Proposed changes/fixes to competitive maps

Games Other Halo
1

I can’t be the only one disgusted with just how poorly Bungie botched several of the game’s default maps. It seems their intention from the start was to make this game as campy and non-flowing as possible, and force to use one of the many nooby AAs they implemented. So rather than just vaguely say ‘fix this, fix that!’ to Bungie or 343 or whoever, I’ve taken the liberty of suggesting numerous weapon changes across most if not all the maps we currently see in matchmaking. Not all the maps are completely done (I canvased them and rebuild from scratch), if anyone wants to help me with playtesting, say so and add me. Hopefully we can get something like this noticed by 343i when they take over, and they can just implement them.

Basically here’s a vague rundown of my ideas for select 4v4 maps (respawn time/extra clips [if applicable]). I’m not concerning myself with big team just yet. Any power weapons that aren’t mentioned have just been removed.

I haven’t taken screenshots yet, I’ll do so tonight for items placed in spots that can’t be clearly explained well:

Across the Board
-AA’s as pickups/AA respawns at 27. Combined with the 33 seconds it takes for a dead body to clear off the map, AA’s will respawn a full minute after their last user is dead. Should prevent abuse.
-The return of camo and OS powerups. Use a DOUBLE overshield, as a custom powerup. The nerfed ovie of Halo 3 was a joke and barely worth going for. Camo has a universal respawn of 120, custom OS is 180.
-Increased movement speed/jumping. 200% gravity.

Zealot
-Replace sword with active camo powerup.
-Add grenade launcher (120/3) at bottom ring.
-Add shotgun (180/1) to bottom yellow (not many places to camp with it, can’t be abused w/ sprint).
-Add evade to ring 2.
-Revert initial spawns to their original place (i.e. where MLG has them).
-Soft kill remains in space, however the increased gravity allows you land quicker and have much better flexibility and ability to choose where you want to drop.

Powerhouse
-Move rockets (180/1) to showers. Not set to start in team games.
-Add sniper rifle (180/2) to dormitory. Not set to start in team games.
-Add custom OS to water tank.
-Move gravity hammer to rock behind shed.
-Add jump-ups to shed roof, and put fusion coils up there.
-Add two grav lifts: one at the end bottom spillway to dirt path, the other at low bridge to the pathway between shed and lockers.
-Add evade to bottom spillway.
-Add fusion coils to P2.
-Move teams’ initial spawns to set up an opening rush for P1. One team starts beside the orange supports, the other in concrete hall.

Countdown
-Replace concussion rifle with rocket launcher (180/1).
-Add sniper rifle at big door (120/1).
-Use MLG initial spawns.
-Add active camo at 2nd floor balcony.
-Add hologram at bottom of triple lift.

Reflection
-Move sniper rifle (180/1) to back window.
-Move rockets (180/1) down next to former sword spawn, on the pathway.
-Add grenade launcher (120/3) to second floor, below top balcony. Not set to start in team games.
-Use MLG initial spawns.
-Add custom OS to middle pond, between the pillars.
-Add evade to OS/shotgun hall, and another one opposite that at double lift side.
-Add fusion coils to various spots at and around top balcony.

Anchor 9
Structural changes (using walls, most of these will probably require screenshots for you to actually know what I’m talking about, since my descriptions suck)
-Jump-up added from each street to each team’s turret area.
-Diagonal walls added in space to each team’s plasma pistol, to serve as jump-ups.
-More flooring added to the bottom parts of the space area.
-Shield doors removed.
-Bridge added from red turret area to blue turret area. Placed against the back wall.
-Ramps added perpendicular to each team’s stairs, up to their platform (screenie definitely coming for this one).
-Jump-ups added from each street to shotgun roof.
-Wall added to observation deck to make for easier jump from the shotgun roof.

Item changes
-Rockets (180/1) moved to back wall, at the center of the bridge.
-Custom OS replaces rockets in space.
-Sniper rifles (120/1) added below each team’s stairs.
-Shotgun (120/0) moved one level above it’s original position.
-Evade added to observation deck.
-Jetpack added to original shotgun spawn.

All I got for now. I’m working on some other ones. Thoughts, praise, criticism, suggestions? Let me have it. All I ask is that if you tell me I suck/my ideas suck, tell me why I/they suck as well.

2

MLG’s initial spawns on Countdown are horrific, and really show the disparity between what MLG wants in a game vs. what the community thinks is more entertaining/competitive.

Seriously, whomever thought the game should be started with two teams already pointing their weapons at each other should be made to play nothing but Octagon.

3

It’s not hard to just duck off to the side…

4

> It’s not hard to just duck off to the side…

So my first move has already been determined and can be anticipated?

Hey, if that’s your cup of coffee go for it!

I don’t like it, and I don’t see how that’s competitive. If you look at the spawns there, and especially in Asylum, but most other places too, you can see that Bungie specifically did the reverse of what MLG does with initial spawns to encourage strategy and out of the box thinking.

The MLG initial spawns may work well for MLG teams who are going to coordinate their fire, or “duck off to the side” together, but they just don’t work well for the rest of the community who’s suddenly wondering why they’re getting destroyed within the first 3 seconds of spawning into a game when for months they were fine with where they were at.

Ducking IS easy, I agree. (just not fun)

Explaining WHY you now need to duck when you didn’t have to for 9 months straight… not so easy.

5

> So my first move has already been determined and can be anticipated?

Yeah, it will force you to think a little and try outsmart people who think they’re outsmarting you. It’s called competition. Reach lacks it in it’s default state.

> If you look at the spawns there, and especially in Asylum, but most other places too, you can see that Bungie specifically did the reverse of what MLG does with initial spawns to encourage strategy and out of the box thinking.

Default Reach encourages strategy and out of the box thinking… um, no. No it doesn’t.

> The MLG initial spawns may work well for MLG teams who are going to coordinate their fire, or “duck off to the side” together, but they just don’t work well for the rest of the community who’s suddenly wondering why they’re getting destroyed within the first 3 seconds of spawning into a game when for months they were fine with where they were at.

Heaven forbid we encourage teamwork, instead of encouraging randoms who suck to run around the map like a chicken with its head cut off and trashed time and time again.

> Ducking IS easy, I agree. (just not fun)
>
> Explaining WHY you now need to duck when you didn’t have to for 9 months straight… not so easy.

Misunderstanding the point.

6

> Misunderstanding the point.

A failure to communicate isn’t any ONE persons fault.

I gave my reasons, all you came back with is “No”. Sorry, I still don’t understand you, care to elaborate?

OR… you can go play the MLG list, I think you would like there. Or heck, post this on their forums, maybe they’ll dedicate v5 to you.

But 9 months in is a TERRIBLE time to makes these kind of changes to these maps for the existing playlists, wouldn’t you agree?

7

i like a lot of these changes. they seem to promote a lot more map movement, which most maps are pretty lacking in right now. one thing i would like to see across the board is drop spawned weapons spawning every minute, 2 minutes, or 3 minutes. for the rockets they should spawn every minute (every map) with only 2 rockets and 0 in the clip IMO.

> > Misunderstanding the point.
>
> A failure to communicate isn’t any ONE persons fault.
>
> I gave my reasons, all you came back with is “No”. Sorry, I still don’t understand you, care to elaborate?
>
> OR… you can go play the MLG list, I think you would like there. Or heck, post this on their forums, maybe they’ll dedicate v5 to you.
>
> But 9 months in is a TERRIBLE time to makes these kind of changes to these maps for the existing playlists, wouldn’t you agree?

what?!? how can you possibly be saying that since too much time has passed improvements (if they are improvements) are just ‘too late’ to be made in this regard?

do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?

whats the problem of spawning looking at the other team? i fail to see how this is even remotely close to being an issue. with this you can not only do the EXACT same thing you could do with spawning not seeing the other team (in going different directions and mixing it up too), you can also use this initial knowledge of knowing which way people go, to trick the other team.

> The MLG initial spawns may work well for MLG teams who are going to coordinate their fire, or “duck off to the side” together, but they just don’t work well for the rest of the community who’s suddenly wondering why they’re getting destroyed within the first 3 seconds of spawning into a game when for months they were fine with where they were at.

default midship says hello, as does the halo 3 remake heretic.

you make it seem like spawning in the open, looking at the other team, just completely boggles the minds of the non-MLG players’. did you play halo 2 or halo 3? who the heck just stands there to get shot up and doesnt learn after 1 MAYBE 2 games starting on this map? its like you think everyone that isnt playing MLG just drools and drops their controllers every 2 minutes or something. give the non-MLG people a bit more credit yea?

this was literally NEVER an issue in halo 2 and halo 3 on midship and heretic, and its even less of an issue on countdown because you have more options off the bat in which ways you can go, and you dont even have to commit to one direction (theres many directions to go), you can go off to the side (sprinting to be convincing), then come back and go a different way when the other team moves on to do their own thing.

8

Alright I took the screenshots but my massive OP is a massive wall of raw coding and HTML that I just don’t have the energy to dig through and insert links where appropriate. EDIT: if you’re that interested, searching my gamertag on bnet and go to my screenshots. Forum won’t let me put a link in.

> A failure to communicate isn’t any ONE persons fault.
>
> I gave my reasons, all you came back with is “No”.

Because it’s the only response necessary. The saying has been beaten to death on every Halo forum since Reach dropped, a casual game can’t be played competitively, but a competitive game can be played casually.

We both know you wouldn’t be going anywhere if these changes were implemented.

> OR… you can go play the MLG list, I think you would like there. Or heck, post this on their forums, maybe they’ll dedicate v5 to you.

I shouldn’t have to be limited to one single playlist to get my reprieve from terribly made maps, endless AA Yoink!, and constant AR starts.

OR, hopefully 343i sees sense and gives us a ‘ranked’ or ‘hardcore’ hopper for four or five more intense playlists, and the rest of the game remains the mindless slog that you treasure so much.

> But 9 months in is a TERRIBLE time to makes these kind of changes to these maps for the existing playlists, wouldn’t you agree?

Nine months is a hell of a lot better than never. They should have made a lot earlier.