So with the new update to btb, which i think is exciting, i cant seem to find any of the new maps. I have only gotten Risen once and ancestors about eight times. this is after playing about forty games of btb since the update. would like to be able to test some of the other ones as well lol. what do you guys think of the update?
The maps are fresh. Echoes is pretty nice and open with a good flow for me. Traffic Jam is nicely hectic with thankfully no air vehicles. Assault plays nicely in BTB so far. Whatever means i have to play less strongholds.
I love the update. I’ve had to play a lot of old maps too. last night Scavenger three times in a row. I’m sick of that map. I wish there was a higher percentage chance of getting new maps at least for the first month.
The only one I’ve come across so far is Traffic Jam - another overly-vertical, under-detailed, generic-looking map that demonstrates about 10% of the potential of this forge. Does it play well? I don’t even remember. I was too disappointed to pay attention.
Halo 5 BTB is by far my biggest problem with this game. Why? Because, even with this update, it lacks the right kind of variety.
-There are more than enough maps, but they’re only allowed to play with one game type, severely limiting their replay-ability. Who wants to play Slayer on Viking? On Fracture? It can’t just be me, but that’ll never happen.
-While we’re on the subject of wasting maps, the rotation in the BTB playlist is the worst thing you could possibly do to a good playlist. Good news, though- it has an easy fix. Just split it- BTB Slayer and BTB Objective- and stop shoving all these different game modes down the throats of people who want a specific experience.
-As a result of these two factors- poor use of maps and a single limiting playlist- BTB feels like it’s straining to squeeze even an ounce of fun out.
The maps? Yeah, the maps are fun, I guess- but they’re overshadowed when you can only play one game mode on each one, and you don’t get any say. We don’t even get BTB Heavies in this game, even though there are more than enough good maps for it. No BTB KotH, either, months after its release.
tl;dr- Tom French, please fix matchmaking. Make BTB great again!
> 2535427648248832;4:
> The maps? Yeah, the maps are fun, I guess- but they’re overshadowed when you can only play one game mode on each one, and you don’t get any say. We don’t even get BTB Heavies in this game, even though there are more than enough good maps for it. No BTB KotH, either, months after its release.
What exactly do you consider BTB Heavies? Viking already has 2 Wraiths, 2 Banshees and 2 Gauss Hogs, Alter has a Banshee, 2 Warthogs and 2 Rocket Hogs, and Dispelled has 2 Scorpions, 2 Wasps and 2 Warthogs.
> 2533274873843883;3:
> The only one I’ve come across so far is Traffic Jam - another overly-vertical, under-detailed, generic-looking map that demonstrates about 10% of the potential of this forge. Does it play well? I don’t even remember. I was too disappointed to pay attention.
Very under detailed. I jumped into customs to check it out and man, so disappointed 
I think I’ve played all of them but traffic jam. Echoes is really nice, and I love Risen because Relic (I believe that’s the Halo 2 version) was one of my fav all time maps.
The less wasp and banshees on maps the happier I am tbh
> 2533274797303698;5:
> > 2535427648248832;4:
> > The maps? Yeah, the maps are fun, I guess- but they’re overshadowed when you can only play one game mode on each one, and you don’t get any say. We don’t even get BTB Heavies in this game, even though there are more than enough good maps for it. No BTB KotH, either, months after its release.
>
> What exactly do you consider BTB Heavies? Viking already has 2 Wraiths, 2 Banshees and 2 Gauss Hogs, Alter has a Banshee, 2 Warthogs and 2 Rocket Hogs, and Dispelled has 2 Scorpions, 2 Wasps and 2 Warthogs.
Ideally, I’d like to see a three BTB playlists: BTB Slayer, BTB Objective, and BTB Heavies, the last with a Halo 4-style mix of Slayer and Objective.
And more vehicles, faster respawns, more req varieties in play, and less worry about balance and team play. Heavies was Warzone Turbo before Warzone Turbo existed and forced you to burn reqs to play with the fun stuff in a larger arena.
As to exactly what I’d like, let’s use Viking as an example. In Halo 4, Ragnarok Heavies had two Warthogs, a Scorpion, two Mongooses, a Wraith, and a Banshee at each base, plus Ghosts, a central Mantis, a central Gauss hog, and a ton of power weapons. Viking is a great map, but the options for heavy vehicular combat are lacking.
I am liking the new maps but what I really want to see them do to btb is separate them into slayer and objective and that way we can play what we want. Objective in BTB is toilet. If I could be guaranteed slayer in BTB all the time I would play it a lot more often.
The only maps I played on are risen which I really like and looks gorgeous but the wasp should not be on it, echoes is another I like and is also a really good looking map, and ancestor like 8 times… I like this map and brings back memories of halo 1 and 3 but I would like to play the others (the map voting system should really return or at least a vote to veto a map the game chooses)
> 2535427648248832;9:
> > 2533274797303698;5:
> > > 2535427648248832;4:
> > >
>
> Ideally, I’d like to see a three BTB playlists: BTB Slayer, BTB Objective, and BTB Heavies, the last with a Halo 4-style mix of Slayer and Objective.
> And more vehicles, faster respawns, more req varieties in play, and less worry about balance and team play. Heavies was Warzone Turbo before Warzone Turbo existed and forced you to burn reqs to play with the fun stuff in a larger arena.
> As to exactly what I’d like, let’s use Viking as an example. In Halo 4, Ragnarok Heavies had two Warthogs, a Scorpion, two Mongooses, a Wraith, and a Banshee at each base, plus Ghosts, a central Mantis, a central Gauss hog, and a ton of power weapons. Viking is a great map, but the options for heavy vehicular combat are lacking.
Three BTB playlists is seriously thinning the population, but I say go for it. If the refresh has proven anything to me it’s that BTB has already abandoned any pretense at skill-based matchmaking and that means that the true downside to small population playlists is already here so there’s nothing left to lose.
“More req varieties in play” and “more vehicles” is a serious problem when your true ambition is to drive people into Warzone and maybe even get them to spend real money on weapons and vehicles. Makes me wonder, though, what kind of draw you’d get in a custom match with a game type labeld “Heavies.” I’ll bet it would be pretty good. You should maybe try that out sometime. Not when I’m around, mind you, but definitely try it out. Hell, just reading your description of Ragnarok loaded for bear kinda makes me want to curl up into a ball and play Reach Firefight…
> 2535434548670205;6:
> > 2533274873843883;3:
> > The only one I’ve come across so far is Traffic Jam - another overly-vertical, under-detailed, generic-looking map that demonstrates about 10% of the potential of this forge. Does it play well? I don’t even remember. I was too disappointed to pay attention.
>
> Very under detailed. I jumped into customs to check it out and man, so disappointed
I can never figure out if these guys are lazy, uninspired, or just trying to keep their framerates high. There are exceptions: Ancestor and Risen look pretty good - still not sure how I feel about the gameplay, but they look the part. Those two in addition to Scavenger make for a very short list of maps that don’t disappoint visually. The rest are a strange mix of non-existent or bad aesthetics and layouts that mangle anything that a classic Halo guy would recognize as legit BTB gameplay. It’s just not the playlist for me anymore, which is sad considering that it was just about my only multiplayer playlist in Reach or in 4. Oh well, there’s always Warzone.
> 2533274873843883;13:
> > 2535434548670205;6:
> > > 2533274873843883;3:
> > > The only one I’ve come across so far is Traffic Jam - another overly-vertical, under-detailed, generic-looking map that demonstrates about 10% of the potential of this forge. Does it play well? I don’t even remember. I was too disappointed to pay attention.
> >
> > Very under detailed. I jumped into customs to check it out and man, so disappointed
>
> I can never figure out if these guys are lazy, uninspired, or just trying to keep their framerates high. There are exceptions: Ancestor and Risen look pretty good - still not sure how I feel about the gameplay, but they look the part. Those two in addition to Scavenger make for a very short list of maps that don’t disappoint visually. The rest are a strange mix of non-existent or bad aesthetics and layouts that mangle anything that a classic Halo guy would recognize as legit BTB gameplay. It’s just not the playlist for me anymore, which is sad considering that it was just about my only multiplayer playlist in Reach or in 4. Oh well, there’s always Warzone.
Honestly, I feel like they could done a bit more. They coulda added more on rocket spawn where that big catwalk is, you should be able to crouch into cover. You’re so exposed while there
> 2535440693312185;7:
> I think I’ve played all of them but traffic jam. Echoes is really nice, and I love Risen because Relic (I believe that’s the Halo 2 version) was one of my fav all time maps.
The halo 2 map that RISEN is based off of is actually Uplift from Halo 2 Vista, but I like Relic too haha.
Im a co-creator of the map by the way lol XD
> 2533274873843883;13:
> > 2535434548670205;6:
> > > 2533274873843883;3:
> > > The only one I’ve come across so far is Traffic Jam - another overly-vertical, under-detailed, generic-looking map that demonstrates about 10% of the potential of this forge. Does it play well? I don’t even remember. I was too disappointed to pay attention.
> >
> > Very under detailed. I jumped into customs to check it out and man, so disappointed
>
> I can never figure out if these guys are lazy, uninspired, or just trying to keep their framerates high. There are exceptions: Ancestor and Risen look pretty good - still not sure how I feel about the gameplay, but they look the part. Those two in addition to Scavenger make for a very short list of maps that don’t disappoint visually. The rest are a strange mix of non-existent or bad aesthetics and layouts that mangle anything that a classic Halo guy would recognize as legit BTB gameplay. It’s just not the playlist for me anymore, which is sad considering that it was just about my only multiplayer playlist in Reach or in 4. Oh well, there’s always Warzone.
Except for the fact that Warzone has become an unplayable mess unless you have a sweaty crew at your side.
> 2535427648248832;16:
> > 2533274873843883;13:
> > > 2535434548670205;6:
> > > > 2533274873843883;3:
> > > > The only one I’ve come across so far is Traffic Jam - another overly-vertical, under-detailed, generic-looking map that demonstrates about 10% of the potential of this forge. Does it play well? I don’t even remember. I was too disappointed to pay attention.
> > >
> > > Very under detailed. I jumped into customs to check it out and man, so disappointed
> >
> > I can never figure out if these guys are lazy, uninspired, or just trying to keep their framerates high. There are exceptions: Ancestor and Risen look pretty good - still not sure how I feel about the gameplay, but they look the part. Those two in addition to Scavenger make for a very short list of maps that don’t disappoint visually. The rest are a strange mix of non-existent or bad aesthetics and layouts that mangle anything that a classic Halo guy would recognize as legit BTB gameplay. It’s just not the playlist for me anymore, which is sad considering that it was just about my only multiplayer playlist in Reach or in 4. Oh well, there’s always Warzone.
>
> Except for the fact that Warzone has become an unplayable mess unless you have a sweaty crew at your side.
I have to admit that just at the moment I’m in one of those places where it’s all too easy to see the down sides of both. But BTB, thanks to power weapon and vehicle proliferation is starting to feel like the inescapable hell that it always was (excepting the glory days of Halo 4), and with Warzone I’m less inclined to be disappointed because I never played it as it was intended to be played anyway. To me it was always just some huge, unstructured, and unforgiving mess. I’m not saying that letting go your mindset of a playable Warzone is a key to happiness, because my huge, unstructured, and unforgiving mess is not really a very entertaining place to be, but at least I’m shorn of expectations and therefore of disappointment. I’d like to say that WZFF is the answer, but they even found a way to make a PvE game mode into a sweaty PvP competition.
Anyway, you should remember to revisit WZ once in a while because these things have a way of going in cycles and you wouldn’t want to miss the one where all the try hards have gone to BTB because they can take half their Spartan Company with them.
> 2533274803964668;15:
> > 2535440693312185;7:
> > I think I’ve played all of them but traffic jam. Echoes is really nice, and I love Risen because Relic (I believe that’s the Halo 2 version) was one of my fav all time maps.
>
> The halo 2 map that RISEN is based off of is actually Uplift from Halo 2 Vista, but I like Relic too haha.
>
> Im a co-creator of the map by the way lol XD
That’s cool! Yes, it was Uplift I was thinking of. I have played it on Master Chief Collection many a time. Not sure why I thought it was Relic…
Just wanted to comment again now that I have finally had time to play all the new maps. First off the rotation in BTB needs to fixed because the old maps are far to prevalent and only ancestors out of the new map is actually ever in the rotation. Can’t comment on echoes, port authority or traffic jam as I haven’t played on them enough. Risen is great for both slayer and strongholds, plays well and looks great (don’t really mind the wasp but wouldn’t miss it either). Now when it comes to Ancestor, I have played this map at least a dozen times and I am just not feeling it. There are far to many power weapons and vehicles, two Wraiths, two ghost, two warthogs, several mongooses, two casters, scattershot, active camo, Spartan laser, gravity hammer, two splinter turrets, and a banshee. There are more power weapons and vehicles than there are players to use them (including both teams). This was the same issue Eden had when it came to the doubles playlist. Remove the Banshee, the caster, the wraiths, the sentinel beam (weapons is pathetic), scattershot and then add one central sniper rifle.
> 2535458298006257;19:
> Just wanted to comment again now that I have finally had time to play all the new maps. First off the rotation in BTB needs to fixed because the old maps are far to prevalent and only ancestors out of the new map is actually ever in the rotation. Can’t comment on echoes, port authority or traffic jam as I haven’t played on them enough. Risen is great for both slayer and strongholds, plays well and looks great (don’t really mind the wasp but wouldn’t miss it either). Now when it comes to Ancestor, I have played this map at least a dozen times and I am just not feeling it. There are far to many power weapons and vehicles, two Wraiths, two ghost, two warthogs, several mongooses, two casters, scattershot, active camo, Spartan laser, gravity hammer, two splinter turrets, and a banshee. There are more power weapons and vehicles than there are players to use them (including both teams). This was the same issue Eden had when it came to the doubles playlist. Remove the Banshee, the caster, the wraiths, the sentinel beam (weapons is pathetic), scattershot and then add one central sniper rifle.
Agreed lol