I will try to be as constructive as I can be with my criticism.
The game has the potential to be great once it gets out of beta, which is where it remains as of 08/01/22.
I’ve just loaded into a map twice in a row only to be unable to see anything. I can hear the match going on around me, but I’m stood helpless looking at a blank space. I’m unable to access settings using either my kb/mouse or my xbox controller. I’m therefore forced to quit the game, twice in a row, losing rank in the process and bringing myself closer to my second ban.
Yes, my second ban, since I’ve already been banned once after the game crashing twice in quick succession. It would take more than that to trigger a ban, you might say? Well, yes. Full disclosure. I did quit a few games. In every case, these were games where we loaded in and were outnumbered 4 to 3. I’m not talking about someone disconnecting during the game, which is frustrating enough. I mean the game began with 4 v 3. The game also crashed several other times, without any warning.
Add to this the desync issues, the lottery of whether or not aim-assist will load, the horrible mismatching of teams, and a myriad of other problems, and to call the game a frustrating experience at the moment would be putting it mildly. To then be penalised, both in terms of losing rank and facing bans due to no fault of your own takes the cake. It would be hard to design a more alienating experience…
Since 343i is perfectly aware of these issues, the least it could do is relax the ban criteria to take them into account. One more ban will be just about as much as I’m willing to tolerate.