Halo Community Matchmaking Hub

Community Recruiting
1

THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GOOGLE DOC

THE BEAUTIFUL AND DIVINE TWITTER ACCOUNT.

THE NEW AND SHINY SUBREDDIT.

So this thread got really good attention here a few days ago, and since then I have worked on a way to get this ball rolling. This is the result.

For the uninitiated, the Halo Community Matchmaking Project is aimed to take away the community’s dependence on 343i to deliver what we want out of our Matchmaking experience. How do we do it? The idea is that dedicated members of the community play the role of the Matchmaking server, hosting a lobby for a few hours on a pre-determined schedule. These hosts can either play, or just be idle operators. Whether idle or active, the host will pop in at the end of each match, flush the lobby (or leave, depending on what’s easier), change the gametype and map, wait for the lobby to fill back up, then start the game again. This way, the lobby is not stuck with the same people over and over, and new players can join in.

How does it work?

  • You, the user, take a gander at this google doc. This document will serve as a live visual feed of what’s going on in the HCM system, including which playlists are active, who’s hosting, and what gamertags to add.

  • Decide which active playlist you want to play in.

  • Add the applicable HCM gamertag to your friends list.

  • Go to the HCM gamertag’s friends list on your Xbox, and search through its friends list for one of the current active hosts.

  • If the game is open, join up! If not, wait until the lobby is open, or pick a different host.

Everybody with me so far?

I also have a twitter account that can be followed for updates on games that are starting, which playlists are being run, or any other auxiliary updates. Hosts will also have access to this account, so they can tweet when new games are starting or other such updates. This way, people don’t have to wait around, staring at their screens wondering when the matches are over.

Now, I know this all sounds a little nuts, but it’s set up this way so that it’s as easy on the hosts as possible. It requires very little time from them in-between games, so hopefully hosts will be able to keep these lobbies going for a few hours at a time with minimal involvement. Gametypes are designed with a time limit, and infinite scoring, ensuring that the hosts will be able to set timers and just let the game run without having to worry about the game ending early or something.

BUH. Lots of words.

When the system is active, a host will activate the playlist on the google doc, update the twitter feed, and open up their lobby. As per the rules on the doc, any friend requests or messages sent to the host will be ignored. The system is designed to put the burden on the HCM dummy gamertag, NOT the actual host. So please, use the system as it is intended instead of spamming for invites. In fact, if you DO that, that’s a guaranteed way to not get an invite and get kicked repeatedly.

Enough of me gabbing. Everyone got it?

If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask away in the comments.

2

I support this idea.

3

If if worked it would be great, but it seems like something that is too complex to rely of the cooperation of that many individuals.

4

> If if worked it would be great, but it seems like something that is too complex to rely of the cooperation of that many individuals.

Clans used to run game nights all the time. All you’d really need are a small group of people to divide up the days and times. Obviously it couldn’t be a round-the-clock thing, but I bet someone could run a lobby for 2-3 hours if all they had to do was change gametypes and maps every 15 minutes.

5

I like this idea.
I’m not so good at organizing.
But I’ll design official gametypes for such events.
After getting approval from you guys, I’ll post them to my Fileshare.

I can also use modified maps.
These would also be posted in my Fileshare awaiting approval from Waypoint members.
For example, I personally prefer the Team Doubles versions for most maps.

I’ll get to work on this tomorrow.

I will post when it’s ready.
And it’ll be in my Fileshare so you can download it and make sure it’s to your liking.
This applies to all of you who visit Waypoint regularly.
As the majority of you are intelligent Halo vets, your opinion counts most.

6

I could make some silver accounts for specific gametypes.

7

> I could make some silver accounts for specific gametypes.

We’d have to figure out what “Playlists” we’d want to host first.

There’s obviously a lot to figure out still. This applies to Pur3 as well: I wouldn’t start doing any work at all until there’s enough interest in the idea. Personally, I think it’s a really cool thought and I’d love to spearhead most of the organization. I have experience organizing groups over LIVE and hosting custom game nights.

But again, before any work starts, there must be interest.

8

I agree. Also: Orange Slayer, CTF, BALL, etc.

http://www.halocouncil.com/community/index.php?/topic/13115-orange-settings-discussion/

9

> I agree. Also: Orange Slayer, CTF, BALL, etc.
>
> http://www.halocouncil.com/community/index.php?/topic/13115-orange-settings-discussion/

That’d be great for a “Playlist”. People want to see them in some kind of organized fassion, this’d be the way to do it.

So I’m thinking along the lines of organization, and I think making silver accounts as the “Playlists” would be one way of doing things. They’d only have the hosts as friends, so you’d go into their mutual friends and from there you can find different lobbies.

The issue that I keep running into is that you have to send a FR to be able to access any of that stuff. So whoever was in charge of the playlist accounts would have to clear FRs on a regular basis.

To say the least, hosts of each playlist would have a lot of little busy work on their hands. From hosting each lobby, changing it every 15 minutes or so, clearing lobbies to let new players in… It’s a responsibility to say the least. That’s why I’d like to get in contact with some friends, see if they’d be up to hosting once a week or something, so one person doesn’t have to devote more than one evening a week to micromanaging it all.

10

You could apply specific themes to each day of the week (Minigames, Objectives, Slayer, Infinity, Classic, etc).

11

Or a better idea, they give us a custom game finder. This has been said so many times, but they don’t care about custom games. Custom games are almost worthless. you can’t even use all Specialization unlocks in customs. It’s a joke.

12

> You could apply specific themes to each day of the week (Minigames, Objectives, Slayer, Infinity, Classic, etc).

At first, yes, this would probably be a good idea. Saying “Our hosts will be hosting the “BTB OBJ” playlist this week”. As time goes on, and if more hosts could be depended upon, it’d be pretty neat to have a bunch of lists going on at once.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

First things first, gotta figure out a way to make this easy-to-find for users.

> Or a better idea, they give us a custom game finder. This has been said so many times, but they don’t care about custom games. Custom games are almost worthless. you can’t even use all Specialization unlocks in customs. It’s a joke.

Would make all this easier, wouldn’t it?

But that’s exactly why I want to try this. If 343 won’t do what we want, then we have to do it ourselves. Instead of sitting around yelling at a brick wall, I want to prove that we don’t need 343 to get what we want out of Halo.

343 doesn’t want to give us a custom game finder? Fine. We’ll make our own system.

13

> I support this idea.

14

> > You could apply specific themes to each day of the week (Minigames, Objectives, Slayer, Infinity, Classic, etc).
>
> At first, yes, this would probably be a good idea. Saying “Our hosts will be hosting the “BTB OBJ” playlist this week”. As time goes on, and if more hosts could be depended upon, it’d be pretty neat to have a bunch of lists going on at once.
>
> But I’m getting ahead of myself.
>
> First things first, gotta figure out a way to make this easy-to-find for users.
>
>
>
> > Or a better idea, they give us a custom game finder. This has been said so many times, but they don’t care about custom games. Custom games are almost worthless. you can’t even use all Specialization unlocks in customs. It’s a joke.
>
> Would make all this easier, wouldn’t it?
>
> But that’s exactly why I want to try this. If 343 won’t do what we want, then we have to do it ourselves. Instead of sitting around yelling at a brick wall, I want to prove that we don’t need 343 to get what we want out of Halo.
>
> 343 doesn’t want to give us a custom game finder? Fine. We’ll make our own system.

I have wanted a Custom Games finder since 3.
Having to go out to websites to promote your game/map is assinine in a way. If you could just have your Custom Games lobby open to Free Join, Halo’s custom games creator would be alot more used.

15

Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally for this. I just don’t understand why I can’t use Stability and disable instant respawn (worst idea ever). Makes no sense. I’m a 130.

16

Even if your idea didn’t work, it would still work better than the regular Matchmaking that we’re stuck with right now.

17

> > I agree. Also: Orange Slayer, CTF, BALL, etc.
> >
> > http://www.halocouncil.com/community/index.php?/topic/13115-orange-settings-discussion/
>
> That’d be great for a “Playlist”. People want to see them in some kind of organized fassion, this’d be the way to do it.
>
> So I’m thinking along the lines of organization, and I think making silver accounts as the “Playlists” would be one way of doing things. They’d only have the hosts as friends, so you’d go into their mutual friends and from there you can find different lobbies.
>
> The issue that I keep running into is that you have to send a FR to be able to access any of that stuff. So whoever was in charge of the playlist accounts would have to clear FRs on a regular basis.
>
> To say the least, hosts of each playlist would have a lot of little busy work on their hands. From hosting each lobby, changing it every 15 minutes or so, clearing lobbies to let new players in… It’s a responsibility to say the least. That’s why I’d like to get in contact with some friends, see if they’d be up to hosting once a week or something, so one person doesn’t have to devote more than one evening a week to micromanaging it all.

I wouldn’t mind hosting a few lobbies a week. When/if you get this worked out, send me a message, and i’ll do my best to host as many as i can.

18

Updating the OP with this.

So I made a spreadsheet on Google Docs that would be a “hub” of sorts for the matchmaking structure.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmGoOzAUN7bbdDZXcEFxN1p1QXVJX2tUTVFRSVNMYUE&usp=sharing

Editors, or hosts, would be able to update the doc in real time to reflect what’s going on. Playlists can be activated and deactivated, hosts can be moved around from active to inactive, and all the information a player needs would be right there. They could add one of the HCM Silver accounts to get access to the host gamertags without bugging them directly.

The HCM gamertags would have all hosts of that “playlist” added as well as a wide range of players. If you, the player, wanted to join a game, you would add a HCM gamertag and look for one of the hosts in its friends list. You would find the host you wanted and join their game. If it was full, you’d look for a different host that was in the same Playlist category.

The other aid to this would be a Twitter account that would tweet when games went live, playlists were on or off, or any auxiliary information.

Thoughts?

19

> Updating the OP with this.
>
> So I made a spreadsheet on Google Docs that would be a “hub” of sorts for the matchmaking structure.
>
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmGoOzAUN7bbdDZXcEFxN1p1QXVJX2tUTVFRSVNMYUE&usp=sharing
>
> Editors, or hosts, would be able to update the doc in real time to reflect what’s going on. Playlists can be activated and deactivated, hosts can be moved around from active to inactive, and all the information a player needs would be right there. They could add one of the HCM Silver accounts to get access to the host gamertags without bugging them directly.
>
> The HCM gamertags would have all hosts of that “playlist” added as well as a wide range of players. If you, the player, wanted to join a game, you would add a HCM gamertag and look for one of the hosts in its friends list. You would find the host you wanted and join their game. If it was full, you’d look for a different host that was in the same Playlist category.
>
> The other aid to this would be a Twitter account that would tweet when games went live, playlists were on or off, or any auxiliary information.
>
> Thoughts?

Seems like it would work well enough.

20

> Even if your idea didn’t work, it would still work better than the regular Matchmaking that we’re stuck with right now.

Well then I hope you help me and whoever else is on board test this thing when it’s ready to go.

I’ve updated the doc, and I made a twitter:

https://twitter.com/halocommunitymm