"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country.
He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."
Speaking of all these marvelous "Credits" and "Armor" that we can earn in the Multiplayer Beta, are you guys at Bungie toying with us again? Are you setting us up, by building our anticipation to earn all of this cool stuff, then like earning "EXP" in the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta, after it is over it disappears quicker than a delicate flower hit with full force of a Spartan Laser; not even leaving behind the smoked fragrance of glories achieved during that marvelous time on our suits (or accounts)?
I ruefully remember the day when the mind numbing realization sank in that the EXP which had been so diligently fought for during the Beta vanished. Sublimated into the ether in the light of the reality that Bungie cared no more for those weary warriors who laid their multiple lives down in battle, who fought hard for their victories, contending with "rubber banding" when the players lagged again, the seemingly futile wait times for a match and the blistering carbine, which quickly cut to ribbons any opponent who would try to use a BR against it. We were more than willing, no, we were euphoric to go into battle for Bungie with not a care for money or time, in order to help make Halo 3 multiplayer a better experience for all. Alas, what came of this effort, a better game, YES! Beyond that though, nothing, not a T-shirt, not a medal for our home page, not a Bungie card, not even the "EXP" we earned.
Yet, even with the angst of that disappointment, we look forward at the beams of light from the Halo Reach multiplayer Beta as they rise over the hill before us, we are drawn to them. Mesmerized, like a fly drawn to a bug zapper. We go forward into battle, willing to deal with bugs and lag and weapons that are out of balance, spending hours and hours fighting in the hopes that Bungie gets the data it needs to hone the game play until it is sharp enough to shave with.
For this, all we ask is that you let us keep the plunder we acquire, the credits that are earned.
However, if for some diabolical reason, due to some horrific failure in technology, you can not do this, then we ask for at least some kind of token of remembrance, a commendation, or a badge that can proudly be be displayed on our Bungie Home Page which shows that we were there. That we fought the good fight. That we joined together as a community to help make "Reach Multiplayer" the best game it could be. As the Bard's King Henry V said just before they were to go into battle on Crispian's day: "From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remember'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers".
Hopefully you guys at Bungie will allow us some form of remembrance for our participation in the coming Beta