GI article, my opinions, and the bottom line

Games Other Halo
#1

Let me start this thread by saying I’m no hater. Go ahead, check my posts. I’ve stuck by sprint, loadouts, and anything else 343 threw our way. The original leak of the pages honestly had me raging pretty hard. After a few days to collect my thoughts and calm down, I figure I’d make a thread explaining the pros and cons of these changes, and what should be changed.

Campaign
From what I’ve read of the campaign, it’s sounding pretty epic. It’s nice to know we’ll be shown the true power and finesse of Spartans in game. From the quotes I’ve seen, Chief seems like Chief, and Cortana seems like Cortana. The throwback to Halo CE first-person-cryo-pod-opening has me giddy. Picturing Master Chief saying “Not a problem” and ripping open the door has me oozing with joy. It sounds like we’re going to be in for a good ride.

Spartan Ops
This is where things get hairy for me. At first, I was angry over the exclusion of Firefight. Getting into the nitty-gritty and learning the details, this turns out to be a very worthy replacement. 5 free missions and a cutscene every week, all for absolutely free. This is a lot more than most game devs are doing nowadays. We’ll still have our carefree co-op slaying of AI enemies, but with a lot of added twists, and new content added regularly. To me, it sounds like Firefight, but with a story overlayed like Mass Effect 3’s Special Forces multiplayer.

What I don’t like about this though, is the name. For the love of god, change the name. Spartan Ops is clearly, very very clearly, ripped off from Call of Duty’s Spec Ops. I’m all for the game mode, it sounds awesome, but a name change is needed desperately. Ripping the name from Call of Duty is completely unacceptable. I understand the game is still in development and is subject to change, so please say this is a placeholder name. We still have the power to change this.

Spartan Points
Again, I love the progression system. There is nothing wrong with it. I personally like the feeling of getting rewarded for playing the game often. Unlocks add replayability to the game. And again, the name needs to change. This is a painfully obvious ripoff of CoD Points. Why not call them cR again? It was established in Reach ‘canon’ that cRedits are the currency in the Halo universe. It’s much more creative than Spartan Points, so let’s try to get this name changed.

Elites Not Playable in MM
Honestly, I’m very disappointed by this. I personally don’t play as an Elite (maybe on and off for one game once in a while), but it was fun to see the few unique people that did and added a little variety to the game. Hitboxes aren’t that much of a problem. Spartan IV’s where described as “bigger and stronger than ever” so why can’t that be a canon reason to make them the same size as Elites? I’m also disappointed that this means that Invasion won’t be making a return.

Instant Respawns
This is where I am going to hate. This is the feature that absolutely needs to be taken out. Halo is a game based on skill. If you died, you did something wrong. You should have to wait to respawn. There should be a consequence to dying, not a slap on the wrist press X to respawn immediately. Also, there are the problems that other people have mentioned, instant spawns won’t allow your assailant much time to recover or move to a new position. Another thing that is almost as iconic as the Halo theme itself is the “boop…boop…boop…BEEEEP!” Why take that away from us? I suggest counting the 3-5 seconds down, and THEN we can press X to respawn (to allow us time to mess with our loadouts).

Forerunner Vision
This is another thing I’m not particularly happy about. Yes, it will solve camping problems, but at what cost? I’m calling it now, if this AA makes it into the game, it will be a problem like Armor Lock. I never thought I’d use the word “crutch” but this will be a crutch for people who can’t read their radar. The ability to see through walls is just too much. Take it out, and replace it with another AA. If it does make it in, by the Nine, change the name to something less silly.

"Random" Weapon Drops
Another idea I don’t care for. I will reserve judgement for this for later, but it had better work good. 343’s response to the leaks said that a lot of features weren’t talked about in context. Frankie put the word “random” in quotes, so this might be a blunder on GameInformer’s part. I’ll wait to here from the devs before I say anything, but I DO NOT want to see people killing people better than them just because they got LUCKY and a rocket launcher dropped in front of them. What I do like however, is that this can instigate battles. This makes me think of The Hunger Games. Frankie’s Comment says they will be telegraphed, which is okay in my book. If it’s shown on our HUD a minute before the drop, this will be okay in my book.

Return of AA’s
I can live with this. I like the concept of AA’s, but Reach’s were extremely unbalanced. Radically overhaul the system and I’ll be happy. Just don’t make jetpack ANYTHING like it is now in Reach. Make it a jump boost/double jump, that’s it. No flying like a fairy.

Carbine
Carbine is back, and it looks sweet. Page 8 of the article, the Elite is holding it. That’s all I have to say on that one.

The Bottom Line
If you’ve read this far, bravo. This is where things get real. Spartan Points’ name needs to change. Spartan Ops’ name needs to change. Instant respawns need to be removed. These are the only things that, in my opinion, absolutely need to change. Thank this post to get this done. 343 needs to see this. I believe with enough persistence, this wonderful community can change the ripoff features that aren’t wanted or needed.

#2

Petitions are against the rules. But I agree, they need a namechange.

#3

> Petitions are against the rules. But I agree, they need a namechange.

I wasn’t aware of this. I’ve made some changes to try to work around that, so hopefully this won’t get locked. I just think 343 needs to see how many of us are on board with these changes.

#4

I for one don’t see how armor abilities actually fit in the story line for gameplay that is. In halo 1, 2, and 3 we had no armor abilities and no ability to sprint, All of a sudden now we are able to sprint and we have armor abilities (I excluded reach because it was suppose to be before halo 1.)

For me I would simply just like it to return to a halo 2 and 3 type of multiplayer experince. In halo 2 and 3 you had to choose your battle and determine fights not being able to run and gun. You needed tactics not some other factor like armor abilities to worry about.

I also thought 343 said they wanted to make master cheif more humanized so if we take that statement and apply that to multiplayer why are spartans who wear roughly around 900lbs of armor able to sprint? I’m just curious about that because it wouldn’t make any sense to be able to sprint and also jump as if you were on the moon.

#5

We know virtually nothing about Halo 4, much less the context of the features and elements you discussed in your OP. I don’t see how you can assume such things (off a “leaked” GI article nonetheless) and decree this is the “bottom line” with such little clarification on everything you mentioned.

#6

> I also thought 343 said they wanted to make master cheif more humanized so if we take that statement and apply that to multiplayer why are spartans who wear roughly around 900lbs of armor able to sprint? I’m just curious about that because it wouldn’t make any sense to be able to sprint and also jump as if you were on the moon.

By this, I believe they meant personality-wise. The article really talked about MC and Cortana’s relationship.

> We know virtually nothing about Halo 4, much less the context of the features and elements you discussed in your OP. I don’t see how you can assume such things (off a “leaked” GI article nonetheless) and decree this is the “bottom line” with such little clarification on everything you mentioned.

I’m not going off of a “leaked” magazine, I’m going off of the GameInformer magazine in my hands. This is all true, and way talked about in the article. I didn’t say all of the changes were terrible and they had to go, and I even admitted I would reserve some judgement for more info. The bottom line is, the names need to change. They’re blatantly obvious ripoffs. Instant respawn needs to go, it’s not needed and caters to the CoD audience that can’t wait for 3 seconds to respawn (which is a punishment for dying, I might add). The ability to see through walls can’t be a good thing. We have radars for a reason, and it’s just going to make the game easier for people who can’t read it accurately. Everything else, I reserve final judgement for the game.

#7

I agree with the name changes, but i would like instant respawns.

#8

> Let me start this thread by saying I’m no hater. Go ahead, check my posts. I’ve stuck by sprint, loadouts, and anything else 343 threw our way. The original leak of the pages honestly had me raging pretty hard. After a few days to collect my thoughts and calm down, I figure I’d make a thread explaining the pros and cons of these changes, and what should be changed.
>
> Campaign
> From what I’ve read of the campaign, it’s sounding pretty epic. It’s nice to know we’ll be shown the true power and finesse of Spartans in game. From the quotes I’ve seen, Chief seems like Chief, and Cortana seems like Cortana. The throwback to Halo CE first-person-cryo-pod-opening has me giddy. Picturing Master Chief saying “Not a problem” and ripping open the door has me oozing with joy. It sounds like we’re going to be in for a good ride.
>
> Spartan Ops
> This is where things get hairy for me. At first, I was angry over the exclusion of Firefight. Getting into the nitty-gritty and learning the details, this turns out to be a very worthy replacement. 5 free missions and a cutscene every week, all for absolutely free. This is a lot more than most game devs are doing nowadays. We’ll still have our carefree co-op slaying of AI enemies, but with a lot of added twists, and new content added regularly. To me, it sounds like Firefight, but with a story overlayed like Mass Effect 3’s Special Forces multiplayer.
>
> What I don’t like about this though, is the name. For the love of god, change the name. Spartan Ops is clearly, very very clearly, ripped off from Call of Duty’s Spec Ops. I’m all for the game mode, it sounds awesome, but a name change is needed desperately. Ripping the name from Call of Duty is completely unacceptable. I understand the game is still in development and is subject to change, so please say this is a placeholder name. We still have the power to change this.
>
> Spartan Points
> Again, I love the progression system. There is nothing wrong with it. I personally like the feeling of getting rewarded for playing the game often. Unlocks add replayability to the game. And again, the name needs to change. This is a painfully obvious ripoff of CoD Points. Why not call them cR again? It was established in Reach ‘canon’ that cRedits are the currency in the Halo universe. It’s much more creative than Spartan Points, so let’s try to get this name changed.
>
> Elites Not Playable in MM
> Honestly, I’m very disappointed by this. I personally don’t play as an Elite (maybe on and off for one game once in a while), but it was fun to see the few unique people that did and added a little variety to the game. Hitboxes aren’t that much of a problem. Spartan IV’s where described as “bigger and stronger than ever” so why can’t that be a canon reason to make them the same size as Elites? I’m also disappointed that this means that Invasion won’t be making a return.
>
> Instant Respawns
> This is where I am going to hate. This is the feature that absolutely needs to be taken out. Halo is a game based on skill. If you died, you did something wrong. You should have to wait to respawn. There should be a consequence to dying, not a slap on the wrist press X to respawn immediately. Also, there are the problems that other people have mentioned, instant spawns won’t allow your assailant much time to recover or move to a new position. Another thing that is almost as iconic as the Halo theme itself is the “boop…boop…boop…BEEEEP!” Why take that away from us? I suggest counting the 3-5 seconds down, and THEN we can press X to respawn (to allow us time to mess with our loadouts).
>
> Forerunner Vision
> This is another thing I’m not particularly happy about. Yes, it will solve camping problems, but at what cost? I’m calling it now, if this AA makes it into the game, it will be a problem like Armor Lock. I never thought I’d use the word “crutch” but this will be a crutch for people who can’t read their radar. The ability to see through walls is just too much. Take it out, and replace it with another AA. If it does make it in, by the Nine, change the name to something less silly.
>
> “Random” Weapon Drops
> Another idea I don’t care for. I will reserve judgement for this for later, but it had better work good. 343’s response to the leaks said that a lot of features weren’t talked about in context. Frankie put the word “random” in quotes, so this might be a blunder on GameInformer’s part. I’ll wait to here from the devs before I say anything, but I DO NOT want to see people killing people better than them just because they got LUCKY and a rocket launcher dropped in front of them. What I do like however, is that this can instigate battles. This makes me think of The Hunger Games. Frankie’s Comment says they will be telegraphed, which is okay in my book. If it’s shown on our HUD a minute before the drop, this will be okay in my book.
>
> Return of AA’s
> I can live with this. I like the concept of AA’s, but Reach’s were extremely unbalanced. Radically overhaul the system and I’ll be happy. Just don’t make jetpack ANYTHING like it is now in Reach. Make it a jump boost/double jump, that’s it. No flying like a fairy.
>
> Carbine
> Carbine is back, and it looks sweet. Page 8 of the article, the Elite is holding it. That’s all I have to say on that one.
>
> The Bottom Line
> If you’ve read this far, bravo. This is where things get real. Spartan Points’ name needs to change. Spartan Ops’ name needs to change. Instant respawns need to be removed. These are the only things that, in my opinion, absolutely need to change. Thank this post to get this done. 343 needs to see this. I believe with enough persistence, this wonderful community can change the ripoff features that aren’t wanted or needed.

Forerunner Vision does not allow players to see other players. And I’m pretty sure it’s an AA.

#9

> Forerunner Vision
> This is another thing I’m not particularly happy about. Yes, it will solve camping problems, but at what cost? I’m calling it now, if this AA makes it into the game, it will be a problem like Armor Lock. I never thought I’d use the word “crutch” but this will be a crutch for people who can’t read their radar. The ability to see through walls is just too much. Take it out, and replace it with another AA. If it does make it in, by the Nine, change the name to something less silly.

A tweek came out that echo’d Frankie’s opinion on this. “You will not be able to use FV in Matchmaking. Absolutely Not.”

Can’t seem to find it…

#10

> Forerunner Vision does not allow players to see other players. And I’m pretty sure it’s an AA.

Frankie stated that it “wouldn’t allow people to see players across the map” which implies we will be able to see players at some distance. If we couldn’t see players, what would be the point of looking through walls? I know it is supposed to be an AA and not everyone will have it, but it’s going to be a cheap one that makes the game easier, similar to armor lock.

#11

> Forerunner Vision does not allow players to see other players. And I’m pretty sure it’s an AA.

Frankie said you can’t see the entire map, but he never said you couldn’t see other players.

Edit: Damn, ninja’d

#12

While I don’t like signing petitions, I do agree with you on plenty of things.

I’m excited for Spartan Ops, to be honest, but they should change the name. Aside from the reference to Call of Duty, it just sounds… bland. They’re operations performed by Spartans. Okay, thank you. How about “Tactical Strikes” or something? Sounds bad, but at least that won’t piss off the anti-CoD folks. Spartan Points… just call them credits; much less ire that way.

Instant respawns are just silly, too. If you kill an enemy player, your reward should be having that player out of the action for a short period of time. If players can instantly bounce back into the game, Objective gametypes like Capture the Flag will be impossible! Perhaps there sound be an option for instant respawns in Custom Game options, but NOT in Matchmaking!

#13

Well, I just hope they will make Halo 4, Halo. Not CoD. Who cares if CoD if the most popular…I don’t like the games. Every single year they release a new CoD game…it’s hard to keep up. And everyone keeps buying them. Maybe the reason why CoD sells more is because it’s on multiple consoles while Halo is an XBox exclusive.

Sorry for rambling…
Anyway, Game (mis)Informer is a crappy magazine anyways.

As for the whole thing about not having the option to play as an Elite…well, even if my preference is the Spartans, I still think folks should have the option to choose Elites.

The whole thing about a story in multi-player is limited anyways. Just drop us in a map and let us go at it. Who cares why Red team is fighting Blue team.

I will be sad to see Firefight go…even though it was rather laggy for me in Reach.

I guess maybe we will be seeing a Halo 4: ODST, eh? Nah, probably not. :stuck_out_tongue:

#14

The quote said competitive multiplayer. for elites in match making.

Instant respawns should proably be gametype specific, in team objevtive for example, there should likely be a respawn timer.

The forerunner vision, frankie said something about it as others said.

#15

> The quote said competitive multiplayer. for elites in match making.

This is true, I didn’t pick up on this. So maybe only ranked and MLG playlists will be Spartan IV’s. This gives me a tiny bit of hope that Elites will still be playable/customizable in social and custom games, maybe even Spartan Ops mode.