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  • Subject: Friends and Family Acceptance
Subject: Friends and Family Acceptance

HALO 2 will rule 4ever. It is Halo and it is enougth. Thanks Bungie, our life will never be the same.

I hpe that mods are in F&F, because this would be a good way for Bungie to "Pay" you for what u do in the foruns.

For F&F i think i will be long time member in Bungie family like hbo creator, and members in group with bungie employers.

  • 05.06.2007 3:06 PM PDT

Tom Achronos
Bungie.net Overlord
twitter: http://twitter.com/Achronos

"I have no words that would do justice to the atrocities you commit to the English language, as well as your continued assaults on the concepts of basic literacy and logical reasoning."

People were selected from here based on algorithim that I wrote. While people who were banned were automatically excluded, that's pretty much the extent of the moderators' involvement. And the length of time you've been here didn't have much to do with it - as long as you had an account created by a certain cutoff date (this date was in 2007, so don't worry much about this). Actually, this was one of the first real uses of the "trust rating" you might have heard mentioned a few times - one of the criteria there was that you had to be slightly above the average rating to qualify for the random selection.

Oh, and I should mention that while we did pick about 30000 Bungie.net accounts (out of half a million active ones) that qualified for our random selection of people to get codes, we also added in about 5000 people who were selected because of some criteria based on their Halo 2 playing.

In all cases, though, if you didn't have a linked gamertag, you weren't selected.

And I didn't have any "manual" overrides added in - I figure if you're not banned, then I don't care. I'm not one to hold grudges - that's childish.
Posted by: ProjctGILGAMESH
Yeah...the mods veto people everytime they warn them, or blacklist them. I'm sure the biggest thing that will make sure you DON'T get in the F&F is if you've ever been warned or blacklisted, or are on the *hit-list* is HFCS. And I'm sure that if the mods really had to veto someone, Tom would already know about it. Like the update said, it is semi-random, but I'm sure Tom had a lot of feedback into who gets it and who doesn't. Oh, and this deals with B.net, so how many games you've played on Halo 2 means jack. Here are my predictors:

* Length of profile (profile join date): Don't change profiles, because that could be seen as trying to get around the "warn" system.
* Do you have an attached XBL GT: It's just another level of validation because it shows you're willing to volunteer information.
* Do you post in the forums (without getting warned): If you're a fairly active member, while not getting in trouble, you'll probably be considered.
* Does Tom *not* hate you: I'm sure the "buck" stops with him, and any person he wants to veto is going to be.

Those are my criterion...but who knows, your guess is as good as mine.

  • 05.06.2007 5:42 PM PDT

Tom Achronos
Bungie.net Overlord
twitter: http://twitter.com/Achronos

"I have no words that would do justice to the atrocities you commit to the English language, as well as your continued assaults on the concepts of basic literacy and logical reasoning."

There was the alpha (MS employees). Then there was the internal beta (MS employees again). That ends on Monday, I believe.

Then, there is the public beta (we call it the delta). You get into the delta if you were in the internal alpha or betas, bought a specially marked copy of Crackdown, or got in through one of several worldwide promotions MS ran (one of which was the Rule of Three phases). You can also get in via the "Friends and Family". These are people we want to invite - we've already collected a bunch of people we're inviting. As part of that, the community/web team decided that to make sure we fill in all the slots of the friends and family, we'd invite "regular" members of bungie.net along for the ride. People who were selected there will be getting PMs. This way, while we get the hardcore fans like the guys who run HBO and such, we'll also make sure to get the "regular fans" here. Hopefully we'll get a good cross section who will help us make this an effective beta.

By the way, we will be putting up a dedicated bungie.net forum for the public beta that will be open for the duration of the beta plus a few days. This will be open to anybody, but I expect people attempting to drag it offtopic will be ruthlessly dealt with. At any rate, it will be a good way to have insight into the beta even if you don't get to play.

  • 05.06.2007 5:51 PM PDT
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Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

That sounds extremely fair. Thanks for the explanation -- while I didn't really want to know the methods used to choose people (and thus stayed away from speculating in these "how did people get picked" threads), and agree with keeping the specifics of the method a secret, I think that this should help to quell some of the complaining.

Posted by: Achronos
People were selected from here based on algorithim that I wrote. While people who were banned were automatically excluded, that's pretty much the extent of the moderators' involvement. And the length of time you've been here didn't have much to do with it - as long as you had an account created by a certain cutoff date (this date was in 2007, so don't worry much about this). Actually, this was one of the first real uses of the "trust rating" you might have heard mentioned a few times - one of the criteria there was that you had to be slightly above the average rating to qualify for the random selection.

Oh, and I should mention that while we did pick about 30000 Bungie.net accounts (out of half a million active ones) that qualified for our random selection of people to get codes, we also added in about 5000 people who were selected because of some criteria based on their Halo 2 playing.

In all cases, though, if you didn't have a linked gamertag, you weren't selected.

And I didn't have any "manual" overrides added in - I figure if you're not banned, then I don't care. I'm not one to hold grudges - that's childish.
Posted by: ProjctGILGAMESH
Yeah...the mods veto people everytime they warn them, or blacklist them. I'm sure the biggest thing that will make sure you DON'T get in the F&F is if you've ever been warned or blacklisted, or are on the *hit-list* is HFCS. And I'm sure that if the mods really had to veto someone, Tom would already know about it. Like the update said, it is semi-random, but I'm sure Tom had a lot of feedback into who gets it and who doesn't. Oh, and this deals with B.net, so how many games you've played on Halo 2 means jack. Here are my predictors:

* Length of profile (profile join date): Don't change profiles, because that could be seen as trying to get around the "warn" system.
* Do you have an attached XBL GT: It's just another level of validation because it shows you're willing to volunteer information.
* Do you post in the forums (without getting warned): If you're a fairly active member, while not getting in trouble, you'll probably be considered.
* Does Tom *not* hate you: I'm sure the "buck" stops with him, and any person he wants to veto is going to be.

Those are my criterion...but who knows, your guess is as good as mine.



[Edited on 05.06.2007 5:53 PM PDT]

  • 05.06.2007 5:51 PM PDT
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A Guide to Networking, Matchmaking, and Host in Halo (HBO mirror)

Bungie Friends and Family invitee, and sender of "random emails" about networking.

You can also get in via the "Friends and Family". These are people we want to invite - we've already collected a bunch of people we're inviting.

Out of interest, roughly how many people got in this way? And what kind of qualities were looked for, when deciding to give them a direct invite via Bungie, instead of a semi-random lottery?

For that last question, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the ability to write sensible, constructive, and productive stuff, as well as showing that you care a lot about Halo were some of the criteria? I have *no* idea what might give me that idea ;-)

[Edited on 05.06.2007 6:27 PM PDT]

  • 05.06.2007 6:25 PM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
Oh, and I should mention that while we did pick about 30000 Bungie.net accounts (out of half a million active ones) that qualified for our random selection of people to get codes, we also added in about 5000 people who were selected because of some criteria based on their Halo 2 playing.


35,000 B.net F&F codes?

Wow. The first fair bit of the beta distribution i've seen. Can i have your babies?

  • 05.06.2007 6:52 PM PDT

Sandswept Studios Design Director

Visit us and check out our games at Sandswept.net!

~~Pardon Our Dust.~~

Posted by: Recon Number 54
Interesting bug. No "Golden Septagon" flag on this thread.

I wonder if the Overlord forgot to wear his special cape.


Hehe, I noticed that as well. Odd.

Anyway, sounds like Bungie's including the people who really ought to be included, while being entirely fair at the same time. A Halo 3 beta forum? That should be fun.. ;)

Elmicker, you mis-read. He said 35,000 that qualified for the selection, not 35,000 getting selected.

[Edited on 05.06.2007 6:59 PM PDT]

  • 05.06.2007 6:58 PM PDT
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Posted by: elmicker
Posted by: Achronos
Oh, and I should mention that while we did pick about 30000 Bungie.net accounts (out of half a million active ones) that qualified for our random selection of people to get codes, we also added in about 5000 people who were selected because of some criteria based on their Halo 2 playing.


35,000 B.net F&F codes?

Wow. The first fair bit of the beta distribution i've seen. Can i have your babies?

I believe the actual total of people receiving codes will be significantly less than 35K.

  • 05.06.2007 6:58 PM PDT
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Destinypedia - The Wiki for Bungie's Destiny
Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

Posted by: elmicker
Posted by: Achronos
Oh, and I should mention that while we did pick about 30000 Bungie.net accounts (out of half a million active ones) that qualified for our random selection of people to get codes, we also added in about 5000 people who were selected because of some criteria based on their Halo 2 playing.


35,000 B.net F&F codes?

Wow. The first fair bit of the beta distribution i've seen. Can i have your babies?

Haha, that would be nice! But I think that's just the number of qualifying accounts. We don't know how many were actually selected :-)

  • 05.06.2007 7:00 PM PDT

If you don't got it, you want it. If you got it, you want more of it. Of course if you don't know what it is, it's hard to get any in the first place.

Posted by: SS_Zag1
Posted by: Recon Number 54
Interesting bug. No "Golden Septagon" flag on this thread.

I wonder if the Overlord forgot to wear his special cape.


Hehe, I noticed that as well. Odd.

Anyway, sounds like Bungie's including the people who really ought to be included, while being entirely fair at the same time. A Halo 3 beta forum? That should be fun.. ;)

Elmicker, you mis-read. He said 35,000 that qualified for the selection, not 35,000 getting selected.


That would be nice though. *Sigh* this Roulette game is killing me...

  • 05.06.2007 7:17 PM PDT

Sandswept Studios Design Director

Visit us and check out our games at Sandswept.net!

~~Pardon Our Dust.~~

Posted by: RoboChocobo
That would be nice though. *Sigh* this Roulette game is killing me...


Get a 360, eh? ;) That would be the first step. :D
IF you had one, I think you'd deserve an invite, Chocobo.

  • 05.06.2007 7:26 PM PDT

While this is good info and all, one thing I have wondered about is whether the algorithm was able to take into effect members who have linked gamertags who already got in through either the first sign-up phase or the Rule of Three method. This is mainly about the possibility of someone getting more than one invite to participate.

Besides this, I still hold my stance on not wanting to know the criteria for F&F selection. I don't really expect an official answer. I was just curious if anyone else has thought about this.

  • 05.06.2007 7:33 PM PDT

Instant Message me if yeah want to chat
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Haha its been a while since i have seen Tyguy on here

  • 05.06.2007 10:54 PM PDT
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GT: Greg Is So Hot

Posted by: Achronos
In all cases, though, if you didn't have a linked gamertag, you weren't selected.


Right as I get my g_reg account linked, too.

:|

It wouldn't do monkeylizard because of the bajillion age filters Microsoft has.

:(

[Edited on 05.06.2007 11:24 PM PDT]

  • 05.06.2007 11:23 PM PDT
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Posted by: Monkeylizard
Posted by: Achronos
In all cases, though, if you didn't have a linked gamertag, you weren't selected.


Right as I get my g_reg account linked, too.


Sigh...

  • 05.06.2007 11:29 PM PDT
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The Frozen Minority - The most infamous clan borne from the Seventh Column.

Posted by: Jovels
Posted by: Spec_Ops_Assault
Posted by: Jovels
If you just quote some mods and type "LOL!" after their posts then I'm sure they'll put a good word in for you. There was probably a vote over at the moderator only group now that groups are back.


I highly doubt the moderators had ANYTHING to do with this.

This is just one of those things of which I hope we never learn the exact criteria which was needed to get chosen. Congrats to whoever gets in this way. :)


Why wouldn't the moderators have had anything to do with it? The moderators are Bungie's official representatives on the forums, of course they helped select the members from the forums. It's common sense.


You are wrong.

Common sense < Fact.

  • 05.06.2007 11:32 PM PDT

Reach MMO. Here's to hoping.

And the people that believe "the hardcore playlists would be more popular if the rules were strictly MLG" can come off it, now. If you're not willing to support something close to your own setup, there's no reason for us to believe that cloning our own lists and stripping the variety down will attract more people. -- Shishka, Bungie.net

I've been on and off for a while now.

I certainly am not as active as I used to have been, college has gotten pretty demanding these days.

But you know I was in the running for an invite.


Posted by: baccardinals
Haha its been a while since i have seen Tyguy on here

  • 05.06.2007 11:41 PM PDT

Instant Message me if yeah want to chat
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  • 05.06.2007 11:48 PM PDT
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Posted by: Pezza
Posted by: Jovels
Posted by: Spec_Ops_Assault
Posted by: Jovels
If you just quote some mods and type "LOL!" after their posts then I'm sure they'll put a good word in for you. There was probably a vote over at the moderator only group now that groups are back.


I highly doubt the moderators had ANYTHING to do with this.

This is just one of those things of which I hope we never learn the exact criteria which was needed to get chosen. Congrats to whoever gets in this way. :)


Why wouldn't the moderators have had anything to do with it? The moderators are Bungie's official representatives on the forums, of course they helped select the members from the forums. It's common sense.


You are wrong.

Common sense < Fact.


LOL that's a good one Pezza. You have colored text. That makes you an official Bungie representative whether you yourself believe it or not. Any statement you make will be interpreted as an official legal statement by Bungie and Microsoft.

  • 05.07.2007 12:19 AM PDT

I'm not that active, but never dead.

I believe it is because the topic already had a sign, the active one. Maybe with the new forums new signs don't replace old signs?
Most of the time a topic gets replyed to from Achronos first and then reaches the active mark.

-Alex : /

  • 05.07.2007 12:20 AM PDT
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Hmm...that seems far more fair then I would have been, but I guess that's why you're the Overlord and I'm just a bill on capital hill. I'm surprised that the join date requirement is still in '07, because I see an older profile as someone that obviously is not trying to by-pass the "warning" system. But I guess since you said that the 'trust rating' plays a part, it would counter-balance that issue.

Hmmm....so I only have to assassinate 34,999 other people...delightful! I love the threads talking about which members should get in...it's like they are making my hit-list for me!! Sorry Foman & Iceman, it appears you're both fighting for numero uno with a bullet.

And I apologize for suggesting that you are a "grudge-holder" Tom, I understand that you can take your opinion out of the equation when picking. Although I guess I don't have to apologize since you don't hold grudges!! Irony FTW!


Posted by: Achronos
People were selected from here based on algorithim that I wrote. While people who were banned were automatically excluded, that's pretty much the extent of the moderators' involvement. And the length of time you've been here didn't have much to do with it - as long as you had an account created by a certain cutoff date (this date was in 2007, so don't worry much about this). Actually, this was one of the first real uses of the "trust rating" you might have heard mentioned a few times - one of the criteria there was that you had to be slightly above the average rating to qualify for the random selection.

Oh, and I should mention that while we did pick about 30000 Bungie.net accounts (out of half a million active ones) that qualified for our random selection of people to get codes, we also added in about 5000 people who were selected because of some criteria based on their Halo 2 playing.

In all cases, though, if you didn't have a linked gamertag, you weren't selected.

And I didn't have any "manual" overrides added in - I figure if you're not banned, then I don't care. I'm not one to hold grudges - that's childish.
Posted by: ProjctGILGAMESH
Yeah...the mods veto people everytime they warn them, or blacklist them. I'm sure the biggest thing that will make sure you DON'T get in the F&F is if you've ever been warned or blacklisted, or are on the *hit-list* is HFCS. And I'm sure that if the mods really had to veto someone, Tom would already know about it. Like the update said, it is semi-random, but I'm sure Tom had a lot of feedback into who gets it and who doesn't. Oh, and this deals with B.net, so how many games you've played on Halo 2 means jack. Here are my predictors:

* Length of profile (profile join date): Don't change profiles, because that could be seen as trying to get around the "warn" system.
* Do you have an attached XBL GT: It's just another level of validation because it shows you're willing to volunteer information.
* Do you post in the forums (without getting warned): If you're a fairly active member, while not getting in trouble, you'll probably be considered.
* Does Tom *not* hate you: I'm sure the "buck" stops with him, and any person he wants to veto is going to be.

Those are my criterion...but who knows, your guess is as good as mine.

  • 05.07.2007 3:23 AM PDT

Old school Bungie, born and raised,
In the Septagon is where I spend most of my days.
Relaxin', maxin', posting all cool,
Talking about Halo, life and some school.
Got in one little argument, and the mods got scared,
they said "You're gonna get banned and your member title'll be bare!"

Posted by: Achronos
While people who were banned were automatically excluded, that's pretty much the extent of the moderators' involvement.


Wait one moment.

Now, this wording; does it mean "Users who have been previously banned, you are excluded from the running" or If you're currently blacklisted, you are excluded from the running."

The former would be a drag, in my case.

  • 05.07.2007 6:08 AM PDT
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My friend, you would not tell with ſuch high zeſt
To children ardent for ſome deſperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum eſt
Pro patria mori.

Posted by: Achronos
There was the alpha (MS employees). Then there was the internal beta (MS employees again). That ends on Monday, I believe.
Then, there is the public beta (we call it the delta).

I'm a tad confused here. We have the alpha, the internal beta and the public beta which you call the delta... but what happened to the gamma?


Posted by: prometheus25
Posted by: Achronos
While people who were banned were automatically excluded, that's pretty much the extent of the moderators' involvement.

Wait one moment.
Now, this wording; does it mean "Users who have been previously banned, you are excluded from the running" or If you're currently blacklisted, you are excluded from the running."
The former would be a drag, in my case.

Actually that's a really good point! I mean, I was banned a while back due to a glitch with the site's automated anti-ban-cheat stuff. Turns out I must have used a public machine/IP at Southampton Uni which someone else who got banned also used. It'd suck if that got in the way of Delta-age.

[Edited on 05.07.2007 7:11 AM PDT]

  • 05.07.2007 7:08 AM PDT