Spartan Ops free? Hardly

Look, I get how the gaming industry works. I know you guys at 343 are trying to do the best you can. I know a hell of a lot of stuff is forced on you by Microsoft. It’s their way or the highway. That’s why I’m directing any and all complaints about the handling of different things to Microsoft, especially when it involves Xbox Live.

Your system of having people not only permanently connected to Live, but also on Gold, in order to access, play, and replay Spartan Ops, alone, splitscreen or online is one of so ridiculous, I almost find it hard to believe its happening. Do you really expect parents to buy multiple Gold memberships so their kids can play together? Did you really think disabling Guest access to Spartan Ops was a good idea? Do you not understand how such things can be bad for business in the long run?

Look, I get that MS is a business, and I get that businesses exist to make money. I also know that there are better ways for everyone. Fine, if Gold must be used to access the Episodes, so be it, but don’t make it necessary for replaying, and let other accounts play local co-op without Gold. It will only encourage people to buy a Gold account for themselves, hell, if you have to, let them play the levels with a friend but bar those that haven’t accessed the Episodes with Gold from unlocking Achievements or XP if you feel you have to.

I urge you, let people play the chapters on any account, providing they first accessed them with Gold. It’s only fair that we keep the content we pay for.

EDIT: Many people have said that they have played Co-op with a guest account. Others have had the same problem as me. Exactly how it’s meant to be isn’t clear but it looks as though that part may be a bug.

It’s possible to play a single Spartan Ops mission offline if you’re playing it on a wired connection. Just pull the cable out.

Nonetheless, I agree. It’s annoying when I suddenly get disconnected and I don’t get the XP or Spartan point for completing the level. Replaying levels offline, that should at least have been permitted.

Lol you’re lecturing Microsoft on business ethics. Hehe I have to lul again… teehee

> Lol you’re lecturing Microsoft on business ethics. Hehe I have to lul again… teehee

It’s not just ethics, its an issue that could decrease long term profits. Its as bad for them as it is for us.

Honestly thought more people would respond to this.

Can’t believe 343 shipped the game with 13 Multiplayer maps, but only include 10 maps online, lol. That’s the only thing I hate that they have done.

You CAN play Spartan Ops with a guest. Why do people keep saying you can’t?

Link of me doing it-

https://app.halowaypoint.com/en-us/Halo4/AcidThe%20Wraith/spartanops/match-effe1e43475a9d1d

Other than that, I agree. Offline play should have been allowed.

it doesnt let me ply with a guest

> it doesnt let me ply with a guest

I’ve never had any problems and I’ve played most of the chapters with my roommate. Maybe its a glitch? o.0

I think spart ops would be awsome if they

  1. showed points when you get a kill cause we can never tell who is killing what in it - like firefight in reach
  2. add the little symbols like when you get headshots or double kills etc.like in firefight
  3. add the voice that says “overkill” etc like in firefight
  4. don’t restrict it to xbox live gold only, we should be able to play offline too
  5. Let us use our own custom skins in cutscenes
  6. Stop using the same maps, it get’s repetative
  7. Add punishment for deaths
  8. Don’t add so many exp points to each game. You can sit there and get 1 kill and get about same points as your whole team.
    I think spart ops would be awsome and would play it a lot if they did this. It has potential and they could easily do a few maps with the same firefight concepts. Lot’s of possibilitys going to waste.
    Other people prob don’t share my opinion on what I said, but I think it would make the game much more fun. If they made all these changes I would buy every single spart ops that came out.

> I think spart ops would be awsome if they
> 1. showed points when you get a kill cause we can never tell who is killing what in it - like firefight in reach
> 2. add the little symbols like when you get headshots or double kills etc.like in firefight
> 4. add the voice that says “overkill” etc like in firefight
> 5. don’t restrict it to xbox live gold only, we should be able to play offline too
> 6. Let us use our own custom skins in cutscenes
> 7. Stop using the same maps, it get’s repetative
> 8. Add punishment for deaths

+1

Gota love misdirected anger and frustration.

Ms is not really to blame but you can blame them if you want.

> I think spart ops would be awsome if they
> 1. showed points when you get a kill cause we can never tell who is killing what in it - like firefight in reach
> 2. add the little symbols like when you get headshots or double kills etc.like in firefight
> 4. add the voice that says “overkill” etc like in firefight
> 5. don’t restrict it to xbox live gold only, we should be able to play offline too
> 6. Let us use our own custom skins in cutscenes
> 7. Stop using the same maps, it get’s repetative
> 8. Add punishment for deaths
> 9. Don’t add so many exp points to each game. You can sit there and get 1 kill and get about same points as your whole team.
> I think spart ops would be awsome and would play it a lot if they did this. It has potential and they could easily do a few maps with the same firefight concepts. Lot’s of possibilitys going to waste.
> Other people prob don’t share my opinion on what I said, but I think it would make the game much more fun. If they made all these changes I would buy every single spart ops that came out.

  1. yep
  2. yep
  3. yep
  4. I think the best compromise (knowing -Yoink!-, they’re adamant about the money) is if you’ve played the level online, it should become accessible offline. It’s really disappointing to see an entire game mode that isn’t necessarily MP being inaccessible like it is.
  5. I didn’t even know there were cutscenes that depicted our Spartan!
  6. It’s a bit too late for that. The only hope of redemption lies in Season 2, assuming they haven’t already made it.
  7. Agreed, also scale Solo properly because spamming 8 Elites with fuel rod guns for Solo is crazy.
  8. They should make the XP payout performance-based instead of basing it on how quickly you finish a level. It’s much more easier to just play on Easy than waste time on Legendary only to get much less payout due to the amount of time spent on a mission. Sure the double XP thing and Fast Track might help but not everyone has access to/bothers with that stuff.

actually for business decisions like this yes they are. Remember they are the publisher it is there decision to make not the developer. Also for such things as not putting Forward unto dawn in with the LE game or even as a download. This is because of the cost involved with putting it on a disk in the package. Especially when they plan to release it for sale on blueray. They know people who bought LE will turn around and buy it on Blueray so they can watch it anywhere. Thats 2 times the profit because of savings of production and getting the extra sales. The decision for gold only use is also the publisher, who also happens to own Xbox live, is to make as many people as possible get Gold so profits are up. This does not affect 343 at all. So business based decisions regarding publication and access are on microsoft not 343.

I do agree about this whole always having to be connected to Live mess. You can’t play Spartan Ops offline even with a Gold account, and you can’t even earn any commendations offline (most notably the campaign legendary ones).

I occasionally take my Xbox on vacation and may not have Internet. It just kind of sucks that half the functionality of the game disappears with that.

Very frustrating.

> Gota love misdirected anger and frustration.
>
> Ms is not really to blame but you can blame them if you want.

MS is at the helm. They make all the business decisions and ultimately dictate what 343 can and can’t do. As an internal studio, 343 is under more control than Bungie ever was. That’s how this industry works.

I 100% agree that it doesn’t make sense to have a internet connection just to play Sparten ops. But no one can really do anything about it to convince 343/MS. I guess if you were able to gather a bunch of people they would make spartan ops downloadable missions. Otherwise 343/MS will pretty much ignore people.

> I 100% agree that it doesn’t make sense to have a internet connection just to play Sparten ops. But no one can really do anything about it to convince 343/MS. I guess if you were able to gather a bunch of people they would make spartan ops downloadable missions. Otherwise 343/MS will pretty much ignore people.

To be honest, I’m kind of thinking of trying that. I mean, if you’re disconnected during a chapter, you can still finish it so you obviously don’t need a connection. I honestly think that there handling of this will deter people from future seasons, especially if, on top of everything else, you have to pay for them.

Anyone else have a problem with this?

@eben gibon king

I do too have a major problem with this. I do not have a single friend on Xbox and Halo is one of the games I usually like to play splitscreen with them. I refuse to pay 60 $ for the game and not even have the right to play Spartan Ops offline / splitscreen. I always thought MW2 did an amazing job allowing people to play coop missions like special ops offline splitscreen. -Yoink!- copied that only they did so screwing every single XBL silver member. Offline + splitscreen has been available in every single Halo mode since like forever. -Yoink!- wants to force us all to buy Gold? Screw them. Let ‘em keep their game. I’ll wait to buy this game at like 20 $ and I’ll play with friends on PSN in the meantime… FOR FREAKIN’ FREE!