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  • Subject: Panel Discussion: TTL on Improving H3
Subject: Panel Discussion: TTL on Improving H3

http://twitter.com/JoeFlanagan

Dear Bungie,

Fix spawns in Swat

Love,
The Halo community

  • 06.03.2008 7:16 PM PDT

"The land may melt, the seas may swell, the sky will fall... but They will come." - Malzahar

Please in my opinion i liked the old Snowbound better the HC Snowbound just kind of bores me because if one team gets all the good stuff your team will stand no chance all that will happen is that your team will have to practically corner itself until the threat is gone. For Standoff can you possibly add snipers to it, its too large for just BRs and ARs. If you are able to can you add a troop hog to maps like Valhalla, Sandtrap, Avalanche to the larger maps. The overshield effect where someone picks it up and they are invulnerable for like 3 seconds maybe changing that, i personally like it but when someone else picks it up i just turn and not even bother with him/her. Add more power to the trip mine because when you really need to kill a warthog or something all it most likley will do is flip but land perfect and pwn again. As for the Playlists maybe add Griffball, and Team Snipers to SOCIAL matches, not ranked. Spawning with other teamates, I or one of my teamates will spawn in front of the other and possibly betray. On some gametypes turn off friendly fire, because betrayals happen way too much, on matchmaking. Have player customized maps, gametypes just to make Halo more interesting. Can you please add the fire grenades to matchmaking(the only fire thing is the flamethrower on Constuct.) Add an infection playlist ranked and not ranked. And possibly make infinite money on the 3rd map pack(i dont want to budget) and people make infinite money maps for this reason. Add some cool special FX like rain, thunder, and more weather tools for forge. Another opinion for forge is probably a 90 degree click, too many things fall over when playing when you dont want them too. Could you add more emblems, and backgrounds. Do you think you can possibly add the spectre, replace it or not. Instead of having an actual gunner on the Scorpo i would keep it as an attached gun to the main barrel of the tank. For the Wraith i would just add more speed, and make it have a faster rate of fire. This just came to mind but when i try to add a description to a pic, map, or gametype it says, most of the time, Not Allowed message so then i have to make a shorter description, that is also less descriptive. I dont know what is changeable and what isn't but if you could please change this security thing. Another thing for custom games why dont you allow players to choose what weapon goes into the drop pod, because other wise it is useless. Thanks.

[Edited on 06.04.2008 7:00 AM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:19 PM PDT

OK bungie I suggest you add the whole variety in matchmaking and thinning out playlists like the team said.

So firebombs-add just 1 PLEASE bungie it wouldn't lag too much
Guass-This calls for a special gametype?
More prowler-Prowler is cool but no lasers near it
Fuel rod gun-This can replace rockets on epitaph-add just 5 shots or make it in new DLC-the gun will be unlocked by 3 keys you have to obtain.SO 5 shots-not to bad for lag?
Plasma cannon-Lets see some covenant defence force
Sentinel beam-Make a flying thing in new map and shot it down for this?A nerf might be overdone like the turret on the hornet which lost like 75% power
Shade turret-More covenant defence to go with that shiny new plasma cannon
Flare and radar jammers-people who want to hide can get thier without these we need to see a more variety of equipment,weapons,and vehicles so bungie PLEASE hear me out!!!!

So map make the new maps feel fresh with these vehicles!(and weapons)


[Edited on 06.03.2008 7:34 PM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:19 PM PDT
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i know it is far_fetched , but if we could download new vehicals and weapons , even just for custom games and forge, i would never play a differnt game again

  • 06.03.2008 7:19 PM PDT
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A community created map playlist.
- Maps included switched out weekly so a larger variety of people will have the opportunity to have their maps played.

Bring back some old but fun Halo 2 play lists.
- Team Actionsack (just about the best for random fun, which could easily include Grifball, and many other game types)
- Team Armory (nice to have a variety of random single weapon game types, Team Needlers FTW)

If possible tweak the spawns somehow on smaller maps (and some medium/larger) especially to prevent team members from spawning near half or more of the opposing team. Maps this can be a huge problem on are High Ground and Blackout.

Just an optional thought on using semi-permanent playlists.
For instance, many people love SWAT, and many people would love to see Team Snipers. Well how about swap them out on a monthly basis (ie SWAT this month, Snipers the following, and back to SWAT). This would possibly appease a large amount of people, while keeping them both available from time to time. That just being an example of course. This could be used for several play lists and some that haven't been created/used yet. I think this would keep the popularity of each playlist higher due to people missing it while its away and playing it when it is back. This would also solve the problem of having too many play lists that cause people to be spread too thing among most of the available ones.

Some minor tweaking to the betrayal booting system. It just seems to fail more often than it should.
- Player A betrays me on purpose. I return the favor when he tries again. I get booted. I obviously don't expect to be able to boot this person the first time. To be honest, you really should be able too, before Player A can cause and even bigger pain to the team.
Perhaps have some sort of check in place, if possible, that keeps a tally of the amount of betrayals the person has done in a certain amount of time, perhaps during the course of a week. That person then would be tagged as a threat and would be able to be booted from the first betrayal. Even better, for people with high betrayal rates, don't even allow them to match with other people that don't also have high betrayal rates. This might actually stop the incompetent game ruining fools from doing it so much. If not, well they will be with their own kind. Obviously only for ranked games.

Somehow fix the ranking system. It is so broken. At least to most of us feels completely so. I should not play 8 games in a row, win them all, just to lose game 9 and lose a rank. Logically it just doesn't make sense. I wish I could come up with something more elaborate, but without full statistics and a clear definition on how it already works, I wouldn't be able to attempt to make it work better. So I guess thats on you. ;)

Use of things that aren't in matchmaking.
- Flame nades, in very limited quantity on some maps. Double the spawn time vs normal grenades, and never two in the same spot, and no more than two for any map.
- Fuel Rod Gun should be used quite a bit more. It is weaker than a rocket launcher or a missile pod, but sees absolutely no use. Perhaps on Covenant game types, rockets be replaced with Fuel Rod Guns, even with 0 spare clips, would be a nice addition.
- Prowler anyone? Big Team game = Woot.
- Possibly more use of the Hornet. Can you nerf it on maps like Sandtrap and Valhalla like the one on Avalanche?
- Scorpion tank needs added to Valhalla and Sandtrap for sure, in moderation. The Wraith sees too much action.
- Radar Jammer can be fun and useful on occasion.
- Flare. I'll pass, waaaaaay too annoying, don't put it back. :P
- Make use of custom power ups somewhere. No just better shields or camo. There are so many other possibilities for this. For instance: One that gives you 150 speed for 30 seconds. One that lets you do 110% damage for 10 seconds. One that lowers your gravity to 75% for 30 seconds. You can even do positive/negative effect ones. For instance: 200% damage for 10 seconds, and you have no shields or 200% speed for 10 seconds, but you have max gravity. I am sure this could be applied to some fun playlist or various other games and work well.

Many things in Forge.
- Making most if not all objects available on each map if possible.
- I know many people would appreciate the new FX option on all the maps.
- A snap function for objects. It is a tremendous pain for those of us who must have even lines or want things to look good to even our object all out.
- A permanent lock for all objects option. Stays still no matter what.
- This has been said tons of time before. Undo option, for at least the last action. Would be infinitely valuable.

This is all I have now. I want to actually go play Halo 3, lol. I may add more later. Peace.

  • 06.03.2008 7:19 PM PDT

- Team Snipers Playlist: You already increased the win count to 50 (Thank You!), now make it always available. I still need to get better with the sniper and would love the practice.

- Fix the Forge Mode Glitch: In forge there's the option to limit the forger to only the party leader, however this only makes the up on D-Pad shortcut go away. Other people can just hit 'Start' and go into Editor Mode as a way to get around the setting.

- More Medals: I don't know if you could add more medals into the game, but I'd have to assume that would be pretty difficult as some of the code would have to be tightly coupled with the main game engine and I'd never ask you do modify, test, and deploy so much code for such small additions. If there is by some miracle some way to add a medal, I think I'd love a Noscope Medal (Sniper Headshot without using the zoom). As a consolation prize I think some more B.net only medals (i.e. Steaktacular, Linktacular), could be done. To steam off of current their could be the Golden Steak, 100 steaktaculars total. Or multikill master, get every type of multikill and have 1000 double kills or more.

- Distance meter on your kills: I'd have to assume this would also be difficult to integrate into the game (For the same reason as new medals) so I'm not going to expect it. This would be something like if you lobed a stick across the map you'd get something like :
'You stuck TJ Scoot. (78m)' or
'You sniped Jabronie Man. (418m)'
Also the distance would be reported to the person who got killed, so when you get stuck from 100m away you know something crazy went down.

- Bungie.net Progress Tracking: Have charts/graphs that show your overall progress, like EXP increasing, Highest Skill; also some more indepth, like your progress through a playlist as your rank increases.

- 10 second Trophy Clips: A long bomb here. Be able to take a 10 second clip of your favorite clip and upload to B.net to have on your main page. Flash formatting is assumed, if you could make the clip longer, up to 30 seconds or 1 min, render in WMV or other similar format, save to Xbox HDD and transfer to a flash drive I'd be amazed and give you complete servitude for the next 10 years, as this would almost be impossible to do at this state of development without laying out some previous groundwork.

- Clans: Not for the people at Bungie, because I know Microsoft Xbox Live programmers should be working on this, I remember seeing screens of clan functionality from the last E3 which was almost a year ago, so my request is simple. Can you just call the people at Microsoft like a couple times a day to see the progress, hopefully they'll get so annoyed they'll finish it, with a proper, high quality polish? Alternative option would be giving me the right phone number and I'll call them until they release it, I really wouldn't mind paying the long distance.

- H3 Beta Tripmine: Magnetism and effectiveness was great. The betrayals were hilarious and just about every one made me laugh.

I know many of these are difficult things to do, but I think one or two of them should be pretty possible. I hope I formatted the post well enough so it doesn't seem too much like a wall of text.

- Jabronie Man

  • 06.03.2008 7:21 PM PDT
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I have yet to experience more enjoyable games that keep me coming back for more.

(Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3 and ODST and of course REACH

I dont have too many issues w/ H3.
Here are some things that would be great in a perfect world.

-Please change the "you got stuck" to " you got spiked" for spike grenade sticks.
-Change the medal for that as well.

-Custom games search option
-The ability to play some community forged maps in matchmaking

- A playlist that has maps w/ random filter effects turned on.
-More effects ex: Paintball Mode(like 007: Golden Eye )

-A lag free multi-player experience

[Edited on 06.03.2008 7:29 PM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:23 PM PDT
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You need to make it so when i am playing ranked anything that it selects there highest total level i mean i was a level 25 in team slayer and i got destroyed by a level 20 when i look at his stats it turns out he is a level 48. See my problem?

  • 06.03.2008 7:25 PM PDT

A big blank map for forge with more objects. Around the size of Valhalla or Sand trap would be a good size for a blank map, just flat, with high ceiling and walls.

Also for those maps have placeable invisible walls so you don't have to use box's to make a wall, so you can either make a map as big as the flat map will let you go, or a small map for competitive play, kinda like the Big gold walls on Avalanche, just clear, so you don't get blinded.

Plasma Punch and Stick as a Double EXP weekend.

A color wheel for armor, and something that will let you mix up to 3-5 colors to make a custom color for your armor, then just be able to save it as a custom object, like how you would save a map. That would be cool, and it would be more of a unique thing for people to do.

Normal Bungie Favorites.

More FX for maps, and fix the problem for when you mix 2 of them it turns your screen shot white.

More variety of vehicles on maps, Gauss Hogs, Scorpion. Maybe even a new vehicle.


  • 06.03.2008 7:25 PM PDT
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Here's my feature list request wishlist thing:

1. A more streamlined 'avoid this player' function, much like the insta-mute button, where you scroll over someones name in the player list, hit a button (like Y or B), and after this game, you'll never see 'em again, and if enough people vote 'em out, you'll never see them again immediately.

2. There's a game called 'The Specialists', where if you stay in the same area (like, within 10 feet or so), you get killed by a bolt of lightning, to prevent camping. Why not make it so if a player stays in the same general area (once again, something relatively small, but not small enough to let players exploit the system) for too long, make it so a waypoint appears over their head, so everyone else can find and kill the bastard!

3. Have an option in Forge to completely remove the set spawn system, so that players can spawn exactly where we choose them to (except if it interferes with the environment to a degree, but even so, set it to be more tolerant). This way, we can more easily make mazes, and even some 'among the enemy' situations.

That's about... it.

  • 06.03.2008 7:26 PM PDT

The skill level system is a massive let-down for me. In Team Doubles, I have won 12 of my last 20 games -- an average enough number. But amongst the losses, two matches saw one opponent quit whilst the other opponent camped with power weapons, gaining a lead and then hiding. Two matches were against the dreaded second-accounters with the most powerful BRs in all the land. I'm guessing that losing significantly to a player whose skill level is *supposedly* the same as my own, but whose rank is vastly inferior, has a very negative effect on my own skill level. So when I'm matched up with what the skill system would describe as an evenly matched opponent and I continue to beat them with a +10 K/D Ratio, the epic win simply balances out with the epic loss and I'm left in limbo -- another ranked match on the tally, no increase in skill level, no increase in rank.
This endless cycle of losing games through unfair matches and/or lag undoing the work of beating "equal" opponents has kept me at Commander Grade 3 since January. The more I play (and the more this cycle continues) the harder it is to rank up. I don't want to create a second account just to achieve a high rank, I don't want to be a general, I just want your skill system to be fair and relevant to how well I play.
My highest skill is 39 in Lone Wolves, but currently sits at (and WON'T budge from) 38. It has gone back up to 39 in the past, but high on the sense of achievement I feel when I get it back up to 39, I usually continue playing to try and hit 40. Cue lag and unfair matchmaking and hey presto! 38.

There are things that I find a bit annoying about Halo 3. There are things I absolutely love about Halo 3. This situation I find myself in because of the way the skill system works absolutely destroys the game for me.

[Edited on 06.03.2008 7:30 PM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:26 PM PDT

____________(˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜˜)_∏______
l | --------____.`=====.-.~:________\___|================[oo]
|_|||___/___/_/~```|_|_|_|``(o)----------<)

Don't ever let anyone judge you for who you are, or what you are not.

I think we should have a Sniper Playlist and 4 each grenades, like back in halo 2, so you don't have to keep on going back to the place to get more grenades! Oh! and some people also fight over plasma grenades.....so......well it's up to you!

  • 06.03.2008 7:29 PM PDT
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Posted by: BlossomShot
This other problem, what's wrong with the human pistol? I remember that in Halo, you could zoom in 2x. And in Halo 3 it doesn't zoom at all. o.O; Seriously, what's the point of the pistol if you can't zoom, you can't take as much damage, not even a headshot takes as much damage. Can you take it off? Or can you improve it? :/


In real life, the pistol is not meant to be a sniper rifle. I agree, the pistol is underpowered, but it was meant to be. They are a backup weapon. You should use it as a last ditch attempt to save your life.

  • 06.03.2008 7:29 PM PDT

The Upper Echelon

'Hog Gunner and Laser Extraordinaire

6th page post... hope this gets read...

I think the community would like more non-killing-oriented playlists, like Rocket Race, to:
1) Ease the stress/frustration of killing-oriented playlists, and
2.) Provide something 'softer' and more family-friendly, and
3.) In general offer a milder playlist to go to when you're fragged out

  • 06.03.2008 7:31 PM PDT

LA
"Love, Hate, Courage, Fear - Imperfections that make humans Perfect" - FC789

Burn Brigh7. Burn Blue.
See you starside.

Posted by: PzyKotik86
There are things that I find a bit annoying about Halo 3. There are things I absolutely love about Halo 3. This situation I find myself in because of the way the skill system works absolutely destroys the game for me.

Destroys it like a Sledgehammer against a Lego tower...
My highest rank was 30, because I wanted to get Major Grade 4, you know...
But now, it went down to 29. And stays there. For eternity and a day.
I had 30 on Team Slayer, it is now 29. My win and lose ratio is (give or take) about 3/1 if I get my friends with me, yet it still goes down. Even if we won a Team Deathmatch, with not just a Steaktacular, but a Double Steaktacular (win by 40 points), just because I played bait and got killed numerous times, I go down in exp, and on occasion, rank.
Ugh. Which is why I have been playing Social games, or Hardcore (because those have low levels already, and I'm pretty good at competetitive gaming). My ratio for social/rank is 2 to 1, and although that doesn't seem like much, my Ranked games are about 360 (ha ha...)
Get the picture?

[Edited on 06.03.2008 7:35 PM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:33 PM PDT
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BR Start a lot more often.
all BRs gametype besides MLG.
Team Snipers.
Delete the AR.
Take out shotty and both snipers in Head 2 Head


  • 06.03.2008 7:34 PM PDT
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also:

- dedicated servers
- modified spawns in swat, so you and the enemy don't spawn next to each other and so you dont spawn in the line of fire.
- automatic boot system for players who have a sh**ty internet connection
- bigger penalty for those players who leave games (like -5 exp per game quitted)

  • 06.03.2008 7:34 PM PDT
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Oh, and also, Red and Blue settings, where you can adjust the settings for individual teams!

  • 06.03.2008 7:35 PM PDT

Make the game more fast-paced along with a tighter BR.lol ;)

  • 06.03.2008 7:36 PM PDT

Shaken and Stirred

The ability to Veto either the map or the gametype. Not only does Bungie gather additional data on what the community is interested in playing but also what maps are more favorable than others.

  • 06.03.2008 7:37 PM PDT

Oh what glorious and magnificent wonders the internet hold. Xbox live should have a warning that says, "Be aware, the presence of anonymity and voice communications may cause people to be complete d-bags and the laws of social interactions are thrown completely out the window"

a random playlist ranging from 3 v 3 to 6 v 6. ffa with 6ppl, gametypes ranging from slayer, skirmish, grifball, swat to mlg. All of the different playlists mixed up. It would be crazy, but fun.

[Edited on 06.03.2008 7:39 PM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:38 PM PDT

Maybe a social infection playlist

  • 06.03.2008 7:39 PM PDT
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***NOTE: i'm only focusing on certain aspects of playlists since they are the most practical things to change in H3 MM and gameplay. while i realize there is a forum for optimatch stuff, lots of people commented on playlists so part of this is in response to their ideas as well. some people may have addressed this but i'm emphasizing it even further***

in terms of playlists, i think the following should be removed:
>> rocket race should be taken out considering there is no critical mass of the playlist and while i agree it is fun, its nothing more than a variant of a customs playlist.
>> also, i think we need to tweak things to convince people to play team objective. maybe gear objective more towards MLG settings without the damage/speed part. BR (without AR maybe? but you can still pick them up) starts, less ridiculous clutter weapons like needlers, SMGs, etc. simply because objective games should make people focus on the objective portion rather than slaying). this will not only attract hardcore/MLG players, but also add spice and require more teamwork in the playlist rather than people spraying random weapons. if not, i think team objective should be removed seeing as how it is pretty much a joke/warm up playlist that shouldn't be ranked.
>> BTB should not be ranked IMO because i find it lame to give someone a rank for their ability to hide in the dunes of sandtrap and pick people off with a sniper or, conversely, rank up for going crazy in valhalla with wraiths and banshees. don't get me wrong, i enjoy playing BTB (when there's minimal lag of course), but i don't think it should be ranked because there's not too much skill nor teamwork involved. BTB was created for one purpose: fun.

here are some things that are GOOD (that's right) about certain playlists:
>> DLC playlists, because they are, for the most part, testing out new maps and allows those who have them to try em out and learn without waiting 234987 games in other MM playlists to try them out. so don't remove the DLC playlists simply because you want to streamline population.
>> bungie provided a way to play with friends if your parties become bigger than 4 through social playlists. this is good if you don't want to have a BTB but you have 5+. thus, it is even more necessary to keep playlists like DLC objective to 6v6 and social skirmish to 5v5. although i thoroughly approve of having social slayer at 4v4 now.

lastly, here are some playlists comments/suggestions that i'll reiterate:
>> i don't think a customs playlist is practical because from the way people proposed the playlist to operate, the entire structure and UI doesn't seem practice unless you have gamerooms and servers, which, to a degree, disrupts the purpose of bungie making random MM. custom games are custom games for a reason. make friends and play with them off MM.
>> i do, however, promote HEAVILY a 3v3 TS playlist. for me, i actually find that having a 3-person party is the most inconvenient size because of the odd size as well as the long waits for MM. currently, the way you can play 3v3 is if your search is taking too long and you find another party of 3. often, me and two other friends don't WANT a 4th person because they don't have a mic and they often don't follow our strategies. accordingly, 3v3 provides a different dynamic and strategy to slayer games because you don't have the ability to create a full setup, but you also can't just roam free because you can get double teamed and flanked at the same time.
>> please please PLEASE incorporate back social doubles. its fun, free from the pains of ranking, an easy way to have fun if you have a friend over, and a good warm up playlist as well.
>> which reminds me, warm up playlists are unnecessary. that's what social playlists are for.

that was pretty long, but these are real substantive suggestions to the aspect of playlists. please feel free to comment back =)

[Edited on 06.03.2008 7:45 PM PDT]

  • 06.03.2008 7:39 PM PDT
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- actually search the forums for bungie favorites. the ones that you guys keep putting up are rather bad.
- offer free pie to bungie pro subscribers. (i'm really hungry and i love pie!)

  • 06.03.2008 7:41 PM PDT