Monthly Archives: January 2013

I heard you liked Team Doubles, so we doubled… You get the point! The Halo Bulletin: 1.30.13

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infinityctf2
These weekly bulletins just keep getting better and better! So without wasting anymore of your time lets dive on into the highlights. But if you want to read it in its entirety click here.

Infinity Doubles offers the Infinity Slayer experience in 2 vs 2 form. In this variant, players have the option to choose their custom loadout, and instant respawn and radar are enabled. Personal ordnance will kick in at the traditional 70 point mark, but the options are tweaked specifically for Team Doubles. Games are played up to 300 points.

Doubles Pro offers an experience that features preset game loadouts. The score limit is the same as above, but radar, personal ordnance and instant respawn are disabled. Here are the loadouts that will be featured:

Loadout 1:
Starting Weapon – DMR
Secondary Weapon – Magnum
Armor Abilities – None
Tactical Mod – Resupply
Support Mod – Dexterity

Loadout 2:
Starting Weapon – BR
Secondary Weapon – Magnum
Armor Abilities – None
Tactical Mod – Resupply
Support Mod – Dexterity

Loadout 3:
Starting Weapon – LightRifle
Secondary Weapon – Magnum
Armor Abilities – None
Tactical Mod – Resupply
Support Mod – Dexterity

Loadout 4:
Starting Weapon – Carbine
Secondary Weapon – Magnum
Armor Abilities – None
Tactical Mod – Resupply
Support Mod – Dexterity

CTF Doubles offers the ever-popular Capture the Flag game type, customized for 2 vs 2 play. Custom loadouts and radar are enabled, and respawn time is set to 10 seconds. Flag settings provide an optimal experience for small maps and teams: 5 flags to win, 3 second return, and 15 second reset. Lastly, your flag does not have to be home to score.

No final map list for the Team Doubles playlist but they are

offering slightly modified versions of Haven, Abandon and Solace, split-screen players can be sure that they’ll have the option to play on a map that offers the best split-screen experience. Additionally, we plan to offer several of the best community Forge maps in this playlist and will continue to update the map pool on a regular basis to keep everything fresh.

Continue reading →

Halo 4 Giant Spartan Gametype & Mini Spartan Gametype

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Well similar to the unique mini-covenant discovered in an early episode of Spartan Ops. ForgeWorldMaps has discovered 2 separate game types that allow you to be either an Oversize giant Spartan or a miniature Spartan. Unfortunately it appears that you can only have one or the other, as there is no game file that has both currently (but who knows).

So if you want to have a good laugh or make some interesting videos in Halo 4. Here’s the preview and where to download the gametype file.

 

– Chief Landless

Geronimo!

Halo 4 Competitive Playlist (Team Throwdown) Details (So Far)

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343 Industries Matchmaking Systems Team made a post in the Halo Waypoint forums in regards to a competitive playlist set to debut around the middle of February (before the launch of CSR in April).

The post indicates this playlist will feature heavily modified and altered versions of the following gametypes.

  • Slayer
  • CTF
  • Extraction
  • King of the Hill

The post stated that they “envision it as both the go-to place for competitive play and the premier playlist to get your 50 [CSR] in”

They plan to share the first outline of the settings next week to collect community feedback so they can continually tune the settings. Here are the early details so far:

  • 4 vs 4
  • Pre-set game loadouts
  • Forced respawn timers
  • No instant respawn
  • Ordnance on re-supply timers
  • Join-in-progress off
  • No split-screen play 
  • Friendly fire on
  • Max party size 4 with big party matching enforced
  • No guests allowed

– Chief Landless

Geronimo!

No Theater Mode for Campaign or Spartan Ops

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Unfortunately I have the be the bearer of bad news. 343 Industries did state in a bulletin following the early weeks of Halo 4’s launch answering questions, and one of them was asking if they had any plans to have Theater Mode support for Halo 4’s Campaign and/or Spartan Ops.

As of January 23rd, 2013 bs angel confirmed the bad news that at this point they have no plans to implement Theater mode support for Campaign or Spartan Ops. This does not rule it out completely, but it definitely rules it out for the time being. This is a sad day for many people who enjoy the artistic side of making machinimas or screenshots and for those who enjoy sharing those awesome moments, or moments you aren’t proud of but still can’t help sharing. I’m talking about you fails of the weak.

notheater

– Chief Landless

Geronimo!

Halo 4 CSR Visibility Details – 343 Statement

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After much scrutiny and community outrage by a majority of Halo fans after the news in this weeks Halo Waypoint Bulletin (you can read here), bs angel, answered the hot topic question in the Halo Waypoint forums whether or not the CSR, Competitive Skill Rank, in Halo 4 would be visible in-game; similar to Halo 3.

She replied on behalf of 343 and stated that the “True Skill Rank” or CSR would not be visible in game, but instead visible on Halo Waypoint via the website and mobile apps. She had the design team make a mock-up player profile predicting the possible final product when the CSR rank will be released in April 2013.

You can read her statement here.

**Please note this is NOT the final product.

59stCbGIf you’re interested in my thoughts on this statement and analyzing the true purpose of a “true skill rank” in Halo I have made a video.

Grifball, CSR and More! The Halo Bulletin: 1.23.13

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Obex2
This weeks Halo Bulletin is jam packed full of goods. So if you want to read it in it’s entirety click here. But here are the highlights,

On Monday, Spartan Ops continues with episode 7, which will once again contain five new Spartan Ops missions. Also premiering for the first time in Halo 4 is the Grifball playlist! We’ve worked closely with GrifballHub to create several different Grifball experiences in this new Matchmaking playlist

 

Also this week is the unlocking of two new Specializations: Engineer and Stalker:

Engineer: The Drop Recon Armor Mod allows users to predict the location and time of an Ordnance Drop through an external suborbital monitoring system.
Stalker: The Nemesis armor mod allows users to target and track down previous attacking enemies, highlighting them on the armor’s passive sensors.

The Community Forge Test playlist will also be around next week. The playlist will be available until the release of Team Doubles on February 4th.

CSR – Competitive Skill Rank

We have been working closely with several internal teams on optimizing the ranking system, and working to integrate it into your Waypoint player profile, accessible on web, phone and tablet.

More Details:

• You will have a unique CSR visible per playlist.
• Your highest CSR across all playlists will be promoted in the player profile on Halo Waypoint.
• CSR uses familiar 1-50 scale.
• When CSR launches, everyone will start with a fresh rating.
Our targeted launch date for CSR is April 2013, and we will be re-configuring some of our most competitive playlists to accommodate the launch of the feature.

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Playlist Rotations Going Forward

We have been reading your feedback on rotational playlists, and we would like to clarify our approach going forward.

• Several of the modes currently on ‘hiatus’ are getting updates and fixes based on community feedback.
• We are planning to build several multi-mode playlists that include rotated modes, and new modes we have not launched yet. It is important that we build strong playlist compositions in time for the CSR launch.
• We hope to keep Grifball and Doubles in as regular playlists.

Future Playlists and Modes

Alongside bug fixes, feature improvements, and new maps, here are some modes and playlists we are working on:

• Grifball Playlist: Slated to include multiple versions of Grifball and new courts.
• Extraction Playlist: Adding overtime, fixing a score bug, improving the capture experience, and tuning maps.
• Infinity CTF: More details next week.

– Chief Landless

Geronimo!

Halo 4 : “Shutout” Halo 2 Lockout Remake (SWAT Gameplay/Commentary)

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Hi there, just showing off some SWAT gameplay of mine on the map Shutout, which is a Halo 2 Lockout Remake for Halo 4. All the while expressing my initial thoughts on the Forge Playlist added to Halo 4 as of January 21st, 2013.

What are your favourite maps in the new Forge Playlist?

Halo 4 Community Forge Test Playlist Information

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As of this morning, January 21st, the Forge Playlist was added to Halo 4’s multiplayer. Here’s the basic information on what to expect on the maps and the game types you will be playing!

Maps:   Shutout mapShutout

Description: Some believe this remote facility was once used to study the Flood. But few clues remain amidst the snow and ice.
Author: Big Papa SaLoT & Nitrooo

despairDespair
Description: A derelict facility…
Author: SecretShnitzel

garroteGarrotte
Description: Better play it straight.
Author: MythicFritz

relayRelay
Description: As is, in-game.
Author: FyreWulff

scytheScythe
Description: A community made forge map by PA1NTS.
Author: PA1NTS

simplexSimplex
Description: A community made, arena style map by Big Papa SaLoT.
Author: Big Papa SaLoT

Gametypes:

  • Garrotte – Infinity Slayer, CTF
  • Shutout – Infinity Slayer, SWAT
  • Despair – Infinity Slayer, KOTH
  • Scythe – Infinity Slayer, SWAT
  • Simplex – Infinity Slayer, CTF
  • Relay – Infinity Slayer

– Chief Landless

Geronimo!

Forerunner: The Most Overpowered Weapon Class in Halo 4?

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forerunner-arsenal

I bring to you a Halo 4 video by a friend of mine, H3AsiiM. He is discussing whether or not the weapons that fall into the Forerunner arsenal are “Overpowered” (“OP“). He addresses the weapons that appear via ordnance drops and those available for loadout customization. In the gameplay he is using a full Forerunner loadout.

What are your thoughts? Should other weapons be buffed up, or have the forerunner weapons altered?

The boltshot alone is a hot topic right now. What are your thoughts on the Boltshot? I’m personally fine with where it stands currently, but I’m not opposed to having the Boltshot patched in some fashion.

Leave your thoughts on H3AsiiM‘s video!

– Chief Landless

Geronimo!