Ordinance and You

Games Other Halo
1

Attention: This is my opinion, it is intended to be an objective approach to the problems in this game that 343 calls “Halo”. I want to see if there are some others who feel the same way. I know I’m about to get flamed hard, but if you take a step back and think about some of the things you will read here, it might make a little sense.

In my opinion, Halo 4 is simply no longer competitive, at least within the MM side of things. Remember the days when map control actually mattered? It took a coordinated, communicating team to effectively control important, strategic locations of the map. Why? Two words: weapon spawns. I still remember the days of playing Halo 3 (didn’t play 2 online enough to comment on it) when my team mates would be screaming “GETZ TO LE ROCKETS”. Map control was essential. It would make or break the match. Communication was key as well. I don’t know about you, but in Halo 4 I personally have a hard time finding a team that wants to communicate to win (that is, when playing with PUGs). But why communicate or bother controlling the map when you have…

ORDINANCE. 5 kills (or is it 6?) and you get your first ordinance drop. This can be anything from a Needler (now grossly powerful) to an Incineration Cannon. But the point is, you no longer have to earn your weapons like you did in previous Halo titles. And no, killing a few people in this game is not “earning” your weapons. You no longer have to battle your opponents on equal footing in order to earn the right to use those weapons. Sure, you might say, this isn’t true in the beginning of the match when each map does have set spawns. But after that initial fight, everything is random. And guess what? No matter how much you argue or deny it, RANDOMNESS KILLS COMPETITIVE PLAY. I’m sick of not knowing what weapons are where. Knowing where weapons were in previous Halo titles was part of the battle: if you knew the other team had rockets, you were going to play conservative. Now you spring around the corner and BOOM: “Waaiiittt, when did he get rockets?!?!”.

Look… I’m not complaining because I’m another one of those Halo elitists or Gods. In fact, I’m a pretty average Halo player. I’m complaining because the current state of the game is just no longer competitive like Halo used to be; it’s way too user friendly, and that just simply kills the fun for those of us who loved competitive Halo. And while there is NOTHING WRONG with adding features that help new players to the Halo franchise get accustomed to the style that Halo is (or should I say, once was?), 343 took it way too far. Change is good; hell it can be great. But not what has been done to Halo. Period.

I mean, I could go on about all the problems in this game (that a -Yoinking!- BETA would have fixed… >.<) but I’m sure you have heard them all. And anyway, this is the aspect of the game that bothers me the most. Sorry about the wall of text, but this game is just too upsetting to not share my frustrations with the Halo community. Normally, I would never post something like this on the forums. But 343 has killed Halo in my books. I want my classic slayer and static weapon spawns back 343.

BEFORE YOU RESPOND: Yeah, you’ve seen my troll threads (just got off a two day ban; no regrets LOL). But I would like some serious posts please, about what you think about the competitive nature of Halo 4’s online MM.

2

Just as competitive as any other fps game you play. Is a score kept? Then the game is competitive.

3

Story of my life. Far too many blind sheep in this series though. As long as it says Halo on the cover, then they couldn’t give a damn about the online experience.

4

> Story of my life. Far too many blind sheep in this series though. As long as it says Halo on the cover, then they couldn’t give a damn about the online experience.

Well said.

5

It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.

Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.

6

I’d love to tear this apart in a Jon Stewart type prose to have some fun, but I simply cannot award a self identified ‘troll’ with a discussion. It’s like taking back an abusive girlfriend. You’re reaching out now but I doubt a brief ban caused a turn around.

It was well written, though, that’s a start. I love when people break their paragraphs rather than drop a block of text. Like going to a war memorial.

7

> It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
>
> Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.

Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.

8

> > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> >
> > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
>
> Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.

If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.

Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.

9

> I’d love to tear this apart in a Jon Stewart type prose to have some fun, but I simply cannot award a self identified ‘troll’ with a discussion. It’s like taking back an abusive girlfriend. You’re reaching out now but I doubt a brief ban caused a turn around.
>
> It was well written, though, that’s a start. I love when people break their paragraphs rather than drop a block of text. Like going to a war memorial.

I’d have you know that I can troll and have a pretty damn intelligent conversation at the same time. I’m not like other trolls. Trust me. :wink:

And by all means, please tear it apart. Would love to see that. Seriously; I want to know what you think.

10

> > > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> > >
> > > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
> >
> > Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.
>
> If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.
>
> Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.

Might want to check the logic on this one. It is still 100% random, even though some weapons are not allowed in ordinance on maps.

O.o

11

> > > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> > >
> > > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
> >
> > Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.
>
> If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.
>
> Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.

Again, no its 100% random. Unless you can show me proof(which you can’t) Stop acting like this game is perfect and get your head out of you’re -Yoink-. Don’t tell me to get better.

12

> Just as competitive as any other fps game you play. Is a score kept? Then the game is competitive.

That’s a terrible way of looking at it. Scores are kept so that games don’t go on forever. If they did, people wouldn’t be able to experience as many maps and gametypes.

OT: Ordnance is a cool idea, but it has no place in multiplayer.

13

> > > > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> > > >
> > > > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
> > >
> > > Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.
> >
> > If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.
> >
> > Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.
>
> Might want to check the logic on this one. It is still 100% random, even though some weapons are not allowed in ordinance on maps.
>
> O.o

Ok so random is they get snipes, sticky det, railgun, saw,or shotgun. Sword and hammer are worthless against boltshots and sticky grenades. DMR can out gun snipes with the right person. Sticky det is slow firing and easy to see hear and dodge. Railgun is easily countered by aa. Boltshot beats saw unless your out of place, and shotgun has boltshot counter. Stop complaining and get better.

14

agree the game is obnoxious now no longer what halo use to be.

15

This is the first thread of its kind. Never seen anything like it before.

16

100% agree with op ordinance drops are the main problem with this game being as fun as it could be, that and no ranking system!

17

> > > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> > >
> > > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
> >
> > Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.
>
> If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.
>
> Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.

no body has said they’re bad. stop saying get better. That statement doesn’t even really apply to halo 4 since its so yoinking easy now.
halo lost its competitive edge when they concentrated more on experience collecting than actually winning matches.

18

> > > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> > >
> > > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
> >
> > Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.
>
> If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.
>
> Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.

If the game gave you three out of a potential 4 options, it would still be 100% random, because it still wouldn’t be the same every time!

For example say I get 5 kills, and my opponent also gets 5 kills. I get a needler in ordnance, and he gets a sniper rifle. That is random, and unfair for me. Even if the needler and sniper rifle were equally good at getting kills (they’re not), and he couldn’t get head shots (he probably could), the I get 3 kills with my needler, and he gets 6 with his sniper rifle. That is not balanced competitive play.

As for loadout weapons, they’re certainly much more powerful than in previous games (except Halo 1), but the DMR is a 5 shot, the sniper is a 1 shot, the boltshot requires charging and has shorter range than the shotgun. The loadout weapons very inferior to the ordnance weapons.

The core of Halo was that winning depended solely on the skill and coordination of the teams. Now there are completely random elements which through that away.

I know everyone complained about Reach and even though it wasn’t so similar to previous Halo’s, it was still competitive and rewarded skill and team work. Halo 4 rewards getting a rocket launcher as ordnance.

19

> I’d have you know that I can troll and have a pretty damn intelligent conversation at the same time. I’m not like other trolls. Trust me. :wink:
>
> And by all means, please tear it apart. Would love to see that. Seriously; I want to know what you think.

I gotta say Sham you are in fact a favorite of mine on the ‘other side’ of this quality/balance debate. My thing is; why troll at all? It wouldn’t be acceptable in real life, so why act out online? You see my rep is on the line, because Kalyx triaD is my online persona across the board - I haven’t the luxury of trolling and being ridiculous online because a few searches will lead you directly to my personal blog page. A lot of people are anonymous online, and this is some kind of free pass for them to be silly.

And a lot of the problem, aside from anonymity, is credibility and consequence. Sure you have had a little ban, but should I just forget you admitted to trolling and have a convo with you? I think ostracizing people who don’t know how to act in the community can lead to mitigating trollish activity. This may be hard in article comment sections but much easier in a forum setting.

Consider all of that a warning. I have a soft spot for you since you seem to value my posts. So I will reply to your post. It has to be later since right I’m actually playing the game.

20

> > > > It’s fine, there are still spots on the map that you can take and hold. With a decent setup you can counter ordnance and win with ease.
> > > >
> > > > Ordnance is map specific, there are same that are more common than others and you can predict and counter them. Stop looking for reasons to say the game is dead and work to get better at it.
> > >
> > > Fun Fact: Ordinance is 100% random, random is bad for competitive gameplay.
> >
> > If you play as long as I have you’ll know it isn’t 100 percent random… There are some weapons that will not and cannot be gotten as ordnance on certain maps and game size. Weapon drops in game are random to a point but once again you play enough and you know what to look for… They are in the same places at the same times.
> >
> > Load out weapons are ridiculously good and are all you need to win a game anyway. Stop acting like this game is totally broken and get better.
>
> no body has said they’re bad. stop saying get better. That statement doesn’t even really apply to halo 4 since its so yoinking easy now.
> halo lost its competitive edge when they concentrated more on experience collecting than actually winning matches.

It’s still competitive… People just lose because there’s no team communication anymore unless you’re with friends. Everyone plays like this is call of duty, running around alone trying to get kills. It isn’t the game killing competitiveness. It’s people.

There’s always half the lobby with no mics and most of the time everyone mutes everyone anyway. Then they get voice banned after a certain amount of mutes and can’t callout anymore. This game is nothing but team play, this isn’t run around by yourself and die to 2 or 3 people

That said this game isn’t perfect. Dmr and boltshot are ridiculous. Carbine is horrid. Vehicles are paper. Laser is crap compared to h3. Playlists need to be grouped and different ones added like previous halos. There’s probably more but most of the crap I read in the forums is nonsense. And tbh ordnance is one of the only things that makes slayer fun. Not knowing exactly what’s coming from the other team at all times makes each match different. Unless of course your playing abandon, then get ready for boltshot abuse.