Your personal idea of a Competitive Standard

Games Other Halo
1

Please by all means, fellow competitors, share what you believe should be in place to keep MM a nice and balanced play-space. Let your idea run, but keep in mind competition with reasonable incentive is key. I also know that we have other great players working on new gametypes with similar goals, like Ghostayame, but this is your opinion on whats good and whats not. Here is mine:

The Platypi Standard:

Pre-set loadouts in my opinion should stay, they keep variety, but on a fair basis.

Medic
Battle Rifle
Magnum
Frag
Regen Field

Warrior
Covenant Carbine
Magnum
Frag
Thruster Pack

These loadouts I think should be standard across all Ranked playlists, while personal loadouts can stay in social.
Ranked/Social Playlists:

Ranked:
Team Slayer
Team Objective
Big Team Battle (Non-infinitized!)
SWAT
Team Snipers (No shotty snipers! That really has Action Sack written all over it)

Social
Action Sack
Infinity Slayer (Containing standard Infinity Settings, as well as Sloppy bottom’s Infinity Lite gametype)
Big Team Infinity (Not necessarily just IS, maybe some Infinity objectives)
Grifball
Flood

The reason for there only being 10 playlists is to keep the population from spreading too thin.

Movement/Damage/Shield settings:
-Sprint, while I like it and argued fiercely for it’s safe keeping last night, does have faults. I say it will (not my decision, just an educated guess) stay in Halo 4, but I really don’t care anymore so if it goes into or dies before Halo 5, I won’t be mad.

-Melee damage should be lowered to 90% so it takes about 3 blows to kill. Roughly.
-General Movement should be raised to 120%, while jump height stays the same.
-Shield recharge should match that of Halo CE, but shield strength should stay the same as is now.

And that is all I have to say, please discuss, and post your very own standard of settings that you believe will provide the overall optimal experience.

Sincerely, Platypus.

2

We should aim to make Vanilla Halo 4 new and competitively viable while still leaving in a traditional experience for others.

Vanilla Halo 4

Remove from loadouts:
Plasma Pistol
Boltshot
Plasma Grenades
Most Perks
All Armor Abilities

Changes to base player traits:
Thruster Pack as trait (tap x + direction)
Shoot while thrusting(?)
Both toggle-able options(?)
Sprint removed.
>Movement speed buffed to somewhat below sprint.
>Wide FoV and visual effects of sprint like head bobbing.

Changes to sandbox:
Beam Rifle and SAW removed, replaced with modified Forerunner Focus Rifle.
Bolt Shot buffed and placed on-map.
Plasma Pistol and Grenades on-map.
All Power Ups (speed, damage, overshield, camo) on map.
All Armor Abilities buffed and on-map.
>Armor Abilities drop on death.
>Armor Abilities have long timer.

Ordnance
Not used in matchmaking except for action sack.
Completely customizable in custom games.

Classic Settings

Fixed loadouts (BR/AR Even Starts from Halo 3 and Class-Based from Reach)
No other changes.

Competitive Settings

Whatever direction they decide to take (new or old).

Remove perks and on-map weapons as needed.

However, I don’t believe they should have to completely change/strip the game to make a competitive setting. The game should be semi-competitive at its core to begin with (see Halo CE).

3

Unity

4

[/li]- Re-introduce an overall experience rank system that’s more difficult to max out then Reach’s. It’s not meant to replace the playlist skill ranks, but to replace the specialization ranks. The overall experience rank provides a much better indication of one’s time and experience with the game, plus it allows the challenge system, that’s meant to provide extra motivation through offering experience bonuses, to remain relevant for a much more extended period of time.

  • Never again use credits or tokens to purchase stuff in-game, because it’s silly and completely unnecessary. Anything that’s combat related should be available for everyone right from the start, while simply unlocking customization options, that are decorative only, should be tied into a player’s lifetime accommodation progressions, overall experience progression (not a specialization progression), and their playlist CSRs.

  • Matchmaking should always require that teams be even before a match starts by delaying a match start until an even number of players can be placed on each team.

  • JiP is necessary for matchmaking, but have an algorithm constraint built into it that’s meant to prevent players from being dropped into lost causes. An algorithm that gauges score differences versus time remaining by measuring the average net positive score per minute of the players/teams currently in a match verses those currently searching should allow it to better determine an appropriate time to lock a match.

  • An additional preventative measure for the JiP system should be to have a hard time or score cap which would lock the match regardless to its competitive nature; for example, locking a match with only one minute remaining, or less than 1/12 the score limit for the leading team. Also, the JiP window for FFA games should be incredibly small if not non-existent all together.

  • Once a match becomes locked (no JiP) with unbalanced teams, allow the remaining players to have the option to surrender. If 50% or greater of a remaining team (N/A in FFA) votes to surrender the game will simply end early.

  • The MMing system should monitor score limits to determine whether joining players should receive credit for a win or loss. For example, a player that joins a losing team shouldn’t be at risk of receiving a loss unless the team manages to take the lead at some point after the player’s arrival and if a player joins a winning team that never relinquishes the lead, then whether or not they receive a win in their personal record should depend on how much they contributed. An algorithm could compare their time on the team to the overall match time, and measure their score or contributions on an average-per-minute basis in comparison to their other team members.

  • Give players an option to prioritize their search parameters based on their preference for closer skill pairing, a better connection, or quick searches (default), thus helping to remove any purpose or need for a Ranked vs Social categorical split playlist offering.

  • A CSR system that fulfills its true purpose in being a utilitarian diagnostic tool. Ensure it diagnoses skill faster, and make it more fluid so that, as skills change day-to-day, players are seeing a representation of that. I want CSR to tell how good someone is now as opposed to an aggregate of all of their games to date, through which they’ve likely improved. With a more dynamic ranking system that diagnoses skill faster, as it was intended to do, achieving one’s true ranking will no longer be a monumental task. In a handful of games, they will have their skill rating. Credit: MADMAN Redux

  • As for making CSR visible in-game, I’d like to see its’ visibility pretty restricted. A player should have access to all of their own CSRs through their combat records, but only them. The only time I think a player’s CSR should be visible to other players in-game is after a match is completed. The post game statistics menu system is the ideal time to display player CSRs and only for that particular playlist.

  • Because of the shield system, I suggest taking out Instant Respawn from most, if not all, the playlists. Switch them to an appropriately timed respawn. Though, it could remain available as a custom game option.

  • In general, require all Flags to be picked-up through an action, like press “X”. The exception would be those games that specifically involve using an auto pick-up feature.

  • I’d like to see a combination of Flinch and Descoping. When ballistics strike shields the default effect should be to cause flinching when scoped.

scoped = flinch (the amount is specific to the incoming ballistic type and zoom of the scope)
unscoped = no flinch (though perhaps when sniper rounds impact a shield they should still cause some flinching)[/li]
When ballistics strike armor (no shields) the default effects should be to descope a player and cause minor flinching.

unscoped = flinch (amount is specific to the incoming ballistic type, though in general without the zoom of a scope the amount will be less in comparison to the scoped flinch effect)[/li]
Relating perk benefits:

  1. A reduction of the flinching effect (Support Upgrade - Stability)
  2. Cause an immediate descope (automatically) when shield damage is received (Tactical Package - ?)

  • The BR, DMR, and CC all receive the same exact theoretical TTK. The differences come by the cosmetic look of the weapon itself, the firing method (semi-auto or burst), the viewing design of the scope/reticle, including the RRR, plus the bullet magnetism, the weapon’s reload time, swap speed, raise time from sprint, reserve ammunition, and magazine clip size, which affects how many potential kills can be had per clip. And none of these aspects should differ greatly beyond the cosmetic ones. The LR breaks that TTK mold by having a noticeable advantage in its theoretical best TTK when scoped, but also an obvious disadvantage when used unscoped. All of the other metrics for the LR should be considered middle of the road in comparison to the other precision primary weapons.

  • Use the ODST SMG as a design principle for re-imagining how some fully automatic weapons (AR, Suppressor, & a fully auto needle rifle - no tracking) could better fit within the primary weapon offerings. Expand and contract the spread much more quickly, but in a fairly tight radius. Also, give the weapon’s bullets less magnetism. These changes are meant to reward burst firing over a “spray and pray” behavior. Increased RRR, but not quite to the levels of the precision primaries, plus give these Autos a 1.5x or 2x zoom feature and headshot capabilities.

  • Return dual wielding, but only for secondaries through a Halo perk benefit. The trade off for a higher lethality is that a Halo perk slot is used, grenades can’t be thrown while dual wielding, and no reticle zoom features. The secondary weapons could include the SMG, Magnum, Spiker, Mauler, (plasma) Storm Rifle/Pistol, and a Burst Pistol, plus a Focus Pistol - similar to the Focus and Sentinel Beam weapons. The Plasma Pistol and Boltshot get buffed and moved to being power weapons.

  • Delay the despawn rate of loadout weapons.

  • The War Games Playlist and other notable preferences relating to Ordinance Drops and Loadouts

5

I can agree with almost everything on that list.

I’d like to see search parameters expanded upon though (DLC owners only, social mindset, competitive mindset, so on)

I disagree with the surrender option, I could see it being abused.

6

> I can agree with almost everything on that list.
>
> I’d like to see search parameters expanded upon though (DLC owners only, social mindset, competitive mindset, so on)
>
> I disagree with the surrender option, I could see it being abused.

It would suck being a random and having two of your teammates in a 4v4 just surrender. If this is going to be a setting, I’d say it needs to be 75-85% or greater.

7

I should have initially added that it becomes available after a match becomes locked, but only if the teams become, or are, unbalanced in the quantity of players per team.

8

Divide Halo 4 into three sections: Default/Vanilla, Social Classic, and Ranked Classic.
Vanilla would have all the playlists that were at launch and have Infinity settings. There would be no CSR rating, individual or team. JIP is available for all playlists.

Social would have no Infinity settings, map ordnance, and would have game loadouts similar to Reach. CSR would be based on individual performance and be visible in-game. JIP is available for some playlists, but certainly not FFA.

Ranked would be like Social, except you would have no armor abilities at all, and loadouts would be like Halo 3 starts or Slayer Pro starts. CSR would be based primarily on winning but still be slightly influenced by individual skill; it would also be seen in-game. JIP would also be disabled for all playlists.

9

Make a game, then let me and hundreds of thousands of others play that game against each other.

We will take care of the rest.