Support NeoGAF

[stickkidsam]

SUPAH POST INCOMING

I like strafing and being able to twitch aim whenever i want. Sprint gets in the way of both. Your sprint suggestion is interesting and might work really well though. Would make people have to choose more carefully when and where they are going to sprint.

Yeah I really want it to have more of a utility. As it is, it doesn't provide nearly enough benefit because it is mostly used for running away with few interesting opportunities for sweet offensive plays. I can understand wanting to always be able to shoot, so sprint would need to function in a way that actually made it worth the temporary trade in offense. I've got some thoughts though. Now I'm imagining sprint with Thruster Pack in mind, as I don't think there is a chance in hell they are getting rid of that. I'm also imagining this with the idea of Spartan Charge being removed because fuck that noise. You could easily just thrust+melee. Doesn't need to be a sprint thing and would be much more versatile.

A) Sprint lasts 5 seconds with a 15 second cooldown, boosting speed in all directions (3x forward movement, 2x strafing, 1.5x backwards movement). Thruster Pack recharge would be lowered to 1.5 seconds or alternatively is instantly recharged upon activation. The downside is that you cannot shoot when moving forward.​

​

B) Sprint lasts 5 seconds with a 20 second cooldown, tripling movement speed in all directions but at the cost of all non-melee offense. Melee weapons would be usable? Miiiight be too much.​

​

C) Sprint lasts 5 seconds with a 15 second cooldown, doubling movement speed in all directions, speeding your normal melee attack up 1.5x and allowing small arms like pisols and smgs. If (and it be a big if) they brought back melee clashing with swords, it would be an interesting counter to that sucka.​

​

Now let's talk melee, because holy guacamole Batman, this kind of speed boost would make close quarters a melee mashing mess! Imagine how often you'd get DBZ matches with people activating their overdrive burst so they could just 2 hit melee. That'd suck and would dumb down everything. My solution? Melee takes 2 hits to knock down shields and 1-2 hits to kill unshielded. Melee in Halo is fun, but with that lunge, 2 hit kills are a mess. So that's muh thoughts on dat.

I still like pick ups better than default abilities.

Ground pound is really powerful, it needs to have some sort of penalty if you use it and miss, but I don't know what I would suggest other than what you mentioned, Splash damage would be nice if you miss, but just barely, perhaps with a small knock-back.

Can you think of any ways to improve pick ups? Could be new ones altogether or adjustments to the current ones.

The ground pound is a major killer for sure, and if melee were weakened, it would help emphasize Ground Pound's utility. A fully charged Ground Pound takes what, 4 seconds? Make it 5. So that's a decent exposure up in the air for a insta kill trade off. It would still need to be a direct hit though. I imagine it having 3 levels:

LEVEL 1 - 1 second charge​

Direct hit = Takes down shields, .5 second recovery time, 5 meter knock back/no shield damage​

Miss = 5 meter knock back/no shield damage, .5 second recovery time​

LEVEL 2 - 3 second charge​

Direct hit = Kill, 1 second recovery time, 10 meter knock back/25% shield damage​

Miss = 10 meter knock back/25% shield damage 1 second recovery time​

LEVEL 3 - 5 second charge​

Direct hit = Kill, 1.5 second recovery time, 20 meter knock back/50% shield damage​

Miss = 20 meter knock back/50% Shield damage 1.5 second recovery time​

​

The distance you are thrown degrades the further you are from the EPICenter (amirite). Numbers are just meant to represent power scaling essentially, as I am terrible with distance in Halo. 5 meters feels like 5 feet sometimes.​

Call me old fashioned but I want a direct throwback to the Halo 2 movement combat system.

It's not the nostalgia which makes it so appealing, it's a combination of the map design and the sheer brutality that many of the weapons packed. Sprint only feel necessary in Reach, H4 & H5 because the maps are designed in such a way that it is necessary to enable quicker traversal. Sprint on a map like Lockout or the original Midship would be completely out of place because the maps are11 a lot more confined and sprint wasn't necessary to easily get you back into the fight.

Same goes with clamber, simply make obstacles have slightly less verticality and it is no longer required.

I never liked hover and couldn't understand why it was implemented.

Right there with you and Deputy on dem maps in Halo 2. That shit was awesome and really did have some of the best in the series.

That said, I've always wanted there to be sprint in Halo. Even back when I was playing Halo's 1 and 2, I thought it would be awesome to have a major burst in speed for a few seconds. I've not really liked any of Halo's implementation's of sprint because as you said, they only inflate map design. It doesn't have much utility either since the boost is pretty minor and the sacrifice of offense just kicks ya in the dick.

As for hover, it allows for some clutch plays when combined with thrusters around ledges and multi leveled maps. Also fake outs. Those are fun.

--

Sorry for the wall. Got started and couldn't stoooop. I haven't even talked about how the health system should return to Halo CE's dual system with health packs n' shit. Another time.

 

[h00ters]

Haha not going to bother quoting that due to the sheer size but agree with a lot of your points. I guess my main problem with hover is I used to LOVE the feeling of being on a map like Beaver/Battle Creek and jumping off the base to get an angle on someone previously obscured by another part of the maps geometry and at the last second nailing the headshot with a snipe before they disappear again. Hover, I felt, took that feeling away.

Interesting about the return of health packs. I feel like if you win a 1 v 1 with someone you should have the right to then front up to the next battle on a level playing field (provided your shields have recharged). Health packs, to me, could sometimes reward lesser-skilled players as they essentially enter a fight with an advantage from the beginning. Sometimes health packs won't have spawned yet so you're kind of at an unfair disadvantage, limiting your ability to consistently go around the map outplaying opponents and breaking setups.

 

[stickkidsam]

Haha not going to bother quoting that due to the sheer size but agree with a lot of your points. I guess my main problem with hover is I used to LOVE the feeling of being on a map like Beaver/Battle Creek and jumping off the base to get an angle on someone previously obscured by another part of the maps geometry and at the last second nailing the headshot with a snipe before they disappear again. Hover, I felt, took that feeling away.

Yeah I can see how it would take away that feeling of a badass last second kill. It feels less like a clutch leap of faith kinda thing when you can just kick back on your jetpack suit for a couple seconds (which in battle makes a HUUUUGE difference). Do you think making it into a double jump instead would be preferable or even something you'd like?

Interesting about the return of health packs. I feel like if you win a 1 v 1 with someone you should have the right to then front up to the next battle on a level playing field (provided your shields have recharged). Health packs, to me, could sometimes reward lesser-skilled players as they essentially enter a fight with an advantage from the beginning. Sometimes health packs won't have spawned yet so you're kind of at an unfair disadvantage, limiting your ability to consistently go around the map outplaying opponents and breaking setups.

I think that's definitely a fair point, especially in hyper competitive modes where you are constantly worrying about someone on your ass.

You could argue that the dual system is more suited to single player vs AI battle, whereas recharging health might be more effective for a balanced second to second ecosystem in multiplayer. It's kind of a bitch when you go to the base and there isn't any health pack because some other dickhead took it to recharge 1 health point. As you pointed out, it's not exactly fair to the player. I think this could be resolved by making health "stations" rather than just random packs all over the place. Perhaps you could still have packs but home base would always have a station for yo health. *shrug*

What I like about the dual system though, is that it creates tension because of the depleting health. The longer you live, the riskier things can get, and that makes some objective game modes especially interesting since you need to make a journey somewhere and back usually. That isn't enough on its own though, because eventually you are going to be unable to effectively do anything without immediately getting killed. What makes the dual system TRULY brilliant imo, is that it adds a recharging shield to the mix. This completely changes how you'd approach a situation because now even if you are really low on health, there is still room to be a badass (and the adrenaline REALLY pumps in some of those fights). It also capitalizes on individual skill since you can still have a decent chance against someone with full health, because ultimately, it's the headshot that makes or breaks those situations. While this does make it so individual fights aren't always an even match, it creates an overarching effect on the gameplay that I personally find thrilling.

Essentially, the dual system is one of the more unique elements of Halo that I always enjoyed. The 2 health types feed into the other, and go beyond just the moment to moment gameplay (that's a matter of preference though). While this does present challenges the longer you are alive, it also changes the flow of gameplay in a way that builds on itself over the course of the match. Not overtly, but subtly due to the risks each player decides to take or not. That to me, is wicked cool.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Oh my i've been away for a bit. that tends to happen with a 2 year old, family in town, and 12 hour work shifts. Trying to catch up and here are some happenings over the past 7 days or so:

Latest TMCC Patch Notes (1/9)

New Year's Halowaypoint Community Update (1/10)

UGC Halo Classic Tournament Results (1/14)


Halo Battle Born Novel Released



Halo: Lone Wolf issue #1 released



Finally, and I've been waiting for this (whatever this turns out to be), 343 has been working on a bigger update for TMCC, which got delayed last month. 343 says it will get released "soon" and after the UGC Halo event, which wrapped up yesterday. So expect it in the coming days I'd wager. From the Halowaypoint New Year's Update:

"As you know, MCC's December game update ran into an unfortuante late-breaking issue which caused the release to be postponed. The team has been working to get everything squared away and is currently targeting soon (beyond the blast radius of the Halo Classic by UGC) to release the next patch. We're eager to get the new Halo: CE skulls, "modern aiming" control options, and additional improvements into your hands and appreciate your patience and support. "

 

[CatLady]

I came across this thread by accident. I clicked the wrong thing, ended up in Communities, saw Halo and had to check it out. This is a great thread, thank you for all you work OP.

Halo is my favorite series of all time, but I only do the campaigns. Not interested in MP, plus I suck and would get my butt kicked. Now that I've found this thread, I'll make a point to check in for the latest Halo news.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Yeah I can see how it would take away that feeling of a badass last second kill. It feels less like a clutch leap of faith kinda thing when you can just kick back on your jetpack suit for a couple seconds (which in battle makes a HUUUUGE difference). Do you think making it into a double jump instead would be preferable or even something you'd like?


I think that's definitely a fair point, especially in hyper competitive modes where you are constantly worrying about someone on your ass.

You could argue that the dual system is more suited to single player vs AI battle, whereas recharging health might be more effective for a balanced second to second ecosystem in multiplayer. It's kind of a bitch when you go to the base and there isn't any health pack because some other dickhead took it to recharge 1 health point. As you pointed out, it's not exactly fair to the player. I think this could be resolved by making health "stations" rather than just random packs all over the place. Perhaps you could still have packs but home base would always have a station for yo health. *shrug*

What I like about the dual system though, is that it creates tension because of the depleting health. The longer you live, the riskier things can get, and that makes some objective game modes especially interesting since you need to make a journey somewhere and back usually. That isn't enough on its own though, because eventually you are going to be unable to effectively do anything without immediately getting killed. What makes the dual system TRULY brilliant imo, is that it adds a recharging shield to the mix. This completely changes how you'd approach a situation because now even if you are really low on health, there is still room to be a badass (and the adrenaline REALLY pumps in some of those fights). It also capitalizes on individual skill since you can still have a decent chance against someone with full health, because ultimately, it's the headshot that makes or breaks those situations. While this does make it so individual fights aren't always an even match, it creates an overarching effect on the gameplay that I personally find thrilling.

Essentially, the dual system is one of the more unique elements of Halo that I always enjoyed. The 2 health types feed into the other, and go beyond just the moment to moment gameplay (that's a matter of preference though). While this does present challenges the longer you are alive, it also changes the flow of gameplay in a way that builds on itself over the course of the match. Not overtly, but subtly due to the risks each player decides to take or not. That to me, is wicked cool.

I like the idea of health packs returning, but I'm weird and would also like fall damage to return as well. Halo 2 was fun because you never had to worry about falling off ledges, but fall damage in Halo CE added an extra amount of tension too. And I agree that the dual system in CE added just a little bit more to the game play. Health stations would work, but I think the idea of health stations on a map would be a bit odd. Like why would spartan health stations exist in the halo world? health packs are a bit more believable, like finding rations on a dead person or something,, but i realize in the end this is all make believe anyway.

I came across this thread by accident. I clicked the wrong thing, ended up in Communities, saw Halo and had to check it out. This is a great thread, thank you for all you work OP.

Halo is my favorite series of all time, but I only do the campaigns. Not interested in MP, plus I suck and would get my butt kicked. Now that I've found this thread, I'll make a point to check in for the latest Halo news.

Glad you stumbled upon the thread! I love MP but I'm not as good as I used to be, and even then i wasn't that great lol. What's your favorite campaign? I'm a bit of an oddball. Halo CE followed by Halo 4 are my favorite campaigns. Those would probably be followed by Halo 3. Some day I really need to go back and replay Halo Reach. It's my least favorite. At the time, I was so annoyed at all the changes in Reach that I probably played the whole campaign in a bad mood. So that probably didn't help.

 

[CatLady]

I think I'm a real oddball on my choices. We agree & disagree on favorites, I have 2; Halo 4 and Halo Reach. I do really love CE too. It seems like Halo 2 is most peoples favorite but it's the one I like the least and I'm probably one of about 5 people that really liked the Halo 5 campaign.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I think I'm a real oddball on my choices. We agree & disagree on favorites, I have 2; Halo 4 and Halo Reach. I do really love CE too. It seems like Halo 2 is most peoples favorite but it's the one I like the least and I'm probably one of about 5 people that really liked the Halo 5 campaign.

Ha I'm not a big fan of Halo 2'c campaign either. It competes with Reach for my bottom spot. The change of the field of view from 120 degrees to something closer to 90 degrees bothered me a lot (i get motion sickness fairly easily for one), and the addition of brutes, as well as drones, also really soured me. - least favorite enemies in Halo. Oh and Halo 2 flood were awful. They just looked and felt cheap to kill. Some of the levels were good in Halo 2, but many of them i really disliked. I also didn't think the music was as memorable as CE's campaign, but then again, a lot of people love the Halo 2 soundtrack and the original halo score is kind of hard to compete against imo. While Halo 5's campaign didn't blow me away, I didn't hate it. Fighting the warden eternal repeatedly did get old really fast though, and I'm personally not a fan of squad AI. I like playing as a solo act with cortana or just any construct wayyyyy better.

 

[CatLady]

CE's music, especially the original Halo theme is the greatest ever in video game, although I think the opening theme for Reach rivals it. I think that's one of the many reasons I like Reach so much, plus the Halo way (Lone Wolf) they handled the tragic ending. It was so sad but not stupidly sentimental. You went out fighting like a Spartan. Plus the fact the hateful Flood were no where to be found

 

[stickkidsam]

Welcome to the thread Cat!

Glad to have ya whenever we can Moonman. 12 hour workshifts and the 24 hour work shift of a kiddo ain't no joke! Kudos for keeping up with all of it.

Tagging in on the conversation, Halo 3 I feel had the most "epic" campaign, with its massive fights and the space opera coming to a close. In terms of gameplay balance I think that Halo CE takes the cake with its heroic difficulty being the best in the series imo. Halo 2 for me did the best job of expanding the lore, and ODST was really cool in its atmosphere. Reach was an excellent attempt at delving into a more somber exploration of the Spartan's, but it sadly felt rushed in its execution and missed an opportunity to expand Eric Nylund's The Fall of Reach. While I'm not a fan of Halo 4 or 5 per se, I'd be hard pressed to say it doesn't have some moments. Halo 4 did a nice job of trying to humanize Chief, with some nice musical scores by Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinnouchi. Halo 5 I really in terms of its close quarters levels, but the large scale battles haven't been good since Halo 3.

Overall each entry has something you can love about it, but I don't think that 343 has reached the level of any of the Bungie games. I reeeaally hope Infinite sticks that statement up my ass though.

I like the idea of health packs returning, but I'm weird and would also like fall damage to return as well. Halo 2 was fun because you never had to worry about falling off ledges, but fall damage in Halo CE added an extra amount of tension too. And I agree that the dual system in CE added just a little bit more to the game play. Health stations would work, but I think the idea of health stations on a map would be a bit odd. Like why would spartan health stations exist in the halo world? health packs are a bit more believable, like finding rations on a dead person or something,, but i realize in the end this is all make believe anyway.

I think Fall Damage is perfectly fine to want back. Though I would want that to be adjustable in mp and minimal in the campaign so as to maximize potential badassery. It really does make a difference when you can't just jump off a ledge to escape some enemies, and I really appreciate that kind of limitation. It makes the vertical map and encounter design all the more prominent. It's one of the things I love about CE's design.

Just because it's make believe doesn't mean it doesn't need to follow its own internal logic though. We ain't Half Life ;p
This might be a great chance to consider the equipment again that we discussed earlier. To compensate for there not being health packs always available, they could bring back the healing bubble shield from Reach. That thing was awesome imo.

Actually, one thing that I always found odd was how armor abilities weren't pick ups on the map in Reach. Sure you could set that up, but no matchmaking game type I can remember actually uitilized it. What if instead of being able to pick your ability at spawn, they acted as passive/permanent armor abilities when you pick them up? So you'd have pick ups like trip mines and semi permanent pick ups like the healing bubble shield.

EQUIPMENT (passive)

• Bubble Shield
  • 30 seconds of use total
  • Puts out healing bubble shield field
  • User is unable to move while active, assuming a stance akin to armor lock
• Invisibility
  • 20 seconds of use total
  • What do ya think it does?
  • Thrusting or sprinting will cause ghosting effect
• Solar Flare
  • 5 charges
  • Blinds players within 15 meters for 3 seconds
  • Passive radar jamming effect which lasts 10 seconds
• GRAPPLING HOOK
  • INFINITE CHARGES
  • IT HOOKS SHIT! WALLS! WEAPONS! WINNING! WHATEVER!
  • BECAUSE WHY NOT???

EQUIPMENT

• Trip Mine
• Grav Lift
• Teleporter
  • 1 time use
  • Lasts 5 seconds
• Sentry Turret
• Repair Bot

So yeah I think you could go places with this. You'd have 1 button which can deploy a variety of different abilities that incorporates the best of both Reach and Halo 3's systems... I think. HOPE THIS WAS ENJOYABLE!

 

[stickkidsam]

lol Posted some of the ideas on r/Halo and god dayum. Those peeps are definitely set on pure classic Halo. Can't blame anyone for tastes. Doesn't help that it's been pretty rocky.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Ha well at least you got a lot of feedback. The issue with abilities is making them work in halo. I dont have a solution and i think that is why most people are against them entirely. In fairness to a lot of Halo fans we havent had traditional gameplay since halo 3, which was 2007. Over 10 years ago! I dont think we have seen a halo be truly successful with abilities, so id personally like 343 to give classic gameplay a go again. Long time halo fans deserve it at the very least. For 343 to do abilities in halo they really need to split halo into 2 separate games. CoD has thrived by it. Forza is doing well too.

Dont know if people saw this but that TMCC update went live today. Gonna have to tinker with classic and modern movement. It felt weird.



Also here is another update from waypoint discussing everything:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/mcc-january-update

 

[stickkidsam]

Be sure to let us know how it feels! My control sticks are borked, so the sensitivity is ruined sadly. Any time I barely tap it somewhere the camera swings at full speed. Hoping to pick a pro controller now.

I can definitely understand why people would want to just wipe the slate clean and jump back into some classic Halo. I guess for me, the ideas they are putting forward are things that me and my friends wanted to see for so long. Funny or badass assassinations, cool abilities that are tied to the core player arsenal, enhanced movement; this was all stuff I remember talking about way before Halo 4 or Reach were a thing. It's not that I don't love Halo as it is ya know?

It's that there isn't another game like Halo, and for me Halo is the shooter that is best suited to try out this new stuff. Hell, it doesn't need to be a mainline game either. Even if it's just spin offs I'd be okay with that.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Yeah, I've been fishing that 'splitting halo into 2 separate games' idea for a while. I think it would work wonders honestly. Basically it keeps fans of traditional halo and fans that would like to see new stuff in halo, satisfied. Sorry to hear about your controller. If you can get an elite controller, they're pretty nice, but also ridiculously expensive. Have you tried cleaning your sticks with q-tips and rubbing alcohol? It doesn't work for everyone, but it can help. In the master chief collection settings, you can also change the dead zone settings of your controller. I had set mine to zero and it resulted in controller drift. After putting it back to 8% it went away. You can also slow down the acceleration, which might help your case a little bit.

 

[h00ters]

Interesting reading Bonnie Ross' comments today saying they feel they have made mistakes with Halo. I hope she isn't just talking about the story and is also making reference to some of the gameplay tweaks they've made.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Interesting reading Bonnie Ross' comments today saying they feel they have made mistakes with Halo. I hope she isn't just talking about the story and is also making reference to some of the gameplay tweaks they've made.

You and the whole planet Halo 4's movement and even the feel of aiming and shooting was great, but the abilites combined with random and personal ordnance completely ruined any competitiveness. You cant give people abilities like promethean vision and expect players to take the game seriously. On the same token you cant give free invis and other abilities and expect an experience where competitive players are happy. Halo 5 multiplayer actually was an improvement but in my opinion was way too complex. You needed a controller with paddles or else you were at a disadvantage. TMCC should be more than enough proof that simple halo is the more appreciated and accessible halo imo. Not that abilities cant work. It is just way harder to find the right balance.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Another update that I completely missed lol - Community Spotlight:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/spotlight-january-17-2019

Lots of cool stuff made by fans of Halo.

 

[Havoc2049]

Oh my i've been away for a bit. that tends to happen with a 2 year old, family in town, and 12 hour work shifts. Trying to catch up and here are some happenings over the past 7 days or so:

Latest TMCC Patch Notes (1/9)

New Year's Halowaypoint Community Update (1/10)

UGC Halo Classic Tournament Results (1/14)


Halo Battle Born Novel Released



Halo: Lone Wolf issue #1 released



Finally, and I've been waiting for this (whatever this turns out to be), 343 has been working on a bigger update for TMCC, which got delayed last month. 343 says it will get released "soon" and after the UGC Halo event, which wrapped up yesterday. So expect it in the coming days I'd wager. From the Halowaypoint New Year's Update:

Nice thread, OP! Halo forever!

A young adult novel!?!? Looks like we're in for another T rated Halo! lol I'll still probably read it. Some YA novels are pretty good these days. I've been catching up on my Halo lore/novel backlog and finished The Cole Protocol, which I bought back when it first released. Solid story and a fun read, with some great lore about a young Captain Keyes and Grey Team.

Was playing some Destiny 2 with my clan the other day and we decided to jump in and get some Halo: MCC action on and we all had a blast! It had been like six months since I last played some MCC/Halo 5. We were jamming in the Halo 2 (best Halo MP) and Halo 4 (highly underrated MP - amazing gun play, flow and maps) playlist and it felt sooo damn good. Started out kinda slow, but after a while I was posting a positive K/D ratio in matches.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Thanks Havoc! You know I've never read one single Halo novel? I've often thought about starting, but as the number of books increases, the idea of getting into the series becomes more and more daunting lol.

All I've been playing (when I can play at all) is TMCC. Before the match composer update was released, I was in the slayer playlists, getting put in mainly halo 3 games. Now that the composer update has been released, I play HCE 4v4 and HCE only. It's been so fun. I also went to the modern aiming settings just released and think I've found something I'm very very comfortable with. Everything is an 8 - vertical, horizontal, and acceleration. Halo 2 is great, Halo 4 is fun too. I actually prefer the games, at least slayer, in this order: CE - H2/H2A - H4 ---H3. I'll still enjoy an occasional halo 3 game to mix things up, but it's my least favorite. H4 is great except when getting pitted against full teams. That's pretty much true of any halo, but in CE I have the most survive-ability and I just love the game-play of CE.

Anyway, now that I'm rambling, I had a game last night where I went 19-1 on desolation last night, and the 1 death came a fraction of a second before the game ended. I was actually hopeful that my death happened after, but alas it did not. A random grenade bounced me into the open from the cover i was hiding behind and then i got shot - because my teammates had all spawned on me and gave my position away. I was just hiding hoping the game would end lol. So the perfection medal still alludes me in TMCC.

EDIT: Got in some games today. I'm sick and stayed at home, and I've been sick since a week ago yesterday. it's been bad. Sinus drainage non-stop, non-stop coughing. Last friday i went into an urgent care right before i had to work a 12 hour night shift. Doctor says, "oh it's viral so you don't need antibiotics..." proceeds to give me over the counter medicine advice. Like dude, people don't pay hundreds of dollars to go to urgent care to get over the counter medicine recommendations. Long story short, i work 12 hour over night shift on friday and saturday. By sunday i was feeling so bad i had to get someone to swap shifts with me so i could stay home and rest. Today, Tuesday, i go back to the urgent care, pay another stupid co-pay and the doctor prescribes antibiotics, a steroid, and an inhaler. Like way to go... Maybe if you'd just prescribed antibiotics in the first place this wouldn't have happened. Stupid backwards country doesn't do over the counter antibiotics. THe thing is, it's a fact that even if you have a viral infection, antibiotics will help you get over it quicker because the antibiotics will take care of all the other crap in your body, allowing the immune system to fight only the viral infection. Plus, it prevents a bacterial infection from developing later. But doctors are morons and they just want all of your money. SO dumb.

But that is life. So yeah, I got an extermination playing slayer on damnation earlier without the help of any power weapons or powerups. I was super excited. It's only my 2nd ever. And I play solo, not with the help of a full team playing full map control and spawn killing poor randoms mercilessly.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

HCS Invitationals news:

• "$100,000 Pro Tournament, MicrosoftStore - Pro-Am Throwdown, Big Team Battle Bonanza, and plenty of opportunities to go hands on."
• "If you are not able to make it, be sure to tune in to mixer.com/Halo and twitch.tv/Halo each day at 12PM CT. Not only will you be treated to amazing matches and gameplay, but we’ve also got some exciting MCC news to reveal during the show. "
  • Speculation on what that announcement could be:
    • TMCC for PC - good chance.
    • Custom game browser - mmm maybe down the road.
    • TMCC added to Game Pass - I'd love for this because it would boost the population further. (EDIT: Has been on Game Pass since September of last year - my bad...)
    • For people wanting halo 3 anniversary or Halo reach added to TMCC, it would be nice, but seems really unlikely.

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/hcs-invitational-at-sxsw

 

[stickkidsam]

Damn Deputy, that's some bullshit that is. Not being able to get basic antibiotics after having to get google search level advice from some guy ya had to pay to see is a kick in the dick. Hope you feel better soon!

Unfortunately my controller issue seems to stem from improperly repairing it a few months back. Took the whole thing apart to fix a broken bumper, only for the other bumper to break later along with this new analog stick problem. I think I'll definitely pick up one of those Elite controllers. Feels like it's worth the investment if it is solid quality.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Damn Deputy, that's some bullshit that is. Not being able to get basic antibiotics after having to get google search level advice from some guy ya had to pay to see is a kick in the dick. Hope you feel better soon!

Unfortunately my controller issue seems to stem from improperly repairing it a few months back. Took the whole thing apart to fix a broken bumper, only for the other bumper to break later along with this new analog stick problem. I think I'll definitely pick up one of those Elite controllers. Feels like it's worth the investment if it is solid quality.

Yeah it sucked, but wasn't unexpected. Doctors outright refuse to prescribe antibiotics if they know you have a viral infection. Sorry to hear about your controller. Elite is pretty good, but there have been complaints about the bumpers. I think MS tried to update the controller at one point, but I don't know if they fixed the bumpers or not. One of the bumpers on my controller can occasionally stick briefly but it's not anything that effects game-play.

Here's a negative but honest review. He has some good points, but overall I'm happy with mine. The customization with the paddles and sticks is nice, and it has a far better texture for grip and comfort than the plasticy feel of the regular controllers. I bought mine used, but really wanted it to be able to compete better in Halo 5. I'm truly hoping 343 backs off on the total number of abilities in Halo Infinite, if no other reason than to make the controls less complicated. Would be nice not to feel the need to use a controller with paddles. People are wanting the elite controller to incorporate bluetooth, but at this point it doesn't. So if that's important to you for PC use, you can save money and get one of these. (or maybe all the none-elite controllers have bluetooth now?). The only other thing I'd add is that the elite controller has a little weight to it, which I like. But some people prefer a lighter controller.

 

[Havoc2049]

I loved my Elite, but after extensive use, one of the rubber grips became loose and then the button press on the left thumb stick wore out and didn't always click in and work. I used and abused that left thumb stick though for 600+ hours in Destiny 2, for clicking in and running. I'm using one of the new Xbox One controllers with the textured grips and it's really nice. I still use bumper jumper in Halo and Destiny, so not having a paddle isn't that big of a deal to me.

I picked up Battle Born the other day. I'm finishing up another novel at the moment, but as soon as I'm done, I'll dive into Battle Born and give an impression. The foil cover on Battle Born is pretty cool.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I loved my Elite, but after extensive use, one of the rubber grips became loose and then the button press on the left thumb stick wore out and didn't always click in and work. I used and abused that left thumb stick though for 600+ hours in Destiny 2, for clicking in and running. I'm using one of the new Xbox One controllers with the textured grips and it's really nice. I still use bumper jumper in Halo and Destiny, so not having a paddle isn't that big of a deal to me.

I picked up Battle Born the other day. I'm finishing up another novel at the moment, but as soon as I'm done, I'll dive into Battle Born and give an impression. The foil cover on Battle Born is pretty cool.

That book cover is nice! You say you have a different xbox controller with grips? I need to look into that. If and when Infinite comes out, assuming you don't need paddles to play competitively, I'll probably be in the market for a new controller. Of course, if it releases with the next xbox console Ill probably just buy that instead.



Community update is out!




Also, a small but cool TMCC udpate:
New TMCC maps and map modes for Halo 4

 

[Menavanes]

Are you waiting for a new part of HALO?

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Are you waiting for a new part of HALO?

I'm not sure i understand the question. I'm looking forward to Halo Infinite, but it's probably at least 1.5 years away from release. Is that what you mean by new part of halo?

I love the master chief collection, like I absolutely LOVE it. Halo CE is one my of my all time favorite games, and being able to play it on xbox live is one of the greatest things ever. TMCC + Match Composer = playing as much CE as I want. Never thought that that would happen. I'm a big fan of traditional halo, so I'm looking forward to whatever Infinite turns out to be, but also hoping it's not too drastic with abilities and everything else.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

 

[h00ters]

HCS Invitationals news:

• "If you are not able to make it, be sure to tune in to mixer.com/Halo and twitch.tv/Halo each day at 12PM CT. Not only will you be treated to amazing matches and gameplay, but we’ve also got some exciting MCC news to reveal during the show. "
  • Speculation on what that announcement could be:
    • TMCC for PC - good chance.
    • Custom game browser - mmm maybe down the road.
    • TMCC added to Game Pass - I'd love for this because it would boost the population further.
    • For people wanting halo 3 anniversary or Halo reach added to TMCC, it would be nice, but seems really unlikely.

I could've sworn MCC was already on Game Pass? I hope it's not them adding Reach to TMCC. It'll just dilute the MP population further.

 

[h00ters]

Sorry, screwed that post up.

I could've sworn MCC was already on Game Pass? I hope it's not them adding Reach to TMCC. It'll just dilute the MP population further.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Sorry, screwed that post up.

I could've sworn MCC was already on Game Pass? I hope it's not them adding Reach to TMCC. It'll just dilute the MP population further.

Actually i think i screwed up my own post too lol. TMCC has been on Game Pass as of September of last year. I'm just an idiot. Sorry about that.

As far as Reach is concerned, I don't know what the impacts would be like to the player population. On the one hand, it could spread the player population out even further. On the other hand, it might actually make the population go up. I don't see as many fans of Reach playing Halo 1-3, but you might lose some of the halo 4 population. Ultimately, I think Reach would be a good thing for TMCC. I think more people are likely to pick up the master chief collection and start playing who weren't playing before. The problem with Reach, though, is that it isn't a master chief game. So, not sure if 343 would consider adding it or not.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Latest happenings with Halo Wars 2


Also an upcoming Halo 3 Tourney - Feb 8th FREE!

 

[Deputy Moonman]

You know if you guys would post more often I wouldn't have to feel guilty for double and triple posting all the time! It's another 343 social stream tomorrow night, this time with the new Director of Player Voice,

 

[h00ters]

You know if you guys would post more often I wouldn't have to feel guilty for double and triple posting all the time! It's another 343 social stream tomorrow night, this time with the new Director of Player Voice,

Just waiting for more Infinite news to drop

 

[Havoc2049]

That book cover is nice! You say you have a different xbox controller with grips? I need to look into that. If and when Infinite comes out, assuming you don't need paddles to play competitively, I'll probably be in the market for a new controller. Of course, if it releases with the next xbox console Ill probably just buy that instead.



Community update is out!




Also, a small but cool TMCC udpate:
New TMCC maps and map modes for Halo 4

All the third-generation standard Xbox One controllers now have plastic textured grips on the backside. They have close up pics of the textured grips on the Microsoft store.

Since you are a big CE fan, you really need to read The Fall of Reach and The Flood. The Flood is cool because it follows the events of Halo CE, fleshes out the Master Chief's story even more and tells the story of all the other Navy, Marine and ODST units from the Pillar of Autumn that were working along side the Master Chief on the Halo ring. Reach is just the best Halo novel ever written, although I hear the new Silent Storm novel gives Reach a run for its money.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

All the third-generation standard Xbox One controllers now have plastic textured grips on the backside. They have close up pics of the textured grips on the Microsoft store.

Since you are a big CE fan, you really need to read The Fall of Reach and The Flood. The Flood is cool because it follows the events of Halo CE, fleshes out the Master Chief's story even more and tells the story of all the other Navy, Marine and ODST units from the Pillar of Autumn that were working along side the Master Chief on the Halo ring. Reach is just the best Halo novel ever written, although I hear the new Silent Storm novel gives Reach a run for its money.

Ooh awesome. The names of all the halo novels are familiar because people have talked about them a lot, but at the same time i have never given them much thought. May be time to start my first read. Thanks.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

EDIT: I wonder how hard it would be for 343 to get Marty to come back and do the score for Halo: Infinite. I mean is that totally off the table? Are there contract issues that wouldn't allow it? There is not a quicker way to get halo fans hyped for halo again than to bring Marty back. Instant through the roof hype. I'm at work listening to Halo music CE, 2, & 3 btw. lol


EDIT2: Alright Havoc2049 Im seriously thinking about picking this up next week. I'm working 12 hours shifts through the weekend, so won't have time before. Amazon is more expensive surprisingly so I'll go to Barnes&Noble instead.

 

[Havoc2049]

Enjoy the first trilogy!

• Enabled the Flamethrower and Fuel Rod Gun from Halo PC

Frak ya!!

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Tail-gate party! The master chief is ready to cook some burgers lol.

 

[Claus Grimhildyr]

EDIT: I wonder how hard it would be for 343 to get Marty to come back and do the score for Halo: Infinite. I mean is that totally off the table? Are there contract issues that wouldn't allow it? There is not a quicker way to get halo fans hyped for halo again than to bring Marty back. Instant through the roof hype. I'm at work listening to Halo music CE, 2, & 3 btw. lol


EDIT2: Alright Havoc2049 Im seriously thinking about picking this up next week. I'm working 12 hours shifts through the weekend, so won't have time before. Amazon is more expensive surprisingly so I'll go to Barnes&Noble instead.

I still have my OG Fall of Reach book I bought when it released. Such a fantastic novel.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Okay so somehow I missed another Community Spotlight post on waypoint. This one is legit really good. So many good videos and a lot of user created content.
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/spotlight-january-31-2019

Seriously, this update is packed with a lot of goodies and worth a visit. Just a few notables:

• Check out the montage of ridiculous kill streaks in the Halo 5 fiesta playlist by Mint Blitz of Str8 Rippin - stuff is crazy and makes me fee like a terrible halo player.
• Someone recreated the Halo Infinite Reveal Trailer using Halo 5's forge.
• Dawn Under Heaven, a Halo fan film is finished and available for your viewing pleasure - complete with Q&A afterward.
• Puckett's top 10 Halo 3 plays of the week.
• Trick shots and more.

Check out this awesome tat


Next spotlight is scheduled for February 14th. Maybe I won't miss it this time.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Got the first 3 books ordered (The Fall of Reach, The Flood, and First Strike). Hopefully they arrive later this week. Im excited.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Lots of recent news (Megapost Incoming):

• The Halo Discovery Outpost Tour
• Small Matchmaking update to TMCC - strictly halo 3 stuff
• Second issue of Halo: Lone Wolf is out
• UGC Halo 3 event kicks off this Friday

https://halooutpostdiscovery.com/
https://halooutpostdiscovery.com/st...ve-event-experience-opening-in-select-cities/

 

[Havoc2049]

Can 343 please bring back Halo 4 Cortana?!?!?!?

Halo 5 Cortana was just weird and creepy looking.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Ill second that lol. Cortana in Halo 5 was creepy indeed. Halo 4 cortana was the most easy on the eyes but im still partial to halo ce cortana and all of her funny exchanges with guilty spark.

So i switched it up last night and played some Halo 2 after playing CE social slayer. I sucked badly. Immediately went back to CE. Though i also ran into a couple of full teams. Ugh why is a solo queue to avoid full teams not a thing after 15 years of online halo matchmakimg? I dont even know why teams enjoy playing when they repeatedly mop the floor with randoms. Literally no challenge whatsoever. If Halo Infinite could introduce a solo queue id be so happy.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Haha i missed another community update:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/discovering-outposts

 

[Deputy Moonman]

No much happening in Halo news, but there is a new social stream tomorrow. A CE 2v2 event is coming up next week - I really wish they'd do a 4v4 instead.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

New update is out:
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/mcc-february-update

343 is working on bringing some popular forge maps to TMCC. A couple of blurred out images as hints. One has to be sandtrap. Not sure what the other one is.



EDIT:
My first 3 halo books arrived last week, and I've already finished the first one, "The Fall of Reach." It's a fun book and nice to see some of the events that lead up to the start of the halo game, "Combat Evolved." I especially enjoyed learning about the heroics of Captain Keyes. We aren't given much about his history in the game, but Eric Nylund did a nice job of expanding his story. Also, having all the different characters I know from the game eventually pop up in the book was great (e.g. Dr. Halsey, Cortana, Keyes, Private Johnson to name a few). Now onto The Flood.

 

[Havoc2049]

^^^^
Cool that you like Fall of Reach.

I'm a little more than half way through the latest Halo novel, Battle Born. I'm really enjoying it. It follows the adventures of four teenagers and one Spartan during the initial Covenant attack on a small costal town on the planet of Meridian. A series of events bring the teenagers and the Spartan together to fight a counter insurgency operation behind enemy lines.

The following isn't really spoilers and none of it comes from the novel. It's just research that I did while reading Battle Born.
The story takes place on Meridian, before it was glassed by the Covenant, about five years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. Meridian wasn't immediately glassed by the Covenant and war raged on and around the planet for three years before the Covenant sent in a larger force and glassed Meridian. The initial attack on Meridian was actually repelled by the UNSC. If you remember, one of the missions in Halo 5 takes place many years later at Meridian Station, a mining outpost on Meridian that digs under the glassed surface of the planet.

The Spartan in Battle Born is actually a Spartan III, a member or maybe former member of Beta Company, Team X-ray. Team X-ray was briefly mentioned in the novel, Ghost of Onyx, as becoming MIA, after investigation a mysterious Forerunner installation on Onyx. Well, he is obviously no longer MIA, as that event I think took place before the attack on Meridian. ONI was known to select a few Spartan III's here and there and turn them into small covert op/Headhunter teams, much like Team Black and Team Grey of the Spartan IIs. So maybe that is what happened to this Spartan or all of Team X-ray???

That leads me to one of the strengths of Battle Born, is that there is a sense of mystery surrounding why the Covenant are attacking this small costal town and why is this Spartan, who was thought to be MIA, there on Meridian. One of the teenagers is the daughter of fairly well off scientists who work in the military industrial complex industry, at a nearby, somewhat secret complex. Maybe that plays a part in the mystery. It is also well known cannon that the Covenant went to Meridian to search for an ancient Forerunner installation, so maybe the story will go down that path or possibly a combo of the two. Anyways, Battle Born tells a solid tale, with a sense of mystery that will keep you turning the pages and is worthy of your time to read.

And for something not related to Battle Born, I completed this today!

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Nice! I couldnt sleep last night. Finally got up at 330am. Must have just missed you online. Thats a good synopsis of Battle Born so far. Im about halfway through The Flood. I cant believe how well thr books follow the actual game, quotes and all. Congrats on getting all the skulls. I still need to do all of those.

 

[VertigoOA]

Been screwing around with mcc just to play the old Bungie games again. I forgot how incredible that halo 1 handcanon is. It’s stupid OP but fun as hell

I still haven’t played reach. I will.