Frank O'Connor Ramblings - significant, or not | 2old2play

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#1 Tue, 03/20/2012 - 09:44

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Frank O'Connor Ramblings - significant, or not

I pick up on ramblings of OuterWorldVoice/Stinkles (Frank O'Connor) on NeoGAF quite often. I will stick some of them in here.

I may raise some of these as separate topics too.

Today's unf list.

New key art.

Cinematic of new thing.

Animatic of utterly new thing.

Scale revelation.

Weapon naming decision

Music date

General realization

Granular realization

Engine look

Feature improvement

Unf.

Originally Posted by Blueblur1:
So far Wraparound is remind me of Narrows. *shudder*
nope. Nothing like it. But I like narrows.

Originally Posted by Pok3R Fac3D:
"You, as a player, have the ability to customise all aspects of your Spartan warrior – and not just cosmetically. For the first time in a Halo title, you can actually change gameplay-impacting components. This allows you to customise load outs and gives you gameplay enhancements that can be unlocked through the progression system."

I don't know how more people aren't nervous about this :X

I'm on my phone, sorry.

People are nervous about any change. It's one of the inherent tensions in making a sequel - and that terror sometimes impedes evolution or improvement. Of course, it sometimes prevents catastrophic change.

The game needs to move forward to stay healthy and it needs to change to evolve. There are two things that you should bear in mind when thinking about that, if you're conservative and calmness is all that's required. One, is that the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level, but two and more importantly, the changes are not simply being slapped on willy nilly. They're carefully thought out, considered and balanced. And ones that don't pass muster, you will never get to try.

I can tell you bluntly that it "feels" 100% like Halo, without a shadow of a doubt. It's an evolution, not a reset or a reimagining. There will be loads of new stuff to learn, get used to or reject, as with any Halo sequel, but it won't feel alien (except, you know, the alien bits).

Originally Posted by wwm0nkey:
I still don't think we will get any major info until E3.

You would be incorrect.

Originally Posted by HigherLevel:
I'm not worried about the "perks" or whatever it is. As long as the gunplay feels like Halo and the movement feels like Halo I will most likely enjoy it.
The epic dongings I administered and received with Mr. Vociferous today say yes.

Frankie 4.6.12

There will be a podcast. Nerves will be soothed. Things explained. Items clarified.

I wouldn't worry.

Storm before the calm.

David Ellis 4.7.12

For those expecting a podcast release this weekend, don't. All of the information you're getting at this point is from leaked scans of the GI article. As is the case with all cover stories, the magazine needs to start hitting more hands before we offer full clarifications.

I will say this, some of the conclusions that are being reached are not entirely accurate. Some of the mp items mentioned in the story have changed since the media visit. I can't really say too much more at this time, but please be patient while we begin clarifying and answering questions in the near future.

As Frank has said previously, we knew some elements of the Halo mp evolution would be controversial in some circles, while many others would be less so. Keep in mind that none of these design decisions have been made lightly, but have been carefully thought out and continue to be tweaked based on feedback from people playing the game.

And yes, Spartan Ops is as awesome as it sounds. Can't wait to share more.

Frankie 4.7.12

The magazine scans were always going to come out the day after the cover debuted, that almost always happens. We can't talk about the story in detail, because it is GI's exclusive. I will say that some of the things that "invested, emotional" players are "raising eyebrows slightly at" are being very misinterpreted ("random" weapon spawns for example) but we will be able to clarify some of those things in due time.

Some of the other features, abilities, are also being discussed with no context (not your guys' fault, obviously) and frankly, a video of TS would probably allay many of the especially hysterical reactions, but we're not there yet.

We haven't seen a single reaction we didn't expect (apart from the Dax love story) and we will clarify a lot of this stuff 100% in the coming weeks and months. SOME of the things in here won't be properly understood outside of a holistic experience (modes, progress, fictional setting, etc) but I am going to say one thing and leave it at that:

It feels like Halo, it does NOT feel or act like the other game(s) it's being compared to. Again, without playing it, you can't be blamed for jumping to certain conclusions.

Frankie 4.7.12

Originally Posted by mastrbiggy:
Well Forerunner vision basically is a UAV in COD. It lets you see players without actually having to see them.
Not really. As will become clear. I imagine a competitive player with good situational awareness would try it once and eschew it for something else.

Frankie 4.7.12

You cannot start with snipers whenever you want. (unless you are playing a sniper mode)
The weapon drops are not "random." They are telegraphed and in some ways, predictable. There is variation, however. Map control will still be key, but yes, changed. Custom games will be heavily customizeable, and initial playlists will be clean and focused. Players will not be presented with stacksof lists, but there will be variety for different tastes.

David Ellis 4.8.12

Originally Posted by Striker:
I'm hopefully going to assume that they won't have that enabled in objective based modes.
You assume correctly.

Frankie 4.8.12

Originally Posted by Ramirez:
Frank's comment about X-Ray being something a good player tries and immediately picks something else, makes me think that it has a very short range. Like probably just for looking around a wall of a base you're about to go into. Still lame, but I don't believe it will cover the entire map...
You cannot use Forerunner Vision to see players anywhere on the map. Absolutely not.

Frankie 4.8.12

We will not be talking about ranking or progression in detail for a while. We are not using TruSkill in the same way Reach did. That's about all we can say for now.

Suffice it to say the game will match people appropriately - Tashi to Kyle, for example, and me to WalshOgreSkrillexTwinBlains.

Frankie 4.9.12

Originally Posted by TheOddOne:
Although no mention of armour lock coming back, they know we hate it.

Yeah, no Firefight. Hopefully Spartan Ops can fill that void.
Armor Lock is gone. Spartan Ops will scratch that and other itches.

Frankie 4.9.12

Originally Posted by Zeouterlimits:
Not a fan of dual-wielding, hope it stays buried.
no dual wielding.

Frankie 4.11.12

Originally Posted by NullPointer:
Please spin this in a positive light HaloGAF. I know the so-called perks need clarification but I didn't know until now that those unlocks included weapons and armor abilities.
All weapons can and will be available "normally" in the sandbox in Campaign and or MP - depending on game mode. "Unlock" and loadout info will come in the weeks and months ahead. But I wouldn't worry about it. Be like freaking out because you start with Snipers in Team Snipers.

Obviously we have a lot of features and content to explain - some stuff we haven't even touched on. But the main band aid has already been ripped off. I suspect that most news from hereon out (with occasional rage diversions) will be good news for the vast majority of players and styles of players.

Frankie 4.13.12

Originally Posted by higherARC05:
Considering how this game looks straight up AMAZING. I wonder if it is because it has some of the base work for when they move to the nextXBOX. Wonder if the efficiencies they made for next gen is the reason they are able to pull of the sublime graphics this generation.
Mostly due to overhauling almost all the systems. Or completely rewriting some of them.

Frankie 4.13.12

Originally Posted by Letters:
That's unfortunate. I don't even get why they're including instant respawn, they're fast enough with the current time. By the time your body stopped ragdolling and you gave the score a peek you were already spawning.
We adress this question in the Podcast. It's very simple, really. Of all the things people are worried about, this one will end up being the least controversial, I reckon. I suspect it will end up being a thing most people don't even notice after a game or two.

Frankie 4.13.12

Originally Posted by Hitmonchan107:
Exactly what I was thinking. That's my biggest non-balance complaint about loadouts. Sometimes I don't have enough time to cycle through them between deaths, which usually means I:

A) choose a loadout I didn't mean to choose (by inadvertently clenching the controller at the last second)
B) get stuck with a loadout I didn't want.

Especially if the maps are made where choosing different loadouts is a primary issue between deaths, I don't believe instant respawning will be such a bad thing.

And you have a very reasonable amount of time to choose your loadout (although there is a timer that will put you back in a game to avoid AFK).

Frankie 4.16.12

Originally Posted by TheOddOne:

OMG HALO 4 COMING TO PC!

I wonder how fast Kotaku will report this.
Yeah, no.

Frankie 4.16.12

Originally Posted by monsterfracas:
The fact that in most of these videos the mantra is "you're just gonna have to trust us" and "this is still halo" is a little unsettling. And I really don't like the rock/paper/scissors approach to AAs. Why should someone get a free kill on me just because I didn't pick the right armor ability to combat his/hers?

Still, I'll withhold judgement. A gameplay video's got to come soon, it just has to.
We're a new team. We're making changes. You can't try them yourselves yet. There is no other way to state it. We can't guarantee you'll like the changes, but we can state unambiguously that we think you'll like them, because most of these changes are things we would be (naturally) afraid of on paper, but found they worked great when implemented, so we're in a lot of ways, similar to you guys in terms of expectations, but with the comparative luxury of having tried and experienced them.. Ergo we have to politely request trust and keep feeding more and more information. And we have to ask for trust. If in the end, you decide it's not fun, or not the game for you, that request will still have been a polite request for patience while we roll out information. You don't have to trust us, but we still have to ask. It's manners.

Video and gameplay will go a long way to making people's minds up, and that will happen, but right now, all we have to work with is that.

Frankie 4.16.12

Originally Posted by Arnie:
Do you think Armour Abilities (including sprint) were a good addition to the Halo sandbox in Reach?

If so, what specifically do you think they added that you'd like to preserve in Halo 4?
Personally? I liked them, except Armor Lock, but always felt like the ambiguity and randomness of what I could be encountering was scary. Like, will I get a game full of holograms? Will I only be fighting Jetpackers? Etc. Of course I say that as someone who uses Sprint, almost exclusively. If it were rock, paper, scissors, I always used rock, no matter what.

Halo 4 will feel different. For lots of reasons.

Frankie 4.16.12

Originally Posted by bobs99 ...:
As someone who works in software development I find it extremely hard to believe that a requirements document full of ambiguous features would have gained approval. What im trying to ask really is, if the features worried you so much on paper, how the hell did they get to implementation stage?

I haven't been doing it long, but I just don't see any possible way a PM would ever say, "Oh I hate the sound of all of those features, here's a budget for development to throw them in anyway".

Its hard to trust when all we have to look at seems so bad and the official line seems so blurry.
"Paper" is not a literal term. Implementation and tools can be instantenous, or quick and iteration is constant. Nobody writes a list fo features and puts it on the production slate. They try, test, prototype, hone and implement. And LOTS of things do not make the cut either as ideas, or after failed prototyping. That's just how it works.

Frankie 4.16.12

Originally Posted by Hydranockz:
That struck me as odd too. At least 2 player online is still confirmed. You cannot play Reach with 3 or 4 players online for anything other than a complete laugh.
I agree with you. Rich cool people play with one screen liek Richie Rich. Cool kids who are charitable play with 2 player split screen, like BJ McKay and his Best Friend Bear. Brady Bunch maniacs do four player split screen and I assume they fail at SWAT a lot. BUT - Halo 4 still supports four player split screen for MP - Brad was conflating co-op, I suspect.

Frankie 4.16.12

Originally Posted by Recarpo:
Will it be similar to reach where some playlists are only allowed 2 player splitscreen or is it 4 player across the board?
Not sure to be honest, that's something that would emerge from playlist testing, but it wouldn't be a technical limitation.

Frankie 4.18.12

Will it take 8 weeks to unlock the BR?

No.

Each map/mode will load with a default, appropriate loadout. An example:

BIG MAP WITH LONG SIGHTLINES (imagine Blood Gulch)

DMR
Magnum
Frag Nades
Map appropriate Armor Ability

Now it may take you a while to end up with precisely the combo you want, but the maps and modes are all carefully paired with VERY useful default loadouts so you don't end up on a giant map with nothing but an AR and a sadface.

Frankie 4.18.12

Originally Posted by op_ivy:
just so we're clear... even if you don't have the BR unlocked, that doesn't mean it isn't present within a default map loadout, correct? also, it would be present on the map itself as a pick up?
Anything dropped by another player is useable, all maps/modes (specialty lists like Snipers, for example, obviously ignore this rule) will contain at least one appropriate loadout UNSC "role" weapon, which would be DMR or BR depending on map. As described above. Ordnance is separate system from that, obviously.

Frankie 4.26.12

Originally Posted by GhaleonEB:
The more I learn about the new game systems, the more I hope there are robust ways to message to players what is included in the game types they are firing up in matchmaking. Ordnance drops? Personal ordnance? Different scoring methods? Really hope there is ample space provided for a description of the game and the options as set up. Reach and Halo 3 were poor at this, but with the added complexity comes an increased need for it.
We are HUGE fans of adjectives, verbs and nouns.

CTF UI is currently masterful, as an example. You know who's flag got taken, by whom and more importantly, kind of what you should do about it.

This was always a frustration of mine with ANY fps - it just kind of assumed you were an old pro at Counterstrike.

Frankie 5.1.12

Originally Posted by Havok:
You want it to be even easier to aim and have more shots? Boy, vehicle combat would finally have a bullet put in it, even more than Reach managed to do.
One thing I can state unambiguously is that more emphasis has been put on larger MP maps to support Vehicle combat. Including adjustments to stop vehicles being torn apart by breezes and harsh language.

Frankie 5.3.12

This is what CyReN said.

E3 Guess:
Intro for Halo 4 (expand from NY one last week)
Vidoc about MP (Carnage Carnivale ish)

This is what Frankie replied.

Originally Posted by CyReN:
E3 Guess:
Intro for Halo 4 (expand from NY one last week)

Nope.

Ergo, implication of MP Vidoc at E3 and or Campaign Intro similar to what was shown at the NY Press event.

Frankie 5.4.12

Regarding No dedicated servers for Halo 4.

Originally Posted by daedalius:
wtf is going on in here now?

People going aggro about a thing that they think would be nice to have, that they knew they weren't going to have a long time ago, but have regurgitated it again so that the conversation can continue to be three or four people repeating the same thing over and over again.

Frankie 5.7.12

1-50 DRAMATICALLY increased boosting. Which in turn, decreased its relevance. This is not arguable. That said we are thinking of ways to let players understand relative skill levels without increasing abuse based on that metric.

Originally Posted by Homeboyd:
I'll agree with that. But would you say that more often than not, when you played against people who were 45+ in skill, they were better than most other players? I know this held true for me most of the time... sure there were times when you could tell a player playing on a 50 wasn't of that skill level, but for me, these encounters were rare. Obviously arena isn't the way to go.. so I wonder, what other possibilities are there?
I found that late 40s was effectively meaningless - so polluted was it by boosters etc. Of course 30 seconds of gaming could disprove that on a case by case basis. Late 30s, early 40s meant I was going to get donged on.

Anyway, we have a couple of things we're looking at.

Originally Posted by Overdoz1z:
Getting a 50 still means a lot, especially in something like the MLG playlist. Not having a 1-50 system because 3 12-year-olds bought an account is silly.
The bolded is completely wrong. The numbers were bafflingly large. People with no skill and a lot of time (and occasionally money) on their hands made your 50 a mostly personal achievement.

Originally Posted by Pok3R Fac3D:
But every system has boosting. The system in Reach has farming. MW2's system was abused more then Halo 2 and Halo 3's imo and there was no meaning in MW2 ranks. No matter what system you have people are going to exploit it, so why not bring back 1-50?

Yes over in Halo 2 essentially 90% of the 40+ ranks were cheaters, but 1-39 for the most part were pretty accurate in what I saw. Not to mention the banhammer doesn't have to worry about modders, and it's drastically improved since 2007.

pls frankie.
There's no issue with the system, or the nomenclature - it's the poitioning and perceived value. This is one of those instances where you should be careful what you wish for and the law of unintended consequences. But we have some ideas.

Frankie 5.8.12

We are not using the Arena ranking system from Reach.

http://halo.xbox.com/Forums/yaf_postsm926628_Do-not-dissapoint-me--343i.aspx#post926628

Originally Posted by Overdoz1z:
In the First Look vidoc you guys mentioned not ripping maps out of campaign but instead building them from the ground up for multiplayer. I always felt like that was a bit of a jab at Reach because a lot of people thought the maps were taken from campaign.
It's not a jab at Reach, it's the same clarification I have given every time this comes up. We are approaching them as standalone efforts, rather than trying to have them serve dual purpose.

Whether you're a fan or not, I actually really enjoyed the empowerment and Deja Vu of Reflection.

Frankie 5.13.12

I just ripped the entire Halo 4 soundtrack to a more portable format from the GIANT uncompressed files. Right now it's about 100 tracks of stuff. Obviously the OST will be way less than that, given variants and vignettes. We have an opportunity to work with some VERY amazing electronic musicians and one or two vocalists to do a second disc of remixes the OST disc would be 'pure' to avoid breaking any Benjamins. But I think it would be pretty badass.

But goddamn does Neil Davidge have good taste in 'instruments.' there are some sounds in this that I just can't stop getting goosebumps from. Especially given the fictional context for some of these moments.

We listen to these tracks on Mackie studio monitors and the amount of detail is absolutely insane. When I think about these getting jammed through stereo speakers on a TV (including mine in one room) I sob a little.

Frankie

#2 Tue, 03/20/2012 - 17:13

SmirkyDewy

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Deep are you a little nervous what 343 Industries version of Halo will be?? They don't seem to have the connection to the fans like Bungie did. I for one may pass on the next Halo for the first time if I feel they've dropped the ball on this one.

#3 Tue, 03/20/2012 - 18:22 (Reply to #2)

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i'm a little worried, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think they're out of touch. I do think they have a little different outlook on what things should be. that might be a great thing, or it could be a disaster. they have some halo "authority" on board to make sure it doesn't wander to far from what it's been. I lean towards it being an improvement.

#4 Tue, 03/20/2012 - 18:29 (Reply to #3)

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SmirkyDewy wrote:
Deep are you a little nervous what 343 Industries version of Halo will be?? They don't seem to have the connection to the fans like Bungie did. I for one may pass on the next Halo for the first time if I feel they've dropped the ball on this one.

I would say guarded rather than nervous. I am reasonably optimistic about Halo 4.

343i has done more to connect with their community than even Bungie did. At least in some ways.
They frequently play with the community for fun, not competition like Bungie did.
They continue to add community maps into MM and many of those are full time.
They added a controversial Title Update that attempted to address community concerns. Pissed off a lot of people too.
They attempted to adjust playlists with the community in mind. Successes and failures there. Divided the community too for awhile. They actually listened to the complaints and made more changes. I think I've noticed the complaints have reduced.
Looks like they are putting more into upgrading the Halo engine than Bungie did.
They are attempting to align the non-game Halo Universe with the game.
Halo 4 is looking and sounding very good at the moment.

I figure any current decision to acquire Halo 4 or not is premature. There is so much yet to see and so many months remaining to go.

#5 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 15:02

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Added new stuff in OP.

More news soon.

#6 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 18:11

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So...PAX East then, for more and hopefully new info.

#7 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 18:43

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Cautiously optimistic. I like some changes 343 has revealed but concerned about others. Reach didn't feel like the previous Halo titles yet it grew on me. I'm sure as long as 343 doesn't screw Halo 4 up technically (controls, movement, hit detection, etc), it too, will grow on me.

#8 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 19:36 (Reply to #7)

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OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:
...I like some changes 343 has revealed but concerned about others. Reach didn't feel like the previous Halo titles yet it grew on me. I'm sure as long as 343 doesn't screw Halo 4 up technically (controls, movement, hit detection, etc), it too, will grow on me.

I am just the opposite. I enjoyed Reach at first, just because it was fresh and new. Now that I feel like I've "been there and done that" it has become stale to me.

I am encouraged by Frank's comments, but it's still frustrating having to constantly be told "more to come LATER".

When is PAX?

#9 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 19:55 (Reply to #8)

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DarthTabasco wrote:
OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:
...I like some changes 343 has revealed but concerned about others. Reach didn't feel like the previous Halo titles yet it grew on me. I'm sure as long as 343 doesn't screw Halo 4 up technically (controls, movement, hit detection, etc), it too, will grow on me.
I am just the opposite. I enjoyed Reach at first, just because it was fresh and new. Now that I feel like I've "been there and done that" it has become stale to me.
I am encouraged by Frank's comments, but it's still frustrating having to constantly be told "more to come LATER".
When is PAX?

seattle is labor day weekend.

boston is easter weekend.

i think this refers to pax prime, in seattle.

#10 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 23:22 (Reply to #9)

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wamam87 wrote:
seattle is labor day weekend.
boston is easter weekend.

i think this refers to pax prime, in seattle.

yeah, but he said there will be more before E3. That would mean PAX East or some other game conference inbetween now and first part of June. PAX Prime is not until September...kinda rules it out.

It almost has to be PAX East, and it wouldn't be the first time they show off a new halo game at a PAX event.

#11 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 06:12 (Reply to #10)

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Hoplite wrote:
wamam87 wrote:
seattle is labor day weekend.
boston is easter weekend.

i think this refers to pax prime, in seattle.
yeah, but he said there will be more before E3. That would mean PAX East or some other game conference inbetween now and first part of June. PAX Prime is not until September...kinda rules it out.
It almost has to be PAX East, and it wouldn't be the first time they show off a new halo game at a PAX event.

I'm not so sure about PAX East.

I think I read Bs angel will be there (PAX East) but no official 343i presence. Here it is.

Several game mags are printing for April and the covers show Halo 4 articles contained therein.

#12 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 12:05 (Reply to #11)

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DEEP_NNN wrote:
Hoplite wrote:
wamam87 wrote:
seattle is labor day weekend.
boston is easter weekend.

i think this refers to pax prime, in seattle.
yeah, but he said there will be more before E3. That would mean PAX East or some other game conference inbetween now and first part of June. PAX Prime is not until September...kinda rules it out.
It almost has to be PAX East, and it wouldn't be the first time they show off a new halo game at a PAX event.
I'm not so sure about PAX East.
I think I read Bs angel will be there (PAX East) but no official 343i presence. Here it is.
Several game mags are printing for April and the covers show Halo 4 articles contained therein.

So it's going to be a surprise, just a video of some assets, or something else. Could still be done at PAX East, but I guess highly unlikely.

#13 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 19:56

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"You, as a player, have the ability to customise all aspects of your Spartan warrior – and not just cosmetically. For the first time in a Halo title, you can actually change gameplay-impacting components. This allows you to customise load outs and gives you gameplay enhancements that can be unlocked through the progression system."
I don't know how more people aren't nervous about this :X

This worries me alot. First off progression unlocks will not help you bring players back to your game. Like battlefield higher level players will absoulutley destroy lower level players mostley because they have unlocks that gave them a decicive advantage, and that will most likley make all those newer players go back to games they are more comfotable with. Halo already has a huge separation between high skill level players and low skill level player now you willl be giving better players better weapons and equipment available right from spawn. The balance shift will be way TOO uneven.

#14 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 20:54 (Reply to #13)

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FR_ISH_1371 wrote:
"You, as a player, have the ability to customise all aspects of your Spartan warrior – and not just cosmetically. For the first time in a Halo title, you can actually change gameplay-impacting components. This allows you to customise load outs and gives you gameplay enhancements that can be unlocked through the progression system."
I don't know how more people aren't nervous about this :X

This worries me alot. First off progression unlocks will not help you bring players back to your game. Like battlefield higher level players will absoulutley destroy lower level players mostley because they have unlocks that gave them a decicive advantage, and that will most likley make all those newer players go back to games they are more comfotable with. Halo already has a huge separation between high skill level players and low skill level player now you willl be giving better players better weapons and equipment available right from spawn. The balance shift will be way TOO uneven.

Nonononono, you're reading this all wrong. "Balance" in the usual Halo mold, with the holy trinity of gameplay, not the Call Of Duty/Michael Bay mold where you throw in every idea you can come up with, and then don't balance the game at all. I don't see any reason why the balance will be questionable. If anything, I think the game might skew even more towards the Unreal Tournament roots, which would fucking rule.

#15 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 07:53

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What do you guys make of this quote?

Quote:
...the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level, but two and more importantly, the changes are not simply being slapped on willy nilly. They're carefully thought out, considered and balanced. And ones that don't pass muster, you will never get to try...

We hear this from every developer about how their game is tested and balanced. Bungie said the same thing about Reach, then next thing you know we end up with bloom, armor lock, sprinting double melees, jetpacks that break maps, boring ranking system, boring maps, etc...see what I mean? Plus, Reach had a public beta.

I know H4 has been their baby for a long time. The question of balance is what concerns me the most. I enjoy Halo because of the idea we all start the game with the same equipment, then it's up to the team to work together for the win.

Also, what does he mean when saying "the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level"? This kind of makes me feel like we'll have another game of "vanilla" and "TU" settings. This is NOT what the Halo community needs.

#16 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 08:23 (Reply to #15)

Dixon_Tufar

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DarthTabasco wrote:
What do you guys make of this quote?
Quote:
...the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level, but two and more importantly, the changes are not simply being slapped on willy nilly. They're carefully thought out, considered and balanced. And ones that don't pass muster, you will never get to try...
We hear this from every developer about how their game is tested and balanced. Bungie said the same thing about Reach, then next thing you know we end up with bloom, armor lock, sprinting double melees, jetpacks that break maps, boring ranking system, boring maps, etc...see what I mean? Plus, Reach had a public beta.
I know H4 has been their baby for a long time. The question of balance is what concerns me the most. I enjoy Halo because of the idea we all start the game with the same equipment, then it's up to the team to work together for the win.
Also, what does he mean when saying "the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level"? This kind of makes me feel like we'll have another game of "vanilla" and "TU" settings. This is NOT what the Halo community needs.

If they're wrong, it's customizable enough to take any of the stuff out for your custom games.

#17 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 08:59 (Reply to #16)

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Dixon_Tufar wrote:
DarthTabasco wrote:
What do you guys make of this quote?
Quote:
...the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level, but two and more importantly, the changes are not simply being slapped on willy nilly. They're carefully thought out, considered and balanced. And ones that don't pass muster, you will never get to try...
We hear this from every developer about how their game is tested and balanced. Bungie said the same thing about Reach, then next thing you know we end up with bloom, armor lock, sprinting double melees, jetpacks that break maps, boring ranking system, boring maps, etc...see what I mean? Plus, Reach had a public beta.
I know H4 has been their baby for a long time. The question of balance is what concerns me the most. I enjoy Halo because of the idea we all start the game with the same equipment, then it's up to the team to work together for the win.
Also, what does he mean when saying "the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level"? This kind of makes me feel like we'll have another game of "vanilla" and "TU" settings. This is NOT what the Halo community needs.

If they're wrong, it's customizable enough to take any of the stuff out for your custom games.

Maybe this also means it is so customizable that things like the CEA TU may not be required.

I.E.
Weapon DMR Bloom Less (x) or More (x)
Weapon BR ROF Less (x) or More (x)
Melee Bleedthrough Less (x) or More (x)

Also:
The things we agonize and quibble about in advance to a game's release are not always what bites us in the ass after its released. No developer can know what the cumulative buildup of opinion will be over time.

I was reading one person's opinion today on another site and it basically came down to this. When they're donging and happy they become bored and say the game is shit, for casuals and they're done with it. When they are being owned they blame the game, trueskill, bad maps, AA of any kind, playlists, randoms and then rage quit, say the game is shit and blame the developers. This is reflective of many Halo forum dwellers.
I'd like to see 2old2play members rise above all of that and truly measure what they like and dislike after the game releases against the greater purpose of the game and what the game needs to succeed.

I desperately want Halo 4 to succeed enough to give us 5 and so on for 6. I will have to accept some pain for that to happen.

#18 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 09:22 (Reply to #17)

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DEEP_NNN wrote:
Dixon_Tufar wrote:
DarthTabasco wrote:
What do you guys make of this quote?
Quote:
...the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level, but two and more importantly, the changes are not simply being slapped on willy nilly. They're carefully thought out, considered and balanced. And ones that don't pass muster, you will never get to try...
We hear this from every developer about how their game is tested and balanced. Bungie said the same thing about Reach, then next thing you know we end up with bloom, armor lock, sprinting double melees, jetpacks that break maps, boring ranking system, boring maps, etc...see what I mean? Plus, Reach had a public beta.
I know H4 has been their baby for a long time. The question of balance is what concerns me the most. I enjoy Halo because of the idea we all start the game with the same equipment, then it's up to the team to work together for the win.
Also, what does he mean when saying "the game is customizable enough to reduce additions back to a ground level"? This kind of makes me feel like we'll have another game of "vanilla" and "TU" settings. This is NOT what the Halo community needs.

If they're wrong, it's customizable enough to take any of the stuff out for your custom games.
Maybe this also means it is so customizable that things like the CEA TU may not be required.
I.E.
Weapon DMR Bloom Less (x) or More (x)
Weapon BR ROF Less (x) or More (x)
Melee Bleedthrough Less (x) or More (x)
Also:
The things we agonize and quibble about in advance to a game's release are not always what bites us in the ass after its released. No developer can know what the cumulative buildup of opinion will be over time.
I was reading one person's opinion today on another site and it basically came down to this. When they're donging and happy they become bored and say the game is shit, for casuals and they're done with it. When they are being owned they blame the game, trueskill, bad maps, AA of any kind, playlists, randoms and then rage quit, say the game is shit and blame the developers. This is reflective of many Halo forum dwellers.
I'd like to see 2old2play members rise above all of that and truly measure what they like and dislike after the game releases against the greater purpose of the game and what the game needs to succeed.

I desperately want Halo 4 to succeed enough to give us 5 and so on for 6. I will have to accept some pain for that to happen.

Additionally, I don't really see a problem with classes or particular loadouts. I would assume that because the Spartans in multiplayer aren't Master Chief, they're not as advanced as he. With that being said, I see no reason that someone that can carry 5 grenades moves a little slower or someone that can schlep 1 grenade maximum can move a smidge slower. There are plenty of ways to do loadouts that make sense and to establish some balance. Think more Team Fortress 2 and less Call Of Duty/Battlefield.

#19 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 16:44 (Reply to #18)

lanierb

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DarthTabasco wrote:
We hear this from every developer about how their game is tested and balanced. Bungie said the same thing about Reach, then next thing you know we end up with bloom, armor lock, sprinting double melees, jetpacks that break maps, boring ranking system, boring maps, etc...see what I mean? Plus, Reach had a public beta.

Bungie became so arrogant that they thought they knew better and didn't listen to the players about what worked and what didn't. Hopefully 343 won't make the same mistake. Now that Halo is in third place or whatever the arrogance has hopefully worn off.

#20 Fri, 03/30/2012 - 21:42

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The DMR is back. Skip to 26 minutes: http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/Podcast/343Sparkast_011.mp3

#21 Sat, 03/31/2012 - 14:37 (Reply to #20)

DarthTabasco

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Dixon_Tufar wrote:
The DMR is back. Skip to 26 minutes: http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/Podcast/343Sparkast_011.mp3

Actually, there is no point in listening to the podcast as this is about the only bit of info they release. Plus, that's about all that was said is that the DMR will be back.

Bascially they just talk about random BS with more "we can't talk about that yet", mention the DMR will return and that's all. They drop hints we will have some update in April and sounds like it will revolve around a campaign demo that was recently presented to various media outlets. We may get some additional multiplayer info, but it sounds like thing will be more about the campaign.

#22 Sat, 03/31/2012 - 16:30

Matt Likes Beer

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Also, another piece of not so exciting info. There will be no bubble shield

Heres a short article about the DMR and Bubble Shield http://www.examiner.com/console-gaming-in-national/halo-4-ditches-the-bu...

#23 Sat, 04/07/2012 - 12:39

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More added.

#24 Sun, 04/08/2012 - 16:35

DEEP_NNN

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More added.

#25 Sun, 04/08/2012 - 17:03

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Yeah, Forerunner Vision seems more like a [del]marital[/del] visual aid than anything. I saw somewhere in the deluge of details and questions that anyone with a degree of situational awareness wouldn't need it. It's for people that have tunnel vision. You know. [i]Noobs[/i].

#26 Mon, 04/09/2012 - 16:39

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More.

#27 Mon, 04/09/2012 - 18:15

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Thanks for all the updates DEEP, you nake it easy for lazy people (like me) to know what's going on.

From the reactions here and other places, it seems like people are way to eager to draw conclusions and make judgements. Half the things wer'e arguing about are speculation, the other half wont really matter if we get the ability to customize games to our liking, and a good Forge that doesn't lag and offers more than one color wall to work with.

#28 Tue, 04/10/2012 - 14:32

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With the exception of drop pods(which I don't think will be that big a deal) I think Halo4 sound pretty good. Its all customizable and I'm sure there will be tons of playlist so I'm not that worried.

#29 Tue, 04/10/2012 - 17:56 (Reply to #28)

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LegendcalledJim wrote:
With the exception of drop pods(which I don't think will be that big a deal) I think Halo4 sound pretty good. Its all customizable and I'm sure there will be tons of playlist so I'm not that worried.

Yeah, I'm reserving ire for when more concrete details are released. I like the Halo gmeplay of everyone having equal weaponry and hav ing to find the upgraded weapons all over the map and control them, but we'll see how that gets tweaked now.

#30 Sat, 04/14/2012 - 14:26

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