Coliseum Refresh Feedback

Games Other Halo
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For the main Arena Refresh thread, and to find links to all other dedicated feedback threads, head here.

Over the past few months, we’ve been gathering your feedback on Arena map weapon layouts here on Waypoint, and we’ve made a variety of refresh updates to a select set of Arena map / game type combinations in Team Arena.

We’re looking for your input on these adjustments, as we’ll be making updates to these maps in real-time over the next few weeks. Hop into matchmaking and let us know your thoughts on the below changes, and the multiplayer team will be kicking off new versions based on community input.

For Coliseum Assault, the following changes have been made:

Updated 4/15/16:

  • Removed Binary Rifles

  • Swapped Sniper Rifle and Rocket Launcher weapon pads (Sniper to “Yellow Tower” / Rocket Launcher to “Green Tower”)

  • Suppressor moved to bottom of the Grav Lift
    Coliseum – Assault

  • Battle Rifles removed in favor of Boltshots - Sniper Rifle is removed and replaced with a Suppressor - Carbine is added to the old Suppressor location at Yellow Tower - Removal of four Frag grenades and overall reshuffling of grenade placement - SMGs moved out of Oven/Fridge locations to Bottom Red/Blue - Added cover at Yellow Tower - Binary Rifle weapon pads placed in Red/Blue CaveThe multiplayer team will be reviewing your feedback multiple times per day as they prepare further updates. Thank you!

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Your welcome, by the way any changes for the slayer version of the map (if any are wanted)?

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It was bad, the only good thing was the extra cover at yellow

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Nice, now I can try and get some binary rifle commendations!

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I am not at all a fan of binary rifles in each base. On a map like Coliseum, having a single sniper in middle can be a huge advantage for the team that gets it, so I understand why this is being tested. However I think having a Sniper in each base (probably with 1 spare clip) would be a much better way to go. Also I do not understand the removal of the battle rifles. Can someone explain to me what the concept is behind this? I don’t see how that could improve this map and everyone loves using the BR.
I understand 343 is trying to incorporate a large variety of power weapons throughout Arena matchmaking, but to me, Binary Rifles have no place in competitive gametypes. I am personally fine with just using them in BTB/Warzone.

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> 2533274836605727;5:
> I am not at all a fan of binary rifles in each base. On a map like Coliseum, having a single sniper in middle can be a huge advantage for the team that gets it, so I understand why this is being tested. However I think having a Sniper in each base (probably with 1 spare clip) would be a much better way to go. Also I do not understand the removal of the battle rifles. Can someone explain to me what the concept is behind this? I don’t see how that could improve this map and everyone loves using the BR.
> I understand 343 is trying to incorporate a large variety of power weapons throughout Arena matchmaking, but to me, Binary Rifles have no place in competitive gametypes. I am personally fine with just using them in BTB/Warzone.

I disagree Binary Rifles can have a place in competitive gameplay, yes they are overpowered if in good hands, but that said, their are two if them on the map. This gives both teams equal opportunity, which develops good competition. I’m not saying that the new is better then the old. Honestly I prefer one sniper per map, so teams have to put pressure on the other team to obtain the advantage, but that said, having two “sniper rifles” on a single map breeds a new form of competition.

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Placing more Forerunner weapons on a Forerunner map was a fine improvement. Much appreciated.

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I’m liking the change from sniper rifle to binary rifle, although I’m not so sure how I feel about there being two of them. Glad to see SMGs and splinter grenades are staying, as they’ve sadly been removed from Fathom. Cover at yellow tower is an interesting choice, but makes sense if you’re effectively going to have two snipers now rather than just the one. Haven’t yet played a game though.

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Change it back.

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If having a sniper was too much…why have 2 binaries that are one shot one kill?
I really loved this map and the fight for the power weapons.

No DMR is ok, but BRs should have stayed. Probably put them where you had the DMRs?

Coliseum was my favorite map and with this new change, i can’t stand it. I know its only for assault, but in match making i barely get slayer or ctf on this map.

Please change back to how it was.

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I like the Binary Rifles just because I don’t want to just have regular snipers on every maps since that would get boring but I think that BR’s worked better than the Boltshot. Boltshot is very weak and people will just ignore it. Carbine is great though because as I said earlier it’s not in many other maps and helps make this one stand out.

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Binary rifles is a terrible idea

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I really dont like the new binaries to start off with but now there is two on this map? Its not good flow-wise because with the rockets already there it just seems too overpowered.

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Edit: I just noticed that you said you’ve swapped Rockets and Snipe on Coliseum. I’ll play this variant and check back in with my appropriate feedback, but the post below still stands.

Based on Most Recent Coliseum Refresh (04/15/16)

  • Thank you for reverting the Binary Rifles. Snipe/Rockets should stay consistent across all modes - Remove Splinter Grenades from Oven/Fridge Steps - All additional Coliseum changes for the most part are fantastic (SMG, Plasma Nades, Boltshots, etc.)Since Coliseum is actually mostly beneficial changes, I thought I’d just like to leave two thoughts on this recent refresh process.

Continuity

Every competitive game goes through phases. The meta changes. Players adapt. This refresh process was intended to help facilitate that.

But instead it through the community into chaos, created a massive splinter in matchmaking, and some would say made the game less competitive. When first released, the Arena Refresh maps were:

  • Only placed in ONE Playlist - Only placed in CERTAIN Gametypes - Overwritten in Custom GamesFor Halo 5, a game that I commend for its seamless competitive continuity, this was a major slap in the face. Pro Players couldn’t scrimmage, Team Arena had different map variants than other playlists, and one gametype could have utilized a completely different map layout than another. There was no consistency or ability to transition through the various aspects of your Arena Multiplayer suite seamlessly. In the future:

  • Make Map Changes Universal Across Playlists - Make Map Changes Universal in Custom Games IF they are officially being changed for the HCS (The Rig Strongholds was a good example of implementation) - Make Map Layouts Consistent across appropriate Gametypes (Coliseum CTF/Assault should never have been different across any medium)Maintaining this continuity is an imperative aspect of designing and sustaining a competitive environment for your game. Please don’t make drastic errors like this again <3

Community Input & Competitive Integrity

You offered the community the ability to provide feedback, which I myself am very grateful for. Myself and others (who have weeks of playtime in Competitive High-Level Arena) made extremely constructive posts. Some of this feedback may have been taken into account, but a lot of feedback was inputted directly from an audience that arguably has less of a grasp on competitive Halo design and balance.

I understand the need to appeal to a wide array of Halo fans, but this wasn’t the place or time to do it. If someone with 10 hours worth of Gold 2 Arena play suggests that you throw a SAW or Binary on to some Arena maps, I firmly believe that you should not include that suggestion in your intake of feedback. And yes, I know that skill does not entirely comprise of one’s ability to critique competitive design merit, but the two do have some correlation.

A Competitive Game can be played Casually, but a Casual Game can’t be played competitively. Halo 5’s Arena was marketed as a competitive game and it should be maintained as such.

Your beautifully designed Arena maps did not launch with SAWs and Binaries on them, and I’d like to assume that was for a reason. I don’t think I could imagine Pro Team having given their input on this matter (especially since a lot of these changes were iterated on retail copies of Deez’s fileshare day by day?). It’s actually concerning how much time was put into these refreshes as a whole, considering they began development mid-March at the end of the Halo World Championship. Just as I did above with continuity, I would like to express my future recommendations:

  • Utilize Pro Team if they weren’t in this process - Take in HCS Pro Feedback - Follow the guidelines you used during Halo 5’s Vanilla Development - Allow ‘Casual’ input, but not if it sacrifices the compromises the competitive integrity of the gameI love Halo 5’s Arena. A lot. I have days upon days of playtime racked up, and that includes playing on these new refresh maps, both in matchmaking and custom games. I believe this process was a speed bump but was heading in the right direction. With a more refined process, Halo 5’s Arena can remain fresh and competitive without losing its integrity and continuity.

Thank you Quinn, Pro Team, and 343 MP Teams for taking in our input. Hope to hear from you all in the future.

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I personally really dislike the swap between sniper and rocket spawn. I’d really like to see these switched back. I thought the map ran perfectly fine before any of these changes were implemented.

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The Coliseum changes for Assault are fine. I was really worried when it accidentally showed up for every game type. My only concern is having 4 power weapons on the map (including Scattershot) is a bit too much for the balance of a map like that. Maybe cut the Rocket ammo in 1/2?

I do really like the added cover on Yellow tower. Before if you get caught on top, it’s basically a death warrant. This makes it just enough that you can survive and even use it strategically, but not making it an OP spot to control.

Now I’ve only seen it once, but is the Rocket and Sniper spawn swap permanent? Personally I don’t love it, but I would survive. I would say if you do swap that the Rockets should be in the grass at the bottom of lift. So as to avoid a too easy long rocket to top yellow tower right off the bat. And it made sense when Rockets were still at Yellow tower that it would be on the exposed platform, but the Sniper is very different. I would say you could pull the weapon pad back to the spot where Suppressor/Carbine spawn. It just makes sense that the Sniper would have at least a little cover/escapability.

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Please change everything back, having rockets at old snipe spawn is not cool it’s way to easy to kill someone with a rocket at the new snipe spawn. This WAS the best map other then plaza now it’s just frustrating. Having it only in some game types is annoying. It’s hard to make everyone happy but everyone I have talked to was not happy to see this map changed. All the combat evolves and long range weapons were perfect and functioned great. Anyone who had a problem with this map must just get ran on it and the only thing I could possibly see being suggested was having two snipes (binaries are worse so I see where your coming from) but this map was sweet just the way it was, seriously. Most of the time in Halo maps CE-H5 Rockets/Snipe were up high in vulnerable places so people don;t have to go bottom mid, please leave it the way it was. Maybe make a new map with two snipes , that would be awesome :slight_smile: . A new map with two snipes and a medium range face off , off the start (truth is just to big) would be soooo sweet.

Also since this def going to be monitored please add the post game medals in, including the top medals at the end ( MVP, perfection, frenzy, overkills, w.e) . Please just make sure you do it right so if someone gets a frenzy it doesnt get topped by somone with 2 sprees or even 3. An overkill is better then a frenzy IMO , more skill/luck lol to pull off then a frenzy. Also please, please add the Extermination medal back into the game :slight_smile: , thanks for listening, peace.

Edit - Please fix the aerial melee it’s way slower then a ground melee for some reason. Aerial melee used to be one of the best ways to take someone out but in H5 it cant really be used effectively. Also please change the weapon switching back to the way it was or fix it because it’s not working properly, it seems like it lags and no it’s not my connection, I played fully wired, plugged into the router thats right next to it and have my XB1 plugged directly into the wall for the extra 20-30 % connectively boost :slight_smile: , o yea and I live right around the corner from Comcast lol. I feel like the weapon switching lag was done intentionally because the noob combo was waaay beast but you can nerf that but please fix the weapon switch. I get killed from this all the time and it’s so frustrating, sometimes it doesn’t respond to me pressing the command and gets me killed and so to counter that I press twice sometimes and then it waits a second and then switches and back to the weapon i tried to switch in the first place :frowning: . I have talked to a lot of people about the aerial melee and this weapon switching issue and everyone agrees so please help lol, thanks.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and help resolve these issues def appreciate and so would many others who don’t MSG you guys. Thanks <3 - Happy

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I am glad this isn’t a change for slayer, if it’s team arena and it ends up being slayer, what’s the point in the change? These seem unnecessary.

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Personally I did not mind the changes but I think that the sniper is too over powered as are beam rifles. If you got rid of DMRs for battle rifles, the current battle rifles swapped for bolt shots and the sniper for a DMR with silencer this would be more balanced. I also liked the extra cover