I live in the Mid-Atlantic region, USA. In order for this game’s multiplayer to function in a somewhat enjoyable manner for me, I either have to have just turned on my console and started the game, or I have to have pressed the home button to return to my dashboard, pressed start on my current game/app session window , pressed quit, waited 10 seconds and restarted the game. The later process is often referred to as, “Sorry guys, but I have to dashboard, quit the build and restart the game”
AWAITING PRIVILEGES: Assuming that above is true (where I wrote about a fresh start/restart), I click on MULTIPLAYER, click on Find Game and receive an “AWAITING PRIVILEGES” message. I press A, click on Find Game again and either I receive the same message one more time or I am able to successfully continue to the playlist menu. The work around is to either keep pressing A, or after start up, press start and give the game a 15 to 30 seconds to check your privileges before attempting to play Multiplayer.
Solo Matchmade Game Attempt:
Global Problem: Options & Career/Settings/Controller Setup/Halo 2/Thumbstick Layout = Legacy
I will not choose the following game types because the Legacy thumbstick layout does not work in Halo 2 anniversary maps:
Team Halo 2: Anniversary
Halo Championship Series
Halo 2: Anniversary Rumble
Team Slayer
Big Team Battle
SWAT
Solution: This setting has been broken for over a month in H2A, and was broken in H4 for 2 weeks as well. I choose Halo: CE, Halo 2: Classic or Halo 3 until the problem is resolved by 343. I could choose the above playlists, however I choose not to negatively impact my teammates while I attempt to adapt to a different thumbstick layout.
Global Problem: Game Chat
Assuming that above is true (where I wrote about a fresh start/restart), game chat works for me, for my first game. After my first game is complete, I return to my game session and more often than not, I notice my mic is no longer working.
Solution: Perform the Dashboard, Quit the Build, Wait 10 Seconds, Restart the Game process or continue to search for another game and provide zero communication to teammates who may actually be having a functioning game chat experience.
Party Matchmade Game Attempt
Global Problem: Inconsistent success with joining/inviting other players.
I don’t need to get specific here. Whether it’s NAT related, Xbox Live related, Halo MCC related or all/none of the above, it’s still way too difficult to play this game with friends in my opinion.
Solution: Establish a successful party chat or other line of communication with all players if possible. Ensure that everyone has ended any current Halo MCC sessions (Home button, Press Start, Press Quit, Wait 10 Seconds, Restart Halo MCC) Once everyone has restarted the game and successfully made it to their Find Game menu with all friends visible to the right side roster menu, decide/agree on one person to be the host/session leader and everyone else simply press X, highlight the session leader’s gamer tag, press A and click Join Player. With any luck, everyone will be in the same session and ready to search for a game!
Global Problem: One or more players is not ready for matchmaking
After all that time spent attempting to party up with others, the leader chooses a game type and receives a message that “One or more players is not ready for matchmaking.”
Solution: Current Game Session Leader makes someone else the Game Session Leader and with any luck, the new leader will be able to successfully choose a game type and begin a search for a game!
Global Problem: Party members disband/drop during the search
After all that time spent attempting to party up and get a search going, your boy XxIRunsH2AxX drops from the game session and winds up by himself, in his own search, looking for a new set of teammates to carry in his back pack.
Solution: Everyone presses B to back out of any searches and at this point, someone has usually decided to go do something more enjoyable with life. I highly recommend this until 343 resolves this and any aforementioned/non mentioned problems.
Global Problem: Party members get placed on the other team
Your party of 3 successfully searches for players in the Halo: CE playlist, however the search only produces one other player and creates a 2 vs. 2 game. You get teamed with the random player, while your boys start their own party chat and get their timers ready. The game begins, your random teammate begins to AR the sky, or the ground, or your back and you lose 50 to 19. You had 23 kills, but your random teammate fell to his death 4 times.
Solution: You were that random player once. Just have fun and hope 343 resolves this problem.
Party Custom Game Attempt
Global Problem (Possibly a Halo: CE Custom Game Specific Problem only): Can’t Change Teams
You’re in a party, you press X, click on your Gamer Tag, click Change Teams and there’s no option to do so
Solution: Play a quick FFA and once complete and all party members have returned to the game session and leader chooses a team game type, all party members should be able to successfully change teams as needed.
I’m sure I could list tens of more glitches/problems and request this and that but I’m going to stop here. It’s impossible to satisfy every one and meet every one’s requests, but I’m confident 343 will make this game very enjoyable and the community will play for years to come. Thanks for reading and take care.