I have a lot of things that I’d like to change in the next Halo in the series, but the biggest one has to be the ranking system. Where did Halo start to go downhill? Halo: Reach, right? What changed? Of course AA’s and loadouts, but I feel like, even bigger than those, the decrease in population has a lot to do with the lack of a ranking system.
Halo was fun because it was competitive. It was extremely difficult to get a 50 without the help of a teammate. I went back to H3 for a few days, and on my first day, just one day, of ranking up in TS, I got FIVE friend requests to help them rank up. Now in H4, everyone runs solo and never use a mic, because there’s no use for it! My GRANDMA could get max rank, because all you have to do is play a lot. It takes teamwork and skill to get to a 50 in Halo 3 and Halo 2.
I know that Bungie and now 343 were trying to evolve the game to keep up with CoD and Battlefield by using that kind of ranking system, but I feel like that took away what made Halo fun. Bungie in H3 did a great job with mixing playlist rank and 1-50. Even in Reach, you still had Arena, though it wasn’t as good as Halo 3’s rankings. But now, there’s nothing.
I love meeting new players and using teamwork to rank up, and, 343,I know mixing a 1-50-like system and non-competitive ranks will definitely help bring Halo back to the top.
Questions? Agree? Disagree? Comment your thoughts.
I really like Halo 3’s leveling up because there was no end to it, you’d see people with over 1 thousand xp and be like wow, that’s how i’d like it again. Halo Reach did it well too , but with Halo 4 there was just number after number, no awesome title, no symbol just a number. Sure it was impressive but it wasn’t the same.
Oh no not at all redeemer. With reach and more so in halo 4 halo became much more competitive, due to all the new gear and options given to players.
I’m always partied with my friends as we search team slayer and trust me it gets tough once you are around lvl 40 or so. We usually square off with some real players. It’s a ton of fun though and highly competitive.
> Oh no not at all redeemer. With reach and more so in halo 4 halo became much more competitive, due to all the new gear and options given to players.
>
> I’m always partied with my friends as we search team slayer and trust me it gets tough once you are around lvl 40 or so. We usually square off with some real players. It’s a ton of fun though and highly competitive.
I agree with Sammy. And from this poor guy’s feedback, it’s like some sort of crime. I haven’t been here long enough…
BUT! Yes, I don’t completely agree entirely. Ranking systems can be quite annoying, because every so often, you get that one guy who doesn’t even play, just plops himself into a matchmaking lobby search, and leaves the Xbox on. Gaining XP even though he doesn’t play. And believe me, that is not fun if you’re stuck with that person.
well i can say rank isnt all that important to me the ranking system in 2 and 3 or more likely the matchmaking system did a better job of putting similar skilled players together, but if im not mistaken your rank had alot to do with that. especially if you hadnt played awhile and came back you’d usually lose a few games and go down some ranks until you were playing people more your level. it also seemed people more incentive to keep playing to get to 50 and then try to keep it.
> Oh no not at all redeemer. With reach and more so in halo 4 halo became much more competitive, due to all the new gear and options given to players.
>
> I’m always partied with my friends as we search team slayer and trust me it gets tough once you are around lvl 40 or so. We usually square off with some real players. It’s a ton of fun though and highly competitive.
SMH.
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S MORE COMPETITIVE BECAUSE YOU’VE NEVER PLAYED CLASSIC HALO.
I HAVE, AND YOU’RE DEAD WRONG.
For a ranking system to function properly we need players. You could put Halo 3’s ranking system in but if the population isn’t high enough it won’t work. So then the question is attracting more players, not necessarily about the ranking system itself. I agree the ranks are important (it’s a good motivation to keep players improving, something a linear progression system doesn’t offer) but they’re pointless without enough people to earn them.
That’s part of the problem with Halo 4’s CSR.
>
>
Guys, we really don’t need yet another repeat of this discussion.
> For a ranking system to function properly we need players. You could put Halo 3’s ranking system in but if the population isn’t high enough it won’t work. So then the question is attracting more players, not necessarily about the ranking system itself. I agree the ranks are important (it’s a good motivation to keep players improving, something a linear progression system doesn’t offer) but they’re pointless without enough people to earn them.
>
> That’s part of the problem with Halo 4’s CSR.
>
>
>
> >
>
>
>
> >
>
> Guys, we really don’t need yet another repeat of this discussion.
>
> Please.
All right…for you.
As to the OP, as much as I feel a true-skill ranking system is crucial, a true ranking system only holds value to me if the game is competitive and fair (aka returns to old values).
Biggest Halo 5 need for me is an earth shattering reveal at E3. I can, and have, argue game components till the cows come home, but let’s be honest – if Halo 5 is going to be released for the holiday 2014 season, all those things have already been decided on. Whatever the game is, I’m ready to see it sooner than later.
I feel in game rank and a clear social vs. ranked split is paramount to the quality experience competitive players want. I’m talking many types of competitive players e.g. default, BTB, AGL, MLG etc.
Currently CSR being out of the game and guests allowed in any playlist really lead to quite a lot of black screen and quitting out of games, not to mention lopsided skill/party matching too.
In game rank and guests are really something I hope HX1 delivers solid playlists to cater for. My personal speculation since Halo 4’s launch points to yes on all fronts here.
> Oh no not at all redeemer. With reach and more so in halo 4 halo became much more competitive, due to all the new gear and options given to players.
>
> I’m always partied with my friends as we search team slayer and trust me it gets tough once you are around lvl 40 or so. We usually square off with some real players. It’s a ton of fun though and highly competitive.
Mate, you have never played Halo 1,2 or 3 online, so to say Halo became more competitive in Halo Reach and Halo 4 is ridiculous
> Oh no not at all redeemer. <mark>With reach and more so in halo 4 halo became much more competitive, due to all the new gear and options given to players.</mark>
>
> I’m always partied with my friends as we search team slayer and trust me it gets tough once you are around lvl 40 or so. We usually square off with some real players. It’s a ton of fun though and highly competitive.
More options given to players does NOT equal competitive, in fact it does the opposite. Giving more options just further complicates things, it becomes less about who’s the better shooter and more about who has the best perks or armor abilities, which is just ridiculous. Ranks don’t mean anything in Halo 4, I have a friend who’s been at rank 130 for quite a while my ranks been lower and he doesn’t even come close to my scores.
> I feel in game rank and a clear social vs. ranked split is paramount to the quality experience competitive players want. I’m talking many types of competitive players e.g. default, BTB, AGL, MLG etc.
>
> Currently CSR being out of the game and guests allowed in any playlist really lead to quite a lot of black screen and quitting out of games, not to mention lopsided skill/party matching too.
>
> In game rank and guests are really something I hope HX1 delivers solid playlists to cater for. My personal speculation since Halo 4’s launch points to yes on all fronts here.
Exactly this.
Im tired of debating against people who give shallow arguments for the continuation of Halo 4 to Halo 5.
I get told to go back to Halo 3 if i want to play it. Well i say you guys go back to Halo 4 if our vision of Halo 5 comes true.
A big part of Halos replayability is the ranking system it incorporated. I saw myself grow as a player. And was rewarded as such.
In Halo 4, my reward was a practically flat line in terms of my progression as a player. CSR is so unpredictable and so loosely controlled, even back when the population was doubled, that i had no growth as a player. I lacked drive and it killed the replay value for me. It essentially became grindy with minimal reward. Eurgh.
So for me, the ranking system is a very big factor in how i go about the next Halo title.
> I agree with Sammy. And from this poor guy’s feedback, it’s like some sort of crime. I haven’t been here long enough…
>
> BUT! Yes, I don’t completely agree entirely. Ranking systems can be quite annoying, because every so often, you get that one guy who doesn’t even play, just plops himself into a matchmaking lobby search, and leaves the Xbox on. Gaining XP even though he doesn’t play. And believe me, that is not fun if you’re stuck with that person.
That’s actually one thing I liked about H3. You had to have other players to team up with, so you could avoid “AFK-ers”. (or AFC I guess). That led to a better community and a more enjoyable social as well as competitive experience.
