Ok so right now there are 95,000 people online in reach. Thats about the top at this point in time id say. So ive tallied down some population totals from the new sections. We have:
Standard: 29535 (all 5 lists are well above 4 figures, lowest is Snipers 2971)
Evolved: 14736 (just four lists are above 4 figures, the other three are 3 figures, lowest is super slayer 685)
This is interesting. Right away i can see that the update achieved its stated goal of concentrating player numbers, so in that regard it is a success.
Its also interesting to note that the standard section has just about double the population of the evolved section.
I complained a bit about evolved ending up with 7 lists vs standards 5, and arguably some of the better lists too, whilst i argued at the time for a more even 6/6 split. Given this im a bit surprised to see that so many more are still playing standard, even when evolved has more and better lists. I thought it was a bit unfair at the time, but now it seems that while evolved has more variety, standard has by far more population.
Which means that Standard should provide a much better actual matchmaking experience in terms of skill matching (critically reliant on large player pool), any search options you might want, consistently finding close by players for less lag and faster search times, than you will find in Evolved. It has always seemed to me since halo 2 that a list needs to break at least 1000 pop before any of those parameters becomes consistently good, of which all 5 Standard lists comfortably qualify (lowest 3000), but only 4/7 Evolved lists do (and that will go through the floor at off-peak times, plus double team is already perilously close to the line at 1259). Perhaps 343i intended this outcome, knowing how much more popular vanilla has historically been compared to TU, so that each section has its advantages and is thus balanced and fair? Evolved has more and better gametypes, while Standard has an overall better matchmaking experience.
What conclusions would anyone else draw from this?
I’m still under the impression that the majority of the Reach population can’t tell the difference between Vanilla and TU settings.
> I’m still under the impression that the majority of the Reach population can’t tell the difference between Vanilla and TU settings.
Hahahahahahaha LOL. That’s probably true unfortunately.
I have come to the conclusion (from many posts on the forums I have been seeing lately) that many players do not know or cannot tell the difference between Standard and Evolved. Standard has the highest average population because it contains Living Dead(the easiest and most popular playlist) and Team Slayer(The first playlist on the list, and the “standard” Team Deathmatch experience that is always the most popular in any game).
> I’m still under the impression that the majority of the Reach population can’t tell the difference between Vanilla and TU settings.
Pretty much this. That, or most of the population doesn’t really care about the difference in settings and just wants to play the game.
I think the population skew has more to do with standard holding some very popular niche playlists - swat, snipers, living dead - than a difference in TU vs Vanilla. Add to that that standard also holds “Team Slayer” which (regardless of the settings) is the most popular playlist name in Halo history and it’s not hard to see why the number are the way they are.
Not true Bito. Social slayer was/is more popular than TS. TU supporters just can’t admit that Vanilla is more liked than TU (looking at super slayer vs TS).
> Not true Bito. Social slayer was/is more popular than TS. TU supporters just can’t admit that Vanilla is more liked than TU (looking at super slayer vs TS).
Guaranteed if you put TU settings in Team Slayer and Vanilla settings in Super Slayer, the majority wouldn’t notice.
The population doesn’t understand what TU settings are or their difference from the normal game.
That’s not me being a blind TU supporter, it is the honest truth.
> I’m still under the impression that the majority of the Reach population can’t tell the difference between Vanilla and TU settings.
That may be. But this isnt another tu vs vanilla thread. This is a thread about how well the august update is turning out overall.
> Not true Bito. Social slayer was/is more popular than TS. TU supporters just can’t admit that Vanilla is more liked than TU (looking at super slayer vs TS).
You mean how like BTB’s population stayed the same regardless of TU or not? Or how there are at least 3 posts a month asking what the TU settings change, exactly?
If there was a BTB in the standard playlist, evolved would be a ghost town.
> If there was a BTB in the standard playlist, evolved would be a ghost town.
And if Evolved was the top choice on the list, Standard would be Squad DLC-status.
> > I’m still under the impression that the majority of the Reach population can’t tell the difference between Vanilla and TU settings.
>
> That may be. But this isnt another tu vs vanilla thread. This is a thread about how well the august update is turning out overall.
Explaining why more than half of the OP draws a comparison between Standard and Evolved, right?
> > Not true Bito. Social slayer was/is more popular than TS. TU supporters just can’t admit that Vanilla is more liked than TU (looking at super slayer vs TS).
>
> You mean how like BTB’s population stayed the same regardless of TU or not? Or how there are at least 3 posts a month asking what the TU settings change, exactly?
Couple of points, BTB population numbers did begin a downward slide until heavies was released, it received a significant population boost from that.
The fact that people cant tell, dont care or otherwise are not drawn to the TU settings after all the promotion and hype speaks volumes about its quality and supposed improvement of Reach.
Im of the opinion that 343 simply cant pull the TU because it would be an omission that they completely wasted their time and MS’s money.
> > If there was a BTB in the standard playlist, evolved would be a ghost town.
>
> And if Evolved was the top choice on the list, Standard would be Squad DLC-status.
If that was true, Anniversary would have been far more populated. You are applying a theory that was in practice and it did not pan out. People know what they like and are able to navigate the playlist to find it.
> > > If there was a BTB in the standard playlist, evolved would be a ghost town.
> >
> > And if Evolved was the top choice on the list, Standard would be Squad DLC-status.
>
> If that was true, Anniversary would have been far more populated. You are applying a theory that was in way in practice and it did not pan out. People know what they like and are able to navigate the playlist to find it.
Anniversary was DLC required…
> > > If there was a BTB in the standard playlist, evolved would be a ghost town.
> >
> > And if Evolved was the top choice on the list, Standard would be Squad DLC-status.
>
> If that was true, Anniversary would have been far more populated. You are applying a theory that was in way in practice and it did not pan out. People know what they like and are able to navigate the playlist to find it.
Anniversary required the player to spend a one-time fee of $15 in order to enter the playlist. As with all the Anniversary lists.
In order to play Team slayer, people had to pay a one time fee of anywhere from 60$ to 35$ and a monthly Xbox live fee of about 7$ and a monthly internet connection fee that can range from 35$ to 80$.
I doubt a one time 15$ fee would stop them from the irresistible urge to play the playlist on the top of the page, if it had such a magnetic pull as you are suggesting.
Got anymore theories?
> In order to play Team slayer, people had to pay a one time fee of anywhere from 60$ to 35$ and a monthly Xbox live fee of about 7$ and a monthly internet connection fee that can range from 35$ to 80$.
>
> I doubt a one time 15$ fee would stop them from the irresistible urge to play the playlist on the top of the page, if it had such a magnetic pull as you are suggesting.
>
> Got anymore theories?
Because I know many players who do not want to have to pay $15 more, when buying Reach and Live in the first place is enough to keep them occupied.
> > In order to play Team slayer, people had to pay a one time fee of anywhere from 60$ to 35$ and a monthly Xbox live fee of about 7$ and a monthly internet connection fee that can range from 35$ to 80$.
> >
> > I doubt a one time 15$ fee would stop them from the irresistible urge to play the playlist on the top of the page, if it had such a magnetic pull as you are suggesting.
> >
> > Got anymore theories?
>
> Because I know many players who do not want to have to pay $15 more, when buying Reach and Live in the first place is enough to keep them occupied.
But its on top, it must be the best, everybody knows that. =P