A Fleshy Pulse
A brief and opinionated look at the evolution of Halo’s time-honored multiplayer – its twists, its turns and its future…
Despite many attempts by other game developers to emulate the combat system displayed in the Halo trilogy, Bungie’s multiplayer experience remains unmatched, no less improved upon. From top to bottom, whether you’re talking about the ground-level faculties like movement speed and sandbox diversity or the broad-based aspects like matchmaking and load balancing, Halo’s multiplayer component is arguably the best of our generation. As of late, however, its community is fraught with an ambiguous and problematic malaise. There is an exodus of sorts and the culmination of seven years worth of evolution in Halo multiplayer is in question – perhaps even in jeopardy.
Why doesn’t it feel the same as it did before?
A legitimate question for any fan to ask when the quality of what they hold dear suddenly becomes suspect. But to understand what is wrong, we must know what was right: How had Bungie tapped into a fleshy pulse – that living catalyst – which drove gamers to unflinchingly dedicate the last seven years of their lives to a single franchise. We could spend hours pouring over the various reasons that Halo’s current matchmaking system, seamless user interface, saved films/screenshots and overall customization options trump almost every other gaming product in feature scale and size, but I want to focus on what makes any game essentially fun – in particular, what makes Halo’s combat evolved.
Halo: Combat Evolved would become the template for the franchises’ legacy.
To do this we have travel back in time to around 2003 and squeeze into my previous thousand square foot apartment where there are four large standard definition televisions conjoining two rooms and sixteen loud-mouthed friends murdering each other for fun. They’ve bonded together from just about every race, creed and walk of life, but their solitary form of entertainment tonight is mutually resonant.
In their tightly-clinched palms are a variety of original Xbox controllers. You remember these: the iconic Duke, the S-Controller and its own litany of jewel-encased variants. Amidst the clamor of gun fire and grenade explosions, one can hear the elaborate profanity, the vitriol-laden taunts and the promise of violent reciprocity. Afterwards, I lie in bed as my wife prepares divorce papers next to me (I kid). I recall the events of the virtual internecine which had come to an end. And when the lights go out, I stare up at the ceiling playing out the battles in my mind, scene-by-scene and moment-by-moment – bullets, grenades and glory.
This was Halo: Combat Evolved and it was halcyon days of Halo’s combat system. While this is where we started, it is far removed from where we are now. Many have suggested that the differences between this title and Halo 2 were so substantial that they could literally be considered separate games. This may be true from a purist’s hardliner perspective, but Halo is still Halo to most people. Although there were very big changes, people recognize this series’ emblematic gameplay whether it be Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 or our current platform, Halo 3.
Capture the Flag was an earmark gametype on Halo: Combat Evolved and remains the most popular objective gametype in the franchise.
But if we are now lost, the most obvious place to find our way back home would be to start at the beginning, right?
The first game of the trilogy had an unbelievable following at a grounds-roots level, reverberating even still to this day. Despite, at the time, receiving petulant barbs from PC gamers who believed that the game was simply just another first-person shooter, thousands of gamers kept the title on the top ten retail lists for years and week-in/week-out they brought their hefty black machines to each others’ houses for the legendary LAN-play. Whether you agree with its superiority on the first-person scene, Halo: Combat Evolved’s multiplayer popularity was irrevocably undeniable.
But what engendered this? Why was it such a powerful experience?
While not revolutionary and perhaps even somewhat borrowed, Halo: Combat Evolved’s core mechanics and gameplay was a hodgepodge of right choices. The two weapon system forced players to move around the map and generated a strategic element in each enemy encounter. The balance of the sandbox also permeated, and while oft-contended, Halo: Combat Evolved’s legendary pistol, the M6D, seemed to level the playing field for any and everyone, giving the player who spawned into misfortune a fighting chance at survival rather than a swift burial. Vehicle combat was practically without transition and played like a natural extension of its on-foot brother. Everything from the responsive movement and cunning map design to the game’s intriguing and often entertaining physics made Halo: Combat Evolved unforgettable.
The piece of God’s throne which has subsequently been lost.
If that was the case, why did Halo 2 depart from it so emphatically?
There were a lot of reasons offered by Bungie, but perhaps the most obvious was Xbox Live. Halo 2 would have online play through Microsoft’s online gaming service, something its forerunner did not. This meant that not only would the population of players be larger, but it would also offer sanctuary to both the seasoned veterans of the MLG circuit and the witless nubbery of someone who simply liked the game’s box art. The skill disparity would be more diverse and the networking conditions would be more strained – so, Bungie determined, there would need to be considerable changes going into multiplayer.
And there were…
Though Halo 2 saw the succession of several of the original game’s weapons, all had considerable changes and several were removed including the default starting weapons, the MA5B assault rifle and the legendary M6D pistol. The rocket launcher now easily homed in on vehicles all but guaranteeing a kill, player’s melee attacks sent them careening toward their enemies, the ultimate close-quarters power weapon was introduced in the unquenchable and omnipotent energy sword, fall damage was removed and the poor ol’ M90 shotgun underwent a vasectomy. Many also noticed the alteration of vehicle physics due to their enhanced destructibility. Auto-aim and aim assist systems were exponentially increased, presumably to mollify any potential networking issues. One of the biggest changes, however, was a new style of short-range combat: dual-wielding (the ability to carry and fire two weapons simultaneously). From this change, the M7 SMG became the new default starting weapon; dual-wieldable and including an extremely low amount of efficacy, range and for a lot of people, fun.
Ivory Tower was a textbook example of how a small asymmetrical map should be designed.
Even well after the 1.1 update in April after the game’s release, many hardcore fans still disliked the new approach no matter what explanations were offered in its wake. They despised the coddling of Bungie toward lesser skilled players and scoffed at the claims of networking limitations. Through all of their squalor, many failed to really account for what was great about Halo 2 – only now has it become so vividly clear.
Apart from the brilliance of the innovative matchmaking system, there were a number of uncontested combat elements which were head and shoulders above the previous iteration. Halo 2’s overall weapon/vehicle sandbox was bountifully larger, including the entertaining use of turret emplacements from a third-person perspective. With the increased size of the sandbox, players were afforded with more choices on the battlefield – and choice is extremely important in multiplayer. The game also saw the addition of boarding (players could hijack vehicles being operated by the enemy), which gave the infantryman an opportunity to counter what had previously been a practically unchecked vehicular rampage.
For many, however, the single greatest achievement that Halo 2 offered was the maps.
Undoubtedly, Halo: Combat Evolved had some impressive maps for its time (Sidewinder, Blood Gulch, Hang ‘Em High, Prisoner, Damnation and Derelict were strokes of brilliance, even if somewhat accidental), but Halo 2’s default and subsequent downloadable content took the evolution of the game’s combat to another plane of existence. They not only tapped into what was right and balanced from a geometry and purpose-centric perspective, but the maps also had an amazing amount of character, detail and beauty. Whether you preferred the wispy simplicity of Lockout’s perilous walkways and platforms, the pristine, whirring alien architecture of Midship or the sand-drenched and blood-stained beach of Zanzibar, Halo 2 had cornered the map department in ways that most other shooters can only envy.
Sanctuary, one of the first downloadable maps for Halo 2, was a perfected mid-size symmetrical map.
That’s not to say that Halo 2 never saw a bad map; it absolutely did, but the maps were never the real problem with Halo 2. The real issues with Halo 2 were in (1) sandbox balance and (2) network solutions that negatively affected the game’s mechanics. Although the hardcore fans argued tooth and nail against the dozens of incremental changes revealed in Halo 2, most of that list can be coalesced intp those two categories. Now, looking back from Halo 3’s multiplayer platform, it’s clear that Bungie recognized the problems with both of those two branches.
So then, it was no surprise that when Bungie sat down to look at Halo 3’s multiplayer, they developed solutions for many of these complaints. Halo 3 represents the bulk of those solutions made manifest and the multiplayer beta months before the game’s release proved this to everyone who was afforded an opportunity to play. It appeared as though Bungie had listened to the fleshy pulse of their fan base and were making amends.
The rocket launcher no longer homed in on enemy vehicles, allowing the machines to survive and once again return to a place of prominence. Melee attacks, auto-aim and aim assist were all toned down considerably, falling somewhere in between the respective flavors of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. The M90 shotgun reversed its vasectomy (there is a God!). Although destructibility remained, vehicle durability and physics returned, to some measure, back to the olden days of Halo: Combat Evolved. Dual-wielding was tweaked and its showpiece, the M7 SMG (now also retooled), was now taking a backseat to a new starting weapon, the original assault rifle’s successor – a longer-ranged MA5C. Even the M6D saw its own kind return in the form of the M6G, a less-powerful but similarly satisfying field weapon. And with this new sandbox, a quantum leap improvement over Halo 2’s already bursting one, the new game showcased what many believe is the best large-scale map the trilogy has ever seen: Valhalla.
Valhalla is arguably the greatest large map in the trilogy; a balanced sandbox would finally find its place in an enormous landscape.
Precursors of this map existed in the form of Blood Gulch for Halo: Combat Evolved and Coagulation for Halo 2 – essentially two bases, tucked in a spacious canyon with an undulating and verdant valley that separates them. Valhalla is the pinnacle of what those maps stood for and its success above them is largely due to the proper implementation of compartmentalization, localizing small bouts as part of a larger battle and hedging off sniper exploitation through the large, rising geometry. As we soon find out, however, this map was one diamond in what many feel was a cluttered batch of coal and this design philosophy based on separation may have been taken too far.
Never-the-less, Halo 3 forgave many of the sins of Halo 2 and even offered contrition in a laundry list of interesting additions: unique new weapons, a support weapon system which allowed the removal and mobile use of turret emplacements, incredibly fun new vehicles and the advent of a third combat element, equipment. Halo 3 touted online cooperative campaign missions, the ability to capture screenshots and footage from both campaign and multiplayer, powerful stat tracking online and in-game, as well as Forge, an object editor which put to shame Halo 2’s once advanced multiplayer customization options. Halo 3 did a lot of things right on paper, both fixing Halo 2’s problems and implementing exciting new components.
But only months after this monolithic and revamped game mode was launched, other games began to steal Halo 3’s online thunder. Many fans, although in love with the beta, felt something was missing when the finished project rolled around in September of 2007. Something was wrong with the multiplayer – it wasn’t like we had remembered. The near immediate accusation which was leveled was the melee attack’s inconsistency.
Nearly a year before the game was released, Bungie began claiming that Halo 3 would rely on the ‘golden tripod’ of combat, their self-named system of weapon/melee/grenade encounters which made combat, well, golden. During their improvements to the networking code, they decided to eliminate the potency of host advantage when it came to hand-to-hand combat (something Halo 2 saw abused considerably). This was the birth of melee arbitration: A split-second process where the game rewards players with a kill even if they physically executed a melee moments after their opponent, giving whoever had the most health in that “instance” the kill. Bungie has since resolved this issue to some extent, shortening the window for arbitration to occur and awarding both players with kills/deaths in the event of a ‘tie,’ but this initial problem was by no means a small reason why players started to look elsewhere just months after Halo 3’s launch.
For a few months, even after the first downloadable content pack and the melee-fixing patch, many serious Halo 3 fans still found themselves wondering what still felt broken. It wasn’t just the melee attack, there was still something off – something else was wrong with the picture, something elusive…
Lockout, the most popular map in Halo 2 (and perhaps the entire trilogy), had the most random design, but nothing existed without purpose.
The odd transition from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2 was that vehicles were almost entirely negated by the ultimate of all anti-vehicle weapons, the homing the M19 rocket launcher. Halo 2, ironically, had three massive maps at launch (Waterworks, Coagulation and Headlong), as opposed to Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 3, which only had two a piece. This doesn’t account for the first map pack for Halo 2 which included Containment for free, a fourth enormous map which was supposed to focus on vehicles in a sandbox which all but eliminated that form of combat.
To the average player, the removal of enjoyable vehicle combat reflected a serious departure from the time-honored tradition created by Blood Gulch and Sidewinder. But every cloud has a silver lining…
What this did for Halo 2 was put the smaller and mid-size maps on the front row. Players migrated to maps which didn’t focus solely on vehicles: Lockout, Midship, Sanctuary, Ivory Tower, Ascension, Zanzibar, Turf and Warlock became the new bread and butter of Halo combat. Custom games saw squads replacing the effete SMG with the surgical BR55 battle rifle (the M6D’s virtual successor). These small-to-mid-size maps became the holy grail, our quintessential definition of what Halo had now become and what evolution had wrought.
When we look at Halo 3, it would seem to us that this should be a mirror reflection of the best of Halo 2. Players had been conditioned for literally years with the best maps that Halo 2 had available, playing them in an unending repetition – at their heart’s content. So when they took the jump to Halo 3’s online arena, they were hit with a brutal reality – Bungie’s philosophy for map design had changed.
Burial Mounds was not the greatest mid-size, asymmetrical map for Halo 2, but it decimates much of what Halo 3 has offered thus far.
On paper, what worked to fix the problems they had with the exploitable openness of several larger Halo 2 maps (Coagulation, Waterworks and Burial Mounds for example) should technically work for Narrows, Construct and Epitaph, right? Separate the combat, segment encounters and sever the cross-map line of sight to allow more localized movement. That would have the same positive effect, correct?
Unfortunately, no.
When you bring Valhalla’s ingredients and compartmentalization to smaller maps, you ruin the exact attributes which made Halo 2’s small/midsize maps work so well. What are these attributes I speak of?
Here are a few that come to mind:
- Long Lines of Sight – The ability to see and shoot across the map properly balanced with cover.
- Nonlinearity – Architecture which doesn’t stifle choice.
- Predictable Physics – Environments which react to a player’s actions consistently.
- Use of Space – Every place has a reason and purpose.
Unfortunately, even the higher-quality maps from Halo 3 like Guardian and The Pit suffer from this radical change in small/mid-size map design. Bungie was right to take the wide-open and deadly spaces of Coagulation and meld them into individual segments and compartments in Valhalla, but taking this theory to small maps has proven erroneous.
For example, although Guardian was never intended to be a port of Lockout, it was alleged to be the ’spiritual successor’ of the aforementioned map. This time, however, it would include larger knee-walls, narrow corridors and accentuated linearity – it was a series of closed-off rooms and corridors which offered very little choice. A clear distinction from the open platforms and walkways of its older brother. Rather than have a map with Sanctuary’s symmetrically perfected long lines of sight and properly balanced cover, The Pit gave us a massive wall in its center, sacrificing nearly all ranged cross-map combat and squeezing the player through movement stifling tunnels and around unscalable platforms.
These maps are some of the best that Halo 3 has in the small-to-midsize department, but because of the philosophical change in how they were designed, they fall short of their closest comparisons in Halo 2. Other maps don’t even come categorically within arm’s length of the previous stable.
Narrows has only two ways to get from one base to the other, not including the perilous and overt man cannon. Construct, although somewhat redeemable, falls prey to similar movement constraints as well. There are only a handful of ways to physically move from the bottom spawn points to the top combat arena – which can be effectively camped with a strong enough team. Epitaph, although beautiful, also has a similarly confining architecture, one long corridor separated by a maze of peripheral walkways that guide the player in one direction rather than offer them choices.
The average Halo 2 player had gone from playing the crème of the crop, to playing a largely inferior and somewhat broken series of maps. We were bred to enjoy smaller maps because of the broken vehicle combat of Halo 2, but now that the former sin has been absolved and those wounds have been mended, the bandages Bungie created for those large maps still choke the parts of gameplay on the smaller ones – the ones which never needed healing in the first place.
The default maps in Halo 3, while entertaining at times, collectively did not meet the standards of its precursor. This, in my opinion, is the single barrier which will determine whether it falls to obsolescence or goes the way of glory like its predecessors’ maps. Can it be fixed? Absolutely…
Enter downloadable content.
Avalanche is being bred from a stable of already successful large-scale Halo 3 maps (Valhalla, Sandtrap and Last Resort). No one should worry about this one.
Admittedly, Halo 2 had some grand default maps, but its golden days were in the spring and summer of 2005, when Xbox Live play for the game was at an all-time high and they were releasing nine new multiplayer maps, several of which would become historically profound. As of now, Halo 3 has already impressed with downloadable content in the Heroic Map Pack, featuring Standoff and Rat’s Nest, two large maps which promised and delivered impressive vehicle encounters and properly executed close/mid-range battles – and we expect similar success in the Legendary Map Pack’s Avalanche for those same reason.
But big maps were never a problem in Halo 3; Bungie nailed that aspect of the game. It was the small maps, the medium size, infantry-operated maps which need be awakened.
Blackout is the new Lockout: Halo 3’s potent gameplay combined with the most popular map in the franchise’s history.
Next week, and for the first time in this console generation, we will see the advent of two categorically smaller Halo maps in Ghost Town and Blackout. The way they play and the success they have will greatly dictate the multiplayer potency of Halo 3’s future. These maps will be the crucible, the fulcrum – they’ll be the determining factor on the game’s ability to once again retain its presence in a year which will not only see entrenched Call of Duty 4 fans but also the second coming of Epic’s Gears of War franchise.
Ghost Town has qualities reminiscent to the popular Turf; it is the only original map in the Legendary Map Pack being released on 04/15.
No, this is not a denigration of the competition or a demand for Halo to dominate the leaderboards on Xbox Live as it did with Halo 2, but something has happened in the Halo community, something critical and alarming. Our brothers in arms have left their first love for another. If these maps and those which follow fail to recapture the fans who’ve become disenchanted, then Halo 3’s multiplayer may well be at an end.
If they succeed, however, this will ignite the fleshy pulse buried in the lifeblood of the community. Members both new and old – both loyal and prodigal – will grab their battle rifles from the shelves and wage war. If downloadable content can resolve the problems we’ve discussed, Halo 3 will once again regain the glory of the franchise.
I hold firm to the latter and if you’re a Halo fan, you should too.
/vociferous
A well thought out and accurate post. I must say i agree on all of your points, i could never quite work out what was missing from the halo 3 maps, but you’ve hit the nail on the head. Confined pathways and a greater focus on ‘camping’ these have taken away from the flow and fun of the game.
Another point i would like to mention is the geometry of the maps, halo 3 seems to be cluttered with extra 3D detail that ruin / randomise grenades, such as the the purple rooms in Construct, when attempting to bounce grenades into these rooms, about 10% of the time that come straight back at you! I must say i have high hopes for the legendary map pack, espicially Blackout.
Comment by Cotterz — April 11, 2008 @ 12:13 am
You started out so strong with this article, however I am extremely disappointed that you resolved it with the claim that it was the maps all along that led to Halo 3’s fall from grace. Don’t get me wrong. The lackluster map design is certainly a cause for the game’s lack of “fun.” However, it is the general pacing of the game that has changed and made it more tedious.
The spray-and-pray Assault Rifle default spawn weapon and overly powerful melee attack have basically turned the standard match into a grenade-rush-fire-melee contest with no variety whatsoever. Since the game speed feels slower than previous Halo games, even chaos is boring.
The Battle Rifle should be able to combat the AR-inspired rush style from mid-long range, however due to its broken spread, anything past short-mid range becomes a crapshoot, requiring 5-8+ bursts to bring an enemy down. In that time, either the enemy will move into some of the plentiful cover pieces or another enemy will simply spawn behind (another bad flaw!) with an AR and gun you down. It is a completely unrewarding style of play. Compare this to the #1 game that you so obviously are avoiding mentioning…Call of Duty 4. In that game, bullets hit where you aim and feedback is instantaneous and rewarding.
Matchmaking rigidity is another horrible mistake made in Halo 3. Players want to play. They don’t want to sit in lobbies searching. As obvious as that sounds, Bungie has missed it. They focus so much on “fair” matchmaking that they lessen the fun of actually getting into a game and playing! Plus, games tend to become a vanilla affair. What’s wrong with some mismatches? I wouldn’t mind dominating every so often, just as I wouldn’t mind getting dominated every so often. That’s part of the fun of gaming! Again, Call of Duty 4 nails this on the head. Matchmaking is instantaneous, competitive, and fun.
I’ve never been a fan of MLG and I’ve actually been more to the anti-MLG side of the fence. However, it has pleasantly surprised me to see that THEY are bringing the fun back to the game and fixing many of these terrible flaws. They increase the speed to 110% which makes a noticeable improvement in game pace. It feels like Halo again. They increase the damage to 110% which helps to combat the random BR spread and once again allows for 4-5 shots. They’ve filtered out many of the horrible maps…which Bungie refuses to do.
So, basically, what I’m saying is to follow MLG’s lead and apply that to the rest of the game. With new good maps this will be enough to bring players like me back into the fold.
Comment by Frank — April 11, 2008 @ 8:21 am
As always, you’ve pounded the nail flush with a single, swift swing of the proverbial hammer. There’s really nothing left to say except, “Tuesday.”
Thanks for the excellent words, J. Great stuff. Looking forward to reading more.
Comment by urk — April 11, 2008 @ 9:50 am
Great writeup Voc. The Legendary Map Pack HAS to be good. Or Bungie am screwed. And it’s only their fault. I look forward to your next article.
Comment by Sean — April 11, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
Great read, Voc!
Medium maps as a big problem was something I hadn’t considered – thanks for that insight.
A couple of things I would have also discussed here:
>Situational Weapon Value – in Halo 1, with the exception of the needler, all the weapons had a context in which they were the best. The one that stands out for me is the plasma rifle. When it lost it’s plasma stun (the ghost too), something significant was lost. Most likely, this was because of the Xbox Live environment, but it added a depth to plasma weapons that just isn’t there anymore – too many weapons do damage in the same ways.
>BR damage – I’m not usually one to complain about the BR, and I probably never would have if I hadn’t started playing some MLG gametypes. It was a very quick realization, then, that the BR in Halo 3 is very different than that in Halo 2. It no longer (at default settings), has that punch, the rhythm of 1.2.3.headshot dead. This is probably made worse by the issues you bring up, where sightlines are compressed.
Anyway, great read, got me thinking!
Comment by Eastbeast314 — April 12, 2008 @ 10:51 am
Everything that you said rang true. I agreed with all of it (seriously!). However, I would like to add something. The environments of Halo 3 are absolutely stifiling. Bungie long ago said, though I have no means of refrencing/proving this, that they were tired of box canyons and were getting interested in alterniative modes of keeping players in a map. The only ways that I have seen this executed are:
1. Snowbound’s gun turrets. Perfectly executed, yet still allots a breathtaking view of the tundra.
2. Sandtrap’s mine field. Interesting, smart, but the map still ends up feeling boxed in given the far-from-realistic high-rise dunes.
3. Epitaph’s/Rat’s Nest’s/Guardian’s/Construct’s/Standoff’s (cliffs/otherwise sheer drops). Just as bad and oppressive as a sheer rock face.
Comment by Harlan — April 12, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
You’ve got it!
I always knew something wasnt quite right about the small/medium size maps in H3, but I didn’t know what it was. Valhalla, Sandtrap, Last Resort and Standoff are all great fun … and so are the others, but this is definitely the reason why they don’t quite stand up to H2’s small/medium maps. This and the BR spread are the only two problems in my book. I think H3 overall is a vast improvement with reduction in autoaim, the rockets no longer locking, equipment, and so forth.
But this is the one thing missing. Blackout will definitely be amazing. From the descriptions and videos I’ve seen of Ghost Town, it will be another solution and welcome addition. I think with these and 2 more great small/medium maps in the next map pack, we’ll have a pretty killer array of maps.
Comment by hmmmm — April 12, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
Excellent article. I have to agree with Frank on the MLG issue. I’m not a huge fan either, but the +10% increased damage and movement speed is really noticeable and the fact that they filter out the so-called “bad” maps is nice as well.
I think Halo 3 is there for the taking. Bungie has to own up to the fact that not all their maps and gametypes in matchmaking are great. Hopefully the newly rehired Shiska can alleviate some of the problems with matchmaking you were talking about.
Again, great article, I hope to see more like it.
Comment by slikZ — April 12, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
I must agree. Although I have yet to try Halo 2’s multiplayer experience, Halo 3 has lost something vital from the legendary gameplay of Halo 1.
The BR is a major part of this problem, I think. The first comment nails it. The 123 headshot rhythm is too easy for the skilled players, and too hard to master for the beginners. This makes for “Oh crap, BR Team Slayer, again”, on boths sides of the skill range.
Secondly, compartmentalisation. The compartments are just balanced on a knife-edge of terrible gameplay. The AR is too inaccurate for the compartments, the BR has the above problems, and the SMG and shotgun are too short-range.
Comment by SSC — April 12, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Brilliantly written and thought-out article. I do hope someone from the multiplayer division at Bungie takes your criticisms seriously.
Comment by t3heford — April 12, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
I’ve been a fan of bungie since I was a kid. I was raised on Marathon. Heck, last xmas I bought Oni for PS2. Its the only beat-em-up I really enjoy.
Halo 2 had problems. Still fun. Halo 3 fixed em, but it seems to have come with a slew of new ones.
I’d have to agree on the maps. Usually, I only have two ways in/out of a situation and no matter where I turn, I end up getting ambushed and dying before I can scramble to cover.
Some things I think that dont get brought up enough for some odd reason:
-Terrible skill matching
-Terrible connection matching
-Unresponsive Bungie
-Horrible spawning code
When I go to play social or ranked slayer, it seems I’m going against players who are either very lucky or precognative. Its like an endless series of flaming hoops that need to be made in one jump.
On the flip side, in team games what is usually true is that I’m playing with people who somehow do NOT seem to know how to play the game or simply dont offer any support or teamwork. The only way to ensure team mates that are halfway competent is to gather friends/newly met players of good skill and party up. I’m not that social a person – the only person on my friends list who plays Halo 3 often is a member of MLG, so hes always doing these practice matches with other MLG players or AFK.
Aside, should I be required to jump an extra mile for teammates worth half a damn?
And thats just in the system. Being matched with inferior brigadiers and etc. I’ve had several matches where I’ve gone against enemies all composed of non-officers and split screeners. Several times my only help against a high level team were privates and the like.
The other thing is the fact that, despite having a very good connection, I can always notice lag effecting the game. Not just teleports, but I can be plugging a dude in the back of the head when his shields are down and hit every shot but end having to empty the whole clip into him. Then I get hit in three shots before I can turn around and get fragged.
As for the praise as to how involved Bungie is: Are you SURE?
The huge auto-update mended melee a bit, but all the other issues were either ignored or made worse. I know since the AU that I havent been getting nearly as many good connections – starts searching for ‘any match’ near automatically.
Aside, some maps plain suck. Construct is fun for Team Slayer sometimes, but for normal Slayer I’d rather castrate myself with a rusty spoon. I’ve never seen anyone adamantly opposed to Oddball being vetoed.
The worst problem, IMHO, is the spawning. Its not isolated incidents like it may have been in Halo 2. Nearly every match I’ll spawn right in the line of fire – like, say, one time when I spawned literally right under a wraiths mortar shot. Or the enemy will spawn directly behind me – team games or no. I once was on Isolation and about to head down the ramp into the bottom of one base when someone literally spawned right behind me. By the time I’d noticed the blip and began to turn, I’d eaten half an AR clip.
I’ve loved Bungie. I’ve loved its wonderful stories, characters and environments. When I was a kid, I made an event of playing LAN Marathon games.
That said, Halo 3 multiplayer is no fun. Check my account on Bungie.com and you’ll see I’ve unlocked the Security helm and Katana in some of my old pics. So this isn’t a bad player whining that he isn’t utterly dominating. Same name as I’m using here.
Aside from technical fixes, the only thing I can suggest is maybe a way to select gametypes you do NOT want to play and filter them out somehow.
As for me, I’m going back to COD4.
Comment by Vid Boi 7 — April 13, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
yeah. agreed. the BR is annoying as anything with its spread, and needs to be made 1.2.3.headshot before i never want to play the game again.. Thank god for MLG…the only thing with MLG is that i don’t really like objective games.and there is no veriety.but whatever. AND also Spawn Points need to be Changed and reworked..
so. FIX
BR Spread
Spawn Points
Better Maps. like Lockout. Hang Em’ High. Chill Out. Prisoner. Battle Creek. Damnation…
Then i would almost like Halo 3 as much as Halo CE
Comment by Blackprinze — April 13, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
Could be due to the fact that I’m a more casual player (I’ve gotten to skill 31, doubt I’ll go higher) but I liked Halo 3’s “out of the box” maps more than Halo 2. Then again Halo for me has always been more about how the vehicles are implemented. I play other games for footwork-only deathmatch.
Comment by Joe — April 14, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
@ Vid Boi 7
You nailed some of the issues. These people who think one or two maps will somehow save the game are missing the big picture. There’s too much broken in the game that will likely never be fixed. And matchmaking is a complete joke. The ranking system does not work properly (win 10 in a row and not rank up, yet lose one and drop a rank? common complaint) which causes people to create multiple accounts. The increase of players with multiple accounts causes the ranking system to break even more.
Comment by Frank — April 15, 2008 @ 7:52 am
Ghost Town = Instant Classic! So many variables make it a challenge and FUN! And it looks great!
Comment by Jimmy Jangles — April 21, 2008 @ 6:56 pm
Great article. I’ve too been wondering, what’s been missing from Halo 3 comparing to Halo 2, and you nail the point. Good arguments from other people posting comments, too.
Legendary Map Pack is excellent. Playing on the new maps brings back memories. Ghost Town resembles Turf, but better (Especially visually). Blackout is quite like Lockout. And I loved Lockout. Still do. Avalanche offers some great BTB action.
If you liked Halo 2 and like to play Halo 3, you should by the new map pack. It’s great and gives Halo 3 what it needs: good, even great smaller maps.
Comment by Paavi — April 22, 2008 @ 1:36 am
Its like you vocalize what has been rummaging in my mind for the past few months. You have a very professional, mindful manner with your words that is very enjoyable and easy to read. The entire Halo community at large should read this, as well as Bungie. It speaks only truth: the unfortunate, miserable truth of the lack of an enjoyable online experience that we all crave.
Comment by Maj Williams — April 23, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
You truly explained what I’ve been feeling. The different feel and style of the H3 maps definetely affected gameplay.. I wish Bungie would hurry up on finding a solution for the BR spread.
Also, I think it’s a shame they added those railings to the top middle of Blackout. It affects your line of sight across the map. And Snipe tower feels crammed..Sort of like they had a map size limit. But I live Ghost Town is one of the best maps I’ve played in a while. I hope the community realizes this, and helps it live up to its potential.
Comment by Robert Madrigal — May 2, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
I loved your points about range of sight in small maps; The gameplay in lockout and midship were the only two portions of halo 2 that I felt even COMPARED to halo 1.
However, I think blood gulch was perfectly compartmentalized as it was and Vahalla is actually my least favorite map in halo 3. A big part of this is that the vehicular fun in halo one, a huge part of what makes it uniquely ‘halo’, is now completely and utterly absent in the sequels.
My explanation is a little long but well thought-out, please read!
In halo one the vehicles moved slower and the grenades had a far bigger radius; Players had a chance to take down a warthog or ghost using something other then a missile pod or laser, two of the rarest commodities in halo 3. The warthog is barely a threat to players on foot, only able to run down foolish snipers who don’t watch their radar. Armed with a gunner though, it becomes an unstoppable death machine that will soon be brought down suddenly and unceremoniously by a power weapon… when it finally respons! When a player without a power weapon runs into an armed vehicle, the vehicle has a 99% chance of being victorious.
I have millions of great memories of trying to run someone over with the warthog, them jumping around and me tailgating attempting to dodge grenade blasts, just as I have had so much fun taking them down with grenades (even when they have a gunner!). The fast vehicles in halo 3 are fun to drive with, but the player to vehicle interaction is completely absent.
The weapons on the vehicles are also overpowered; a player caught in the sights of a banshee or ghost can kiss their *** goodbye, what with the super-fast overpowered plasma cannons ripping through their shields. Rarely have I survived encounters with them for more then 3 seconds without finding some form of cover.
In halo one banshees had to be careful of how much small-arms fire they took. In halo 3 they can simply jet away when their shields start to lower. Bungie knows they were overpowered and didn’t fit in with the gameplay, but rather then try and fix them they just added a few annoying limitations to try and balance it out (The inability to look down, no option to hover, crappy controls).
As I said earlier, the on foot player VS vehicle part of the game is definitely a pale ghost of the glory it was in halo 1, and while I have logged over 3000 games online I always play halo CE when I get the chance with friends, and halo PC despite it’s horrible lag issues is a more inviting idea then halo 3 matchmaking.
I still like the on foot gameplay in halo 1 more then halo 3, thought not by THAT much. In an attempt to give us new grenades they screwed it up pretty bad; It requires far more attention to acquire and switch to proper types, and the limit of 2 frags and 4 stickies is in no way an improvement. Firebombs were a great idea that is unfortunately unusable for matchmaking because of performance issues, and spike grenades are completely useless as a splash damage weapon.
Part of the genius of halo 1’s sandbox is that it had very few guns; Newbies could pick it up quickly and each gun had very specific strengths and weaknesses. In halo 3 it takes WAY too long to figure out the exact gamplay mechanics of every weapon, increasing the learning curve exponentially. I can see adding new stuff to keep it interesting, but the number they have just makes it overtly complex and annoying (especially in campaign).
Bungie has clearly been trying to increase the speed in which the game plays, but in doing so they broke a few things. The lengthy battles common in halo 1 are gone because of a more powerful arsenal, and coupled with the slow running/reacting and low gravity, the environment plays a much smaller role in deciding how firefights play out. Aside from that I hate the UI changes; More then half the of the battle is fought without knowing how much life is in reserve, adding the stress of trying to predict your death rather then watching bars dissapear. A less noticable change is the targeting recitical being lowered to the bottom half of the screen; Now the weapon you’re holding is also blotting out a lot more of battle then it should be, and a lot of what you’re seeing is useless sky rather then useful environment.
ONLINE:
I despise the concept of matchmaking, it just seems horribly inferior to choosing your favorite games from an organized list. The long waits in the lobbies, the limited playlist selection, having to put up with crap like dumb gametypes or bad skill selection, being unable to see all the brilliant gametypes and maps behing developed by the infinitely creative online community…
Why would Bungie put so much effort into making the best user content tools ever seen on a console and then limit it’s use to our friends list? I have no idea what was going through their heads; “Wow look at all this power we’re giving them! It’s a shame we spent too much time designing matchmaking, but I hope our cryptic and uncooperative friends list system will let them find enough people to test out their thousands of ideas!”
***In conclusion
Thinking about how many design flaws there are in halo 3 literally makes me sick to my stomach… Halo 1 inspired me from an early age to become a game designer; I taught myself programing at 11 and the idea of creating something half as good is the only thing keeping me in school! But I can tell you right now I’m not going to buy Bungie’s next game.
Comment by AdrenalinHigh — May 3, 2008 @ 1:58 am
you’ve as has been said, hit the nail on the head to why halo 3 maps aren’t as god astheir predescesors in a professional and beieveable way, though I think Avalanche if nothing else, goes back more to its halo 2 roots then the halo 3 style of maps, esentiallyby this, bungie has*half *redeemed* themselvs of their maps, which i thought for the record, would be much *campier* …
Comment by Gangly Creature — May 3, 2008 @ 4:23 am
Personally, I think of Avalanch being far superior to Valhalla. While playing over the DLC objective for the hundreth time, I never get tired of its ingenious design. Other than that, thanks for writing such a Boss Article. —–
Comment by M0RG4N FR33M4N — May 3, 2008 @ 10:36 am
I think a big problem is grenades in the small maps because everyone starts with 2 and when they use those they instantly pickup 2 more and use those. The over use of the grenade makes small corridors a death trap and leads to an endless battle of 2 people throwing grenades around a corner untill one gets bored and runs in. This was not a problem in Halo because there were not enough grenades or in Halo 2 because so many people dual-wielded. I think there should be no starting grenades and people would have them as frequently as so the plasma grenade so it would be more about the you pick like it should be. And Bungie should bring out a city map like termanal, covenant and space map. And if possible all the old ones like prisoner, bording action, warlock, turf… and so one. The maps should be cheaper even though I have all the new ones.
Comment by LT — May 5, 2008 @ 10:47 am
I’m going to defend matchmaking, which, to me, is what really defines Halo’s MP and makes it something I return to on a regular basis.
It’s all about the accessibility. Personally, I can’t stand surfing through text lists of lobbies to find a game. I want to start playing as soon as possible, and I’m not hung up on having to play a particular map or a particular gametype. I like some variety. And I like the idea of being placed with other players who are stastically at my own skill level so that hopefully, it’s a close, exciting match.
What I don’t like is sitting idle in lobbies while the host refuses to launch the game because his one friend has decided to take a fifteen minute bathroom break or to answer a phone call. Or sitting there for ten minutes waiting for the game to fill up to maximum capacity because we absolutely can’t start playing with fifteen people instead of sixteen. Being kicked because I choose not to use a headset or the voice chat, or because my skill level is lower than the stat-whores in the room who will suffer a leaderboard setback if a ‘noob’ happens to win. Or having the gametype or map switched without warning then the game launched and you’re not even sure what exactly you’re playing. And actually getting to play on more than one or two maps out of a dozen or sixteen because those are the two most popular maps. I used to love Battlefield 2 but I’d rather shoot up a bus full of orphans and nuns than play Backstab for the 1,004,032th time IN A ROW.
To me, it’s about time. I don’t have hours upon hours to spend playing anything online and to spend an hour and get only one match that I thought was fun is a waste. Every second I waste surfing is a time I don’t get to play. And I’m willing to give up some degree of control of picking specific gametypes and maps to get that. Some days I feel like Big Team Battle, sometimes you want to go Lone Wolves, those are two completely different types of experiences. Some days I’d like to have a Playlist called Kitchen Sink where anything is possible, one match it’s Capture the Flag with sixteen players, the next it’s a five player Oddball. I don’t need to pick the specific stuff I’m really good at and are likely to do well at, if I lose it’s not the end of the world. It’s just a game . . . but my time is valuable and I want to actually play, not drift from lobby to lobby.
I think Halo 3 is just as fun as 2 is – even better, in my opinion, because now at least with the 360’s overall features, I can flag annoying players, like the ones who quit as soon as they start losing, or the ones who stand in the corner and commit suicide after suicide with grenades, and maybe avoid getting stuck with them in the future. The new maps are fine, and while I’m okay with things like Blackout, I don’t want to pay for a bunch of DLC that is the exact same maps in Halo 2. If I want to play Halo 2, I’d put the Halo 2 disc in. Nostalgia only goes so far. A few nods to the past is fine, but let’s move on. Instead of whining about how Valhalla or Rat’s Nest or Snowbound isn’t as awesomely great as (insert your favorite past Halo map here), just learn how to play effectively on the new ones.
Maybe the reason for the downward trend in terms of number of players with Halo 3 is simple – after so many years, some people are just tired of playing Halo, regardless of the quality of the changes or lack thereof . . . which could be why Bungie was willing to part with the IP in order to pursue something new.
Comment by Ninja 20XX — May 6, 2008 @ 12:28 am
you are right to say that there is something different with the matchmaking and the actual gameplay. but thats kind of the point! halo 3 isn’t halo 2. it is its own game, and it isn’t that poorly made. if everyone would stop comparing it to halo 2 you would actually notice that it is a very good game. call of duty 4 is a good game also but its hardly the same genre as halo 3. call of duty is a spray and pray game to the core. the person that shoots first wins everytime. unless you have a teammate thats got your back. but half the time your team mates will just be camping. and camping is not what people want to do. I mean who wants to waste their time just sitting around in one building waiting for someone to walk in so you can destroy him because he can see you. its stupid.
but nice article.
Comment by Josh Leys — May 6, 2008 @ 7:51 am
Halo 1 had the indistructable vehicles that could be sent flying with a well placed grenade or rocket. It also lacked long range weapons other then the pistol and the sniper. So vehicular combat tended to get crazy quickly, and people who were skilled pistoleers could dominate the mid to long range game quickly.
Halo 2 eliminated the vehicular hijinks, made carbines and BRs more common so the long range battle became easier. Dual wields made the short range fights even more deadly.
Halo 3 has tried to average the two out. The laser takes some skill to use, but grenades are no longer one hit kills on vehicles and have a smaller area. The plasma weapons are no longer effective on their own, they need a non energy weapon.
The biggest change for me is the loss of the warthogs flying about after getting hit with grenades or rockets, careening into people. The other issue is that it seems you cannot kill people at range as quickly without a sniper, and the snipers seem off in halo 3 vs. 2. So battles typically decend into close ranged affairs.
Comment by the brain — May 7, 2008 @ 6:26 am
I agree!
I’ve been a Bungie fan since Marathon and an HUGE ODST fan. I really believe that a groundbreaking franchise like Halo should be played online until the VERY end! Though I am also a Call of Duty fan ever since the first game came out and COD4 is an excellent modern warfare shooter and everything but, it is definitely not as addicting and fun as Halo 3! The maps in COD4 are good but, once again (like the previous games) , there are completely riped off the campaign and you can really experience a lot dejavo in matchmaking! I mean, NOBODY even plays custom games in COD4 for heaven’s sake! Halo 3 has Forge (an object-layout editor), theater mode, and even 4-player online Co-Up in campaign! Though COD4 has a lot better searching system in matchmaking and much less waiting in the lobby for 3-5 minutes. Halo 3 is a better party/ hang-out with friends FPS anyway! I really love this website and well thought out stories and articles! Keep up the good work and long live Halo!!!
Comment by RougeHelljumper — May 8, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
I agree about the small maps being inferrior to Halo 2. I can recall waiting for a match and being excited at just about any map that was chosen. Now in Halo 3 I meh at most of what comes up, and often veto. I doubt the old maps would play as well if they were ported to Halo 3 (but maybe it would work under MLG playlists). I miss the maps not because of nostalgia (isn’t it too soon for that?) but because those maps were absolutely flawless. the players though, are something different:
Here in halo 3 I no longer live in fear of the dreaded noob combo, BXR, BXB or superjump. something that got more and more prevalent to the point I could no longer fight honorably; I must use the noob combo to survive and wait out where the superjumps could not see. in the last year before halo 3 I had played less and less, maps were blanded by the only two weapons anybody ever used anymore. And you were constantly being sniped by someone atop a structure they weren’t supposed to get to. gawd, remember caching some jerk crouch walking under a ramp and knowing right then this game had just lost all sportsmanship and fun?
Halo 2 had lost me at the end because players were all too willing to take any unfair advantage they could.
Halo 3 is losing me because of maps that feel labyrinthine and cramped. I’ve logged hundreds of games and still wonder where I am going and where everybody else went. I sometimes look about in Lone Wolves and feel like I’m the only one on the map.
Comment by IamRyan — May 9, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
I never thought about the reason about seperating the combat. I can see how you get that conclusion. But the one thing that messes up matchmaking the most, and is a very simple issue, is the team talk. You can only talk to members of your team and its almost like the competitive spirit is gone now.
Nothing beat hearing your friends yell from another room in Halo CE and nothing beat cutting the guys voice off right as he started his scream of death in halo 2. and so, you take away half of the social aspect of a game and you cut the fun down considerably.
The competitiveness is gone.
Comment by Faykoo — May 13, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
The cramped conditions of the new compartmented maps are perfect for unshielded SWAT battles and infection. But since standard games sees the utilization of shields, a player could often simply duck around a corner and recharge. I haven’t played Halo 2 as much as 3, so I don’t have the most of the problems as most people seems to have. But since a comment by a friend who plays CoD about the shield recharge I realized that a reason CoD4’s relatively compartmented maps are better suited for it because it takes much less damage to kill than Halo 3. In the older Halo’s, in a close to mid range firefight, often its a kill-or-be-killed situation; in Halo 3, there is always a better chance that one can drop a grenade, and escape through the so called compartments.
Comment by charonill — May 14, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
i think that they should just bring all of the old maps backs from HCE and H2 for all of the seasoned and new players. mix it up Bungie. also they should add new weapons (and by that i mean bring back old ones) in their updates. personally im a huge fan of nostalgia. the old games, flawed as they may be, sometimes surpass their younger brother.
Comment by 11joberry — May 15, 2008 @ 10:20 am
Let me put it this way, Bungie had NO idea why Halo:CE worked so well. Making mistakes in Halo 2 isn’t a surprise. But, that they couldn’t figure out the formula they had already stumbled upon years ago, proves to me that CE was a happy mistake.
Comment by bfos7215 — May 16, 2008 @ 3:12 pm
I disagree with most of the second-hand comments about flaws pertaining to H3’s game play. Things like BR spread vs. Assault Rifle, Matchmaking system… these things boil down to pure expectations I think. If people would play H3 as an independent game rather than “Halo 2’s sequel”, they wouldn’t be frustrated (I know, because I’ve been introduced to H2 after I played H3 for the first time, and I don’t share these frustrations).
The main point of the article, however, i.e. the evolution of the game and the resulting problem with small-mid sized maps, too compartmentalized, too claustrophobic and so on, I totally agree with. I actually like some compartmentalization, like in the case of Guardian or Blackout, if you can still move around rather quickly. In some cases however, like Construct or the Pit, a bad spawn can lead to complete isolation and in the end, a complete waste of time spent searching for an encounter on the map. That kills the excitement of the game. This is bad design.
I think small maps can benefit in some cases from compartmentalization or openness in terms of design intents, but one or the other shouldn’t be the foundation of the whole design process for a game. Variety is good. It makes maps, game elements, whatever, stand out. Some maps with compartmentalization are included with H3. Good. Now let’s have the open-ended horizons or obstacle-laden maps of Midship or Sanctuary.
I have a feeling “Purple Reign” will bring back some of that variety.
Comment by Malignant Resolve — May 23, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
I do like this game and its predecesors. I’m content with being stuck at my Colonel rank, cuz i doubt im getting any better than that. I frankly enjoyed reading this article. It’s provided some insight as to what might be making the large abysal gap in my skill. Example would be just me, my bro (thank god he’s on my team)and a couple of recruits against full brigadier team and we’d own them with considerable ease. Then comes slightly lower ranked team and we get owned. I’ve listened to my brother constantly criticising my skills and most of the times its true. But even then there’s still a large gap that needs explaining. The only thing i have to say thats worth anything is thank god for the Forge. At least there i can fix up spawn points…if anything…Oh for the record my name is my gamertag. Hope to see you on XBL H3, you know despite its issues.
Comment by Da3m0n 0m3gA — May 23, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
First of all I think this is a great article and I really enjoyed reading it. I agree with some of what you say but… something I have noticed that people seem to be missing is that on Xbox there wasn’t another “great” xbox live multiplayer game. Apart from Halo i struggle to think of another shooter that came close to Halo 2.
This has completely changed with the Xbox 360, Call of duty simpleness and instant reward appeals to many (including myself). Gears of war is another great game that i believe has revolutionised shooters and in a way created a new shooter genre.
This is why i think that Halo 3 is less popular than Halo 2, better competition. Gears can be highly tactical, i hesitate to say more than Halo but certainly in a different way. Call of Duty 4 allows instint reward for the casual gamer. CoD4 exp system is also genius, you are always going up none of the bulshit of being stuck at skill 34(which took me fucking forever to get past including a 3-4 win streak where i didnt go up but i lost 1-2 and went down).
Bungie are known for being close to their Fans (much more so than any other developer) and i think the really listened to the communities cries about the smaller maps.
I personally love both Ghost Town and Blackout and I think they do address many issues. Hopefully this will continue and in my opinion I think it will only get better.
Comment by Raithwell — May 24, 2008 @ 5:57 am
Hey I havea couple of questions but first I must say great site really opened my eyes to the terminals. Now to the questions:
1. Whats the name of the font that says “A fleshy pulse” and where could I get it?
2. How’d you animate your pictures into cartoons. Photoshop?
Comment by Andrew — May 24, 2008 @ 9:46 am
I agree! Though I would add that one other thing that they did that routinely frustrates me almost every time I fire up Multiplayer is the walls in almost every level. You can not smoothly walk around most walls in teh game without running into a column that sticks out maybe 1″ but is enough to stop your avatar dead in his tracks. This is particularly annoying when trying to retreat, moving backwards and firing at an approaching enemy, instead of the character smoothy moving along the wall as they could in previous games where wall’s “geometry” wasn’t truely, game-physics geometry, but just textures, the character will get hung up, and even for a very brief fraction of a second, its usually enough for a pursuing enemy to close the gap and melee or it will cause my motion to stagnate just long enough for them to get a final headshot. I miss being able to smoothly hug the walls in Halo 1 and 2, seeking cover where i could find it.
The one other peeve i have with Halo 3 is the health system. This was never an issue for me in Halo 2, but I really miss the health meter (if not the search for health kits) from Halo 1. I find it particuarly annoying that Bungie bases Melee wins and losses on a player “health” that we have no gauge of. If i know i have < %50 of my health, i’m not going to go toe to toe with a guy and try to beat him down, i’m going to run like a frightened animal and look for cover, or see an alternative method for deterring him. Either give us the ability to monitor our health, or don’t allow it to be such a huge factor when dealing out deaths.
Comment by nick — May 25, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Great post.
One quick point – You mentioned that the DLC should have been designed with multiple options for player movement. Blackout had 3-4 jumps removed that cater to the original thought process of the original H3 map creators. One option/path.
It’s depressing but hey, it’s still a great game.
Comment by cardo — May 27, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
I think the article is well-written and there was a lot of thought put into it. I’m not sure I agree with the conclusion but you have a point.
I think I agree with Frank, on comment number 2.
The maps are certainly very linear but the game feels like a grenade spamathon more than I remember the other games being. BR’s have always been a little weird too, not only at a distance but especially when you factor lag in. I live in a very isolated city (Perth, Western Australia) and lag is a big factor.
I don’t mind getting matched with varied ranks, so long as my latency is decent. I’ve found with less Aussie players I can’t find a decent match unless it’s the weekend and I’m usually out, not at home trying to relax. With laggy BRs you’d be surprised the number of times I have to shoot someone in the face for them to drop.
And with my latency it’s really difficult finding a decent game, if I ask for “good connection” I can sit there for 10 minutes without a single match being played, and even then I will probably get results just as good if I put “quickest”
Oh, and the spawning is absolutely atrocious. I’ve never played a multiplayer game with spawning this bad. The number of times I’ve spawned in FRONT of someone getting shot only to shield them and die almost instantly, or have someone spawn about 10 metres behind me while I’m sniping for an easy assassination. There’s too much subversion of this competitive style of play for people to look elsewhere for a hardcore experience.
Comment by Cam — May 29, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
Bungie recomends this site on their own website, I sincerely hope that they also read this page. Every new point brought up by other bloggers drives home another valid and important issue. Some have been irritating me since day 1, some I have been slowly realizing over the months and others I never thought of before. It would be a great credit if they listened to every opinion here, return to simplicity, and stop trying to overanalyze the Halo gaming situation.
I was born a diehard Halo CE fan and played it continuously until Halo 2 emerged. I never tired of playing over my college campus network, it was perfect, dozens of xbox’s and hundreds of players 24/7. When Halo 2 came out, i quickly lost interest and within 8 months sold it to never play again.
My addition to the halo 3 gripe is the friends list. When you view a friends party info, then back out you end up completely out of your friends list, forcing you to open it again.
The main thing with all of these opinions is that they come down to money. Bungie is making it hand over fist and no longer cares to devote the time (and money) to reworking these issues. Lets face it, they made a name for themselves now, have grown large, and lost the desire to change.
The single most effective thing they could do, every thing else aside, is to give me all my old maps from both previous titles and also (maybe most important) give me the option of choosing which maps I ever want to see during matchmaking.
I still love you Bungie.
Comment by JET — May 31, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
I think you were right on about the small/medium sized maps, but there is something that can fix it that the masses have already been doing. That is the Foundry + Forge combination.
This is something that MLG has nailed, in my opinion, is the small/medium sized maps created on Foundry. They are fantastic for FFA and 4v4 Team Games. If Bungie released another map on a DLC that is more of an outside map (like say a Battle Creek-type map) and have every object moveable like Foundry. Then we don’t have to have the same boring warehouse to build all our maps and remakes with.
Comment by Gabe — June 3, 2008 @ 1:49 am
I haven’t read anything more agreeable in a long time than this.
Great read, thanks a heap for your effort mate.
Comment by JOnes MyLife 91 [g'tag] — June 4, 2008 @ 7:24 am
I agree with some of the things you say, however I would personalyl say if anythign is to blame for the lack of enthusiasm for H3 all boils down to the fact that people cant use the BR exactly the way they used to in H2. It’s the reason why MLG decided to change the BR’s power and many other things in the game in order to better suit “everyone’s” desires. The fact is that people are to busy living in their glory days of H2 and their poser MLG days to wake up and realize that it is a different game with different things. I honestly dont think there is a whoel lot wrong with H3 i think they fixed a whole lot of things ot make it a more balnced game in general than its predecessors. I wills till always love the orignal the best but I fell the biggest problem is that peopel can’t get over themselves and miss the old Battle rifle, but the BR had problems as well, and in my opinion the new BR is much better than its original counterpart. It requires more skill and in the right situation destroys anyone who has an AR out, but vis a vis the AR will destroy the BR in the right situation as it should. both weapons are balnced for their particular situations.
thats my 2 cents.
Comment by Jonny — June 4, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
and the guy who seems to think that Bungie doesn’t care about change or trying anymore just because they make mro emoney now. Bungie cares about its fanbase more than any other companie I can think of, if they didnt they wouldn’t spend th eammount of time they do updating and fixing things from game to game and even within a single game. And they wouldn’t constantly come out with more content to keep us interested. the onyl reason the legendary maps will never be free is Microsofts fault, not Bungies. If it were up to them they woudl eventually become free justa s all the Halo 2 maps did and just as the first installment for H3 did.
the money problem is greedy Bill Gates
not Bungie
Comment by Jonny — June 4, 2008 @ 4:22 pm
This helped me answer a lot of questions as to why I have had a complete lack of enthusiasm to play this game. Thank you for writing this.
Also guy above me, lrn2spellcheck.
Comment by Joe — June 6, 2008 @ 8:22 am
Amazing article, very well put together.
Thanks for the read.
Comment by Travis — June 6, 2008 @ 8:54 am
I disagree that vehicle combat was dead in halo 2 because of the rocket launcher. On coagulation, if a banshee flyer picked up the rockets and did not use them, he would be safe from them for the rest of the game. This is what I would do in lan games and I remember getting hundreds of kills with the banshee in hour long ctf games. Additionally, you could dodge the rockets if someone else got them.
Vehicles were great in halo 2, you just had to have skill to use them which made them awesome. They are still awesome in halo 3, though maybe a little too easy to use. Vehicle combat is what keeps me coming back to halo 3, not small to mid sized maps.
Comment by natethedarkjedi — June 6, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
Incredible, you really nailed the stuff that REALLY needs fixing. I actually end up doing what MLG does and find ways around Halo 3’s ‘epic fail’ maps. An example of Bungie’s massive improvement from the initial set is Ghost Town. As you say in the Campaign articles, it presents multiple ways to tackle a situation. I have not played Halo 2 Online but I have played the maps on Halo: Custom Edition, I played like mad on Sanctuary, very well balanced and fun. Camping was not a problem and it relied on skill rather than getting a power weapon and camp. I actually did some fixing of Halo 3’s maps. Although Epitaph, Narrows, and Construct are practically epic failures, and almost impossible to fully fix. But DLC maps were fun to make improvements on. Add a sniper in Standoff, add in security systems for power weapons, in which are 3-4 explosive pedestals, known as Jericho Bombs.
. But, I really don’t have weapon problems, just the initial maps had some sour cookies. Fortunately, Bungie is stepping it up with every Map Pack and I’m doing my end to improve and edit. Very nice job, man.
Comment by Don Edward — June 12, 2008 @ 12:27 am
While I can see where you’re getting your views, I definitely disagree that valhalla is “the best large scale map the trilogy has seen”. it’s layout results in many places where players can just go and camp with any of the map’s power weapons, safe from harm. Also, as was the mistake with Avalanche, the base is much to small.
Comment by Jake — June 22, 2008 @ 11:23 pm
I agree just 90% because i like nearly all the sandbox stuff in halo 3.
Comment by X-box — June 25, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
i can’t help but notice that few, if any, of you including vociferous neglected to mention superjumps and tricks like bxr and double shots. Bungie still thinks that the newest players need to be coddled. Halo is a video game. So any advantages that some can do and other’s can’t shouldn’t be deleted because of a couple whiners. I really think bungie needs to stop fixing minor glitches and cheats that all players have the ability if not the talent, to execute.
Comment by zebadiahz — June 29, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
i agree that matchmaking is not good.waiting in a lobby just toplay with people you dont know?are u serious.Halo Combat Evolved :you just go in the internet server and pick the game you want.no waiting Halo 3.the only thing good o it is the graphica advanced of coarse and the new weapons.
Comment by [RVX]Scream — July 1, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
also i have a question
how did you do those image effects i want to do that with my halo images
please tell me man.
Comment by [RVX]Scream — July 1, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
You cant it just happens on there and there are the orbs on senery u can select to play
Comment by Killaramas — August 8, 2008 @ 8:33 am
One thing I’ll throw out there is on the topic of Bungie’s new matchmaking system supposedly coming up in this month (announced in one of their weekly updates).
To start off, I think a huge reason veterans are annoyed with the system nowadays is simply because so called “n00bs” can rank even while continuing to play miserably. This occurs because the ranking system is not based on your in game performance (medals, kills, K/D ratio, etc.) Yes, getting MVP might bump you up a skill level or keep you from losing exp when you’re on that verge, but ranking is solely based upon if you’re on the winning team. A n00b with no kills ad a -15 K/D ratio will get the same experience as that person who annihilated for 20 kills and a +14 ratio.
I can’t say I know how this new system will go down, but it appears to me that everything will STILL RELY ON EXPERIENCE. It’s just different in the fact that each individual playlist will give you an individual ranking.
I’ve only played COD4 once and don’t even own it, but here’s my comparison in why COD4 online play is so great. Every kill you get earns you experience. Every assist you get earns experience. Every territory (or whatever it’s called in COD4) captured, earns you experience. Winning the match simply grants you a bonus. If you dominate the game, you will be rewarded. Halo 3 is nothing like that. I could move on to Gears of War.
Personally, I couldn’t care less about ranking in Halo 3. I love the game, and I take enjoyment in playing social with my friends splitscreen style. I’m just voicing out the many opinions I’ve heard. Still though, it would be nice to be rewarded for simple things like an overkill or killing spree. I know this system wouldn’t work with what exists now, but maybe Bungie could reform the whole thing!
Comment by Paul — August 13, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree.
I like H3 better than H2, despite the powered down BR.
Some people don’t.
That’s fine by me.
Comment by the silver fox — August 23, 2008 @ 12:51 am
I kind of disagree that H2s multiplayer was better than H3s. The problem I have with H3 is matchmakng. I wish Bungie at least put in a custom games playlist. I usually play infection and slayer and don’t really care about ranking up.
The only other problem I have with Halo (not H3 but all three games) is the fact that the Spartans can flip tanks and other extremely heavy objects. That being said, the player should be able to dual wield pretty much every weapon in the game.
Other than that, I think H3’s multiplayer is perfect. If players want a game where you kill people in a few shots, play COD 4 since it’s supposed to be realistic. Don’t bitch about how it takes too long to kill someone who has an OVERSHIELD AND ARMOR. It’s a sci-fi game and people need to accept the fact that they aren’t going to get away with killing someone so easily.
Comment by MC Warhammer — September 16, 2008 @ 11:12 pm
I will join the minority here and speak in favour of Halo3 multiplayer – of course it has changed from Halo2 but Bungie has done many things right in with this change.
Case in point: The melee. Now rather than being subject to either complete ownage by a power weapon wielding teabagger or having close combat degrade into a series of “whacks” until one of the combatants falls over from boredom, the close quarters combat has been leveled. One can now enter into a room knowing that his/her actions will largely determine whether he/she lives or dies, not purely the weapon choice of the “awful camping B***h.” The retooled melee has added balance to an incredibly weapon biased combat sequence. There is also the added bonus of that little rush you get as you see your opponent fly backwards 30 feet with limbs trailing, only to meet a wall and crumple to the floor.
Another touchy subject – The Battle Rifle: Affectionately known as the “BR” by its legions of wielders who never enter combat until they have secured one. In Halo2 the battle rifle was king; in any mid range situation (with the exception of extreme fault on the user’s behalf or the introduction of the carbine) the belligerent ignoramus attempting to best the hallowed BR in its prime territory was deserving of all forms of postmortem humiliation that it no doubt received. Yet in this new Halo3 experience, balance has yet again been added. The battle rifle no longer “auto-locks” onto a target but shoots a predetermined spread. This makes Swat, and even standard game play more skill based rather than pure reflex and “sweep sniping.” An added note of increased sniper suppression in the new BR, and the fact that the target no longer is a bullet magnet helps balance the gameplay even more.
In defense of the Bungie matchmaking and online play I would like to point out that it is the culmination of accessibility. Call of Duty’s matchmaking, while fast, lacks the quality, settling with horrendously unbalanced teams and putting players into matches already in session. The Gears of War matchmaking is not even worth mentioning, as anyone who has waited ten minutes for a single person to complete the teams, and then died within minutes and watched the battle be decided by the few elite can attest. Halo’s matchmaking will almost always ensure fairer teams than any of its competitors, and keep players at the rank they rightly deserve. (Apologies to all ratings whores, but if you aren’t leveling up, odds are it’s because you have hit your skill niche.) One thing that would do well though: less rigid skill matching; I hope I am not alone in my occasional yearning to be owned gratuitously, or vice versa.
The point of compartmentalization and its affect on game play – Yes, it turns many maps into grenade traps and play areas for those who molest with shotguns, but the good in this has been largely ignored… Perhaps good was too strong a word. The “compartments” have turned into a team war of attrition, or an area of avoidance/camping in free for all matches. With a few exceptions (Ghost Town notably) the methods for taking said compartments are few and insipid; granted they are varied when compared to past Halo games, or any other games, yet in the context of Halo3 the numerous strategies at the player’s disposal die at the threshold.
The spawning system succeeds brilliantly: A bold yet substantiated statement. For every spawn which puts you into premature contact with the enemy there are a hundred perfect spawns. Again I must reference the competition. The CoD spawning system is faulty, more than rarely birthing players into the middle of a firefight. Of course the firefight is short, but painfully, so is your health. With exceptions of Lockout and occasionally Guardian, the Halo3 multiplayer spawning engine succeeds brilliantly, shining even brighter when compared to its competition.
The Vehicles have also taken much flak from those who cling to the past. Halo1 saw the vehicle as the undisputed ruling power, with Halo2 having little advantage due to the Rocket launcher and hard hitting stickies. Halo3 again brings about balance. No longer are maps controlled by a single machine of death. There is the odd occasion when a brilliant duo will whore their hog to multiple terrorized customers, but they can only go so far before a beam of red relieves their position. In the current arrangement warthogs, choppers and ghosts work well as support weapons and perform very well as anti-human spearheads, but never so well as to bring about the apocalypse. Props to Bungie on the balance.
In a brief conclusion to what has been much longer than originally projected, Halo3 is different, and in most cases better than its progenitors. A few last points as my English essay is dying to be written –
-the assault rifle is not an entirely crappy weapon – it only suffers from extreme balance and mediocrity, and when coupled with the BR as a starting weapon raises the quality of game play.
– The online halo experience suffers mainly from repetition. A year later custom games are gaining popularity and matchmaking population is declining (from my eyes, actual stats will hopefully prove me wrong). Surely this is a call to Bungie to mix it up and keep online halo fresh and exciting.
Comment by Epitomous Nub — September 23, 2008 @ 1:55 am
Yeah. What he said.
ALSO! Need more elite players online.
Comment by Caleb — September 23, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Although I agree with most of the things you said, I am really getting sick of people who complain about how bad H3 is to H2. Stop compairing the two, theyre different games. Act, if you will, as if H3 was not part of the series, treat it like a different game. Then, people will begin to see that Halo 3 is, in my opinion, the best MP game ever made. Some of the maps are almost flawless. Construct, The Pit, Guardian, and Assembly( I went to PAX, ive played it.) are some of the best maps in the trilogy if you dont compare them to maps of the past. The large stuff is simply amazing, and we’ve still got 6 maps coming(Longshore,Citidel,Heretic,Orbital,Sandbox,Assembly)
If those live up to the standards of small maps of the past, youll all be eatin your words.
God Speed, voc
Desert Rat 852
Comment by Desert Rat — September 28, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
Hey, how do you give the images the “comic book” feel?
Comment by Tom-Tom — January 10, 2009 @ 11:25 pm
I know I’m coming in a bit late here, but this is my view on the MP:
First off I’d like to let you all know that it’s okay to crucify me for, of course, comparing the H3 maps to the HCE maps. Without a doubt, CE had far better maps. But, like with most games, the original always exceeds the successors. Halo 3 is still a beautiful game in its own respect.
I’m not one to scrutinize the maps and point out all of the flaws in them. Tbh, I think that it should be the players’ responsibility to adapt to the changes. A lot of the close-quarter combat introduced in H3 means gamers need to focus on timing. Patience is another big issue. With the exception of The Pit, a lot of close-quarter maps don’t have a spot that you can just stand and frag safely from your secluded corridor. Often times you need to sacrifice a small amount of cover to get your precious explosives.
Now for the big maps, I must admit that Valhalla does not seem to be the best to me. Sure, on the “Valhalla Heavy” variant, the geometry of the map works beautifully. However, on a regular Team Slayer or Team Objective game, you’re virtually screwed. The trees conveniently placed on the crest of the central hill let anyone who knows where the crouch button is and has a sense of stealth to hold that post almost uncontested. I could also argue that it’s the beauty of the map. You can’t rely on just charging into battle with your BR barrel melting from use. You need to focus strategically on securing at least some high ground, or risk being picked off with ease.
Moving on to the vehicular standpoint of it. Aside from popular belief, a threesome in a warthog did not necessarily dominate a round (with the PC version at least). It simply means you need to watch where you’re running until you can have the upper hand. On some maps the “overpowered turret” has blind spots that make a duo of infantry an equal opponent, rather than a kill medal. Also, a properly placed plasma grenade can annihilate a team in a hog just as easy then as it can now. Of course, like with anything, it takes some skill. I don’t think we can condemn the vehicular dominance of CE, or even regard it as dead with H3. To truly dominate takes some form of skill. Of course, with hijacking it is 10x easier to stop a hog. Just watch where you’re driving. If someone is looking right at you prepared to board then you obviously shouldn’t try to splatter them.
Common sense plays a big role in the transition from game to game. It’s just a different playability and sooner or later you need to adapt or get over it. Comparing a different game to its “former glory” isn’t bad, but using the originals as a template to find the faults in the new surely is. As the series evolves the playability evolves. It’s up to the players to decide if they want to try and master a new weapons cache, a new art of vehicular warfare, and a new way to combat opponents in close-quarters.
On the matchmaking end of the spectrum, it’s a dark cloud with a distinct silver lining. I think that in some cases it suits a lot of people. However, I did like the notion of choosing from a list of custom games, much like in CE. The only issue with that was the fact that often a clan or group of friends could stack a team and just mow people down. If used together, I think a custom games list would work splendidly alongside the current matchmaking system. Variety is always good, and that’s all it really takes to keep me interested. Another useful thing (as previously mentioned) is setting a game type preference. I liked this idea in particular. The feeling sucks when you get pounded with oddball matches all day. Just toss me a good old CTF match and I’m satisfied.
Lastly, I’d like to apologize for writing a novel in response to a year-old topic. If you’ve read this whole comment then I give you a nice pat on the back.
Comment by SandsOfTime404 — February 12, 2009 @ 8:26 pm
Nice… Try make one with a person doing a double kill sniper ricochet! That would be great!
Comment by Maxwin — May 18, 2009 @ 11:51 am
hows about a guy stuck with a spike grenade
chris
Comment by Christian Bethel — July 9, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
Joining thw minority here -You are totally off. It’s all strategy. I’ll start with team chat -THAT’S THE POINT! If you don’t want to be a part of a team just play FFA. But with most gametypes the people are divided into teams to complete objectives. Sure a skilled player can kill the whole opposing team and capture the flag -Hell, give a n00b a rocket launcher and you’ll get the same result, but most of us fit neither category. Therefore, band together and dominate.
As a result we have compartmentalized combat. Send one fireteam here, have the guy w/ the turret defend this corridor, grab the Warthog… end result: we own the good spots. Sure, a good counterattack strategy and we’ve lost some spots, but that’s what war is all about: owning the high ground and killing the enemy before he can kill you and getting the goods. and last time I checked Halo was a war game.
The AR spray-and-pray strategy abd the grenade-rush-melee tactic can be resolved with one strategy -LEARN TO HEADSHOT WITH THE BR. roughly 4 bursts to take down shields and one of the bullets from the 4th burst will make cleaning the inside of that helmet a royal pain.
Now matchmaking. See #23 for my views on this matter.
Seeing as we’re all here to complain about something we don’t like about Halo 3 MP, which I see for a lot of you is EVERYTHING (Just go play H2 and leave us die-hard fans alone!), I don’t completely like the damage system on vehicles. H2 was superior in that regard, what with the VECHICLE taking the damage instead of you.
Comment by Will — August 7, 2009 @ 4:24 am
Y’know this is such a cool website. Did you draw those guys cause they look a lot like drawings.
Rtas Monkatarae,out
Comment by Rtas monkatarae — September 16, 2009 @ 3:23 am
I don’t know what you people are complaining about. As far as i’m concerned Halo:CE was amazing, Halo 2 was just as good, and i can’t wait to play Halo 3(I don’t have an Xbox 360 yet, but i’m working on it). Also, as far as any flaws in the games, DEAL WITH IT!! Flaws and glitches in the game just make it more fun, because it gives you something new to deal with. It forces you to change your tactics, just like war should really be. Which is more interesting to deal with,an average gamer, or a noob glitcher? The noob right? And if people like that piss you off, teach them a lesson BY OWNING THEM!People have a tendency to stop using noob tactics if they don’t work.Speaking of which, camping is not necessarily a noob tactic, if applied correctly and not abused.
Nice article enjoyed reading it, the Installation Overview, and I,Sanghaeli (did i spell that right?).My avatar is, in fact, a Covenent Elite.
Long live Halo, Bungie is amazing.
Comment by Vulcan — January 13, 2010 @ 10:13 pm