Just to grind higher ranking really i enjoy the Ranked play competitiveness even when i get the 2 gold players in over their head on your team(though it is annoying when it happens lol) so i find the game enjoyable and look forward to full release and more people joining in the fights. Plus as a long time halo player a new one is always something interesting for a while and i know there will always be a decdicated lot that stick with it for quite awhile unlike other newer title fps titles.
The only thing about the game ivāe found annoying so far is the same thing i mentioned earlier that ranked matchmaking pairing you with people way out of the tier you should be playing in is kind of troll and not fair for either them and not fun for you since you kinda have to carry extra people and sometimes the games end up seeming like a 2v4 or 3v4 haha but iām hopeful that kind of stuff will fix on full release and more people jump in and they all finish placements etcā¦ I do also wish theyād add back in the list style play though so you can choose to play a single gametype.
I really like the question posed at the top of this thread, because it asks a question that would probably be really helpful for the developers to have answered, in a very thoughtful and respectful way that attempts to tap into āwhy players do what they do.ā
So, my answer in short: I want to play the game because the core gameplay loop is fun, but I find myself not coming back because I feel like my matches are inconsequential.
This morning I had a āhard-stopā after finishing all of my weekly challenges, and I found myself asking āwhy?ā I came to the following conclusions based on further reflection:
- Right now, the only thing I can do is grind +50 XP on matches that are inconsequential as far as what team wins or loses, or how well an individual player does in-game.
- I feel like my performance in game has nothing to do with my progression overall.
- I cannot tell you what the end goal of a ranked playlist is. I am Platinum IV, but what does that even mean and what is the highest rank?
- Why canāt we see each otherās ranks easily? People generally want their achievements to be visible, and that in of itself can motivate one to play.
- As far as the ranked playlist goes, I donāt have a means of entering a match with 4x friends playing on controllers against 4x opponents playing with controllers only.
- I am unsure if there are any accolades visible to everyone that cannot simply be bought and paid for. (I personally am not impressed by anyoneās ability to open their wallet.)
A lot of how I feel would be fixed with a change to the progression system that reflects how well Iām doing in game, but I also think the game would benefit from increased visibility of awards that have to do with skill and achievement (beyond armor).
The change to allow āOpenā + āControllerā input, so that matches feel a little more fair would help too (right now itās just āSolo / Duoā allowing āController Onlyā input.)
And then some of it could be resolved just having a clear end-goal of ranks that are visible to everyone, so we all know what we are working toward. I think ranking should even be reflected in the in-game scoreboard, as previous entries to the Battlefield series (before 2042), and other games have done.
Bottom line: the core game is there. I want to play it. I just donāt want to feel like my fun is being diminished by a system that is demanding I grind this hard to achieve things.
As you said games are design to be played for fun. If they need an xp grind or a dopamine rush for a skin to retain the playerbase that to me would not suggest respect.
A game you enjoy playing because you enjoy to play seems to be far more respectful.
But thatās why Iām playing its a great game that I enjoy. Its the only reason anyone should play anything.
For enjoyment.
If you canāt have fun without a āreasonā to play then maybe ask yourself why it is you play.
If it isnāt because you are having fun then thatās a very interesting piece of information.
In that.case what is the draw?
Iām still playing because the core of the game is fun.
The battle pass grind can get painful, but it stays there FOREVER, nothing is taking away that battle pass
So taking a break from the grind is what Iām doing right now, so that when I come back to do weekly challenges again, I wonāt be so burnt out on playing Halo nonstop.
Besides, this is still a beta, and Iām holding off on judging the game more until either the full game releases, or the end of Season 1.
Because most modern games are fun AND provide a sense of progression. Even if thatās only in the form of cosmetics. They are respectful of the time the player puts into the game. āWe know there are many games to choose from and you choose ours, and we appreciate that so this is how weāre going to thank you.ā
Basic game design tenets include:
- Always reward your player for playing. In adventure games, that means reward them for exploring. In competitive games, that means either cosmetics or progression or rewards that make competition easier, and thank god it wasnāt that. But Infinite basically fails at this.
- Always incentivise your players to play well. This is more for team games, as it makes the game better for everyone. More challenge, less hating on your team for not playing the objective, etc. Infinite currently fails at this as well.
- Never punish your players for NOT playing. Itās just going to make them feel forced to play, causing them to burn out - or itās going to cause them to miss out, and be less likely to come back and play. The rotating store, weekly limited challenges, FOMO in general do this. However, the Battle Pass took a step in the right direction.
- Have a fun and rewarding gameplay loop. Is it fun? I would say so. Rewarding? Well, individual engagements can be, winning can be, becoming better can be, showing off how good you are in a competitive game can be.
So Halo succeeds at one of the 4 tenets of good game design that I know offhand. Iām sure there are others but to violate 75% right off the bat is not excellent.
I think when people say āfunā they usually mean more fun than the alternatives.
For me the answer is fun - the halo gameplay loop has always been more enjoyable to me than competitors.
Thatās fair. Although there are other Halo games that accomplish the same thing, for free. This is shiny new fun, though.
Well thats a very subjective subset of people who play games.
It also doesnāt answer my question really.
Allow me to rephrase.
If you enjoy the activity why do you need and added incentive?
If the answer is because others provide that then it suggest to me that you donāt enjoy that particular thing as much as others.
I happen the find this game for example far more fun than any cod in the last decade and thus ill learn its nuances and continue to play and experience that game.
Which I would see as being more respectful of my time than playing vanguard because its somewhat enjoyable but gives me unlocks regularly.
Rewarding players isnāt exclusively done via XP cod4s impact of making mp suites commoditise progression was never as interesting to me as progression in halo 2 and 3 where my progress was my growth as a player rather than a gold skin for my rifle.
As for pushing players away thats sort off topic but thereās the argument to be made that people optimise fun out of things and forcing them to engage with the entire suite might lead to more experiences they didnāt know they were missing.
The inly people who know this for sure are those with back end data.
But we certainly saw a move to a similar system
Strengthen our population on a prior project so I canāt rule that out, Iām not privy to the information one would need to make a concrete claim on that matter.
Because itās Halo.
Thatās it.
Honestly if any other game pulled this -Yoink!- Iād bounce. But because itās Halo Iām willing to tolerate a small amount of -Yoink!- without any consideration.
Well said. Itās a competitive multiplayer game, and the competitive aspect of Halo is part of the fun. We should all know what we are working toward. Our in-game skill and actions should matter in terms of progression, the achievements should feel attainable and be visible to everyone, and they should mean something / feel rewarding.
Right now I donāt know what Iām working toward in ranked, I donāt have a clear idea of anyone elseās progression outside of it, and I donāt feel like the accolades mean anything if they can just be bought.
Pretty sure Iām done until they make serious changes to the progression system. Really sucks since I actually love the gameplay, I just cant abide getting the same BS 50xp whether I get 2 kills or 30, because I didnāt intentionally sabotage my team by doing challenges unrelated to us winning. Makes no sense.
Still playing because this is the first great Halo game in 14 years. So much fun.
I play cause its fun and I like how it feels simple as that really
Yes iām still playing, because Iāve thoroughly enjoyed everything that Halo Infinite has to offer and iām very excited for the future of this game and itās upcoming free events, Seasons, Campaigns, Multiplayer Story, modes, etc. Iāve been playing Halo since CE and every Halo has been different in alot of ways, no two iterations are exactly the same, and every time a new Halo has released there has been a part of the community that dislikes the new game. It happened with Halo 2, Halo 3, ODST, Halo Reach, Halo 4 and Halo 5 and now itās happening with Halo Infinite. And thatās okay, because sometimes different is bad to some, and great to others.
I love this franchise and I love the company that manages it. Halo Infinite is in itās infancy and so far iāve been having an absolute blast. I cannot wait to explore this game for years to come. Whether Iām partaking in massive battles in BTB, practicing my aim against bots, or climbing the ranks in Ranked, this game is a beautiful addition to an already glorious franchise.
Sorry, Iām not sure where youāre pulling āsubset of people who play gamesā from anything I said. I wasnāt talking about people who play games anywhere in my post.
What Iām saying is that āfunā is not enough for a game to survive. It might be enough for some people to keep playing, but ultimately all games are about progression. If not progressively unlocking cosmetics, then progressively unlocking equipment or abilities, or progressing through the story, or, in long-winded games, progressing through the match. Progressing through the ranks, progressing through the levels, etc. Without REWARDING progression, games quickly become stale, even if they do have a fun gameplay loop.
Anthem, for example. Super fun, badass game. Fly around a beautiful map, engage in sweet combat, etc. But because of its unrewarding loot system and FOMO store, it died almost immediately.
āFunā is not enough to maintain a playerbase. Without a tangible sense of improvement, people feel stagnation. Then they quit.
Also, on ārespectful of timeā - you mention Halo 3, but that had a rewarding progression system. Several, actually. The 1-50, the commendation ranks, AND your cosmetics unlocks - several of which were tied to the story and progressing through that.
This gameās got two āprogressionā systems, one of which is a fairly arbitrary, season-based (most likely) competitive ranking that doesnāt appear to be accurate in any capacity, and the Battle Pass that offers little in the way of progression for the playerās time. Our time can be spent playing any number of games, many of which are fun, some of which are just as fun as Halo, and others of which ARE HALO (just not the shiny new one) - all of which have more rewarding (see: respectful of player time) progression systems and gameplay loops.
The game is fun, donāt get me wrong. But there is a hard slap in the face coming if 343i doesnāt get their game together by the 8th, and that is these two lessons:
- Fun is not enough.
- You only get one chance to make a first impression.
343i is on their fifth first impression right now.
- The initial announcement
- The revised announcement
- The first flight
- The second flight
- This beta.
The fact that they have one more chance is, honestly, purely because of marketing brilliance. But if they donāt properly reward players by the official release, this game will be DOA.
It is the most fun Iāve had in a game since modern warfare 2 and reach back when I was in school, the gameplay just clicks with me and I love it. Even with the poor customisation available at launch, the heavily restricted battle pass levelling, certain weapons being sub par, and there being absolutely no incentive to win games - it is the best fps game I have played in years.
I am just playing BTB for hours and I havenāt been bored in a match yet, there is always at least one thing per match that is just so amazing, like skewering a wasp out the sky across the map or hijacking a banshee mid air, or just getting multiple kills with a sniper rifle.
I canāt imagine how good this game will be in the near future once they fix a load of stuff like weapon balancing and battle pass progression, and especially giving us an incentive to win, but for now I am playing it because, IT IS FUN. deal with it 
Hey more power to you, glad youāre having fun and I hope that will persist.
Not bothered about the progression personally (appreciate itās completely broke though) so Iām really enjoying it. Iām playing now expecting positive change and enjoying learning the new maps, pros and cons of each weapon etc.
Iām still playing because I am completely and utterly hooked on Infiniteās gameplay loop 
Iām not still playing, not consistently anyways. Iāll log in when the weeklies reset and get the easy ones out of the way, but itās not worth my time or patience trying to grind out the more difficult and unfun ones. I play games for fun, not as a second job, and Iām not going to burn myself out over it. 343 clearly does not respect their playerbase.