Halo Reach Beta Forum
  • Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!
Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

Halo 3 (31st) and ODST (14th) Mythic Conqueror (Solo, Legendary, All skulls on). Holder of 7 current world wide speedrun records.

The Internet: Lightspeed Communication of Stupid Thoughts
Ignorance is the true enemy of all things.

Rocking Bungie.net for 5 years!

Edit: As the first post on Page 100 I feel that I should actually say something worthwhile to the topic.

Overall? I think Reach is going to be a great game. For me it evokes a lot of the feel of Halo 1. Ya know, not really being all that great with the weapons, missing plenty of shots, but with this awesome new layer in the armour abilities. It takes a lot of relearning to get into, couple of hundred games worth for me, but once you do, well, I've never stayed up all night playing a game before, but I have with Reach.

It looks great to me. I like the new dirtier spartans and the extra layer of detail on, well, everything.

There are bugs and various issues that I want to see sorted for the fall, things I've detailed elsewhere. Elites just being cannon fodder for the vastly overarmed spartans in Invasion, gametypes on maps that shouldn't be... but whatever.

I don't really mind/care about the movement speed as-is. Theres sprint to augment that, and jetpack to augment jump height too. With the new aiming mechanics, its not like its super easy to even HIT anybody anymore. Thats why you will have seen a lot of close range action in the Beta, because its easier to hit at close range. Once more people get used to it with the campaign and custom games, you'll see action getting more long range.

Just fix everything, finish off all the super awesome features you're keeping hidden, and release it this fall!


Posted by: UnwillingRhyme
I feel that headshots should mean something why does the br suck so much I can understand toning it down but this is the type of stuff that makes me cry out for H3 and dread reach

There is no BR.

BR was easy. DMR is not.

[Edited on 05.20.2010 11:58 AM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 10:03 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Loved it and will miss it but not long till fall
Thanks Bungie for a great beta

  • 05.20.2010 10:11 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Never settle for less than all you got...

Before my review, I had to say that Foman is SPOT ON about a great many things in Halo Reach (as it stands right now in the Beta). Movement is indeed TOO SLOW, to the point that the Sniper feels easier to use then before, and lining up headshots doesn't require you to worry as much about strafing. That doesn't sit right with me, because Halo needs more balance to reward good players then randomness. So my first main thing is please increase default movement speed and increase jump height. I understand that the Spartans in the Reach campaign aren't as advanced as the MC, but that being said, I believe that multiplayer should not follow the story, but should be more focused on solid gameplay above all else.

Weapons

I love the fact that dual wielding has been removed, for it allows every weapon to have more uses. In general the weapons are good, but I feel tweaks and changes should be made to some of them for the final release.

Pistol: This weapon is AMAZING! It destroys at close range and can also dominate at long range if used well. My suggestions for it, depend on what you do with bloom for the final release. If bloom is removed (unlikely, though you never know) then the weapon is excellent as it is. If bloom stays, I believe the Pistol needs a larger clip, slightly faster fire rate, and a 4 shot kill for skilled players who know how to aim and time shots. Bloom will be complained about less, if people who skillfully time each shot are rewarded quicker, as it should be.

DMR: I'm finding myself to love the DMR the more and more that I used it in the BETA. Even with Bloom, its insanely accurate, and is a force of dominance at long range. I would still suggest the same things that I did for the Pistol, if Bloom is kept, making the DMR a 4 shot weapon means that people still cannot spam the trigger, but will be rewarded much quicker for well placed skillful shots. Skillful playing should ALWAYS be rewarded in Halo. The DMR also needs a larger clip size, because I have tended to run out of shots for it much quicker than the BR, even though it fires single shots and not a 3 shot burst (which I 100% support, no more 3 shot weapons!) Finally, I do feel that the fastest fire rate should be increased on the DMR, to reward good shots in close to medium range. If Bloom is removed, like the Pistol the DMR is nearly perfect, but I still think it should be a 4 shot weapon with 4 single shots to the head, because it still requires WAY more skill then leading 3 bullet bursts with the BR into a 4 shot, because you must manually aim every shot (I fully support this Bungie, NO MORE 3 shot bursts)

Needler Rifle: This weapon has excellent accuracy and good fire speed, but it serously needs a damage buff, it takes way too many shots to kill, even at long range.

AR: Of all the weapons, this is my last favorite. It sounds AWESOME but it simply lacks killing power, even more so than the AR in Halo 3. Needs a damage buff and a smaller reticule.

Grenades Nerf the damage. This is really REALLY needed, they are way to powerful.

Melee/Beatdowns: Please make the beatdowns like they were in Halo 3, the double melee as of now makes it far too easy to get kills at close range.

All of the other weapons are fantastic, Plasma Repeater destroys, the Pro Pipe is amazing and the Plasma Pistol is back to epic ownage status to name a few. My only other major suggestion, [b] please make the recitcules more opaque! They are extremely hard to see as of now, and nearly IMPOSSIBLE in split screen. This needs a fix please for the final game!

Game Modes + Arena
From the modes that I have seen so far, I have really enjoyed them. Stockpile is a fantastic new take on CTF, don't change a thing! I found Headhunter frustrating initially, but once I learned to select the correct loadouts, I have come to enjoy it more, Headhunter is very level dependent on how good it is. On a side note, I love most of the loadouts, but I think Guard needs a slight nerf, Sprint/Evade should be default abilities and replaced with something else, and Camo shouldn't be a radar jammer.

I bloody LOVE Invasion. To me, it is the best thing Bungie has EVER done with BTB, and I've already forgotten that Squad Battle and Social Big Team were ever in H3. My only suggestions, increase the maximum players to 8 on 8, or even 10 on 10 (if possible of course)!

Plus, how about some Big Team Covenant levels, as well as new large UNSC ones for the final release, or down the road after release. I love Boneyard, and want more Big team Battlefields! Since its also Spartans VS Elites, how about some more modes with them facing off? I also think that while Spartans and Elites on a team may not work, Elites and Spartans should be able to face each in FFA matches, Spartan and Elites VS themselves where anyone can beat anyone, regardless of race.

Arena is a fantastic new ranking system! Truly exceptional, I will never miss the old H3 ranking system. My only suggestion here is to add more detailed descriptions of the system, what your rank means, how you go up, and just more details in general. And how about some more Arena modes? Objective and Invasion ranked playlists anyone? And how about ranked FFA and Slayer Pro playlists? That would be awesome.

Armory & Credits: The Armory and Credit system have a lot of potential, but it needs A LOT MORE in the final release. First off all, we need MORE COLORS. The ones right now are kind of bland (with the exception of Black & White) and their are too few body parts that we can customize. In the final, we should be able to customize the color of our visors, and not just chest and shoulders, but feet, legs, boots and much more. And why can't we see emblems on our Spartans?! That's just silly...

As for credits, some stuff is WAY to expensive in the Beta! For 20,000 credits, I'm thinking something like Recon or a special new armor, not just another headpiece for Military Police. For that many credits, it needs to be worth the price. And why can't we mix and match accessory headpieces with every helmet, why are they helmet specific? Every helmet should be able to have access to the same head acessories, like the one for the default starting helmet that makes you look more like Master Chief, I think every head should have that option. Obviously those who win consistently, should also get more credits then those who don't, but someone who performs well, even on a loosing team should still get rewards.

Forge & Custom Games
Please read this thread Bungie.

Theater Mode
A better Third Person camera for the final game, its really wonky and doesn't have good angles on your Spartan/Elite. How about Youtube uploading for Bungie Pro subscribers?

Final Thoughts
Overall, for a Beta, Reach has been a lot of fun to play for me! I can already see the incredible effort that has been put into the game to evolve the franchise. I love Invasion, love the new ranking system, love the new levels (maybe not Swordbase, I feel it needs more graphical polish for the final game and easier ways around the level) and new gameplay mechanics. That being said, since it is Beta, I could tell from my playtime that a LOT more work will need to be put into the game to make Halo Reach the best that it possibly can be. I have faith in Bungie as a game developer though. Please heed some of my suggestions, as well as those from the hardcore Bungie community, as well as the casuals. If the final game satisfies both the casual and the hardcore, I have no doubts that Halo Reach will become the greatest Halo installment yet!





[Edited on 05.20.2010 10:33 AM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 10:30 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Never settle for less than all you got...

Awesome I made the 100th page post! Keep the reviews coming.

[Edited on 05.20.2010 10:43 AM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 10:43 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Half Italian, half gypsy magic.

OVERVIEW
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the beta as a whole and am really looking forward to the final product. Below is my final assessment of my experience. I truly hope my words find you.

---

Armor Abilities

PRAISE: I was worried how drastic of a change incorporating a "fourth leg" into the traditional Halo mix would affect gameplay. I'm happy to report, however, that I think it fits wonderfully. People are going to have to adapt their style of play - and with that will come frustration and complaints - but in the end it is a really fantastic addition.

CRITICISM: My biggest concern with the armor abilities we were exposed to in the beta (I'm assuming there will be more, yes?) comes in form of the "Stalker" loadout set, or specifically the "Invisibility" armor ability.

The truth is, it isn't fooling anybody. I found myself spotting and downing numerous "Stalkers" from locations halfway across the map. These poor bastards don't stand a chance - especially in Invasion when the Elite variety spawns with a Needler and Plasma Pistol. What good is either of those weapons going to do from a distance? For that matter, what good does a cloaking ability do if you can be spotted without even zooming in while perched up on the bow looking down with a pistol (or heaven forbid a DMR)? The only thing the "Stalker" loadout is good for is eating someone else's bullets.

In all fairness, the radar jammer "side-effect" - and subsequent deafness - are neat ways to balance out its implantation. Kudos in that regard. But, frankly, the only merit to the "Stalker" loadout currently, in my opinion, is using it as a decoy tactic to confuse the enemy with it's radar jamming ability. Because the invisibility aspect doesn't bring anything to the table.

Speaking of which, and I apologize for this little rant here but I feel this is important, the increased visibility while moving makes this problem even more glaring. I can already see them while they're fully-cloaked and standing still. Once they start moving it's like they might as well not even bother employing their stealth capabilities.


The DMR and Pistol

PRAISE: Another victory in the gameplay mechanics revolution! The DMR is what I had always wished the BR was, and the pistol is finally worthy of occupying my backup weapon slot. Thank you.

CRITICISM: If there is anything for me to be concerned about here it would be how almost worthless I feel the AR now is. I find myself ditching it at every opportunity - especially now that the melee system has been "upgraded" (more on that shortly).


Vote System

PRAISE: I begged for this to be implemented the moment I first experienced Halo 3's veto system. Thank you! Thank you so much! The ability to vote for a gametype will (hopefully) save me from vetoing something like Team Rockets only to wind up with Team Swords. Perhaps finally I will have the ability to avoid uninteresting gametypes all together now when I play Social Slayer! Dare I dream?

CRITICISM: Why do people who don't vote for a specific gametype get their votes tallied for the top choice? It's way too difficult to change a gametype when you have other people who are not voting - be it out of indifference or are preoccupied with something else - are pushing votes to a gametype those who are paying attention have no interest in.


Melee

PRAISE: The new third-person assassinations are ridiculously awesome! Sadly, that is about where my praise on this ends.

CRITICISM: I can appreciate the reasoning behind the new melee/health system, but I just don't like it. To me, it greatly defeats the point of close combat. Unless I have a Shotgun, Sword or Plasma Pistol, I avoid close combat like the plague because I know it is going to come down to a "whoever can melee twice" battle of stupidity.

Again, I realize what the reasoning behind why this was changed, but not having melee damage bleed into the health system was hands-down the most frustrating experience I took out of the beta. Here's why:

I can pump an entire clip from an AR into an enemy while taking absolutely no damage and, provided my opponent's shields haven't popped, still lose a melee battle. That makes absolutely no sense. It rewards the loser for being a bullet magnet who just so happened to pull off two melees faster than me. Where is the logic in that?

There isn't any, and that's why I no longer bother with close-range combat. Similarly, melees were a problem Halo 3 suffered from (but under different circumstances, obviously). What I want to know is why hasn't Halo:CE been consulted? It's melee system operated just fine. Why does each new game continue to make these mistakes in different ways when there is already a tried-and-true playbook sitting on a desk collecting dust?

Again, just so we are clear, I appreciate what the new melee and health system is trying to avoid. I really do. But this new problem is worse than the first, and if "melee" is supposed to be part of the three pieces to the tripod (well, now four with Armor Abilities), it is all but gone. At least in any logical sense, anyway.


Font Size

PRAISE: None.

CRITICISM: Way too small. Halo: CE's post-game carnage report has yet to be bested. You can add all the medals and different breakdowns you want, but I have yet to see something as clean and visually-appealing as what Combat Evolved brought to the table.


Swordbase

PRAISE: I love it! It reminds me of Construct and Prisoner - a combination I totally welcome into the fold. Easily my favorite map in the beta.

CRITICISM: The radar seems to be a little confused when it comes to an enemy's location relative to a player's Y axis. It often lists an enemy as on my level when he or she is actually directly below me or above me. Other than that, the level is great!


Boneyard

PRAISE: Definitely a neat concept. I wonder what this level will be like set to regular or big team slayer.

CRITICISM: I thought this was supposed to be "the biggest Halo level ever constructed?" It doesn't exactly feel very big. Sandtrap was big. Boneyard feels considerably smaller and more confined - and confined is not the word I want to use in Reach given my hatred for the new melee system.


Team SWAT

PRAISE: Hands-down the most enjoyable experience I had while playing the beta! The melee issue is non-existent thanks to the lack of a shield and the inclusion of the DMR, rebuilt pistol and sprinting function just makes this gametype so much more enjoyable!

CRITICISM: Honestly, I can't think of anything.


MISC.

- I'm curious how custom games will work. Will we be able to design our own custom loadouts to be used however we wish? That would be really great should that happen to be the case. Same question in regards to Firefight (which I sincerely hope is also included as well, by the way). Being able to make custom loadouts to be instituted in a game of Firefight would also go a long way into extending its life.

- How about a gametype like Team Colors? Perhaps even an Elite/Spartan version. Eight Spartans, eight Elites: If you are Spartan and are killed by an Elite, you respawn as an Elite. Think Zombies except the flow of team changing goes both ways until only one side is left.

- I really enjoyed the weapon drops in the Generator Defense playlist. Why not throw those in periodically during BTB gameplay? Or, at least, make it an option. Having spontaneous weapons dropped down in random locations would definitely add an interesting element to gameplay. Well, at least in the non-competitive playlists, anyhow.


---

That is all I can really recall sticking out to me at the moment. In the end, despite my major gripes with a melee system that is just begging to be corrected, I had a blast. I'm really looking forward to the final product, and I hope my feedback helps!

I eagerly await September. All the best!

- B

[Edited on 05.20.2010 10:58 AM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 10:46 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: My Beta Review After 35 Games

After playing 300 or so games in the Beta over the course of the last few weeks, a number of my initial impressions did not hold all the way through. I'll copy my original post to make it clear what opinions have changed.



Posted by: JohnMatrix1117
So I'm loving the beta and even though this game plays differently than Halo 2&3, to me that's not a bad thing. This feels new and different and exciting; my heart is practically fluttering with anticipation.

Most of the feedback and game tweaks have been stated around the forums numerous times but once more won't hurt.

1. Reticule bloom is a fine idea, but doesn't really fit with what I loved about halo. Halo was about jumping with a sniper rifle and doming 2 people before you landed. Obviously a majority of players were not to the point to do that consistently, but it was a skill level to aspire to. Now it seems that there is this arbitrary cap on how much of a badass you can be. While I understand the need to limit people running around trying to no-scope, trying to kill someone with a DMR or pistol takes patience, and it feels frustrating to be waiting for bloom to reduce while taking fire yourself. Bloom can stay, but I feel it would be better to reduce it from its current state.

2. Movement speed. While I like the tactical doors that open when the pace is less frenetic, I feel many of the problems with the game stem from decreased mobility overall. Grenade spam is prevalent and snipers are still no scoping, the beam rifle close range is nasty for a sniping weapon. If movement speed was increased, to counteract bloom being reduced, I think the gameplay would be tighter and allow for a higher skill cap.

3. Explosives. Grenades in particular, holy jeebus these things hurt. I don't mind the blast radius being so large, just the damage they do from far out. Make the decline in damage more steep with regard to proximity, to reward well placed grenade throw but still allow grenades to kill hurt players camping or hiding in rooms.

4. Reticules need to be brighter or more visible, maybe allow the hud opacity to be changed by the player in custom settings.

5. Melee weapon lunges. The lunges feel a bit far. I usually use the sprint loadout so my perspective may be biased, but I've been extremely untouchable sprinting to someone then lunging really far. You can close even the largest distances with ease when using roll or sprint, add in a far lunge and it seems way worse than the MLC that plagued MW2. The second aspect would be to change the melee weapon lunges back to the H3 state. I'm not a fan of simple melees deflecting damage or whatnot, a few times I've charged through AR fire to get to someone just to have them deflect the first hit and beat me down.


1. Reticule Bloom - Still not a huge fan and I would prefer it being looked at. Probably won't happen, but if there was one thing I would tweak about the game it's this. No matter what anyone says it introduces a huge amount of luck into the game. There is a risk/reward aspect to pacing shots, and I usually like risk/reward mechanics, but it really just seems like you lose control over your character which is never a good feeling in a game. As much as naysayers argue that it adds skill, there is no denying that player A, with a little luck on his side, spamming a pistol from mid range, can kill player B, who pacing his shots. I tried to give it a chance but bloom still doesn't feel right.

2. Movement Speed - Over the course of many hours I've come to accept and appreciate the movement speed in this game. With correct use of the AA you don't feel constrained in the slightest, unless of course you use Armor Lock, in which case I think its appropriate you're a slow moving juggernaut. While I'm still in favor of this:

" If movement speed was increased, to counteract bloom being reduced, I think the gameplay would be tighter and allow for a higher skill cap."

I'm OK with movement speed in this version.

3. As surprised as I am to see myself typing it, grenades are fine. Plenty of ways for smarty pants to get out of the blast radius or not get bombed in the first place. I think the hyperbole sprung out of the drastic gap between how effective Halo 3 grenades were and the Halo Reach predecessors, but right now the grenades seem fine

4. Reticules need to be brighter or more visible, maybe allow the hud opacity to be changed by the player in custom settings. This still stands.

5. I like the melee system save a few points. Right now its far to easy to do double beatdowns. Melee should be a tool to be used throw in at the right time, not an all-encompassing close attack. It should be more effective to shoot + melee + shoot than just melee + melee. IMO, the time between attacks should be increased, as I often play with sprint and found that sprinting + melee + melee is more often than not GG.

As far as the weapons go, the sword should be buffed up a bit, right now, its garbage. The shotgun destroys the sword more than ever before, though they're the counterpoint to each other now more than ever before. In Invasion or Generator Defense the shotgun loadout will wreck the sword loadout which leads to some very one sided close quarter encounters. Furthermore, the sword parry is simply frustrating. As a sword user it can lead to some very aggravating wtf moments, and as a defender, its not much better to be cursing lag when you know you parried but the game respectfully disagrees. Sword v. conventional weapon match ups should be simple: sword gets in range, game over, sword gets kited, game over.

  • 05.20.2010 10:56 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

I'm 16 and an ecxellent gamer I enjoy friendly competion, but I have a rather distaste for cheating and dirty language.

I agree with a lot of things smc90
has said but I disagree with the grenade's review because the power was fine but the blast radius should be slimmed down a bit and the magnum and DMR reviews because I think that they are perfect. And there should be a medal for the knife kills because other than looking cool there's no benefit for doing it, in fact it's a problem because some teammates steal your kill. I'm not saying I don't like it, because I love it, I'm saying that there should be a reward for it and you should include it in the service record to see how many knife kills a player has done in his career. There should some playlist that are spartan exclusive and others elite exclusive with only covenant weapons present in the map, and the right to choose if you wanna be an elite or spartan in FFA. I really hate the melee blocking a sword it's stupid because you can't block a hammer or a shotgun and this means that the double melee will beat a player with a sword.

[Edited on 05.20.2010 11:42 AM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 11:00 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: My Beta Review After 35 Games

Fortes fortuna adiuvat.


GENERAL SUGGESTIONS

-SPARTANS' base acceleration and speed should be slightly faster, putting them closer to the base speed of Elites.

-SPARTANS should have more base acceleration than Elites, but slightly less speed.

-SPARTANS should require three to four (even three 1/2) melee strikes minimum in order for them to kill an Elite at full health and shields, while Elites should require two to three (even two 1/2) in order for them to kill SPARTANS in a similar scenario.

-Melee should "bleed" through damaged shields. If coupled with the above increase in melee damage, balance should be attained.

-Melee speed between uses should be dramatically slowed.

-Melee countering the Energy Sword should be removed entirely.

-Grenades should be reduced in quantity from all maps and loadouts, and the rate at which they are thrown should be decreased, though I find their blast radii and damage levels completely acceptable.

-Automatic aiming or aiming assistance features should be toned down as much as possible, especially with specific regard to things like grenades and Rocket Launchers, et cetera.


...

USER INTERFACE & HEADS UP DISPLAY / ARMORY, CREDITS, COMMENDATIONS, & GRADE

Everything is satisfactory, though I see no harm in offering users more full control over customization . . . there is a lack of Covenant themes or variations. I suggest users be able to choose their faction (UNSC or Covenant) and thereby alter all text dialogue accordingly (ex. REPOSITORY, UNITS, HONORS, & RANK). I also recommend a separate but equal Covenant ranking system.


...

WEAPONS

Needle Rifle is satisfactory.

Designated Marksman Rifle is excessively proficient in close quarters combat. I suggest making an increase to the rate at which the reticle swells, and compensating by increasing the rate at which the reticle shrinks.

...

Plasma Repeater is satisfactory, but requires a decrease to its overheat rate and/or a slight increase to its basic damage per shot in order for it to contend with other primary weapons. Currently, it requires significantly more time than a Plasma Pistol in order to attain a single kill, and unlike the Plasma Pistol, it requires a much larger cool down period between firing iterations.

Assault Rifle is satisfactory, but requires an increase to its ammunition capacity and/or a slight increase to its basic damage per shot. Currently, it requires significantly more time than a Magnum in order to attain a single kill, and unlike the Magnum, it possesses a much slower reloading period between firing iterations.

...

Plasma Pistol is excessively proficient as a secondary weapon due to its obvious superiority to the Plasma Repeater. I suggest an increase to its overheat and battery life consumption per shot, and/or an increase to its reticle swell rate and a decrease to its reticle shrink rate, and forcing the charged blast to discharge mandatorily after a very short duration of time.

Magnum is excessively proficient as a secondary weapon due to its superiority to the Assault Rifle. I suggest slowing the rate at which it can be reloaded and decreasing the rate at which its reticle shrinks.

...

Focus Rifle is satisfactory, but should do more damage against enemies' heads, when they are unshielded.

Sniper Rifle is satisfactory.

...

Plasma Grenade Launcher is excessively proficient when used against infantry, making it far superior to its UNSC counterpart. I suggest forcing it to fire four projectiles per shot instead of allowing it to fire single, double, or triple shots with each charge. Correcting this may resolve any issues with its UNSC counterpart.

Spartan Laser is well rounded, but is greatly inferior to its Covenant counterpart. An increase in ammunition capacity may correct this imbalance. Correcting this issue may resolve any issues with its Covenant counterpart.

...

Fuel Rod Cannon is a weapon that I hope returns in the final release. I recommend that it is made equal to its UNSC counterpart in usefulness.

Rocket Launcher is excessively proficient. I recommend reducing the rate at which it can be reloaded. Perhaps a slight decrease to any automatic aiming feature may help restore balance.

...

Energy Sword is an adequate close quarters combat instrument, but is lacking due to the current Melee system. The Melee counter is excessive in this regard.

Shotgun is overpowered. I recommend an increase to the rate at which its reticle swells and a decrease to the rate at which its reticle shrinks, and/or a decrease to its overall firing rate.

...

Needler is satisfactory.

Grenade Launcher is excessively proficient. I suggest an increase to its overall reload time, a reduction in its ammunition capacity, and the removal of the impact detonation feature.

...

Plasma Grenades are overabundant. I recommend reducing the quantity available in the loadouts and on the map. A moderate reduction in the auto-aim feature may be necessary, or perhaps a complete removal.

Fragmentation Grenades are overabundant. I recommend reducing the quantity available in the loadouts and on the map. A large reduction in the auto-aim feature may be necessary, or perhaps a complete removal.


...

VEHICLES

* All vehicles require a health meter that appears in the HUD of the user.

* All vehicles should only be negatively affected by electromagnetic pulses for a maximum of five seconds.

* Light vehicles, which are smaller and faster, should not have better armor than heavy vehicles, which are larger and slower.

* Heavy vehicles should require a minimum of two firing iterations to destroy with an anti-vehicle weapon, while light vehicles should require a minimum of one.

* Light vehicles should incur moderate to little damage from small arms fire, while Heavy vehicles should take little to no damage.

* Heavy vehicles should incur moderate to little damage from all types of direct grenade explosions, while light vehicles should incur heavy to moderate damage.

* Similarly classed vehicles (ex. Wraith and Scorpion) should have similar armor levels, and similar weapons damage levels.


...

LOADOUTS

-Heavy weapons, such as Fuel Rod Cannon, Rocket Launcher, Plasma Grenade Launcher, Spartan Laser, Brute Shot, or Grenade Launcher, should never appear in the loadout menu, unless there is some specific purpose and only if both teams are given the same heavy weapon or its UNSC or Covenant counterpart (whenever applicable). This mentality of equality should also apply to the appearance of all other weapons types, including light weapons (assault or support), sniper weapons, close quarters weapons, and even grenades.

-Loadouts COULD be limited, for example: only a certain amount of a particular loadout is available for simultaneous use (ex. one per team), and/or a particular loadout is only available once every [insert numerical range] deaths, kills, or for a specific duration of time.


...

ARMOR ABILITIES

Evade is excessively proficient and overabundant. I suggest reducing the amount of uses available to the user and decreasing the rate at which it recharges.

Sprint is insufficient. I suggest slightly extending the duration of its use.

Active Camouflage is insufficient. I suggest applying the radar jamming feature ONLY to the opposition of the user, and slightly decreasing the rate at which the user becomes more visible while moving during use.

Armor Lock is satisfactory, but I suggest removing the third-person perspective from its use or disabling its camera's rotation function; and slightly extending its invulnerability application after the user disengages, as well as adding a feature that prevents the user from rapidly activating and deactivating it successively.

  • 05.20.2010 11:33 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: The Official "My Beta Review" Thread - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE

My biggest issue with Reach -- the Elites. The Spartans have such an advantage given their armor abilities & weapons...really its near impossible to win unless your playing on a really good covenant team. This needs to be balanced. It has seemed to me that the covenant weapons have always paled in comparison to the human; although, this problem has gotten better to an extent. The needler, plasma rifle, & plasma launchers (I'd have sex with this gun) are a real asset to the cause. But, the needle rifle needs A LOT of work, as I only know a few people that can use that gun effectively. The DMR has a very unfair advantage as a counterpart. Regardless of how much faster, stronger, or bigger the elites are...their just walking targets forced to play a defensive role in any given match. They need to be made stronger......

My next qualm are the grenades. I think its awesome that the game has become more realistic, but I can't even begin to explain how often I get raped by grenades. I don't know what needs to be done, but something would be nice. It makes scene in almost every way it can & is fine in most situations, but it makes defending an objective or flag point very difficult. Other than that you've done a great job making the game more real...I know a lot of people that won't play halo given how forgiving it is. Its time to bring back some of that COD crowd back.

My last comment would be that it would be nice to have more & different vehicles. It's just we've had the same thing for near forever now, & some new editions would be great! If I may make a recommendation, I would include The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL armor....or at least a less powerful prototype version (which would make sense given the time line). I think it would be awesome to have a mechanized suit armor, & it might be an idea to even just have it run out of fuel after a while...or over heat after a while forcing the pilot to eject or go down with the ship after a while. A powerful version could also turn the tide of battle for a team that's really getting beat badly. It may also be an idea to strengthen the banshee a bit; moreover, it seems to get blown up almost as soon as I climb into it more often than not. Why is it so frail? I would also like to see a transport ship of some time, sort of like the ones in Tribes 2. Which mind you, Reach reminds me of tribes 2 in many a different way. Which isn't a mad thing; moreover, Tribes 2 is still one of my favorite shooters to this day...and very few games have manged to tap into its magic since. It might be an idea to give the Covenant the Phantom, & like wise the human forces the Pelican. These units would be amazing in [http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Phantom]Invasion[/url].

Outside of these few complaints, you have made an amazing game bungie! And in my opinion, is far better than Halo 3. I would also like to thank you for invasion, which in my opinion is an amazing. I think this mode could make the multilayer expedience in reach & I would like to see it expanded: new maps, new weapons, new objectives, & new vehicles to help it. Don't be afraid to make the maps huge either, just add Vehicles to help cross the map. Look at this game for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribes_2]inspiration[/url]. I think the ultimate goal of this mode would be to have multi-player experiences in single player style objective levels...cut scenes between objectives might be a good idea to help pull you into an epic feel of the game. If this can't be addressed before launch, it would make an awesome DLC pack. you've done something great with Reach Bungie...don't break it -- kudos!!

  • 05.20.2010 11:50 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

kakaw tuki tuki

Well I found it overall to be enoyable but there are a few things i would like to see get changed.

-frag grenade damage
-melee interval
-spartan jumping and speed
-SvE is not fair elites are better. I think i lost every game as spartan and won every game as elite.
-proximity voice in arena often gave away positions
-To many power weapons on each map
-spree's reset after host migration, robed me of several untouchables and invisible medals same as halo 3
-Would like to see a little faster shooting dmr
-medals in the post game stats, i dont like scrolling down a list and the number of each medal gained should be present.
-dont think assists should count exactly the same as kills in arena


Also i would like to see fully how arena rank and division is determined. I completely understood the basic arctan equation for rank in a given game but I would like to see how those games average and how it determines division

  • 05.20.2010 11:52 AM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

Hug Me!
I know what the ladies like!
Have we tried talking to them?
Amen!

HALO Reach Beta, an organized brief review.

I will be posting specifics in other forum topic areas, but here are the basics.

Game play: Overall an A+.

Regarding STOCKPILE, the RED flag base in the SWORD-BASE map is at a significant disadvantage to the BLUE. The cover provided at the entrance to the BLUE base is superior to the RED's exposed entrance. I bet your data bares this out. Also, the clear cover at the Blue base provides a small advantage.

Regarding JUGGERNAUT, it is too easy to get a betrayal. Either tweak the conditions for a betrayal, or do away with it all together. The Juggernaut himself is a bit TOO haughty. Bring the hit points down just a tad.

MELEE. There have been notable instances where player "a" was getting hit by gun fire melee-ed by player "b", defeated said player "b" with "a's" own melee and then attacked again via melee by a player "c" only to defeat that player "c" as well. What I am getting at is the melee isn't consistent. I believe you may be trying not to make it instant-death. Agreed. But, it must be consistent. Something's not stirring the Kool-Aid here.

Map Integrity. Solid. No rocks to get stuck in, or holes in maps that you can't get out of.

Spartan Vs Elite. The Elite evasion is FAR superior to the Spartan, but I think the larger Elite target makes up for it.

Regarding QUITTING EARLY, we all have had to run to the door, answer an important phone call, or contend with an ill advised poorly digested Taco Bell burrito. So we have all had to quit early. But, there needs to be a tough penalty for dropping out early too often. TOO much of it went on... goes on.

Matchmaking. One vote, one time. It's not a game. The game is HALO Reach, not Matchmaking poker. Also, included SLAYER more in the GRAB BAG.

Regarding Weapons, WELCOME BACK MAGNUM PISTOL! Finally! The Newb-Combo is reborn. I don't like the Needler Rifle. It is too ineffective, takes too long to take down shields. The Covy grenade launcher is SICK! What a great twist. I like the new powered up grenades. I wish there were more Plasma Grenades on the maps.

Lagging or Modding. If a player is lagging badly or appears to have a modified advantage he should be booted. Two votes to "boot" from any two players on the map (team mates as well) and the player is booted from the game. To avoid people misusing the boot feature only allow one VOTE TO BOOT option per 24 hour period.

Regarding Social Settings, make it where your preferences are saved. I had to reset each time I logged on.

FINALLY... the most important. Have an OVER 26yo area/group/clan/network/something. Enough of the kids. I have spoken to player after player. We will gladly pay $100 for Xbox Live if we can have a child free experience. How? Not sure, but I bet you can figure it out. For $100 each we can have our own faster exclusive network!

EDIT This just in... the Spartan Grenade Launcher... I don't get it. Do I have to have a PhD in Geometry to know when and where the grenade will explode? Reminds me of the HALO2 Bruteshot... but much much worse. Really... do I need to aim at an opponents feet again? It's the year 25XX I think they know how to make a grenade explode on impact.

[Edited on 05.20.2010 1:25 PM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 12:36 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: The Official "My Beta Review" Thread - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE

Honorable member of the Bungie.net community.
Avid Sergeant Johnson fan.
Gamer.
DominationQ.

Overall view of the beta: Excellent. I want this game.
Breakdown:
The Arena
I am so glad to finally have the arena instead of levels and rankings, the feeling of being able to do better in ranked playlists after the season ends makes pushing for levels in H3 seem laughable. Being given a rating and league number for the playlist seems like it will be near perfect for ranked matches.
Gametypes
Stockpile: I find it to be more fun than One Flag, but as a general rule of objective games, I just don't like to play the same game too many times in a row. Not that I had a problem with that in the beta, but there weren't as many options as I'm sure there will be in the full game. So yeah, better than One Flag, about the same level with Multi-flag and Oddball.
Headhunter: Didn't play a whole lot of FFA in the beta, but enough to know that I suck at this game. I lost nearly every headhunter game that I played, and found that I was pretty much struggling to score points. I like that there are multiple collection zones, but I still got my ass handed to me. Skullimanjaro!
Invasion: Again, don't like to play the same objective gametype in a row, so I was glad that Invasion Slayer was an option, though I did find myself voting for Slayer almost every time, especially as an Elite. I usually enjoyed the gametype, but Elites just seem to get gipped out of better tier 3 loadouts. And the vehicles are horribly unbalanced, with a Warthog being able to survive just as many or more grenades than a Scorpion. Not that the tanks can't get kills, they just seem pretty underpowered compared to being on foot. And the Grenade Launcher loadout for Spartans pretty much ends any tanks in the area. Overall: not bad, room for improvement.
Generator Defense - Seems like a fun gametype if it weren't just a network test. The odd lag sometimes made it unbearable to play, but the concept was fun. Generators need a longer cool down time after being locked though. And needs more people! 3 players for 3 generators doesn't cut it! The gametype could work on more maps too. I'd put it at the same level as CTF and Oddball.
Weapons
Love:
Grenade Launcher - My baby! Damn, I love this gun.
Shotgun - Finally they increased the shotty's range, and it looks pretty badass too.
Plasma Launcher - Fun to watch people in your sights scurry away only to get tracked down and explode anyway.
Hate:
Grenades - Still suck with 'em, and too powerful in the beta, glad to hear they're getting nerfed.
Rockets - No significant change, but still suck with 'em.
Sword - Melee cancel? Really? It was fine when the shotgun could beat it, now it just seems ineffective. Either add the melee cancel to the Grav Hammer too, or get rid of it!
Maps
Powerhouse - My favorite simply because of the Grenade Launcher and reminds me of High Ground, another good map. Although Rockets and G Launcher and Shotty and G Hammer seem too close together, swap one or edit spawns. And nothing spawns on the outskirts by the ravine? What's the point of even having that part of the map? Might as well have the cliff drop off the side of the dam.
Swordbase - Reach beta's Snowbound. You can keep 'em both. Too much unused space, weapon spawns need to be more spread out, and the center lift doesn't seem to be very consistent. And flag in One Flag games should spawn INSIDE the base please. Not being able to defend it really bothers me.
Boneyard - Works well for Invasion, Invasion Slayer's spawns require some traveling, and there just isn't enough cover from the Elite's spawn. As a Spartan, you pretty much can't leave the base through the center because of all the Needle Rifle fire. Not bad, and I want to see how it'll work for regular Big Team Slayer.
Overlook - Another fun map that I hope to see regular Slayer games on. Excellent terrain and simply looks pretty. Worked well for Generator Defense. Needs vehicles, just for kicks.
Loadouts
Sprint - My default ability, using it makes getting back into the action after spawining very easy. Although I have a hard time using a weapon after sprinting, and I usually get meleed in the face. There's no better feeling of a Sprint-jump though.
Armor Lock - Not as ridiculously overpowered as I expected. Useless in some situations, and sometimes I regret not picking it.
Cloaking - Not very useful, people can generally see you even when standing still. The radar jamming isn't always helpful either, especially when it's YOUR radar being jammed.
Jetpacks - Man they looked fun at first, but I just can't put a proper use to them. I find others using them while I'm ground bound to be highly irritating.
Other Notes
Armory - Credits = good. Want to see what else we get in the full release, even though chances are I'll be using my Legendary edition armors mostly. =)
Melee - Annoying as hell. Getting fixed for full release, so I'm happy.
Stats pages - I want betrayals back!
Bungie.net - Love the Reach stats look, and I love having k/d for individual weapons.

Anything not mentioned I either forgot about or simply have no opinion of.
Overall - I want this game. There's nothing else to say.

  • 05.20.2010 1:26 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Great game Bungie. A few glitches, bugs and balance issues aside (almost of all of which have been noted and many of which have been fixed), I think the game is fantastic. It flows well, has beautiful graphics, a good interface, awesome range of weapons, and is tons of fun to play. I expect to be one very happy camper upon release.

  • 05.20.2010 2:00 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: My Beta Review After 35 Games

--- You Dead, Thanks For Playing ---

It's the fact that you aren't motivated to go out and get a kill. I find myself sitting by the office roof on Powerhouse until I get chased or killed. Sword Base, Shotty campers at green lift RUIN the map. That, and literally a PACK of elites will win everytime against a squad.

Pack -> Evade-Evade-Melee-Melee-Teabag
Squad -> Callout-Get-Raped-Respawn

I've literally had a game go just like this. And I know that in a Halo game, that shouldn't happen. Coordinated teams lose to noobs who run around in packs with power weapons? That's just one exapmle.

The slow movement of the Spartans makes headshot weapons too easy to use at a mid-close range, no-scoping is not out in Reach.

Me + Jetpack + Snipe on Sword Base > Tactically advanced player crouching with invis across a bridge. I no-scoped him, and that's saying something. I suck at it. Or at least I did before it was made to where anyone could do it.

Weapons
AR: Better, a bit more accurate than before, but, small clip, usually 1 kill per clip. Doesn't really need beefing though.

Pistol: Perfect. DON'T talk to Sage about it...

DMR: A bit slow to kill, but if it were any more powerful, it'd be a BR all over again.

Shotgun: Way more ranged. Not gamebreaking, and actually more realistic, but... It's certainly diffeent...

Sniper: Definitely much easier to use. I think that the slower movement speed makes it infinitely easier to line up shots. I think I've only missed three times out of every shot I've ired.

Focus Rifle: Focus Rifle > Jetpack. Nuff said.

Rockets: Bigger blast radius? I'm also curious to know:
Does anyone know if the damage done by the rockets is inversely proportional to the distance from the explosion?
Frags: Nukes. But they are nukes because of the huge blast radius. Highe movement speed would correct this.

Needler: Needles are fast it seems, but... I dunno, it seems to be a long time to kill.

Needle Rifle: <3

Pro Pipe: I personally avoid using this weapon, I cannot seem to be effective with it. It is the definition of a niche weapon.

Plasma Repeater: <3

Plasma Launcher: A bit overpowered, super ultra homing missle action here.

Plasma Pistol: Finally a real pistol.

Plasma Grenades: They're still sticky!


Abilities
Armor Lock: </3 I just don't like it in general, there's really no way I would like to use it, it works as it is for those who like the concept. I haven't seen it in combo with vehicles though, so no concencus yet.

Active Camo: </3 You need to move too slow for it to be used effectively. Radar Jammer is a frowny face too. Maybe deafness but no jammer?

Jetpack: The second most useful and well balanced ability. The trade-off between manueverability and position is perfect.

Sprint: Beast. Most useful for getting into and out of cover. I've ade it out of many a bad spot thanks to my left bumper.


Misc.

See, the thing about the frags is, I saw a KOTH game, where the guy basically spammed nades into the hill and got about three or four triple kills. They're great and all, but I think the blast radius is too big.

Either that or get rid of sprint and bump up the running speed back to "normal".

Armor Lock: I agree that it is easy to counter. But it is possible to clinch a flag recovery by having two guys with armor lock alternating on the flag. Personally, the first time I encountered Armor Lock being used against me, I timed a nade to where I dropped his shields and popped off a pistol shot at the same time, killing him instantly. It's possible to work around, but that's just it. As it stands, it's a bit of a hassle.

Oh, another thing: Did they fix BXB or RB X RB? Cause Halo 2 glitches do not belong in a streamlined game such as this.

I actually think Sprint will be the most abused ability, Sprint + CQB = Destruction.

Swords should be one hit kills, not stopped by a metallic arm. Plasma is ionized gas, if not tearing through the SPARTAN, it should electrocute him and kill him. :/

  • 05.20.2010 3:37 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

"There are those who said this day would never come. What are they to say now?"

- In support for Halo 2's final days of Xbox Live.

Well the beta (its super awesome) is over, so here is my review.

Maps:

The maps overall are pretty good. Swordbase is nice but with some gametypes played on it just not good, slayer yes 1 flag CTF no. Powerhouse or High Ground 2.0 it great no complains. Boneyard is indeed an awesome map, just so huge! Last Overlook is nice but to play any other gametype besides Generator Defense on it would be akward.

Gametypes:

Invasion is great but can't seem to get a good balance when playing either side if anything its random, also goes the same for slayer version too. Generator Defense is good but you guys weren't kidding about that mess up lag that can happen, good test run though. Headhunter is cool just didn't play enough of it. not to thrilled with SvE slayer or Covy slayer just not liking it, the basic gametypes seem fine for Reach.

Weapons:

AR is definitely better and feels like Halo CE version. Pistol is also nice too. DMR is prefer over the BR but yeah could use some head work instead of hitting the body. Needle Rifle is nice but suffers the same as DMR, needs some work. Needler is perfect, no complains about it. Shotgun is nice and much better to use. Sniper is good as well not the weapon that seems it would be use for short range now. Sword feels like Halo 2, no change. Rocket Launcher is nice, I could of sworn there was lock-on, it would be cool to bring it back but just for flight vehicles only? Plasma Repeater is eh, prefer to call it Reaper but the weapon itself is nice. Plasma pistol is fine. Plasma launcher is interesting, lazer is cool. The hammer is just too beastly to avoid. But my favorite weapon by far the Grenade Launch is awesome, no change.

Vehicles:

All are great, but why with the overheat chain gun? I know Halo CE did that but wasn't it only for Campaign? This I don't think is far to compare with the ghost. The Banshee should also not switch between its plasma to fuel rod guns.

Armor Abilities:

Had some mix feelings at first but things seem to be fine now. But since Active camo is an ability, what will happen to overshield? and no armor lock is overshield, if anything its a power drainer built in...

In general:

Great game, loving it style and gameplay. Please keep Recon control scheme, do some tweaking on things above and yeah can't wait to play it in the fall along with zombies returning with these awesome features.

[Edited on 05.20.2010 3:40 PM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 3:37 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Bug In Halo Reach:
When you kill someone with a sniper rifle with a headshot, the shields of

the other guy don't explode .. This, is the reason cuz the headshots with the sniper rifle look so boring.
If you look in H2 and H3 the shields xplodes ,in the case of H2 the victim makes a awesome backflip and his screen blink red.

Please Bungie put more action on tha Reach!!!.

  • 05.20.2010 5:16 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

*Looking up in the sky* "What's that grampa John?"*The blue blob sticks to the girl and begins to sizzle.*
"No comment" is a comment
Me: Luke, can I has recon?
Lukems: Ha ha, I don't has it so you can't has it!

Halo Reach Review:

Overview

Bungie, I know your reading this. I acknowledge that you guys are intelligent. To say the least, some of this criticism from others is NOT.


Weapons

Bungie, Do NOT make the DMR a 4 shot rifle, or the pistol for that matter. The DMR is a perfectly balanced weapon as is. I understood the Beta well, for most guns have the capacity to kill only one person per magazine/ before cool down. However, I suggest that you do add ONE more bullet for the pistol.

Perhaps test this among yourselves in the internal beta. That one bullet I think would help better the use of the pistol.

The assault rifle does not fit the one kill per magazine idea that you guys created. This starting weapon needs a LITTLE more power. It should kill in 1 to 2 bullets less. That's ALL! You don't need a massive increase in power.

Armor Abilities/ Playlist

I learned something from S v E that I wanted to share with you guys. I don't think the playlist was the greatest idea. I bet that the data you have collected greatly favors Elites. You already knew that Elites would mostly win.

You should have concentrated on finding Armor ability balance for S v E because it could have been a possible Grab Bag future playlist.

Whatever people say, no armor ability was unbalanced. Armor lock had two locks max per charge. That wasn't OP at all. Jetpack was a little Overpowered in that it's recharge rate was somewhat moderate. It didn't take skill to control your jet pack fuel. Sprint was balanced. Cloak was least favorite by most community members as you must have seen from game data. It is still a strong ability. It's just that the community didn't have enough time to find it's true balance.

Map Design

You designed the maps well. I really have no complaints.

Blocking off certain areas for certain game types were the only tweaks needed.

I loved how sword base was an inspiration from Halo:CE's Boarding Action. You guys modified it quite well.

Overall

Despite some criticism from the community, the beta was very balanced and refreshing. You all did a successful job in keeping a good balance for the game. (I won't even complaint about grenades, I didn't have issues with them). I can't wait to see what you guys will reveal next fall. Start tweaking and good luck.

So Guess Who

P.S. Make Forgable Callouts

  • 05.20.2010 5:58 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: The Official "My Beta Review" Thread - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE
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Double melees and over powered grenades made me play call of duty more than half the beta

  • 05.20.2010 6:03 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

1. faster Spartans
2. shotgun sprint class
3. MORE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4.ability to paint a spartan.(chose specific places for specific colors).
5.A teleport armor ability( leaves player with no shields when used)
6.More customization of Armour for Spartans
7. Keep G.D.

  • 05.20.2010 6:12 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: The Official "My Beta Review" Thread - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE

It was great. One of the best Halos Ive ever played. Until about ten minutes ago. I reached max rank earlier today. When i came back, not surprised, the Beta had been severed. I checked my stats, NONE OF WHAT I DID TODAY COUNTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So i sit here with tears in my eyes asking myself, Ive dealt with all the ther glitchs,bugs, connection issues, ect., why this? So i decided to post this in two areas so somebody would see it and fix it for fall. This is a big issue. It happened to some of my freinds as well. Please fix it. It really did let down my hopes.

  • 05.20.2010 6:15 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas
Subject: THE OFFICIAL REVIEW THREAD - POST IMPRESSIONS HERE!

I think the beta was an great preview of the game I deff think the whole health packs need to go just keep the self recovery armor on like in the other halos. I found my self getting triple kill after triple and I get taken outjust by a beat down I think Bungie should just keep the old recovery seystem. But over all the new halo looks like a whole new world of fun. :) awsome job bungie.

Ps. I think it would be so cool if we could edit our armor more I mean the whole idea of haveing a skull on my helmit would be fricking fantastic. So please concider this loyal bungie fans request. :) thanx and God bless

[Edited on 05.20.2010 6:29 PM PDT]

  • 05.20.2010 6:23 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Just wanted to say 2 things:

1)There has to be a better reason to keep playing reach than the credit system because quite frankly few people care about armor perms in the whole scheme of the game. Whether that reason be increase in rank (based on skill! Not this anyone can get to any level stuff), or something totally different there has got to be more than the mundane allotment of 100-150 credits at the end of each game.

2) DMR and Needle Rifle

The problem I find is with the DMR and Needle Rifle is that they are almost useless except to put 1 or 2 shots on people from across the map. The DMR must be made a 4 shot weapon to make it at all useful. Making it a 4 shot kill (the last being a headshot) would make a player able to defend himself in a teamshoot scenario and would make the weapon actually able to kill a fully shielded opponent from range in a firefight instead of them being able to scurry off into cover. With 5 shots to kill it is almost impossible to kill a player at any range because anyone can duck into cover before all 5 shots hit. Therefore, it renders it not useful at range because it doesnt have enough power. Same goes for mid range. Any decent player is going to be able to find cover, or armor lock or sprint away before you get 5 shots in them. That leaves close range; well as most have found out these weapons are not ideal for close range combat, and I DO NOT think they should be. That is where other weapons like the pistol and AR come in and rightly so. Right now there is an almost perfect balance between long and short range weapons in Reach. However, there NEEDS to be that mid-long rang weapon to fill the difference. Otherwise you will CONTINUE to see almost every players weapon of destruction either melee, grenade, or AR. Because without a mid-long range weapon, and with only a few long range weapons on each map, there is only close range battles to be fought, and that is not what makes or has made Halo great. Halo is not street fighter 4 where you need to go smack a players backside. Halo is diverse in its weaponry offering up a different weapon for EVERY situation, NOT forcing players to play tag on each others backs!


you guys did a bang up job on this Beta! I had a lot of fun and with a few tweaks here and there I foresee Halo reach being an EPIC game!

  • 05.20.2010 6:36 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

I used to love playing Halo 2 online, and even now I still find myself thinking back to the glory days of that game. I don't know what it was either, but there was just something about Halo 2 mp that just allowed one to single handedly take control of the whole situation around you to come out on top. This, to me, was something that Halo 3 was always lacking. I mostly blame the AR spam, charge, and melee finish for this because it allowed any old noob to just spam and kill you, but there were also a number of other reasons that Halo 3 never did it for me. Anyways the types of moments that made Halo 2 so amazing, the ones I didn't think I would be able to experience again, are back thanks to the Reach Beta!

Overall the beta was tons of fun for me! I feel like the more skilled players can finally shine again.

I was really skeptical of the game at first, the armor abilities especially, but wow am I glad I was wrong. After finally getting used to the beta, I started realizing that the armor abilities give me a whole new way to manipulate my opponent and the load outs allow me to make quick changes to best combat the situation at hand. It just adds a whole new level of strategy.

The new weapons are sick too! The DMR and Needle Rifle are amazing. Honestly I don't understand why people think these guns need to be stronger and have less kick because I always feel like I can dominate with them. The AR is a little weak, but after thinking about it I actually think it should stay the same as it is because I don't want people just spamming me dead like in Halo 3. I think the best part about the new weapons is there clip sizes. There's nothing more funny than watching a person spam there ammo recklessly only to take out my shields, then have to reload and watch me put the last few rounds of my gun through their head. As for the rest of the guns I would say they are fine as they were they are currently at including grenades (people just have to be smarter about grenades, I can't even believe how many times I watch my teammates run into locations where grenades are likely to be). I find that every gun has a purpose and that a skilled player can make the best of what is at their disposal, which is awesome!

The only thing that I think needs changes are the tanks and the way time works in invasion. Both tanks should take 2 hits to kill, whether it be from the other tank, rocket, laser, covy grenade launcher, or whatever other obvious power weapon because honestly I feel like more of a threat in a ghost or warthog than a tank. In halo 2 tanks were feared, now I just see them as easy kills. As for the way the time works in invasion, I think it should add 4min to the clock rather than reset to 4 minutes for each round. Right now it feels like the spartans have a huge advantage, but I think that advantage would seem like much less if the elites were rewarded for capturing the first 2 rounds quickly because honestly I can't even tell you how many times my team has owned the spartans only to run out of time with the core on the stairs about 10ft short of victory.

One other complaint, that will never get fixed, is the laser. Seriously this is such an easy to use anti-vehicle gun it's not even funny. I don't understand why they ever put it into the game in the first place.

In the end my only fear about Halo Reach is that the wrong things will be changed after the beta and the game will be ruined, just like in Halo 3. So PLEASE BUNGIE DON'T FIX THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING FINE!!!!

  • 05.20.2010 9:04 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

Were it so easy.

Alright so here is my full review of the Halo Reach Beta.

The beta, it can be quite fun, but I feel that there are some major problems that make the experience less than what it can be.

Reticule Bloom: Dont care what anyone says, I've played enough Halo, I've seen enough theater mode, trust me, there was NEVER reticule bloom, at least not NEARLY as close to the amount that is in Reach.
Competitively, this does not belong in Halo. Halo has done fine without bloom for 3 games, we don't need this at all.

Game Speed: Movement speed and jump height need a boost. Kill times need to be shorter.

Graphics: Don't like the menus one bit, look very unclear, text size is too small. The graphics are better, but not clean. They look very blurry and too dark (even with brightness settings on higher). Halo 3's graphics were more clean and clear. The reticule also needs to be more visible.

Armor Abilities: AAs feel too powerful and game changing. They need to be toned down or have cooldowns increased, or both. With a 20-30 second cooldown for the AAs would make them much better and kind of like a trump card people have rather than have them constantly affecting the game.

  • 05.20.2010 9:30 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

After 124 games played (I would have loved to play more if I didn't have to work), my overall impression is that Reach is an excellent game. I, like everyone else, do have a few complaints, but also some compliments. Now for the breakdown:

Basic Gameplay
Many people said that movement speed is too slow and that jumping is too low. I disagree. The feel is different, but I quickly adjusted. In my opinion, the elite/spartan split requires spartans to be less agile so as to not make elites too agile. If spartans moved as fast as in other games, elites would be impossible to hit.

Melee speed needs to be decreased a little. Not so much as to make a two-melee kill impossible, but enough such that close-range encounters offer a choice between shooting and killing your opponent with good accuracy or dodging just enough bullets to land that second punch.

Grenades are a little overpowered. I like how damage tapers off instead of the blast radius ending abruptly, but I think it needs to either taper off slightly faster or have a lower base damage. A perfecly placed frag under someone's foot should kill them regardless of shields/health, but not one 10 to 15 feet away with 3/4 shields and most or all of their health remaining.

The motion tracker is now more useful that ever, but I only noticed a difference if someone was lower than me. Was there anything that indicated someone was above you? If so, I missed it.

Weapons
Most of the weapons are perfectly tuned. The DMR is a worthy successor to the battle rifle. My only real complaint is that I don't much care for it being a hitscan weapon. In my opinion that should be reserved for only the sniper rifle and focus fifle.

Melee weapons, especially the gravity hammer, seem to be overpowered, especially paired with sprint/evade. The sword should not be able to be parried with any weapon except a hammer or another sword. I find it extremely frustrating to have to close the gap, losing at least half my shield in the process, only to be parried by whatever gun my opponent has. Before I can swing again, they've either thrown a second melee or shot me to death. This makes the risk of using the sword not worth the potential reward, except when paired with the above armor abilities.

Now for one of the most hated (and loved) topics: reticle bloom. For the most part, I like it. I actually think that the maximum bloom for the assault rifle and plasma repeater needs to be increased slightly, however. Even in the middle of its effective range I can go full auto and hit with most bullets, beating someone who feathers the trigger. This should not happen; I would rather a fully bloomed gun have a wider radius such that 50% or more bullets miss at that range. I'm not saying to make it enlarge faster, just for a longer time.

Armor Abilities/Loadouts
These are great mechanics. I only wish elites could use armor lock, albeit not as powerful as a spartan's. Possible shortcomings could be shorter duration, only 2 charges instead of 3, and/or no emp effect.

Other
The theater option menu (play/pause, take screenshot, etc.) should be controlled by the d-pad, not the left stick. The stick already has a purpose: controlling the camera. These two functions should not overlap, as it causes headaches when recording clips with a moving camera.

All of the gametypes and maps I played were great. Stockpile is one of my favorite games, and territories works so much better than in Halo 3. The graphis have had a major facelift and look beautful.

I would like a control scheme that puts both jump and armor ability on the bumpers, possibly with melee on B and action/reload on X.

Despite some drawbacks, the game is really fun. I can't wait for the full release. There are many more positive aspects than I listed; if I didn't mention it, there's nothing wrong with it. Unless I forgot. I wish I could have tested Forge (assuming it's in the game) and seen what custom game options are available, but I have faith those will turn out as well as expected. If Network Test 1 is any indication, the campaing coding has had a makeover to me less laggy. Come to think of it, there wasn't much lag in 122 of the 124 games I participated in. That one invasion slayer game was just weird...

I would like to thank Bungie for the opportunity to test this game. I hope you guys continue to do such a great job. Also thanks to those I played with. The vast majority of my games were comprised of friendly, civil players. It's games like those that keep me playing.

  • 05.20.2010 10:18 PM PDT
  • reply edit unleash ninjas