Halo 4 is just in "maintenance mode".

Games Other Halo
1

It’s sad that this game can only hold around 20k to 30k players a day. Now I know some of you diehard fans of Halo 4 will come and tell me something along the lines of, “This game isn’t dead”, and it isn’t, but I was hoping for this game to really put Halo back at the very top (top 3?) on Xbox Live after what Halo: Reach turned out to be.

I enjoyed Halo: Reach a bit after it released as it wasn’t too CoD-like, and I was able to accept it for what it was. Just a few elements here and there from CoD, but overall my big thing was that it still felt like Halo. This game… not so much…

A long time ago, I played CoD sometimes when I’d go to a friend’s house. After getting beat and seeing how ridiculous the gameplay was and how toxic its community was, I said I’d never touch a CoD game again. Well this game’s community isn’t that toxic (everyone’s always in Party chat or has no mic at all), but this game feels so much like CoD with a Halo skin slapped onto it. I don’t like how I felt alienated to this CoD-like atmosphere that I completely threw in the towel and gave up on Halo.

What do you remaining peeps casually or avidly playing Halo 4 have to say? For you, is Halo just stuck in “maintenance mode”? Of course Halo 4 is still getting its updates, but it seems like nothing is positively changing with Halo 4 and just being kept mostly as it is until Halo 5. It seems like Halo 4 is just a beta, and maybe Halo 5 will just be a huge improvement of what this game was. I really do not want that whatsoever!

For me, what I would like is for 343i to take many of the elements from Halo 2 and Halo 3 and build on what what they had. Maybe even Halo machinima can make a huge comeback, too (I would love this bonus)! I’ve been told by others to stop dwelling in the past and not to remain so static, but it wouldn’t be static at all. I believe that many of the 200k+ players that would play Matchmaking everyday on Halo 3 would comeback for Halo 5 if it doesn’t end up being another CoD game with a Halo skin slapped onto it.

I do play this game very, very casually. Pretty much only when another friend wants to play is all—and that’s rarely. A lot of the players I know who used to play Halo hours a day don’t play it at all, or have gone back to Halo: Reach. :frowning:

2

I wouldn’t call it “maintenance mode.” They made a mistake in the beginning with focusing so much on the new Infinity gametypes that they forgot to make a way for gametypes to become more “classic”–i.e. you can’t toggle sprint, descope, or flinch in custom game options, and there were no “classic” gametypes in matchmaking for months after launch. They didn’t meant to make this mistake, of course–I’m sure they were pressed with time, and these items didn’t make the cut because they weren’t believed to be important. I believe 343i has realized their mistakes though and won’t make them again in Halo Xbox One.

As of right now, as far as Halo 4 is concerned, I believe that 343i is trying new things to see how the community receives them, including adding classic gametypes such as Legendary Slayer and Legendary BRs into matchmaking. The feedback they receive will not only shape the way that they continue to update Halo 4, but the way they will build Halo Xbox One as well.

3

They tried to make Halo “accessible” and it failed. We can only hope they learned from their mistakes and take a different approach with Halo 5. They’re not dumping too many resources into a game on a dying console.

4

All games reach “maintenance mode” after they are released. Doubly so when the developer starts in earnest on the next game.

There’s only so much you can do to on-disc content with the Xbox 360. 343 will continue to improve things within the available parameters but sometimes people ask for an entirely new game, in which case this isn’t the forum for it.

5

Totally agree. H4 was a “U-Pay” experiment of how not to make a Halo game and is basically done going forward.

343 gambled that adding COD features would cannibalize players from COD. The loss of 320,000+ online Halo players in the first month proved them dead wrong.

I can deal with (butmostly did not like) most of the stuff they added, except for the Lag due to horrible host selection methodology, which after almost 10 months still remains unresolved. Basic online game play is so lagged that it’s zero fun to play.

That’s why I went back to playing Reach on June 6th. At most 5% of my Reach BTB games lag by 0.5 seconds. With H4 70% of the time I had 0.5+ seconds of lag for BTIS. And it isn’t my connection, as Reach, COD II, GTA IV, Sonic and other multiplayer games never lag the way H4 does.

So 343 can fiddle with this map list changes or adding this DLC etc, but the basic game play is broken and I won’t waste my game time playing something that is completely frustrating and ZERO fun.

As to H5 - I sure will not make the same mistake I did with Halo 4 by pre-ordering the Limited Edition version. It will be months after H5 ships and the hype has faded before I bother looking at how it plays multiplayer and likely will rent it before I make a buy decision - something I have never done with any Halo FPS title since Halo shipped on the Mac.

6

They tried making Halo accessible and instead did the opposite. Everyone left. Über cinematic, linear campaign doesn’t have the charm of the other Halos on multiple runs. Custom games has been butchered. And the weapon balancing is god awful, for a loadouts shooter.

I would say Halo 4 is in maintenance mode, yeah.

Oh, and Spartan Ops. Forgot to mention that.

7

I’m glad we can all be constructive here. I used to play Halo hardcore like it was life. Halo 4 changed that for me.

I do hope the community can give 343i feedback on what the next major installment of the franchise should have and what it shouldn’t have.

I don’t mean to hate, but I would like for Halo to return to its former glory in the Halo 2/3 days. They were titans ever after their release, with hundreds of thousands of players online everyday to go into Custom Games, Matchmaking and Forge (for Halo 3).

If 343i can stick to what Halo used to be and just build up on that, I think Halo will deliver like it used to. :slight_smile:

8

you do know that most games now a days are in as you put it ‘maintenance’ within one year of launch? look at every Call of Duty, Crysis añd Medal of Honor title release over the last five years. it’s not just a ’ Halo’ thing.

9

> They tried to make Halo “accessible” and it failed. We can only hope they learned from their mistakes and take a different approach with Halo 5.

Mistakes like trying to make the game more competitive? You can look at what infinity MAY have done to the overall population but the attempts to push the game in a less forgiving, competitive direction fell even flatter. At this point there’s damn little evidence to say that trying the opposite approach to Halo 4 will gain any traction. Hell you could have even said that in Halo 3.

Maybe 343 simply needs to go farther, past the compromised design choices (for the interests of maintaining “inaccessibility”) and on to something that’s truly and organically fun.

10

> you do know that most games now a days are in as you put it ‘maintenance’ within one year of launch? look at every Call of Duty, Crysis añd Medal of Honor title release over the last five years. it’s not just a ’ Halo’ thing.

Well Halo 2 and Halo 3 weren’t in maintenance mode years after their release? They did just fine and really, were able to contend with CoD and any other title being released.

11

here is fact and truth and nothing but it

  1. I hate COD

2.I don’t hate Halo 4. Why? cause it doesn’t feel like COD. It feels like Halo 3 with Loadouts and sprint

3.Reach and Halo 3 had a lot of negative views by the community

  1. Halo 4 was rushed. no doubt about it and can’t be denied and need work when it came out.

  2. Halo 4 focused to much on new things and infinity slayer and didn’t give any “classic settings playlist”

  3. Halo 4 is not a good game… it’s a GREAT game.

Halo community will not accept change with open arms at all.

Halo CE PC (my1st halo game was first to have online multiplayer I know the core of halo. Halo 2 for most of you’ll was your first Halo online multiplayer and any thing new Halo’s add was rejected. Till to this day Halo 2 gets voted as the best Halo…hmmm I wonder why

Halo 3, Reach and 4 have all been called crap by many. Anything new=not halo to people it’s ridiculous. Halo 3 hated, Reach comes out H3 is love, Reach is hated. Halo 4 comes out Reach is loved, H4 hated smh. I’m sick of it H5 will comes out H4 will be loved, H5 hated I bet. MOVE FORWARD

12

> here is fact and truth and nothing but it
>
> 1. I hate COD

So do I lol :stuck_out_tongue:

> 2.I don’t hate Halo 4. Why? cause it doesn’t feel like COD. It feels like Halo 3 with Loadouts and sprint

Ask that to the 75%+ players that left Halo 4. You’re making it sound so simplistic yet it’s not. A LOT of the people that stopped playing this game was because it felt way too much like CoD and not enough like the old Halo.

> 3.Reach and Halo 3 had a lot of negative views by the community

Halo 3? Where are you getting that from? Halo 3 was one of the most successful titles of the franchise. I believe it was even more successful than Halo 2. Halo 3 was able to contend with CoD ever since its release and there were hundreds of thousands of players playing Halo 3 everyday.

Now Halo: Reach, I can understand. At first I didn’t like Halo: Reach, but eventually I mellowed out into it and started playing it hardcore. The thing is, 343i used this formula which I believe Bungie in the past said that this new approach to Halo didn’t work out as much as they wanted it to.

> 4. Halo 4 was rushed. no doubt about it and can’t be denied and need work when it came out.

Agreed, it felt kind of rushed.

> 5. Halo 4 focused to much on new things and infinity slayer and didn’t give any “classic settings playlist”

This is true. Focused a ton on new things because it was using Reach’s formula. That’s why this game has a ton of CoD elements.

> 6. Halo 4 is not a good game… it’s a GREAT game.

This is your opinion, but ask that to the 75%+ players that left Halo 4.

> Halo community will not accept change with open arms at all.
>
> Halo CE PC (my1st halo game was first to have online multiplayer I know the core of halo. Halo 2 for most of you’ll was your first Halo online multiplayer and any thing new Halo’s add was rejected. Till to this day Halo 2 gets voted as the best Halo…hmmm I wonder why
>
> Halo 3, Reach and 4 have all been called crap by many. Anything new=not halo to people it’s ridiculous. Halo 3 hated, Reach comes out H3 is love, Reach is hated. Halo 4 comes out Reach is loved, H4 hated smh. I’m sick of it H5 will comes out H4 will be loved, H5 hated I bet. MOVE FORWARD

Halo: CE was my first Halo sometime in 2006–2007, followed by Halo 3 and then Halo 2.

From what I’ve seen in a multitude of polls online, Halo 3 always beats Halo 2. Only marginally, but still, Halo 3 always seems to be just a bit ahead of the curve. Halo 3 brought us more new things without changing the game’s formula like Forge and machinima, so maybe that’s why Halo 3 always beats Halo 2. Both are still amazing games and were titans years following their release.

Halo: Reach was a hit or miss by many Halo players. I personally loved it a bit after its release, but I heard of players just kind of playing it casually or stopped altogether because the formula of the game was different.

Also, your forumla of a game being loved after a new one is released is somewhat true. A lot of people loved Halo 3 though, so I think it wasn’t hated all that much. Come Halo: Reach, well, Reach was a hit or miss to many because of the new formula. Now to Halo 4, this is where things get ugly. Many loved Reach compared to Halo 4 because Halo 4 is somewhat of a garbage game compared to the elements that Reach and 3 had.

Sorry for the WOT, but enjoy the read!

13

> I wouldn’t call it “maintenance mode.” They made a mistake in the beginning with focusing so much on the new Infinity gametypes that they forgot to make a way for gametypes to become more “classic”–i.e. you can’t toggle sprint, descope, or flinch in custom game options, and there were no “classic” gametypes in matchmaking for months after launch. They didn’t meant to make this mistake, of course–I’m sure they were pressed with time, and these items didn’t make the cut because they weren’t believed to be important. I believe 343i has realized their mistakes though and won’t make them again in Halo Xbox One.
>
> As of right now, as far as Halo 4 is concerned, I believe that 343i is trying new things to see how the community receives them, including adding classic gametypes such as Legendary Slayer and Legendary BRs into matchmaking. The feedback they receive will not only shape the way that they continue to update Halo 4, but the way they will build Halo Xbox One as well.

They did admit some of there mistakes like custom games. I guess after all the feedback we gave 343 Halo Xbox One should be good. They already showed us they do listen so I believe Halo Xbox One will be good. I still guess sprint will be there but Flinch is hopefully gone forever! If they just bring back descoping, an option to turn off sprint and more custom games options and modes.

Also they NEED TO GET RID OF PERSONAL ORDNANCE AND RANDOM ORDNANCE

14

> > I wouldn’t call it “maintenance mode.” They made a mistake in the beginning with focusing so much on the new Infinity gametypes that they forgot to make a way for gametypes to become more “classic”–i.e. you can’t toggle sprint, descope, or flinch in custom game options, and there were no “classic” gametypes in matchmaking for months after launch. They didn’t meant to make this mistake, of course–I’m sure they were pressed with time, and these items didn’t make the cut because they weren’t believed to be important. I believe 343i has realized their mistakes though and won’t make them again in Halo Xbox One.
> >
> > As of right now, as far as Halo 4 is concerned, I believe that 343i is trying new things to see how the community receives them, including adding classic gametypes such as Legendary Slayer and Legendary BRs into matchmaking. The feedback they receive will not only shape the way that they continue to update Halo 4, but the way they will build Halo Xbox One as well.
>
> They did admit some of there mistakes like custom games. I guess after all the feedback we gave 343 Halo Xbox One should be good. They already showed us they do listen so I believe Halo Xbox One will be good. I still guess sprint will be there but Flinch is hopefully gone forever! If they just bring back descoping, an option to turn off sprint and more custom games options and modes.
>
> Also they NEED TO GET RID OF PERSONAL ORDNANCE AND RANDOM ORDNANCE

Getting rid of a lot of these random mechanics will also surely bring Halo back onto MLG and make it more competitive. “De-COD’izing” Halo 5 is something that I think 343i will need to do in order for it to be a real big hit.

My biggest thing is for Halo 5 to bring back Halo to its former glory! Hopefully machinima, too!

15

If halo 5’s standard MP plays anything like halo 2 or 3 i will be severely let down. I’m buying a new game not a game with 6+ years old MP. Just about everything we have in halo 4’s MP is a direct evolution from things we have had in the past.

It’s rather dickish to assume that everyone that left left because it was “cod like.” a statement that holds no truth. Each halo has gotten it’s fair share of hate. There are many of outside game reasons as to why halo 4’s MP isn’t doing as well as 2-3’s. Halo 2 got hated on for massive aim assist/hit boxes, button combos, removal of the AR. Halo 3 was hated on for equipment in it’s early months. I don’t have to go into detail on reach and 4.

Point is the haters always leave and the games always get better over time even halo 4. I’m 100% convinced that if halo 4 shipped with better custom options and a classic playlist for those who wish to continue to play old halo the population would have stayed higher much longer. I give props to 343 for having the balls to focus on there new style instead of shipping more of the same. Halo 4 was rushed and that’s why we didn’t get a fair start for all. Halo 5 will be much better.

Lastly i don’t understand your obsession with halo being on top. Why should it matter? If it plays good to you then why even care. Halo 4 might not have a huge population but i don’t know anyone who spends 5+ minutes to find a match. So until that happens things are fine.

I have been playing since CE. I have been playing COD since cod 4. While things like hit markers and killcams work like cod nothing else feels like it. I honestly think anyone who says “cod like” Is using it as a -Yoink- excuse. You don’t like the new feel and that is okay. But nothing plays like call of duty in 4. If you truly believe that you need to spend much more time playing COD OR your senses are just bad.

16

We payed 60 dollars for a beta pretty much. The way I look at it is, Halo 4 is the beta for Halo 5, and we just got suckered into paying full price for it.

17

> If halo 5’s standard MP plays anything like halo 2 or 3 i will be severely let down. I’m buying a new game not a game with 6+ years old MP. Just about everything we have in halo 4’s MP is a direct evolution from things we have had in the past.

No it isn’t. This new Halo doesn’t have Elites (less customization options). We all have these annoying perks, and almost everything we have is a direct evolution of Halo: Reach—not any of the other games, really.

> It’s rather dickish to assume that everyone that left left because it was “cod like.” a statement that holds no truth. Each halo has gotten it’s fair share of hate. There are many of outside game reasons as to why halo 4’s MP isn’t doing as well as 2-3’s. Halo 2 got hated on for massive aim assist/hit boxes, button combos, removal of the AR. Halo 3 was hated on for equipment in it’s early months. I don’t have to go into detail on reach and 4.

The statement holds some worth because many players that gave up Halo 4 was because it played too much like CoD, and felt too much like it too.

> Point is the haters always leave and the games always get better over time even halo 4. I’m 100% convinced that if halo 4 shipped with better custom options and a classic playlist for those who wish to continue to play old halo the population would have stayed higher much longer. I give props to 343 for having the balls to focus on there new style instead of shipping more of the same. Halo 4 was rushed and that’s why we didn’t get a fair start for all. Halo 5 will be much better.

If Halo 4 got so much better, why is it doing even worse than Halo: Reach? I agree Halo 4 was rushed, but I doubt many would have stayed because it would still be too different and many people would have left regardless. 343i tried a new style by completely following Halo: Reach’s and CoD’s elements, building up on the former and focusing on what this game should play like with the latter, and it completely didn’t sit well with 75%+ of the players that have left this game.

Alienating the Halo player-base to play something so similar to CoD is wrong. Very wrong.

> Lastly i don’t understand your obsession with halo being on top. Why should it matter? If it plays good to you then why even care. Halo 4 might not have a huge population but i don’t know anyone who spends 5+ minutes to find a match. So until that happens things are fine.

I’ve heard from several people it takes a few to find a match. Albeit, it depends what playlist you’re on, but I’ve heard you can find matches faster with no lag on Halo: Reach.

> I have been playing since CE. I have been playing COD since cod 4. While things like hit markers and killcams work like cod nothing else feels like it. I honestly think anyone who says “cod like” Is using it as a Yoink! excuse. You don’t like the new feel and that is okay. But nothing plays like call of duty in 4. If you truly believe that you need to spend much more time playing COD OR your senses are just bad.

If my senses are just bad, tell that to the multitude of other players that left. I’ve seen it in these forums, talked to several people I knew about this, etc. One of the main reasons they dropped Halo 4 was because too many elements of CoD were implemented into this game.

18

> …
> If my senses are just bad, tell that to the multitude of other players that left. I’ve seen it in these forums, talked to several people I knew about this, etc. One of the main reasons they dropped Halo 4 was because too many elements of CoD were implemented into this game.

Totally agree. I was talking to a fellow while playing Reach and his GF bought him H4. He tried it, put it back on the shelf and went back to playing Reach - hasn’t touched it since. His only comment on it was “it’s not Halo”.

Many other people I have played with on Halo Reach said similar things, like “H4 doesn’t play like Halo”, “it lags like crazy” or “it’s not as good as COD is”.

They simply do not have fun with it and have moved on to other games.

19

> I wouldn’t call it “maintenance mode.” They made a mistake in the beginning with focusing so much on the new Infinity gametypes that they forgot to make a way for gametypes to become more “classic”–i.e. you can’t toggle sprint, descope, or flinch in custom game options, and there were no “classic” gametypes in matchmaking for months after launch. They didn’t meant to make this mistake, of course–I’m sure they were pressed with time, and these items didn’t make the cut because they weren’t believed to be important. I believe 343i has realized their mistakes though and won’t make them again in Halo Xbox One.
>
> As of right now, as far as Halo 4 is concerned, I believe that 343i is trying new things to see how the community receives them, including adding classic gametypes such as Legendary Slayer and Legendary BRs into matchmaking. The feedback they receive will not only shape the way that they continue to update Halo 4, but the way they will build Halo Xbox One as well.

THIS

20

> > If halo 5’s standard MP plays anything like halo 2 or 3 i will be severely let down. I’m buying a new game not a game with 6+ years old MP. Just about everything we have in halo 4’s MP is a direct evolution from things we have had in the past.
>
> No it isn’t. This new Halo doesn’t have Elites (less customization options). We all have these annoying perks, and almost everything we have is a direct evolution of Halo: Reach—not any of the other games, really.
> <mark>No loadouts> preset loadouts> fully custom loadouts. Equipment> Armor abilities. Many elements in halo 4 are evolutions from previous halo titles. Doesn’t matter which halo title.</mark>
>
>
> > It’s rather dickish to assume that everyone that left left because it was “cod like.” a statement that holds no truth. Each halo has gotten it’s fair share of hate. There are many of outside game reasons as to why halo 4’s MP isn’t doing as well as 2-3’s. Halo 2 got hated on for massive aim assist/hit boxes, button combos, removal of the AR. Halo 3 was hated on for equipment in it’s early months. I don’t have to go into detail on reach and 4.
>
> The statement holds some worth because many players that gave up Halo 4 was because it played too much like CoD, and felt too much like it too.
> <mark>very little worth. As i have explained before people blame COD. When if you really look at the new elements in play most of them don’t behave like COD. It’s just the fact that they are similar at all that sets people off.</mark>
>
>
> > Point is the haters always leave and the games always get better over time even halo 4. I’m 100% convinced that if halo 4 shipped with better custom options and a classic playlist for those who wish to continue to play old halo the population would have stayed higher much longer. I give props to 343 for having the balls to focus on there new style instead of shipping more of the same. Halo 4 was rushed and that’s why we didn’t get a fair start for all. Halo 5 will be much better.
>
> If Halo 4 got so much better, why is it doing even worse than Halo: Reach? I agree Halo 4 was rushed, but I doubt many would have stayed because it would still be too different and many people would have left regardless. 343i tried a new style by completely following Halo: Reach’s and CoD’s elements, building up on the former and focusing on what this game should play like with the latter, and it completely didn’t sit well with 75%+ of the players that have left this game.
>
> Alienating the Halo player-base to play something so similar to CoD is wrong. Very wrong.
> <mark>Because it took too long to get better for most. Just like with reach the classic playlist came too late. I’m not going to spend 10+ minutes explaining all of the outside sources when you have already made up your mind. This isn’t a debate for you. You will forever see these new things as “cod” so i cannot reason with you. Me and many of my friends don’t feel alenaited.</mark>
>
>
> > Lastly i don’t understand your obsession with halo being on top. Why should it matter? If it plays good to you then why even care. Halo 4 might not have a huge population but i don’t know anyone who spends 5+ minutes to find a match. So until that happens things are fine.
>
> I’ve heard from several people it takes a few to find a match. Albeit, it depends what playlist you’re on, but I’ve heard you can find matches faster with no lag on Halo: Reach.
> <mark>Yes there are some that take longer. Happens when you play outside the U.S. with no search preference options. Also very debatable i have heard and experienced longer search times in reach.</mark>
>
>
> > I have been playing since CE. I have been playing COD since cod 4. While things like hit markers and killcams work like cod nothing else feels like it. I honestly think anyone who says “cod like” Is using it as a Yoink! excuse. You don’t like the new feel and that is okay. But nothing plays like call of duty in 4. If you truly believe that you need to spend much more time playing COD OR your senses are just bad.
>
> If my senses are just bad, tell that to the multitude of other players that left. I’ve seen it in these forums, talked to several people I knew about this, etc. One of the main reasons they dropped Halo 4 was because too many elements of CoD were implemented into this game.

I’m going to try and say this as kind as possible. Majority of the forum=idiots. Most of it is barely readable answers and complaints about things they do not fully understand. There are smart people, people that understand. There are signs. Signs that show when someone doesn’t know. Usually revolves around call of duty. Almost no one i have argued with has put in over a year in any COD game. They just play connect the dots with similarities and honestly it’s quite frustrating. Even if all of the forum knew and understood they are still the minority when it comes to the halo fanbase as a whole.

All we know is that people left. Not how many left for X reason. There are people that left due to the changes. That always happens. But to assume that they all left because “it felt like cod” is wrong on various levels. Halo 4 is halo. But many of the people like you have made up your mind from the start. You can’t see what you don’t wish to see.