Well, so now almost 4 months AFTER THE LAUNCH of MCC, the multiplayer is finally playable for the vast majority of people and in almost a launch ready state after the 3/3/15 Content Update. Umm….Congratulations? Anyways, I just felt like addressing the elephant in the room from the get-go. It’s summed up quite nicely in the lovely H2A cinematics.
The Noble Prophet of Truth sentencing Thel ‘Vadamee in High Charity before the Council
Prophet of Truth: “ …Your inability to safeguard Halo…was a colossal failure.”
Now moving on from that note, Thel ‘Vadamee got a 2nd chance, and I do believe in 2nd chances. I do appreciate the Content Updates and thank you 343 for taking the steps to fix the situation that was MCC at launch. Below are written simple changes that could be done over Content Updates that I feel would vastly improve the Multiplayer ecosystem for MCC. I’ve also addressed some issues that are a work in progress right now for MCC.
1. Please change Rumble Pit Playlist to 6 Player FFA
Why is the FFA Playlist still matchmaking 10 people per game. Please change this to 6 players max like it was in Halo 3. Anymore than 6 and it’s just too many and turns into a total mess. I would really prefer 6 player FFA in Rumble Pit.
2. Please change H2A Team Slayer to 4 vs 4
I really prefer 4 vs 4 team slayer in Halo. There’s just too many people and it feels to crowded in H2A team slayer with 5 vs 5 people. Could H2A Team Slayer please be changed to a 4 vs 4 playlist.
3. Please keep all players in the same lobby post match
It would be really great if all the players in a match-made game could stay in the same lobby post match like all the other Halo multiplayer games, and all other fps multiplayer ecosystems. Please address this in a content update soon. This would make everything flow so much smoother, partying up with other players, chatting with everyone post match. And not having to go through the whole matchmaking process again, when you’ve found a group that clicks and wants to keep playing with and against each-other. Another reason this system works great is it ensures you won’t keep playing the same map each match, as it brings up different maps for voting on game after game. When everyone gets kicked out of the lobby after each match, it’s very possible you will get matched into the same map you just played previously when you restart the matchmaking process. And it’s just jarring and frustrating to be kicked out of the lobby after every game and have to restart matchmaking every. single. time.
4. Please remove Halo Music from Multiplayer Lobby or make it optional
As much as I love the Halo Musical Score, there is indeed a time and place for it. I strongly feel that the matchmaking/multiplayer lobby is not a place for it. Both Halo 3 and Halo: Reach had soft ambient sounds that played in the background when you were matchmaking and in the multiplayer lobby. That was very appropriate and implemented very well and unobtrusive. Even the Halo 5 Beta opted for that route, with soft ambient sounds, beeps and inaudible radio chatter while matchmaking and in the lobby that did not grow tiresome. I love Halo music, it just becomes grating when its blasting in my ear while I’m waiting in a multiplayer lobby and chatting it up with people. I would prefer that the music either be removed and replaced with soft ambient sounds or be made an option in the audio settings for the multiplayer lobby. Otherwise, I love the music! The music is lovely in the Main Menu and everywhere else
5. Team Doubles, Team Snipers, and Team SWAT
Team Doubles, Team Snipers and Team SWAT are classic playlists loved by hardcore halo fans and I strongly feel they should always be accessible in matchmaking. I get that 343 wants to rotate special playlists and gametypes, the above 3 are just so tied to epic Halo Multiplayer gameplay that they should always be accessible.
6. What is 343 going to do to repopulate MCC
Even if 343 completely fixes and polishes MCC so it is rock solid and on par with the multiplayer ecosystem of Bungie Halo’s (it still is not), will this game die a premature multiplayer death due to the absolutely abysmal launch? At this point only the die-hard Halo fans remain for the MCC and the ones willing to put up the post launch support. What is 343 going to do to repopulate MCC? I pose this as a question and challenge to 343, and the halo fans would like an answer and action on 343’s part, beyond just fixing the game.
7. Where is the skill-based matchmaking?
I would like to see skill-based matchmaking please.
7.5. Search Restrictions in Matchmaking?
Halo Reach had great ‘Search Restrictions’ in matchmaking. You could search for players who:
- Were of similar skill (skill-based)
- Prioritize Connection (search for players with strong internet connection)
- Language (search for players of same language)
Yes, this might be a lot of work to add this feature to MCC, would it improve MCC if we could choose how it searches in matchmaking? Options are always great.
8. What will be done to address quitters?
Players quitting from games is a rampant problem right now in MCC. This needs to be addressed. It would be great to be able to join in-progress games, or some kind of credit/exp/progression system similar to Halo Reach where you get rewarded extra if you routinely finish games. Or whenever the “rankings coming soon” finally arrives, quitting will penalize your rank.
9. Where are the population counters for the playlists?
Please add population counters for the playlists. Players like to see how big of a pool they’re drawing from, and this has always been in Halo. If 343 is embarrassed by low playlist populations, and doesn’t want the halo community seeing them, well… the community would feel better of 343 if the population counters were there.
10. “Ranking Coming Soon”
I can see why ranks haven’t been implemented yet across the board in MCC, the multiplayer ecosystem still isn’t perfect. Now there is the problem of too low of playlist populations to pull similarly ranked players from. Maybe there should be social and ranked playlists, this is something that eventually needs to be addressed though. It is now nearing 5 MONTHS AFTER LAUNCH as of this writing on 3/30/15
11. Betrayals should be bootable
When teammates purposefully betray with intent in Halo, it is always infuriating and frustrating when there is not an option to boot them. There should always be an option to boot a player when they betray you, please add this.
This is all the constructive criticism I have for the moment, I may make another post like this in a few months based on 343’s progress with the MCC multiplayer ecosystem. 343, I know you can do great things as a development studio, and I really want to see you do them and experience them as a gamer and a fan and a customer of your product. I wish you the best and I ask that you respect the Halo fanbase and the hardcore halo fans who make up the halo community by delivering a quality halo product (and continue to provide support for the lifetime of said product) and doing everything necessary to improve that quality if it isn’t up to par in as efficient a manner as possible.
Long Live Halo!!!