says anything contrary to what they say, even going so far as to outright resent other players for enjoying the game as it is, simply because it’s not the exact game they want. The community caused this schism, not the game.
>
> Because the “Competitive” community comes up with coherent thoughts and long several paragraph threads, and the “casual” community responds with, “UR WRONG HALO 4 IS DA BEST”

great example of holier than thou attitude here…

12

Giving the losers 0 EXP is not fair. I do agree with them getting less EXP for losing a game.