- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
First let me say I have always been appreciative of Bungies efforts to improve the Halo2 MM environment. With that said I believe their last big update that reset ranks and stopping network manipulation is the cause of all the problems we see now in MM.
!. Resetting ranks I think was not a wise decision. Doing so has caused more people to quit, not try, resort to sneaky unfair gameplay, among other things. It lumped everybody into an unfair, not so fun environment of uneven gameplay. People got bored and started screwing around more. Most at this point do not care about the big ole' rank number anymore, thus resulting in more quitting. The gamer who did not cheat had worked hard to establish him/herself in a skill level that they could be challenged.
2. Stopping the ability to bridge host was a good thing, but resetting host records was wrong. With the so called updated Banhammer detection ability to detect network manipulation leaving the host records of cheaters would have made them not get host anymore, because their host records would be inferior to those gamers who had not manipulated the network signals, thus giving host to the gamers who had not exposed themselves as cheaters. But by resetting the host records all the evidence of their past cheating was erased and they have gotten off the hook once again.
When I play I still try to do my best, but it sure gets old when others quit, betray, start the game then not play, etc. Halo2 MM is one good hearty flush from being gone anyway. Once Halo3 releases Halo2 will be left to the glitchers for the most part, and for those unfortunate gamers who may not be able to afford a 360.