I struggle with the jet pack question as well, because for Halo 3 I trained myself to use the “bumper jumper” button layout, which is useful because you can jump without taking your thumb off of the aim stick. Now, in Reach, it makes the jet pack less useful because in this configuration the use equipment button is “x”, so I can’t fly and aim at the same time. Anyway, I have thought about it, and here are a couple of real strategic advantages to using the jet pack:
Multi-player Reach is essentially a team game. The team that wins is usually the team that plays like a team. Being able to get around the map quickly (think of getting upstairs in Zealot or Chateau)in order to provide support for team members is a lot easier with the jet pack versus the sprint option. I usually select it just to get around, event though I cant really aim.
Vertical assault. As anyone who’s read Ender’s Game could tell you, the closer you get to being directly over someones head (within say 20 deg. of 12 o’clock) the harder its going to be for them to score a head shot. By the time your directly overhead, it will be virtually impossible, while it will be hard for you to shoot them anywhere BUT in the head. Plus your a much smaller target if they’re shooting at the soles of your feet.
It IS fun. They got the physics just right. Reminds me of dreams I used to have when I was a kid. Just be glad they put a time limit.
for halo 4 it needs to be a pick up but for reach it just needs to be nerfed. but not in a rediculous way like you cant shoot while jping because in the end it still needs to be fun
jetpack breaks maps. It doesn’t break the core game mechanics or anything, (even though it is cheap to just fly straight up like a noob), it just breaks maps.
Most maps have multiple places you want to hold, simply because they are the high ground. 'Nades are harder to throw uphill, and so is shooting. Reflection: the balcony. Pinnacle: Tower of Power (crystal clear, don’t you think?) + sniper nest. The Pit: two sniper towers. Countdown: the upper ‘streets’. and so on.
Jet pack was designed for getting to places easily, and maybe getting an unexpected advantage against a team who locked down the high ground, for a chance to fight back.
Instead, you have entire teams jetpacking all over the place, putting themselves ontop of structures that aren’t meant to be positions of power, making the true positions of power actually a bad place to be. You can’t position yourself perfectly against a team of jetpackers, as they will always be able to get to you. This is why jetpack breaks maps. Not to mention the cheapness of simply jetpacking up high in order to make headshots easier for you.
Jet pack is an awesome addition, and it deserves a place in Halo, as it is a fun twist to it all. But only if it is rarely used. Of course you have entire teams jetpacking, it’s simply one of the best and easiest ways to get an advantage on your opponent.
Jetpacks need to be pickups, like in MLG, so they can be used like intended: catching people off guard, to regain control of the positions of power. There’s no point to designing a map with positions of power if they don’t matter anyway when you have everyone jetpacking.
> ]I struggle with the jet pack question as well, because for Halo 3 I trained myself to use the “bumper jumper” button layout, which is useful because you can jump without taking your thumb off of the aim stick. Now, in Reach, it makes the jet pack less useful because in this configuration the use equipment button is “x”, so I can’t fly and aim at the same time.[/h] Anyway, I have thought about it, and here are a couple of real strategic advantages to using the jet pack:
>
> 1) Multi-player Reach is essentially a team game. The team that wins is usually the team that plays like a team. Being able to get around the map quickly (think of getting upstairs in Zealot or Chateau)in order to provide support for team members is a lot easier with the jet pack versus the sprint option. I usually select it just to get around, event though I cant really aim.
>
> 2) Vertical assault. As anyone who’s read Ender’s Game could tell you, the closer you get to being directly over someones head (within say 20 deg. of 12 o’clock) the harder its going to be for them to score a head shot. By the time your directly overhead, it will be virtually impossible, while it will be hard for you to shoot them anywhere BUT in the head. Plus your a much smaller target if they’re shooting at the soles of your feet.
>
> 3) It IS fun. They got the physics just right. Reminds me of dreams I used to have when I was a kid. Just be glad they put a time limit.
I think many Bumper Jumper players feel cheated with the jet pack system. I my self have been a Bumper Jumper player as well in halo 3 and in reach and CEA. I can’t changed the button configurations to something else so I just use invise for stealth, not be notice when i see people jet packing. It would be awesome to have it as a pick up instead of a starting loadout. The only thing i see Bumper Jumper players being able to use well while jet packing is rockets.
Just remember that Legacy players have a “bonus” to their style of controller use too.
Recoil removes the advantage, but emphasizes low thumb-stick sensitivity to compensate.
And do also remember that BJ’s advantage is that you get to jump and do things much more easily than other configurations.
That’s why you like it no? Especially with melee on RB, you can jump, shoot and grenade without ever taking any digits of the thumb-sticks.
So for a third reminder, the advantage you sought for so long isn’t as advantageous as before. You’re not being ignored, you’re being balanced.
At the same time, personally we need a controller with 2-4 buttons on the belly.
Quite literally an inverted button-face controller would be perfect for FPSs on the console.
Our thumbs would never need to leave the thumb-sticks in pretty much any configuration.
Jetpacks offer 3D combat to the base 2.5D combat Halo has always been.
If you only love 2.5D combat, 3D combat probably IS NOT FOR YOU.
> Just remember that Legacy players have a “bonus” to their style of controller use too.
> Recoil removes the advantage, but emphasizes low thumb-stick sensitivity to compensate.
>
> And do also remember that BJ’s advantage is that you get to jump and do things much more easily than other configurations.
> That’s why you like it no? Especially with melee on RB, you can jump, shoot and grenade without ever taking any digits of the thumb-sticks.
>
> So for a third reminder, the advantage you sought for so long isn’t as advantageous as before. You’re not being ignored, you’re being balanced.
>
> At the same time, personally we need a controller with 2-4 buttons on the belly.
> Quite literally an inverted button-face controller would be perfect for FPSs on the console.
> Out thumbs would never need to leave the thumb-sticks in pretty much any configuration.
>
>
> Jetpacks offer 3D combat to the base 2.5D combat Halo has always been.
> If you only love 2.5D combat, 3D combat probably IS NOT FOR YOU.
Or… It was an obvious overlook by bungie for the button configuration
This controller configuration is pretty useless if you are playing default Reach since the jumping is so low you only have to use it when it comes to getting from point A to point B. In Halo 3 the jump was an effective technique to mix into a strafe or combined with crouch into a bunny hop but in Reach it is removed from the equation almost entirely. Another reason these techniques worked in Halo 3 is b/c of the nature of the BR spread itself.
I realized this in the Beta and had to change it back to default, relearning everything in the process. Unfortunately Bumper Jumper is on effective in MLG or Anniversary.
Bungie played a game on ODST: Recon/H3: Walkie Talkie players with the default Reach configuration on the B and X buttons.
B was reload right in H3 and just reload in ODST, while X was equipment/grenade type in H3/ODST.
That got swapped back to CE/2 style with Reach.
That was a very confusing move, other than it was “hey, we had to take a bit from BJ, so here’s default to even things out.”
Been clawing since CE… the inclusion of jetpack affected my controls not at all.
Jet pack doesn’t need to come out of all maps, just the ones where it defeats the map control.
Countdown and sword base are ok with it. Pinnacle, reflection, boardwalk don’t play well. I’m torn on powerhouse. Its like AL… that plays well with vehicle based maps, but terrible on anything where cqc is prevalent.
I use Bumper Jumper in halo 3 and refuse to use armor abilities in Reach that would make me change that awesome button layout. I still use bumper jumper in Reach and only use sprint. It hasn’t hurt my chances of devastation only using sprint.
I would have never used the jet pack anyways because I feel it’s cheap and I don’t care to use a cheap AA to get kills. I can stay on the ground and get plenty of well deserved kills by doing it the old fashioned way: map control.
