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This topic has moved here: Subject: Ultras and their place in Halo.
  • Subject: Ultras and their place in Halo.
Subject: Ultras and their place in Halo.

IMO, ultras are definitely fun enemies. But speaking in a classic manner, they aren't necessary. Zealots from CE acted as "the boss". And they gave something different for a game composed of repetitive (but fun!) enemies. I feel ultras are watered down zealots. So what I am saying is that they should have been simply replaced by the zealot.

Thoughts? Insults? Oh and Sliding Ghost, come back!



[Edited on 01.25.2012 5:30 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 5:27 PM PDT

It's all in good fun!

Never really thought about that, but I'd have to agree with you. The Zealots did an excellent job as intimidating boss-Elites. Now that you mention it, I kinda miss that gap in the difficulty levels of their ranks.

[Edited on 01.25.2012 6:16 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 6:16 PM PDT
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Eh, they are somewhat redundant. Zealots in H2 don't have much of a role other than a religious one while Ultras have taken their place. Oh how to fix this dilemma...

Zealots should be guards, as they were often guarding things (silent cartographer, bridges). Their very presence signified 'you shall not pass, I will not let you through'.

Ultra Elites should be commanders. The plasma rifle Zealots on Two Betrayals and AotCR had this role.

And I'm pretty much done with Halo. I gave up on it 2 hours ago. I'm not motivated to make tutorials or anything. I'm going dark and by the time Halo 5 comes out, that may be when I resurface.

  • 01.25.2012 6:19 PM PDT
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Posted by: Sliding Ghost
Eh, they are somewhat redundant. Zealots in H2 don't have much of a role other than a religious one while Ultras have taken their place. Oh how to fix this dilemma...

Zealots should be guards, as they were often guarding things (silent cartographer, bridges). Their very presence signified 'you shall not pass, I will not let you through'.

Ultra Elites should be commanders. The plasma rifle Zealots on Two Betrayals and AotCR had this role.
Seems reasonable. It was weird how things changed so dramatically in Halo 2... I remember going through Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign feeling awesome, but I hardly knew anything of the covenant... At the same time that could be seen as bad, it did make them more "alien".

And I'm pretty much done with Halo. I gave up on it 2 hours ago. I'm not motivated to make tutorials or anything. I'm going dark and by the time Halo 5 comes out, that may be when I resurface.We all need breaks. I took mine about a year after Halo 3's release. I didn't even know anything about Reach until a friend invited me over the day it released... I hadn't even seen anything of it past the reveal trailer.

  • 01.25.2012 6:56 PM PDT


Posted by: InvasionImminent
IMO, ultras are definitely fun enemies. But speaking in a classic manner, they aren't necessary. Zealots from CE acted as "the boss". And they gave something different for a game composed of repetitive (but fun!) enemies. I feel ultras are watered down zealots. So what I am saying is that they should have been simply replaced by the zealot.

Thoughts? Insults? Oh and Sliding Ghost, come back!

I'll have to confess I've never paid attention to rank much. I know the badasses when I see them, lol, and that's about it.

  • 01.25.2012 7:06 PM PDT


Posted by: Dr Syx

Posted by: Sliding Ghost

And I'm pretty much done with Halo. I gave up on it 2 hours ago. I'm not motivated to make tutorials or anything. I'm going dark and by the time Halo 5 comes out, that may be when I resurface.
We all need breaks. I took mine about a year after Halo 3's release. I didn't even know anything about Reach until a friend invited me over the day it released... I hadn't even seen anything of it past the reveal trailer.
I know what you guys mean. I gave up on Halo around July of 2010. I played pretty much only Final Fantasy and Marathon the entire summer. A store was selling used 360's and I managed to get my hands on one about 3 months later. I later enjoyed Halo 3, but what I enjoyed more was my career back in Halo. It felt good to maw all covenant down again. I can only speak for myself but we all need breaks. I hope to see you still post and offer help here. I'm so close to getting all the skulls and SLASO is beckoning.

[Edited on 01.25.2012 7:10 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 7:07 PM PDT


Posted by: Grumpy1

Posted by: InvasionImminent
IMO, ultras are definitely fun enemies. But speaking in a classic manner, they aren't necessary. Zealots from CE acted as "the boss". And they gave something different for a game composed of repetitive (but fun!) enemies. I feel ultras are watered down zealots. So what I am saying is that they should have been simply replaced by the zealot.

Thoughts? Insults? Oh and Sliding Ghost, come back!

I'll have to confess I've never paid attention to rank much. I know the badasses when I see them, lol, and that's about it.

The only rank I do not pay attention to is sentinel. They all fall under the same amount of fire.

  • 01.25.2012 7:08 PM PDT
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Posted by: Dr Syx

Posted by: Sliding Ghost
Eh, they are somewhat redundant. Zealots in H2 don't have much of a role other than a religious one while Ultras have taken their place. Oh how to fix this dilemma...

Zealots should be guards, as they were often guarding things (silent cartographer, bridges). Their very presence signified 'you shall not pass, I will not let you through'.

Ultra Elites should be commanders. The plasma rifle Zealots on Two Betrayals and AotCR had this role.
Seems reasonable. It was weird how things changed so dramatically in Halo 2... I remember going through Halo: Combat Evolved's campaign feeling awesome, but I hardly knew anything of the covenant... At the same time that could be seen as bad, it did make them more "alien".

And I'm pretty much done with Halo. I gave up on it 2 hours ago. I'm not motivated to make tutorials or anything. I'm going dark and by the time Halo 5 comes out, that may be when I resurface.We all need breaks. I took mine about a year after Halo 3's release. I didn't even know anything about Reach until a friend invited me over the day it released... I hadn't even seen anything of it past the reveal trailer.
Well I didn't like the changes to the Zealots. Even on SLASO, they aren't very threatening if you have a plasma pistol. And I want an army of them with my Councilors on GJ.

Doc, I think you're right. I've already pinpointed the source of my problem: YouTube and Waypoint. Reception to my contribution and such is minimal there. I figure if I stop going there, I'll be able to use my time more wisely. Plus, I don't have to worry about SOPA if it somehow manages to affect YT.

Posted by: InvasionImminent

I know what you guys mean. I gave up on Halo around July of 2010. I played pretty much only Final Fantasy and Marathon the entire summer. A store was selling used 360's and I managed to get my hands on one about 3 months later. I later enjoyed Halo 3, but what I enjoyed more was my career back in Halo. It felt good to maw all covenant down again. I can only speak for myself but we all need breaks.

I hope to see you still post and offer help here. I'm so close to getting all the skulls and SLASO is beckoning.
I played SSBB for a while before coming back to Halo.

I can still post. Staying is the difficult part.

[Edited on 01.25.2012 7:23 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 7:21 PM PDT


Posted by: Sliding Ghost

Doc, I think you're right. I've already pinpointed the source of my problem: YouTube and Waypoint. Reception to my contribution and such is minimal there. I figure if I stop going there, I'll be able to use my time more wisely. Plus, I don't have to worry about SOPA if it somehow manages to affect YT.

You'll always have us to appreciate your work. And by the way, Waypoint is full of idiots. I'm probably not going to bother buying Halo 4 as 343i seems only to concern Multiplayer.

I played SSBB for a while before coming back to Halo.

Probably the only good game for the wii lol.

I can still post. Staying is the difficult part.
What about your fans!?!?!?

  • 01.25.2012 7:29 PM PDT
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"A life lived for others is the only life worth living" - Albert Einstein

"I have your RCON right here." - Iggwilv

"Always my pleasure to be lazy." - InvasionImminent

Yeah, you can't let it get to a point where you're taking it too seriously. Caring about YouTube views just gets frustrating. xD

I've started just getting on any of the Halo games when people request me to. Other than that I'm focusing on Tribes: Ascend. T:A has been a great refresh for me with the Tribes series. Lord knows I was bored of playing Starsiege Tribes after it being out since 1998... Hopefully Halo 4 will do that for me in the way Reach couldn't.

Posted by: InvasionImminent
343i seems only to concern Multiplayer.
Eeeeeeh, from what I've seen they've been talking primarily about Halo 4 campaign. Story telling seems to be a major focus for them so far.

[Edited on 01.25.2012 8:44 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 8:42 PM PDT

I've given up Halo for good 6 times now.

  • 01.25.2012 8:48 PM PDT


Posted by: Dr Syx
Eeeeeeh, from what I've seen they've been talking primarily about Halo 4 campaign. Story telling seems to be a major focus for them so far.
Story is only a way to milk money from dedicated fans. I've been banned twice for discussing campaign aspects, but not once when talking about MP. And my posts here are no different then the ones over there, they are well written and polite.

  • 01.25.2012 8:55 PM PDT

@spawn031

"So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger in people's memories." John Williams

I think it's more of just another level of customization that Bungie added in the campaign for Halo 2. IE - also adding Heretics, also even more so later in the Halo 3 campaign.

Well, at least when I played through the campaign, they all seemed pretty easy to defeat with plasma pistol + BR combo. Worked perfectly :)

  • 01.25.2012 9:00 PM PDT
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"A life lived for others is the only life worth living" - Albert Einstein

"I have your RCON right here." - Iggwilv

"Always my pleasure to be lazy." - InvasionImminent

Yeah... I've heard that 343's moderators aren't that great... That banning has gone rampant over there. I don't have much experience with posting over there yet since I don't really see any reason to yet... Eventually I will have to if I want to talk about future Halo titles. :P

  • 01.25.2012 9:19 PM PDT
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@Invasion Well I've made my last posts over there.

@Grumpy 6 times? What tasks made you want to quit? I think this is my 7th time.

@Doc I can't blame them. The community (I'm not talking about the old forum goers that have been posting ever since. It's the new people) seem to get their posts edited a lot for spam and such. And then there's H4 leaks.

Posted by: spawn031
I think it's more of just another level of customization that Bungie added in the campaign for Halo 2. IE - also adding Heretics, also even more so later in the Halo 3 campaign.

Well, at least when I played through the campaign, they all seemed pretty easy to defeat with plasma pistol + BR combo. Worked perfectly :)
The Heretics turned out uninteresting imo. Each Elite should have special characteristics, of which Zealots weren't very distinguished (other than always spawning with swords and being melee only).

Elite Spec Ops - grenades
Elite Zealots (CE) - leaping
Elite Ultra - sword pulling
Elite Stealth - active camo, super fast shield recharge rate (never before seen)
Elite Heretic - just different weapons :(

I hate using the BR in the noob combo. The magnum feels more better.

[Edited on 01.25.2012 9:56 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 9:54 PM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

0x0 x0x 0x0 000 000 x0x 000
x0x 0x0 0x0 0xx 000 0x0 000
x0x x0x x00 0xx 0x0 x0x 0x0

I have seen you future

I liked how Halo 2 had the variety of enemies. They mixed it up, and since I spend most of my time using non plasma pistol weapons they keep the combat interesting.

  • 01.26.2012 9:14 AM PDT

Halo 2 > Halo 3 > Halo 3 ODST > Halo Reach > Halo CE

Based on campaigns.

Don't go Ghost :(

OT: I like Ultras because they add variety to the elites that you fight.

However, I think that in Halo Reach they went a bit too far with the amount of elite ranks. Zealots have always been the golden battlefield commanders, and suddenly we have them in red armour carrying out a completely different role and the 'general elites' are practically just zealots from Halo 1 and 2.

  • 01.26.2012 9:48 AM PDT

alexander

Sorry but i disagree with you if you apply your argument to other examples like saying the elite minor is a watered down elite minor which is just stupid. Sorry but hink about your argument a bit more.

  • 01.26.2012 11:55 AM PDT

Halo 2 > Halo 3 > Halo 3 ODST > Halo Reach > Halo CE

Based on campaigns.


Posted by: panda_942
Sorry but i disagree with you if you apply your argument to other examples like saying the elite minor is a watered down elite minor which is just stupid. Sorry but hink about your argument a bit more.


Are you talking to me? Or OP?

[Edited on 01.26.2012 12:37 PM PST]

  • 01.26.2012 12:37 PM PDT


Posted by: Mark V guy

Posted by: panda_942
Sorry but i disagree with you if you apply your argument to other examples like saying the elite minor is a watered down elite minor which is just stupid. Sorry but hink about your argument a bit more.


Are you talking to me? Or OP?
Not you.

  • 01.26.2012 2:18 PM PDT


Posted by: panda_942
Sorry but i disagree with you if you apply your argument to other examples like saying the elite minor is a watered down elite minor which is just stupid. Sorry but hink about your argument a bit more.

Except the elite minor has remained the same. The ultra is only acting as a copy cat of the zealot, just replace the fear inducing part with a respect inducing part and that's about it.

  • 01.26.2012 2:34 PM PDT