I think it should, I like being able to throw the flag in front of me. What do you think?
Yes the whole flagnum was a dumb idea. I don’t get why people wouldn’t want it in. If you want to keep flagnum, then dual wielding better be implemented because it makes no sense that I can carry a flag and shoot, but cannot shoot 2 guns at the same time.
> Yes the whole flagnum was a dumb idea. I don’t get why people wouldn’t want it in. If you want to keep flagnum, then dual wielding better be implemented because it makes no sense that I can carry a flag and shoot, but cannot shoot 2 guns at the same time.
Gameplay > Common sense.
I just don’t want to put up with the obnoxiousness of someone getting the Announcer to drone in my ears non-stop. I support the flagnum, as it gives you some method of self-defence that isn’t completely ineffective. (melee)
> Gameplay > Common sense.
>
> I just don’t want to put up with the obnoxiousness of someone getting the Announcer to drone in my ears non-stop. I support the flagnum, as it gives you some method of self-defence that isn’t completely ineffective. (melee)
You don’t want flag juggling because the announcer is annoying?
i hated the flag jugglers, and liked the flagnum. but they hve to tune down the magnum so it will encourage people to help the flag carrier
Almost all the additions to flag in Halo 4 made it a worse and slower paced gametype, especially when combined with 4’s other flaws such as sprint.
Flag juggling should return because of the greater number of strategies and maneuvers that can be performed. Tossing down/up the flag, baiting the opposing with the flag, juggling the flag for a faster but more exposed cap, stealth runs while holding the flag, etc.
The announcer being ‘annoying’ is not a good enough reason to remove it, since that can should be something the developers account for on their own. It should not be impossible to limit the announcement to once every couple of seconds, so it is not constant any time someone is juggling the flag.
> > Yes the whole flagnum was a dumb idea. I don’t get why people wouldn’t want it in. If you want to keep flagnum, then dual wielding better be implemented because it makes no sense that I can carry a flag and shoot, but cannot shoot 2 guns at the same time.
>
> Gameplay > Common sense.
>
> I just don’t want to put up with the obnoxiousness of someone getting the Announcer to drone in my ears non-stop. I support the flagnum, as it gives you some method of self-defence that isn’t completely ineffective. (melee)
That’s not a gameplay issue, it’s just an issue of comfort. Moreover, it’s not an issue with gameplay, but a mere technical issue with how the game handles repeated audio announcements at the program level. It’s an issue that could “easily” be solved by a system that detects the frequency of announcements, and simply doesn’t play the audio beyond a certain frequency (say, once every five seconds).
But that’s only enough to make the current fix an unnecessary one. What makes it a terrible one is the effect it has on the possibilities of tactics with the flag.
First of all, the point about the Flagnum giving a form of self-defense is completely superficial. One of the exact reasons we should be able to drop the flag is to defend ourselves from attacks by using our primary weapons. However, dropping the flag means the flag is not moving anywhere until the situation is over. This means you have to know whether you should push onwards with the flag or defend yourself. You are given a choice that judges your ability to understand the game. Such choices are a crucial part of any game.
The second point why dropping the flag is necessary is teamwork. When teammates can shuffle the flag between each other, more opportunities for teamwork arise than the obvious strategy of escorting the flag carrier. Maybe your team can keep control of the rest of the map while you, who has a rocket launcher, go to the enemy base to take the flag. If your team is in a good position, you don’t necessarily need to be defended, and your team can work more efficiently. Maybe the height differences of the map are structured in such a way that plain running with the flag could take a long time, but getting the flag to the base would be really fast if only you could hand it over to a teammate.
Not allowing the player to drop the flag restricts strategic innovation. It restricts players to do things they are expected to do, which creates no interesting play or strategy.
It was pretty annoying with the whole “FLAG TAKEN! FLAG DROPPED! FLAG TAKEN! FLAG DROPPED!”, but it was an effective and efficient method of moving the flag across the map. On another note, I also preferred it without the Flagnum, but that is just me being a little traditionalist when it came to the mode.
What would you rather listen to, “flag stolen, flag dropped, flag stolen…” or “your flag taken, protect your flag, your flag taken…”?
> > Yes the whole flagnum was a dumb idea. I don’t get why people wouldn’t want it in. If you want to keep flagnum, then dual wielding better be implemented because it makes no sense that I can carry a flag and shoot, but cannot shoot 2 guns at the same time.
>
> Gameplay > Common sense.
>
> I just don’t want to put up with the obnoxiousness of someone getting the Announcer to drone in my ears non-stop. I support the flagnum, as it gives you some method of self-defence that isn’t completely ineffective. (melee)
Your argument has me puzzled. You support the flagnum because it gives you self defense. Yet if there is juggling involved you can easily drop the flag and start shooting. If the announcer is really the only problem you have then I show no pity for you as it is something that doesn’t affect game play.
Objective (Flag, Oddball, etc) Can be Dropped
-Yes
-No
Objective Sidearm
-None
-Magnum
-Shotgun
-*Every applicable gun in the game, list goes on.
As for matchmaking itself, default CTF should have flag dropping enabled with sidearm off.
> When teammates can shuffle the flag between each other, more opportunities for teamwork arise than the obvious strategy of escorting the flag carrier
Yet for some reason people complain about the Oddball being droppable when I see no real difference.
> > When teammates can shuffle the flag between each other, more opportunities for teamwork arise than the obvious strategy of escorting the flag carrier
>
> Yet for some reason people complain about the Oddball being droppable when I see no real difference.
I think the problem with odd ball throwing was in high level games the ball wasn’t changing hands between teams enough. The new gametype gave the team with the ball all manner of new strategies to help retain the ball but it gave no new options to the team trying to take the ball. The problem wasn’t depth it was just Counterplay balance.
> > When teammates can shuffle the flag between each other, more opportunities for teamwork arise than the obvious strategy of escorting the flag carrier
>
> Yet for some reason people complain about the Oddball being droppable when I see no real difference.
Are you talking about Oddball throwing? Because I don’t think I’ve heard people complain about dropping it. That said, I think throwing gives too much room for error when the teammate doesn’t need to be near to receive the ball. It makes shuffling the ball too easy. I see it as a better option than not being able to do anything at all, but I’d rather see it be restricted to a far smaller range, to be perfectly honest.
Whatever dropping to defend says about tactical decisions and overall strategy is, in my mind, overwhelmed by the fact that juggling is an antiquated game mechanic and it plays like just that.
It also overlooks the different set of tactical decisions and changes to gameplay which the flagnum brings to the table. It’s not like the flagnum is the Halo 1 pistol. It’s not like it gives your teammates freedom to ignore your route. It picks up the pace of the game. It gives everyone on the map some kind of teeth, which is far more important than having one less gunner on offense.
If anything, flagnum encourages more players to contribute toward moving the flag forward. Isn’t that the objective, after all? Instead of letting others pad their K/D while some chump gets murdered again and again, now you might actually have incentive to contribute instead of snipe from a distance.
Besides, what does dropping the flag to defend yourself matter when your opponent is likely attacking you from outside of radar range with a scoped-in BR?
I voted “yes” it should return…
BUT honestly what I hate about the new CTF is auto-pickup, the waypoint, the inability to drop the flag, and the flagnum. I’m not as super fond of flag juggling as some of the other classic fans. I would be interested in seeing if there was some way to have flag dropping without flag juggling (perhaps a delay in being able to pick up the flag again, or a shorter throw range)…
BUT then again, I think it would be smarter for 343 to return to a proven formula rather than trying to reinvent the wheel for a second time.
Flag juggling > flagnum …which is not to say there couldn’t be a better way than both.
Some of the best CTF strats in past Halo games revolved around throwing the flag. Throwing the flag off and controlling the enemy base on Hang Em High. Throwing the flag down on Midship or up to a teammate for the quick score. Throwing the flag out the top of Battle Creek and Beaver Creek. Throwing the flag out of the gate in Zanzibar. Throwing the flag off the top on Relic. It’s been a staple of Halo from the start and 343 changed it just for the sake of changing it. It added ZERO to gameplay. In fact, it took alot from it.
> Some of the best CTF strats in past Halo games revolved around throwing the flag. Throwing the flag off and controlling the enemy base on Hang Em High. Throwing the flag down on Midship or up to a teammate for the quick score. Throwing the flag out the top of Battle Creek and Beaver Creek. Throwing the flag out of the gate in Zanzibar. Throwing the flag off the top on Relic. It’s been a staple of Halo from the start and 343 changed it just for the sake of changing it. It added ZERO to gameplay. In fact, it took alot from it.
So are you for it?
I hate to be cliché, but the ability to flag juggle and pass the flag added a lot of skill and depth to the game and removing this auto-pickup nonsense is just common sense.
As long as I don’t hear “flag stolen, flag dropped, flag stolen, flag dropped, flag stolen, flag dropped, flag stolen, flag dropped, flag stolen, flag dropped” during the entirety of the match, sure, why not?
Absolutely, it allows for strategy and is a skill that people can develop. Auto pick-up is frustrating when engaging in battle. The Flag/Magnum was a cool concept in the sense that you can defend yourself, but in practice just made it an inconvenience for the flag runner. In H3, if i had to engage in combat with the flag in hand I would just drop it and use my BR.
For the people who are saying this. The Flag Announcer is not a good enough excuse for it to not be in the game.