Lack of Playlists Will Kill Halo 5 Quick

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

We don’t have a confirmed list of playlists yet, but it seems like from what Josh Holmes said about having a weekend social playlist to appease people that want to play something beyond a “core set of activities”, we are going to have a very limited number of playlists to choose from.

Here’s what we know from earlier information revealed in other interviews about playlists available at launch:

  • No Big Team Battle at launch for at least several weeks - Confirmed launch playlists thus far include team slayer, breakout, warzone, and capture the flag or a team objective mode with CTF included-likely the latter (their quote, not mine) - No invasion (though Warzone assault mode might substitute?) - No firefightThis leaves us to wonder, will there be team doubles, grifball (especially since we still are yet to see any sign of the gravity hammer in Halo 5), SWAT, Infection, snipers, action sack, etc. etc? And we can almost certainly expect that multi-team has been completely killed, due to the total lack of it in any 343 game ever created for God knows what reason.

I understand the importance of not fragmenting the community and keeping high populations of dedicated playlists in order for skill rank to work properly and match people with others of their skill, but I honestly don’t see how they can’t understand how a lack of playlists at launch drives people away and appears like you’re shipping an unfinished product? If you want people to play Warzone, then make it worth playing. If you’re afraid that BTB is going to draw people away from it, how does launching BTB weeks after prevent that from occurring? Furthermore, if that’s really a concern you have, maybe make warzone better so people want to play it over BTB?

Personally, if I can’t play what I want when I want to and I have to wait for the 343 gods to grant me a wish over the weekend once every blue moon to play something different, I’m probably walking away from Halo 5 prematurely just as I did with Halo 4 and MCC.

2

I think I saw Neutral flag in a image (not sure why it’d be its own playlist though), but Shotty Snipers and Strongholds will be there too as core playlists.

3

They could always add it in if it isn’t there at launch.
There is plenty of content as is, so it won’t “Kill Halo 5 Quick”.
Keep in mind that there is also Forge and Custom Games. If you don’t like what they got, make some stuff that’s better…
Something I could never do CRIES

4

> 2533274821174589;2:
> I think I saw Neutral flag in a image (not sure why it’d be its own playlist though), but Shotty Snipers and Strongholds will be there too as core playlists.

That would be amazing if true.

> 2533274863939303;3:
> They could always add it in if it isn’t there at launch.
> There is plenty of content as is, so it won’t “Kill Halo 5 Quick”.
> Keep in mind that there is also Forge and Custom Games. If you don’t like what they got, make some stuff that’s better…
> Something I could never do CRIES

That’s the thing; custom games have never been easily accessible. If Halo 5 makes a custom games browser or something, then we might be in business, but there’s no way I’m going through the hassle of file share and all that other -Yoink- just to play snipers.

5

> 2533274892061674;4:
> > 2533274821174589;2:
> > I think I saw Neutral flag in a image (not sure why it’d be its own playlist though), but Shotty Snipers and Strongholds will be there too as core playlists.
>
>
> That would be amazing if true.
>
>
> > 2533274863939303;3:
> > They could always add it in if it isn’t there at launch.
> > There is plenty of content as is, so it won’t “Kill Halo 5 Quick”.
> > Keep in mind that there is also Forge and Custom Games. If you don’t like what they got, make some stuff that’s better…
> > Something I could never do CRIES
>
>
> That’s the thing; custom games have never been easily accessible. If Halo 5 makes a custom games browser or something, then we might be in business, but there’s no way I’m going through the hassle of file share and all that other -Yoink- just to play snipers.

Here’s a pic from an older thread showing some of the playlists. Yep that was neutral flag, below that it is hard to guess what the other playlist was. Too blurry

6

> 2533274892061674;1:
> And we can almost certainly expect that multi-team has been completely killed, due to the total lack of it in any 343 game ever created for God knows what reason.

Halo 4 had a whole playlist dedicated to multi-team. As for the other ones, they will most likely add more after launch. That way they can keep players coming back because they’re adding more playlists.

7

> 2533274821174589;5:
> > 2533274892061674;4:
> > > 2533274821174589;2:
> > > I think I saw Neutral flag in a image (not sure why it’d be its own playlist though), but Shotty Snipers and Strongholds will be there too as core playlists.
> >
> >
> > That would be amazing if true.
> >
> >
> > > 2533274863939303;3:
> > > They could always add it in if it isn’t there at launch.
> > > There is plenty of content as is, so it won’t “Kill Halo 5 Quick”.
> > > Keep in mind that there is also Forge and Custom Games. If you don’t like what they got, make some stuff that’s better…
> > > Something I could never do CRIES
> >
> >
> > That’s the thing; custom games have never been easily accessible. If Halo 5 makes a custom games browser or something, then we might be in business, but there’s no way I’m going through the hassle of file share and all that other -Yoink- just to play snipers.
>
>
> Here’s a pic from an older thread showing some of the playlists. Yep that was neutral flag, below that it is hard to guess what the other playlist was. Too blurry

Kek, that’s my pic! I came here to post it. Haha

8

> 2533274821174589;5:
> > 2533274892061674;4:
> > > 2533274821174589;2:
> > > I think I saw Neutral flag in a image (not sure why it’d be its own playlist though), but Shotty Snipers and Strongholds will be there too as core playlists.
> >
> >
> > That would be amazing if true.
> >
> >
> > > 2533274863939303;3:
> > > They could always add it in if it isn’t there at launch.
> > > There is plenty of content as is, so it won’t “Kill Halo 5 Quick”.
> > > Keep in mind that there is also Forge and Custom Games. If you don’t like what they got, make some stuff that’s better…
> > > Something I could never do CRIES
> >
> >
> > That’s the thing; custom games have never been easily accessible. If Halo 5 makes a custom games browser or something, then we might be in business, but there’s no way I’m going through the hassle of file share and all that other -Yoink- just to play snipers.
>
>
> Here’s a pic from an older thread showing some of the playlists. Yep that was neutral flag, below that it is hard to guess what the other playlist was. Too blurry

Looks like a good amount of playlist to start off with. Oh wait I guess its gonna kill Halo 5 because not everything is in it huh… Shame gonna be a good game though

9

343i doesn’t know how to do playlists properly.

10

Baby steps at launch. Don’t want to get too crazy with options, or you could trip over yourself.

Playlists will be added later.

11

I have a feeling that warzone will keep it well alive…

12

> 2535447317427844;7:
> > 2533274821174589;5:
> > > 2533274892061674;4:
> > > > 2533274821174589;2:
> > > > I think I saw Neutral flag in a image (not sure why it’d be its own playlist though), but Shotty Snipers and Strongholds will be there too as core playlists.
> > >
> > >
> > > That would be amazing if true.
> > >
> > >
> > > > 2533274863939303;3:
> > > > They could always add it in if it isn’t there at launch.
> > > > There is plenty of content as is, so it won’t “Kill Halo 5 Quick”.
> > > > Keep in mind that there is also Forge and Custom Games. If you don’t like what they got, make some stuff that’s better…
> > > > Something I could never do CRIES
> > >
> > >
> > > That’s the thing; custom games have never been easily accessible. If Halo 5 makes a custom games browser or something, then we might be in business, but there’s no way I’m going through the hassle of file share and all that other -Yoink- just to play snipers.
> >
> >
> > Here’s a pic from an older thread showing some of the playlists. Yep that was neutral flag, below that it is hard to guess what the other playlist was. Too blurry
>
>
> Kek, that’s my pic! I came here to post it. Haha

That pic honestly put most of my fears to rest. Thank you for your contribution. Seriously.

13

> 2533274892061674;1:
> We don’t have a confirmed list of playlists yet, but it seems like from what Josh Holmes said about having a weekend social playlist to appease people that want to play something beyond a “core set of activities”, we are going to have a very limited number of playlists to choose from.
>
> Here’s what we know from earlier information revealed in other interviews about playlists available at launch:
>
> - No Big Team Battle at launch for at least several weeks
> - Confirmed launch playlists thus far include team slayer, breakout, warzone, and capture the flag or a team objective mode with CTF included-likely the latter (their quote, not mine)
> - No invasion (though Warzone assault mode might substitute?)
> - No firefight
> This leaves us to wonder, will there be team doubles, grifball (especially since we still are yet to see any sign of the gravity hammer in Halo 5), SWAT, Infection, snipers, action sack, etc. etc? And we can almost certainly expect that multi-team has been completely killed, due to the total lack of it in any 343 game ever created for God knows what reason.
>
> I understand the importance of not fragmenting the community and keeping high populations of dedicated playlists in order for skill rank to work properly and match people with others of their skill, but I honestly don’t see how they can’t understand how a lack of playlists at launch drives people away and appears like you’re shipping an unfinished product? If you want people to play Warzone, then make it worth playing. If you’re afraid that BTB is going to draw people away from it, how does launching BTB weeks after prevent that from occurring? Furthermore, if that’s really a concern you have, maybe make warzone better so people want to play it over BTB?
>
> Personally, if I can’t play what I want when I want to and I have to wait for the 343 gods to grant me a wish over the weekend once every blue moon to play something different, I’m probably walking away from Halo 5 prematurely just as I did with Halo 4 and MCC.

I doubt a lack of persistent playlists you’ve mentioned will cause Halo5 to fall off quickly, because those playlists generally have a small population…

historically 4v4 and BTB have been the backbone of Halo MP, and that’s what the majority of people are looking for most of the time…

343i is banking on 4v4 and Warzone at launch. And after a few weeks it’ll be arena 4v4, Warzone and BTB…

As for the other Gametypes, we need to wait and see how they impliment the playlists. Most people assume that matchmaking for those gametypes will only be possible during the weekend. But I took it to mean on the weekend they’ll highlight specific gametypes with their own playlist, but during the week, these niche gametypes will probably all be grouped together in one playlist…

for example, Monday through Friday you’d have maybe Ranked Arena, Warzone, and Social Arena… In social arena, you’d have all those niche gametypes.
Then on the weekend they might have a specific grif ball playlist. The following weekend they might have
an infection playlist.

Having too many playlists all the time increases wait times to find matches… That would have a more negative effect on the player base, than having gametypes grouped together within fewer playlists.