Let me first say that I am in no way saying that a progressive ranking system is totally wrong. It can work side-by-side with a skill based system, like in Halo 3, but by itself the thrill in the game just dies out too quickly. Also, this may be my first post, but I’ve been on the Halo forums since the Halo:CE days, but I haven’t felt the need to speak out until after I’ve seen the abomination that is Reach and really don’t want Halo 4 to follow in its footsteps.
In my opinion, and the opinions of many others from what I’ve read, 343i is going in the wrong direction in regards to the matchmaking ranking system for Halo 4. The focus on a progressive ranking system just isn’t what makes the game great. In CoD, where the games are six players per team usually and involving huge game changing factors like killstreaks, a progressive system makes sense. There are times in CoD where most the kills in the game weren’t even made by shooting a gun, but by driving an RC car around or sitting above the map in the gunner seat of a helicopter. On the other hand, Halo has always been about small team, tactical play with a focus on winning. I’ve played Halo games since Combat Evolved was released, and even when I played at countless LAN parties, no one ever kept up with how many assists they got or their K/D ratio. What they cared about was winning. When winning a game is the focus, people have so much more fun in many different ways. People become more involved with the people they party up with because they want to play with people they know they can count on to play smart in every situation, not quit, etc etc. It just makes the game a much better quality experience for everyone. With a skill-based system, people can see who they are up against, and it produces an adrenaline-like feeling in the pregame lobby. For any Halo 2 fanatics, how nervous were you when you were in the mid 30 levels, and you want up against some people just a few levels higher than you? You knew before the game even started how intense it would be, and as a result, I’m positive you played above and beyond your expectations simply because you knew that if you didn’t win, your rank was going down. It’s that kind of intense atmosphere that makes Halo Halo.
A progressive ranking system can work brilliantly in supplementing the skill based system for things such as armor accessories and aesthetic things that don’t immediately affect the advantage one has when they enter matchmaking. This has been the cornerstone of Halo-gameplay for all time: When the game starts, everyone is one equal footing. It shouldn’t matter what armor ability or loadout you chose, because those shouldn’t be there anyway. What should matter is the strategy your team chooses to use and how well you can execute that strategy and defeat the other team.
I’m aware that many people think the 1-50 system can be exploited and so can the progressive system. Furthermore, if the progressive system unlocks items that can directly impact gameplay, it will be exploited immediately. 343i has said that some gametypes will start everyone off with the same loadout and such, but when you divide how the game is played, you also divide your fans. I believe you would be hard-pressed to find a competitive Halo 2 or Halo 3 player who is happy with the idea that 343i has for the upcoming ranking system. I’m open to new things, but we’ve seen the progressive based system fail in Reach. In fact, the entire ranking system in Reach is flawed. Arena has been the biggest disappointment I’ve seen in a Halo game in a long time. In Halo 2, it was so hard to level up that people had to cheat, and cheat a lot, to even get to 50. In Halo 3, getting to 50 wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t terribly hard if you were a pretty good, smart player. Why can’t 343i implement something in the middle? Halo is not Call of Duty, and although an online game isn’t judged entirely by its ranking system, the system to categorize players and create a competitive atmosphere is. Who really wants to play in a game where their teammates only care about how fast they can get to a power weapon so they can make sure their K/D might that game is high, not worried about if they will win as a team? In a team based game, you should win as a team, and lose as a team. The enthusiasum people have had for Halo 2 and Halo 3 as compared to Reach should make this statement obvious.