Halo 3

I'm not buying Halo 3. I've been playing the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare beta lately. I might buy H3 eventually but don't really care to buy it at this point. Surprisingly being involved in the Halo 3 beta made me not want to buy the game. I think the replay ability and map editing options look phenomenal, but I'm not that interested in the game itself. COD4 is going to be the next FPS I buy.

Halo 3 Beta

Before I get started I want to make it clear that I understand that the Beta is not the final product and does not necessarily reflect how Halo 3 will play.

All in all I had a pretty good time playing the beta. I got to rank of major and level 34 in rumble pit while only playing a small amount of pit games. Most of the time I spent playing team games, or 2v2.


First let's discuss improvements.
One thing Bungie obviously worked on was the menu system and the operation of parties. The addition of the Military ranks adds a cool layer of depth to understanding who you are playing against. By being able to quickly check an opponents games played and compare to their rank you get a quick measure of what you're up against. Also while not complete, the ability to save videos of games is awesome. The file share idea is awesome. If I had been able to save my Halo 1 games at the end of the match I would have made hundreds of montages. Since you don't know when you're going to do something sick having the ability to save a game is awesome.

Stylistically the beta resembles Halo 2. However I feel the players are noticeably smaller in comparison to their surroundings, which I consider an improvement. While I didn't play that many customs and face to face BR battles were a bit of a rarity the reduction in the size of the player will allow for a greater skill curve than the one in Halo 2. Simply put the hit-box size along with the strong auto-aim and bullet pull in Halo 2 made the battle rifle simplistic. The battle rifle (and carbine to a lesser extent) require more precise aiming for them to be effective in H3B. I wholeheartedly agree with a reduction in hit-box size and decrease in bullet-pull. For a game to succeed on a competitive level their must be attainable skill levels by players. If a first time player can pick up a game and 4-shot someone then it is not a very skill oriented game. Of course strategy, instinct, and map control all play into a victory, but the basis of an FPS is shooting. There is still obvious auto-aim (dragging reticule sideways over a standing opponent) which I don't see as a problem. A FPS on a computer does not use auto-aim and requires much greater dexterity which is achieved through the precision of a mouse. Auto-aim on a console is a necessary part of the game.

One major change which I think is overlooked is what appears to be an increase in the players field of vision. I literally may be imagining this aspect of the beta, but I feel that the player is seeing a much larger percentage of their screen compared to Halo 2. For this reason Halo 2 was often frustrating to play since I often felt like I was wearing blinders. Split-screen play was even worse. After playing a lot of the beta and some split-screen on 3 different TV's I feel that Bungie may have gotten this aspect of the game right.

I'm sure there are other things which some might consider as improvements but that is about all that come to mind. I think the bubble shield in theory is a cool idea, but I'm not sure how it is going to play out in the long term run of the game.

And now the Negatives
One thing about this game which has only grown worse since Halo 2 is the weapon diversity. It is a commonly held belief in competitive environments, both gaming and sports, that diversity causes randomness. H1 essentially had 6 "useful" weapons: pistol, shotgun, plasma pistol, plasma rifle, rocket launcher, and sniper. Halo 3 currently has 13: BR, Carbine, AR, SMG, Needler, Brute Spiker, Brute shot, Rocket launcher, Spartan Laser, Sniper, Beam Rifle, portable chain gun, and Pod Launcher. That list doesn't include the sword, or the Magnum (Hopefully I haven't left any off the list). 15 effective weapons when compared to the 6 weapons of Halo 1. One of the most competitive and graduated skill based games of all time, chess, has 6 unique pieces, coincidence? Game variety will typically introduce random elements and unpredictable circumstances within a game. It can be noted that for various reasons MLG changed the weapon setup which I feel helped reduce the random nature of Halo 2 gameplay. I understand that the guys at Bungie want to be creative and original, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Games like counterstrike and Unreal Tournament maintained their fan base by sticking to what works, not by doubling the amount of available weapons.

Another problem with H3B which resembles the problems of Halo 2 is the lag inconsistency. It is very hard to discern when you are lagging, and when your bullets are lagging. While weapons like the Sniper and Spartan laser do not appear to be very affected by lag, the effectiveness of guns like the shotgun and brute shot is striking. I had 2v2 matches where I could kill someone with 2 brute shot blasts, and have others where I would land the full 6 round clip on someone and have them continue fighting. I can understand lag and its effect on a game, but if I'm lagging I'd at least be able to tell. If I know a shotgun and melee isn't going to kill someone, then I'll avoid that situation. However when I can understand the spacing and behavior of a battle pulling a shotgun to finish a fight is typically a sure-fire option. It is rather aggravating to have what is usually a guaranteed victory fall through due to lag which is hidden by network protocol.

Another aspect of the beta is that it is very difficult to tell how much damage an opponent has received. Often when I'm shooting a person by myself with a BR as they try to flee (as is the typical solution for most H2 players) I can't tell if they're one shot from death or three. The Halo 1 shield worked perfectly; as an opponent was shot their shield would light up, and when it was broken (leaving them vulnerable to a headshot kill) it would disappear. I don't know if perhaps the H3B shield has the same behavior but is just too hard to judge or if there is another reason for this problem. If I know an opponent is hurt badly I'll keep shooting them in the head, otherwise my best plan of action may be quickly using a grenade.

I'm glad that the tracking ability of the plasma pistol has been reduced from the game ruining debacle of "the combo" in Halo 2. I still do not understand why plasma guns work differently in the 2nd and 3rd iterations of the Halo series. Did the Covenant warlords decide that freezing an opponent with plasma wasn't nice? In my opinion the guys at Bungie (who we all know are noobs at their own games (not a problem IMO, they are professional game designers, not players)) got frustrated with being frozen by a plasma rifle or a skilled plasma pistol user in Halo 1 and eliminated their effectiveness for Halo 2. Another problem I had was when I would be facing a plasma pistol wielding opponent. Often I would see them release their charge in my direction and I could tell it was on a vector that wasn't going to hit me, then all of a sudden my shield is blinking red. Whether it is lag, or a problem with visual dynamics of the game I am not sure. I am all for reducing the track of this gun (I have hit a fresh overshield opponent with a charged blast on Damnation as they jumped from overshield above rockets to teleport room and it takes good aim and precise timing) but for what reason a plasma pistol can't behave with the freezing ability in Halo 1 I don't understand.

Another odd aspect of the game is the effectiveness of the needler. NEWS TO BUNGIE: you designed a shitty gun 6 years ago, get over it. For what reason their staff feels that they must continually try to improve that gun is beyond me. For the beta it's gotten to the point where the bullets appear to hit instantly (even though I can see them flying slowly through the air) and kill with what often feels like 4 or 5 needles. Yes guys, that is the definition of skill, a gun that doesn't require aiming and will kill an opponent before they are able to react. This gun appears to be plagued by lag problems much like the plasma pistol. In various games I have unloaded 2 full clips into a VIP opponent at an appropriate distance without taking his shield off. On the other side of the coin I have had less then a clip kill me when I was a VIP from a similar distance.

Now, let's discuss the "new and improved" assault rifle. Before I get ahead of myself I'd like to point one thing out: the assault rifle in Halo 1 was extremely strong. I tested it YEARS ago and found you could kill an opponent with 4 bullets up close transitioning into a running melee. The only problem is that not very often you're going to be able to land a running melee on an opponent with an AR because they are going to be backing up as you charge them. This is not the case in Halo 3. The crew at Bungie has stuck by their guns with the fatal flaw known as "melee lunging." Yes guys, the sword is soooo kewl. Why don't you change the entire dynamic of the game (and what your team describes as one of the "three pillars" of halo) and make the melee lunge to accommodate the physics change necessary for a sword? It appears in H3B that the lunge distance has been somewhat reduced. Although I have been killed numerous times and said to myself "well that was a H2 lunge." This often would just further my assumption that that player was host. OK back to the topic at hand: the assault rifle. When I play a game competitively my objective is to secure the best weapons and use them to dominate my opposition. In Halo 1 this often would be a team combination of pistol, rockets, sniper, and possibly shotgun. However since I spawned with a pistol I already had the opportunity to fight on a more or less level playing field where the victor would be determined by superior skill. Obviously if a team is smart and able to control my spawn and use injured player rotation to control my team I will have a hard time gaining an edge. In H3B I would like to secure a battle rifle and a sniper if possible and use them to my advantage. However due to the quite poor spawning behavior within the game the likelihood for a "random spawning" opponent to kill me with his AR is quite high. Being a resourceful player when an opponent tries to maul me with his assault rifle I make the appropriate adjustment and pull back immediately. However this action is typically quickly overcame by melee lunging. Yes I understand I could melee them as well, but due to the effectiveness (and extreme ineffectiveness of the BR at close range) melee'ing typically is useless. The problem with this game behavior is that by winning a previous battle, I the victor, have earned myself the weapons in the vicinity and therefore earned myself an inherent advantage of their usage. When an opponent spawns within "spray and pray" distance of me the win/loss factor of a FPS is eliminated.

The spawns in H3B are another story. Over the years playing competitively I have seen some pretty terrible spawns. From having an entire team spawn next to me at invis on Hang 'Em High to spawn melee an opponent coming through a teleporter on Chill Out. However instances like this came over years and through thousands of games. I saw what I'd consider some pretty horrific spawn circumstances in Halo 3 Beta over a very short period. For instance: in a match on High Ground I killed a player standing on top of the bunker next to the needler. My teammate and I were on the beach side and I was just infront of the tree next to shotgun. I push forward and encounter his teammate inside the bunker. We are fighting face to face, me with a BR, him with an AR. Meanwhile his teammate spawns directly behind me, not far, and as I am avoiding a grenade tossed from inside the bunker he runs up and shoots me with his AR and punches me. My teammate was doing the right thing, he was watching my vulnerable spots with a sniper while I fought. The possibility of his teammate spawning and sandwiching me occurred to neither of us. I've also seen some pretty bad stuff like people spawning and getting run over by a car, or spawning with a trip mine just a few feet in front of them. I don't really have a solution for this, somehow the spawns need to be more intelligent while being "fair" to both teams. It is very disappointing when my teammate is fighting 2 guys near the beach and I spawn at the opposite side of the map by the defensive side's Mongoose.

A few other non-gameplay related problems I have is the fact that I have to choose "good connection" for "match settings" before the beginning of each game. For those out there who even knew how to change this option before searching for a game. It is pretty annoying having to re-apply it each time. Why would I want a good connection last game and not desire one this game? Also under player settings the voice setting of "team and party" is very useful for players such as myself who are talking to their team the whole time calling out positions and strategy maneuvers. However this setting resets every time that you log out of the game, and is not a maintained player setting like "inverted" or "4 sensitivity." Obviously these are both easily fixable problems which may have already been addressed in internal Bungie builds. Additionally I don't really understand the purpose of the service record page. As of right now it is simply a crappy version of the Player Statistics page. Perhaps their are plans for additional content on this page in the final version, but in the beta it is just a crappy page with 2 useful stats "highest rank" and "RP."

Well, there are other things I could mention this entry has gotten pretty long as it is. I will say that I had a lot more fun playing the Beta then I have had playing Halo 2 since it came out. I'm not sure if it is specifically the new environment and new maps of the beta, or that H3 plays more enjoyably then H2. There are still several aggravating things within this game that may be a deterring factor my long term enjoyment of the game and my interest in playing at a competitive level.


I linked this post on the bungie Halo 3 forum at http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=11206276

Halo Wars

So has any of the person that reads my blog still seen this new game Halo Wars? I don't know about playing a Real-Time Strategy on an Xbox 360 and all, but the game design looks pretty good and well thought out. Watcha think?

Well...

So I've pretty much discussed everything that is really noteworthy about Halo 2. If you are visiting for the first time I would recommend reading from the bottom to the top.

I haven't been playing Halo 2 anymore after MLG Dallas, and I haven't even been playing Halo 1 since we got home. Too much stuff going on with working and school.

Gameplay Quirks

One of the major gameplay variations within Halo 2 results due to the BXR. While a player should always attempt to effectively use all of the possibilities at his disposal to achieve victory BXR has grown beyond any conceivable limits. While I was playing a quite a bit the past few weeks in preparation for MLG Dallas I realized the fact that gameplay is funnelled into very few possibilities. Come face to face with an opponent and your options are either smack BXB or BXR them. While the BXB (H2 Double Melee) is typically much easier to land and much more reliable (due to the fact that H2 auto-corrects for user-error in reticule alignment by lunging) the BXR will kill faster if successfully landed. In the event of a face to face fight simply shooting your opponent with your BR is pointless due to the fact that he runs much faster then you while you run backwards, and with his lunge he will be able to land a melee.

The face to face fight in Halo 1 has many more levels of variance allowing for user choice. When conronted face to face with an opponent one player may attempt to spin his opponent and 3 or 4 shot them with the pistol, or they may assault rifle melee them, or double melee them and let the grenade kill them, or melee them one time headshot them, or shoot them twice and melee them. This variation allows for a player to quickly assess the situation, their position, and weapon set and decide on the best course of action for victory. In Halo 2 however as I witnessed at MLG the majority of the players in a face to face fight simply go into auto-pilot and their muscle memory takes over jamming down BXR.

While I have no problem with the BXR's ability to kill I do have a problem with the lack of risk for the reward it offers. If a player were to attempt a high damage maneuver such as a double melee in H1 they were faced with the risk of being damaged by their own grenade. This balancing factor is used throughout genres of videogames. Fighting games use a similar principle for high-damage maneuvers by making them more high-risk, which can leave the player attempting them vulnerable for a small moment if they are unsuccessful.

On another note I find it somewhat humerous how MLG has eliminated the most drastic change in Halo 2, dual wielding. I'm sure the Bungie brainstorming sessions thought that dual-wielding was going to be the next cool thing and be fantastic. Whereas in reality it resulted in dumb gameplay where users simply smash down their triggers. I actually like using dual wield magnum right hand and SMG left hand in Midship FFA matches just because it makes people feel stupid when they get killed by a dual wielder.

While I had a fun time at MLG in reality the most fun I had was saturday evening and night lanning with Yoda (who let us stay at his house), Exile, DSmooth, and the rest of my teammates TXAggie Optimus, Prince & DatBoyCold. While we played 4v4 Friday night and Saturday morning I don't think any of us really enjoyed ourselves nearly as much as we did when we played 2v2 H1, regardless of the outcome of the games.

Finish The Fight

Today Bungie released the announcement trailer for Halo 3. While the video showed absolutely no gameplay or in-game footage it did fulfill its intended purpose: build anticipation. The footage and location rendering looks extremely sharp and the effects are very smooth. There is essentially no action until about a minute into it when the masterchief graces the screen with his presence.

The most exciting part of the trailer itself is the fact that the chief was holding an Assault Rifle, Halo 1 style. Every advertisement and poster I remember for Halo: Combat Evolved had the masterchief holding the AR. The only question I have is whether or not he has a pistol in his back pocket ^_^. Atleast someone is reading my blog, wink wink, nudge nudge. Here are a few images of chief with the assault rifle, the High-resolution one is from Bungie's site, and the other two I captured myself from the video.



The music throughout the trailer sounds very familiar, with the overtones of the piano in a style reminiscent of Final Fantasy. It does however fit with the previous feel of the musical overtones of the Halo genre.

I don't really like the way the new "3" logo looks, it appears washed out and doesn't have the 3D effect of the "2" logo in the Halo 2 trailer. However the release of the trailer is pretty cool, I can't wait to see some gameplay.






-Oh I forgot the cardinal rule to blogging - post numerous links to sites of importance such as Bungie.net and the trailer announcement.

Network Protocol

By design Halo: Combat Evolved was inherently not a major multiplayer game. The main original selling point of Halo was the exciting graphics and the artificial worlds created on the new Xbox platform. The average initial player most likely ran through the campaign mode and enjoyed every minute of it as Bungie managed to keep you on the edge of your seat through much of the game. However it was quickly discovered how much fun a player could have competing against his own friends in the multiplayer mode. This multiplayer mode was not designed to be played over the internet, which is quite obvious through the network design. However the desire to compete against new competitors on the internet was just too great and soon services such as Gamespy and Xbox Connect were offering the ability to play Halo online. Unfortunately playing H1 online requies a very fast internet connection (especially for the host) and a small round trip latency (or ping, ICMP Echo Request/Response).

Due to the fact that Halo operates on a Synchronous networking model there can be a large amount of lag due to the round trip flow of information. While two xbox's are playing Halo they are both operating in a deterministic world evolving by their actions predicated upon one another. The joining player's actions are carried out immediately and are rendered in relation to the Server (host) xbox. While the joining players reticule may be showing the location his bullets should be landing due to the round trip latency his bullets will be landing at a slightly later time within the game. Add in character motion and your bullets will lagging behind the player you are shooting. This can cause an unfair advantage for the host xbox and create problems effectively fighting for the client xbox. This problem can appear even more severe in up-close bombat with weapons such as a shotgun or plasma rifle. However with skill and planning the latency issue can often be overcome. Over medium to long distances (red base to blue base on Hang 'em High) a player can estimate the lag he is experiencing (based on current bullet lag pattern) and adjust to shoot and kill effectively. I feel the ability to learn and understand how much a player is lagging is a very important fact which allows experienced players to compete with lag. Due to the fact that the player can understand how much they are lagging, they are able to compensate for the lag.

Halo 2 is not based on a synchronous networking model. While Halo 2 is still based on a client/server model there is a very large amount of predictions produced in real time, in game. The client relays information about what they are doing; throwing grenades, shooting, running, jumping, and that information is then processed by the server and that information then given out to all of the other clients. As a client views another character running their xbox makes predictions of their future behavior based on their current behavior. If the player is running in a certain direction then it can be predicted that he will continue running in that direction for a certain amount of time. The prediction made is a few hundred milliseconds. The pitfalls of this mechanic can be seen in game when you may see a player running in a certain direction then suddenly jerk into another direction. The player changed his heading while you were predicting his next position, and when you (the client) received the updated version of his position (from the server) your xbox compensated for his position. Another memorable example of this behavior is the rising elevator in Ivory Tower. Your xbox creates a prediction of the behavior of the elevator as you step onto it, and as the server updates the actual position to you it can often effect your velocity throwing you into the ceiling.

Another design characteristic of Halo 2 is the fact that only the server can create destructive elements and award kills and so forth within the game. While you throw a grenade your xbox (in your first person) renders your arm pulling the grenade and throwing it, as well as creating the sound of you pulling the pin. This information is relayed to the server and the server confirms this information, relaying to everyone in the game including yourself, thus creating the grenade flying from your hand. Examples of this behavior can be experienced during a laggy game, where you will throw a grenade (created in your first person render) but the grenade isn't created in the world. Or you will snipe an opponent but you won't receive the "you sniped ______" message for an amount of time.

While this model is designed to create an atmosphere for a large number of xbox's playing over a great distance it creates one major problem: the inability to learn and predict the behavior of lag. Very often it may appear that all of your battle rifle bullets are striking your opponent, but for some reason you are unable to kill them. This is due to the prediction of opponent movement and behavior by your xbox and the latency with the server confirmation. The best way to really experience this behavior is to pull host when you often are unable to pull host. One game not long after the update (after I had reaquainted myself with the BR behavior) I pulled host in a double team game on Ascension. I had a BR at big base and began shooting an opponent that was about halfway between the needler (above the OS) and and the end of the bridge coming from Banshee. Remarkably I put this player down in 4-shots to the head. I was shocked by the effectiveness of my Battle Rifle and was amazed with the ease I could kill opponents. I was able to kill opponents who were fighting my teammate who was at small base simply with my BR. Now in exactly similiar circumstances when I am not host it is much harder to kill opponents from these distances. Very often it will appear as if my bullets are striking them exactly the same as before, but for some reason they appear to have no effect on them. This is the result of the networking protocol model within Halo 2, my shots are being displayed as being accurately placed, but their effectiveness is nullified due to the lag. I am unable to predict the lag and correct for the difference.

In reality it can be understood that the network model for Halo 2 was designed to allow players to play one another on Xbox Live with much higher latency then they were able to play in Halo 1 (where lag over LAN can be noticeable). However while this model is successful in the goal of allowing a large pool of possible opponents, it often sadly reduces the chances of victory exclusively to the xbox who is the host. This can be argued for Halo 1 as well, where I would often beat an opponent by 10 or 12 kills when I knew that if we were lanning I would likely beat them by 20 or 30. However the ability to adjust for the lag allowed me to effectively defend myself and present a useful offense. This abilily however is negated online in Halo 2.

Bizarro-World

This post goes against everything I've written thus far about Halo 2. The Bungie team did learn a few things from Halo 1 and in some areas were able to help improve the gameplay through useful upgrades.

Xbox Live - The greatest improvement to the Halo gaming universe is the addition of Xbox Live. While the possibility of Live support didn't exist on the release of Halo: Combat Evolved and the internet connections to use it effectively were also lacking this is a great improvement none the less. The amount of games the average player is able to play on Xbox Live and the experience gained is incredible. The convenience and the ease of playing on Live is unparalleled. Strategies can be learned and honed, friendships cultivated, and skills perfected. Without a doubt the addition of Xbox Live to Halo 2 is the greatest possible improvement.

VOICE! Another useful and integral part of gameplay is the ability to use a mic. Voice chat allows for better teamwork with teammates, and improved gameplay overall. The usefulness of a mic when teaching someone a strategy or showing them something new is phenomenal.

The addition of customizable character symbols also helps improve gameplay and add to teamwork. The symbols and and the current state of your teammates such as red for being shot, or yellow for shooting help a player understand the dynamic of the current game.

Dead X symbols are also very useful and help alleviate the confusion that can result when you don't know the status of your teammates. Both the visual X marker and the X marker in the scoreboard (holding back) are extremely useful. The scoreboard organization is also very helpful allowing characters to stay up to date on their progress and their overall team progress towards victory.

Impovements to the HUD are also very useful. The display of team score in the bottom right corner along with the gametype and time remaining are useful on the fly. On screen display who is dying, who has the flag, and other information is great as well. A few of the problems that I have with the HUD the behavior of the shield and the radar. I don't know how Bungie was unable to find an applicable way to arrange the shield as to not require a blank radar circle to remain with radar turned off. I also like the improvements of onscreen flag status, however I don't really like the way the "no ammo" or "low ammo" looks. For some reason it just looks like Bungie was attempting to emulate some type of "Apple hipster" look with these symbols. I prefer the block font "No Ammo" in Halo 1 which appeared to be less cartoonistic and more FPS death and destruction type game.

One great improvement in gameplay resulted from the necessity to hold X to pick up both the flag and the ball. This was one of the major problems I always had with Halo 1 that I wish could have been changed. Having the ball forced into your hands when fighting was quite annoying and the Bungie team was a little shortsighted on the original behavior. Not that you could blame them they didn't have the wealth of experience and knowledge of the Halo universe when they were making the first, however they did when making the second.

While I think the increase in post-game information such as Medals, hit percentage, headshots, suicides, and person vs. person statistics are fantastic I don't exactly understand how players are sorted. In Halo 1 it was very obvious who had the highest score, and if there was a tie these two players would be sorted secondly by kills second, and by number of deaths third. In Halo 2 I have been unable to figure out how players who tie in kills are sorted. It doesn't appear to be done by deaths, assists, hit percentage, or suicides. I don't know if it has something to do with who spawned first (aka host or closer to host) or some other arbitrary fact that had nothing to do with the game. Not that this impacts the game heavily I just think it is stupid if two players both had 15 kills and one has 3 deaths and the other ranks above him with 8 deaths, odd.

That's about all that I can think of, most of these improvements don't impact the game too heavily, they just help streamline the game at times. If anybody has any ideas on things they feel have been improved between the two games I'd love to hear them in the comments.

Failures For Gods

I've already discussed my belief that Halo was an accident in creation by the Bungie staff, I think there is a mental misconception that Bungie creates with absolute perfection. Short article on a few things I've noticed.

I've seen footage that is 4 years old of my friends playing Halo of them using strictly Assault Rifles. CTF Hang Em High, Damnation TS, everything. When they recorded the games (onto a VHS through the VCR) they thought they were really good, like they were about as good as people would get at Halo. It wouldn't surprise me if following all the testing before the H1 release if Bungie thought that is what the best players would play like as well: running around like idiots tapping their AR's scraping off their opponents shields.

I remember reading one of the weekly updates a little while before the November 9th release of H2, I remember it saying something to the effect of "the needler is new and improved, you'll actually want to pick it up!" What is beyond me is the type of gaming that was going on in the Bungie offices for the needler to be a useful weapon. I had abandoned hope of ever using the needler in a serious game about 15 minutes after midnight that evening. If you were honestly killing people with needlers then they must be HORRIBLE at the game, and the fact that those people created it is scary.

Does anyone remember how crappy the BR was before the 1.1 update? I can't understand how that the 10 foot spread of the bullets was envisioned as a sufficnet weapon for effective gaming. I guess the image of good gameplay they had in mind was everyone running around holding plasma rifle/needler dual-wield like idiots.

Why is it that my character routinely gets blown across the map by grenades when I die but guns only move like 2 1/2 inches when a grenade blows up next to them? I don't know, maybe for some reason guns can't be moved by explosions but a huge spartan metal armored suit is extremely susceptible. If that isn't a continuity design flaw then I don't know what is.



Are my articles too long? Cause I figured there would be alot more people with something to say about the oddball spawn part of my last article. I don't know, maybe it's only a big deal to me.

Spawns

I've allready discussed what can result from receiving a poor spawn in relation to weapons and powerups, now I'd like to discuss spawns in general and spawning in Halo 2. A good player in Halo is most likely aware a large percentage of the spawn points on most of the maps within Halo: Combat Evolved. However due to an increase in spawn points and spawn locations mentally visualizing and interpreting spawns changes drastically in Halo 2. This evolution in reality is simply an expected piece of growth. As a project grows and technology increases the sample range will increase and available plots on a graph will grow. The location of the spawns in Halo were in my mind much more linear and measurable. The spawn points in Halo 2 appear to be what I consider much more organic and dynamic in relation to the map. While this growth in and of itself does not create a problem, the spawn programming appears to have created a spawn inconsisitency which adversely effects gaemplay.

There was a time a while ago when I was interested in the head to head matchmaking playlist. This was following the playlist reset after the Elo rating sytem was modified to prevent everyone from topping out at level 22-25. Well in one night of playing I went from a level 14 to a level 26 putting me in the top 25 players at the time. During my course of play there were several occasions in which i spawned and immediately punched my opponent in the back. Most of these games took place on Midship which has enough spawn points to prevent players from being close enough for hand to hand combat on spawn. However several times we both spawned below a base, or directly infront of the base, or both just behind the flag spawn in the base. This is once again a scenario when I had nothing to do with earning a kill. I have also had a similar scenario take place on Lockout. My team spawned at the ramp between top floor BR and the library, and the opposing team all spawned on the ramp behind sniper. Well atleast 3 of them spawned there, I'm not sure where their 4th spawned. I however spawned directly behind them on the ramp to sniper. As they proceeded up the ramp and were confronted with my teammates fire from BR I punched all 3 of them in the back. Of course I yell "triple kill!" into my mic while laughing out loud. Scenarios such as these seem to occur far too often within Halo 2. Sanctuary is also plagued with horrible spawns in every gametype.



Another major problem I have with is the timing of spawns, or oddball spawns in particular. This is a problem which is easily fixable with a playlist update. For some reason the problem I am about to discuss has been left in the game since its inception without anyone making note of the problem. In oddball if player X dies his respawn timer starts counting from 9 seconds. If his teammate player Y dies while player X is dead, he will receive a spawn time that is the exact same as player X's current remaining time. So if player Y dies while player X has 2 seconds left, he will spawn after only 2 seconds, being rewarded for the fact that his teammate was dead. Imagine this scenario: I kill player X then while fighting player Y we both die due to grenades killing us both at the exact same time. I will receive a respawn time of 9 seconds, while player Y receives a respawn time of probably 2 or 3 seconds. By having a teammate dead player Y gains an advantage of 6 seconds, in a gametype which is heavily dependent on time this is a problem. I have experienced the following scenario numerous times in double team. I kill player X face to face and then fight player Y, I do some damage to him but he kills me. Next my teammate kills player Y, he then respawns almost immediately, while I won't respawn for another 6 or 7 seconds. This leaves my teammate to fight both player X & Y by himself (only moments after he killed player Y). If my teammate were to die faster (counter-intuitive, counter-productive) he would be rewarded with a faster spawn. Instead of doing what he should be doing, which is trying to win by staying alive and gaining ball time, he would be rewarded for his quick death. There is no logic for this scenario or for this to take place. With much of the other stuff I discuss I can mentally create scenario's for many of the mechanics of Halo 2 to make sense, but I am unable to make sense of why this occurs. There is no logical or justifiable basis for such a spawn timing system. Nowhere within a competitive game with a ruleset of deaths & spawn time (penalty for dying) does such a principle make sense. Your respawn time is designed to give the team who killed you an advantage, one less player to fight, more availability of weapons and powerups for them while you are dead. This is an advantage they have rightfully earned and which is stolen by giving faster spawns as a reward for having a dead player.

The only gaming scenario where a quick spawn such as this makes sense is in a game which the spawns are based on a rolling timer which runs throughout the game. A couple of games that use this mechanic are Call of Duty & Battlefield. Dependent on the map size and player count there is a running spawn time of anywhere from 8-20 seconds or possibly more which everyone on the map respawn at in waves. Both sides of battle spawn in the same waves regardless of when they died. This is completely fair and allows for re-grouping and formulated attacks, and formulated defense. However this oddball spawn phenomenon is a broken mechanic, one team is spawning in a wave, while an opposing player isn't given the advantage of a spawn wave. This creates an advantage for the team who is dead, which is the opposite of what they earned. If anyone has an explanation for this phenomenon I'd love to hear it.

Playing H2

This is how I feel when I play Halo 2.
I also added a new article below FYI.

Balance

I have heard the argument since the release of Halo 2 that it is now a balanced game and is therefore better. With what logic a person arrives at such a conclusion is beyond my grasp. The thought that Halo 2 is balanced is asinine. Not only is Halo 2 unbalanced, but the slippery slope created by the imbalance in weapon strength is ridiculous. Let's examine the facts.

From the beginning of the match every player has essentially the same chance at acquiring new weapons and upgrading their abilities within the game. While this availability of weapons is actually changed due to weapon spawns it can almost be assumed that every player begins the match on equal footing. However the spawns dictate an enormous part of the outcome of the game from the very beginning. Examine the spawns on Lockout and Ivory Tower and you will realize how big a part of the game the initial spawn plays. Often one team will spawn with their entire team below airlift, and the opposing team at top BR & Library. This allows them to acquire sword, blow themselves sniper, and nade the entire opposing team as they airlift. Following this they can acquire the PP/BR combo and have every power weapon in the map. At this point the team of "have-nots" has very little they can do to try to gain an edge. The only option they are going to have for getting a kill are lucky grenades, and the hope that an opponent will fall off the map. In the Ivory Tower scenario very often one team spawns entirely back wall and one team spawns at Sniper & top OS. From this position they are able to snipe the opponent attempting to get the rocket launcher, get PP/BR/OS combo and kill sword guy for their teammate. The fourth teammate can then acquire the rocket launcher securing every power weapon in the map. Yes there is another PP available but likelihood of that being effective against four more well-armed opponents is very slim.

OK, so the imbalance created by the spawns has been discussed. Now let us examine the slippery slope created by the increased effectiveness of the variety of weapons. David Sirlin notes that "variety and balance are inversely proportional" in his article on Game Balance. This article is fantastic and applies to numerous videogames. I'd recommend his book as well. Anyway, a look at the gameplay environment created by the weapons is necessary. The ability for a newly spawned player to fight a sword opponent is futile. On numerous occasions I have spawned on Midship and proceeded to be immediately killed by a sword wielding opponent. In what realm of skill, or good gameplay that fits is beyond me, and in reality is one I don't want to participate. A newly spawned player severely damaging an opponent who has a PP/BR combo is also useless. Yes I know the PP blast can be effectively avoided, however the likelihood of this winning you the fight is very small and more often than not it is unavoidable. The primary component of designing balance is that every action needs to have a strength and a weakness. There is no designed weakness in the sword, none whatsoever. The only weakness of the sword is its inability to fight long range, however this is true of any short-range weapon so it isn't even a design characteristic.

Another fatal flow of the balance issue occurs with the sniper. A sniper is a person who shoots someone from a distance, and typically in real life from a concealed location. A sniper's ability to shoot from a distance should create an INABILITY to fight at close range. However due to the severe auto-aim and bullet pull of Halo 2 his ability to fight at close range can be just as good as long range if the sniper is wielded by a person with some skill. The ability to no-scope snipe then melee an opponent, or BXR them with the sniper a formidable opponent up close. This example is the opposite of balance. By increasing a player's ability to fight at long range, the game design should limit their ability to fight at close range.

Successful examples of correctly used advantage/disadvantage span the gamut of the gaming genre. Street Fighter allows for projectile fireballs, which can be used at a distance, but elimate the ability to attack up-close. An extremely powerful up-close attack is balanced by its inability to inflict damage at a long range. In Warcraft there are numerous characters who have the ability to inflict huge amounts of damage to other ground units & buildings. They however lack the ability to attack flying units. One of the earliest examples of checks & balances comes from a childhood favorite: Rock, Paper, Scissors. While rock will ALWAYS kill scissors, it is balanced by the fact it will NEVER kill paper. This game is an example of perfect balance.

Let's examine the gaming behavior designed into Halo 1. Which I still contend was a complete accident by the Bungie staff. A player who acquires the rocket launcher has an increased ability to kill his opponents quickly by using the splash damage of their rocket. However they are also susceptible to killing themselves with their own rocket's splash damage. A sniper player has the ability to quickly kill their opponents by the use of a skillful and difficult headshot. When used effectively a sniper can be dangerous and extremely effective. However a sniper is extremely hard and much less effective at close range. A sniper will also be extremely hard to use against an opponent who is shooting them with their pistol and keeping them unzoomed.

A second and important balance issue to consider in a FPS is timing or the duration to achieve a kill. The major fundamental flaw of Halo 2 is the timing created by the 4-shot kill. A stock BR player has very little chance at killing a PP/BR combo, Sword, Sniper, Shotgun, or even dual-wielder. However in Halo 1 a pistol wielding player is given an opportunity to kill an opponent if they are skillful with their weapon of choice. The ability to 3-shot a rocket opponent is very likely as they jump into the air and launch their rocket. While you may die after you 3-shot them you still achieved a kill. If you are approached close range by a shotgun opponent you have the ability to turn them and 3-shot them. Or you are also given the chance to double melee them, and likely kill both of you.

Superior skill, tactics & teamwork should be the deciding factor in victory, not superior weaponry. This is allowed for within Halo 1 creating a gaming environment which is balanced as well as being dynamic and varied. The gaming environment is essentially broken in Halo 2. This imbalance can cause the player to note on numerous occasions that "they knew what their opponent was going to do, but were left without an option to stop them." In Rock, Paper, Scissors if you know your opponent is going to throw rock, you can throw paper, etc. However in Halo 2 if you know he is about to sword you, there is typically no option for you to survive. The variety designed into Halo 2 creates a gaming environment which can be viewed as unique and dynamic, but in reality it is flawed and inconsistent.

Grenade Behavior

One of the many problems I have with the game which I already have shown in previous posts relates to the basic design physics of Halo 2. I've been playing a little bit online lately and it reminded me of one of the things I hate most about Halo 2: grenade explosions. I'm not quite sure if this is a problem that is encountered only on Xbox Live or whether it happens while LANing H2 as well. The only actual LAN time of any duration I have played in H2 was at MLG Houston and I can't remember if i encountered the same grenade problems I associate with Xbox Live.

Regardless, for what reason do the grenades have the ability to blow up in my hand? or in the air? Let's break down the scenario of what happens and how it effects gameplay. Player A sees playber B first, and throws a grenade. His ability to throw a grenade at his opponenent first is justified by the fact that he saw him first so thus far there is no problem. Player B does what is most likely his only option for survival upon seeing the incoming grenade, he throws a grenade back immediately. We'll assume player A's grenade was well placed and unavoidable by player B. Player B's chances of surviving this encounter are very small due to the fact that it only takes 1 BR shot before the explosion of the grenade to kill him. However as he throws his grenade at player A it explodes in hiw own hand, killing him. What.....the......hell. While player A's advantage at having thrown the first grenade is justified it is in no way justifiable that by making his only defense player B is killed. If you haven't had this happen to you, or seen it happen you either haven't played much Halo 2, or you aren't very observant. While this may only occur on Xbox Live that is still affecting 71 thousand players as I write this. Xbox Live is the area where the majority of Halo 2 gaming takes place, and therefore an unintentional gameplay occurence such as this is unacceptable.

I in no way am saying that I have only been on the losing end of this scenario. I remember one battle in Ivory Tower I was back wall on the OS side by the plasma rifle and was fighting an opponent at the top of OS ramp by the plasma pistol. We both fired a few shots, danced a little bit, then we both made a similar maneuver stepping behind the wall we were each standing next to. When we both stepped back out he threw a grenade, he was above me and I didn't feel throwing a grenade would help me much. As he released his grenade from his hand I was shooting my battle rifle at his head. His grenade exploded immediately in his face and killed him. This situation made me laugh out loud and literally say "wow, that is embarassing." I in no way earned that kill, perhaps I could have ended up BR-ed him, but I without a doubt hadn't earned the kill yet. It is these random occurences with the grenades that is a detrimental problem to the gaming environment.

Another fundamental question on the grenades is Bungie's choice to make them explode in the air off of an angled ramp. What is the design characteristic that causes the grenades to explode in this fasion? I'm sure we can logically sort this situation out, let's try. OK, perhaps the grenades explode in the air due to an initial impact timer. Upon throwing the grenades upon a slope such as the ramp leading up to sniper at Lockout results in a grenade exploding in the air, roughly just under a second after initial impact. Yes, this must be how they work, that makes sense. Actually, what if you were to throw the grenade off of a wall very high in the air, does the grenade explode after the initial impact? No, it's doesn't, it falls to the ground, bounces once, then when it lands from the second bounce it explodes. Well, this makes very little sense, does the grenade have a sensor which tells it "horizontal wall - Don't explode" or "slope - Do explode?" Well the slope isn't necessary because if you are to throw a grenade directly downwards it will fly back up, arching slightly away from you, and explode. Now what is the relevant difference between the grenade contacting the flat ground thrown directly downwards, and contacting a horizontal wall when thrown perpendicular against the wall?

This variance in the fundamental grenade behavior is quite perplexing and makes very little sense. This behavior introduces another layer of random variety which deteriorates gameplay, often reducing the predictibility of successful gaming. In a gaming environment the rule-set needs to apply equally all the time to combatants. In street fighter if Back->Forward+Punch creates a Sonic Boom with Guile it should create a Sonic Boom every time it is correctly executed. If at some point it for some reason creates a blade kick, or a spinning roundhouse then the game design is flawed. This never happens in Street Fighter, however the "grenade + ground = ?" equation is programmed into Halo 2. Once again I beg the question to Bungie: why?

Halo 2 Noobified

The following is a video displaying a few differences between H1 and H2. I like most of the stuff shown in the video, however some of the stuff is kinda dumb, such as the how they did the plasma rifle test. The footage showing the bullet-pull and sniper auto-aim is interesting. The breakdown between the 3-shot and the plasma pistol/BR combo is pretty cool too. Kinda ties in with my last article. Enjoy.

Who failed physics class?

It can be understood what a huge mountain the Bungie staff faced in creating Halo 2. The beast they had created in Halo 1 had thrived and taken control of the Xbox community. Their first game under Microsoft ownership became a system seller for the current premiere gaming console. In creating their next game they had to go bigger and badder, be more exciting, and push sales and imagination. The Bungie staff looked to their community and weeded through suggestions and found a legitimate addition to the Halo weapon roster: the sword. It was through the inclusion of the sword that the Halo universe was changed forever.

You can imagine the meetings taking place during Halo 2 development; exciting colorful storyboards, character sketches, and models strewn around an expensive office. Bungie employees throwing out ideas and bargaining and brainstorming attempting to peg down what the next invention gamers would be playing. At one point in these discussions someone mentions that "they could make the sword lunge at opponents!" What an exciting idea: a dashing attack involved with the sword, fantastic. This idea is taken and implemented, and yes, it's pretty cool. However if the sword is going to lunge when it attacks, the regular melee is gonna have to lunge when it attacks too. . .

The staff however sees no major problem with this, ok, so the melee's are going to lunge, big deal right? One fun and exciting part of Halo was that hand to hand combat was a very viable and important part of battle. Games have used melee weapons in the past with limited success, from slappers in Bond, to an array of knives in various games like Counter-strike. However typically these attacks were deployed by an alternative weapon. However in the Halo series you could simply punch someone with whatever weapon you wanted.

The Bungie staff has admitted when creating Halo 1 that the physics engine they created was basically based on what looked and felt right to them. However in Halo 2 Bungie outsourced the physics engine to a company known as Havok. While Havok has enjoyed success with their designs across numerous games, the application into Spartan and Covenant combat left something to be desired. If the Masterchief is to abide by typical laws of physics, then it must be questioned why he is able to break these frequently. While battling an opponent for what reason is the Masterchief able to achieve a sudden burst of speed forward allowing him to melee his opponent? What physical property allows the Masterchief the ability to increase his downward velocity due to gravity while swording or melee-ing an opponent? Are the rockets in Halo 2 heat-seeking to the temperature of the Masterchief? Are there shocks installed in his legs that prevent his suit from taking -any- type of damage due to falling. While I'm on the subject of dumb things I like to cry about why are the battle rifle bullets tracers? Tracer bullets in machine guns are typically used to signal the end of the clip. What Spartan engineer thought that was a good idea? Or really what Bungie employee thought "wow this is going to look cool, but will change the way the game plays entirely." I feel the muzzle flare is a great identifying way to find your opponents and served the Halo universe justly, however I digress.

All of these changes within the game create a gaming dynamic which is once again further from the success of the original. Over the years game design studios (such as Id, Blizzard, and Valve) have realized that if something works, stick with it and improve on it.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

However Bungie decided to modify the majority of the gaming cues that made Halo what it is. I believe this reasoning is dissapointing and foolish.

I can do without any comments informing me that "Halo 2 sold 2.4 million copies earning $125 million dollars in the first 24 hours!" Yes, this is amazing, making it the highest grossing release in entertainment history, surpassing Spider-Man 2. However the 1.5 million pre-orders, and millions of late night purchases had nothing to do with Halo 2, they had everything to do with Halo: Combat Evolved.

Bullet Math

Just a small idea i've had about the major changes in the shield system and the result the H2 weapons create. The major difference is the change in the number of shots to kill with and without headshots. Let's examine shields from both games.

Halo 1 Shield - required 5 pistol shots to the body (or 6 shots to the feet FYI ;-) ). If you were to headshot your opponent one could kill in only 3 shots (2 to the body to deplete shield, 1 to the head to kill), or 40% less shots.
Halo 2 Shield - required 7 battle rifle shots to the body, or 4 headshots (technically to kill 11 bullets to the body, and 1 bullet to the head), or about 43% less shots.

While these two flavors of shield behavior are not shockingly different, they can drastically change the gaming dynamic. The major difference between a 3 shot kill and a 4 shot kill is the ability to skillfully fight off a more well-equipped opponent. In Halo 1 every time a player spawned they were given a fighting chance to gain kills by strategically attacking their opponent. If you were faced with a rocket wielding player the pistol allowed you to 3-shot him in about the same time he would be able to kill you with a rocket. In Halo 2 however if you are faced with a sword opponent, a plasma pistol combo, or a rocket opponent your chances of killing them face to face with only the BR you spawned with aren't very likely.

Another strange behavior of the between the two shield designs is their reaction to fragmentation grenades. If a player was to receive 2 pistol shots (67% damage to a headshot kill, or 40% damage to straight body shots kill) they could be killed by a single frag grenade. In Halo 2 if a player receives one battle rifle shot (25% damage to a headshot kill, or 14% damage to a straight body shots kill) they can be killed by a single frag grenade. The statistical difference shown here is unrealistic. One must question why the frag grenade in Halo 2 is magically able to kill an opponent who has received such a small percentage damage. While the frag grenades appear to behave quite similar to Halo 1 grenades (overlooking their ability to explode in the air, and their ability to be blown up by other grenades) the major problem must be some type of design flaw with the Halo 2 shield.

There is one more interesting characteristic I have noted about the Halo 2 shield. While many players were shocked on the first launch into Halo 2 due to the removal of the health system there was a general belief that the two still behaved in a similar fashion. However in reality the shield system in Halo 2 is actually two shields. The outer shield is displayed and visually receives damage. The interior shield is invisible and receives damage upon depletion of the outer visible shield. The regenerative ability of this shield can be noticed by playing a no-shield gametype, such as the Swat matchmaking gametype. In a no shield game a player is killed by a single headshot or 3 shots to the body. However if a player were to receive 2 body shots and wait (read: hide) for around 10 seconds they could recieve a third without being killed. Or following the 2 body shots if they were to hide for about 15 seconds they would be able to receive another 2 without dying. Clearly the unseen "health" shield recharges itself much like the normal visible shield. This interior recharge applies when there is a normal visible shield as well. Following being shot 6 times a player may simply hide for a brief moment and re-join the battle unscathed. I feel without the penalty of losing health the overall dynamic of the game is changed again further from the amazing gameplay of Halo CE.

Allright I'm out... Happy Easter everyone.

Alien Weapons

With the evolution from Halo 1 to Halo 2 there were numerous changes in the arsenal of the marine forces. From the view of actually being in the storyline it must be assumed that the marines were unhappy with their current roster of weapons and therefore went through a thorough re-design of the majority of their stock. From the view of a gamer it must be assumed that Bungie was unhappy with the behavior of the guns in Halo 1.

It has been noted in the past that Bungie intended on having the H1 Assault Rifle be the weapon of choice due to its size and physical presence. However the designed roles of the AR and Pistol switched when the effectiveness of the pistol was soon recognized. This is a scenario change that personally raises no inherent problems. Would I have preferred the weapon which dealt the damage of the pistol look more like a powerful rifle? The truth is yes, I would have, however my masterchief character is not so vain that the size of his gun leads to metaphorical similarities, if you catch my drift.

Bungie solved this phallic imbalance in H2 by designing the dominant weapon to be a large powerful looking battle rifle, and the less useful backup weapon a small sub-machine gun. From an aesthetic standpoint these two guns look amazing and fill their proverbial roles very effectively. The most notable problem I find with the Halo 2 arsenal however is the alien weaponry.

The overbearing strength and necessity of alien weapons in Halo 2 is quite apparent from the beginning of the Halo 2 ad-campaign. As the implementation of the sword was revealed to the general public it soon became obvious that the sword was a weapon you would want to keep in your back pocket. I felt the sword was used beautifully in the campaign game: a limited number of hits based on an ammunition stock. However the implementation of the sword within the multiplayer mode (my main concern) was done without limitation. Very early on the sword became a focal point for all combatants.

The main problem with the sword is the general behavior and effectiveness of such a weapon. Most notably the sword offers infinite reward with little to no consequence. The sword can serve a similar function as the rocket in H1. With the flick of the trigger it creates what typically results in an instant kill over your opponent. However the two weapons have very different repercussions on the user. To earn the guaranteed kill of a close range rocket blast a player might have to sustain some damage, or even kill themselves if their opponent is able to successfully pin themselves against the rocket user. However with the sword there is typically no penalty necesary to reap the benefits of the sword. The sword kills opponents without consequence allowing a player to slash through their opponents left and right if used properly. The only real detraction which may result from sword use is falling off the edge of the map. However this is more of a game glitch then it is a penalty. It can also be noted that there is a slight pause between sword strikes which could be viewed as a penalty, however typically a player will change to their primary weapon before striking again.

Following the 1.1 Xbox Live update weapons balance was changed with the melee damage (which needed it) being strengthened. However following this update the strength of two alien weapons became even stronger. The use of the plasma pistol in conjunction with the battle rifle was already known to be of extremely powerful use, however now the use of the plasma pistol had even more applications. The plasma pistol became perfect for long range as well as close range fighting. A player would simply have to release their plasma blast on their opponent and melee them to assure an easy kill. If there opponent was to maintain distance to avoid a melee they could simply use their battle rifle backup to earn a kill.

The second major change of the 1.1 update was the increased strength of the plasma grenades. The "fuse" on the grenades was shortened and their strength was increased incredibly. It can be understood that a shortening of the fuse would make the grenades much more useful and a more integrated part of the game. However I do not understand the purpose of strengthening the grenades to their current level. To understand the major difference the strengths of all grenades must be considered:

• Halo 1 fragmentation grenades - Depleted shield and destroyed all except 3 yellow bars of health.


• Halo 1 plasma grenades - Same effect as frags, unless they were stuck to opponent.


• Halo 2 fragmentation grenades - destroys entire shield creating headshot vulnerability.


• Halo 2 plasma grenades - Kills opponent at feet, also kills when stuck to opponent.

There appears to be no necessary difference between the plasma grenades of H1 & H2. Why do the plasma nades kill? What extraneous factor allows them to kill without sticking their opponent? The major diffence between the two grenades is the fact that the plasma grenades allow for a kill on their own, with a built in deterent in that they take longer to explode if the stick is unssuccesful. Perhaps I am missing a storyline plot which should be explored. Are the grenades stronger at killing because they were designed by aliens, and therefore the aliens would be more effective at killing their wartime opponent? Well this could be true, however the plasma grenades kill spartans and elites with the safe proficiency.

The previous ideas on the strengths of the alien weapons are in no way trying to insinuate that gameplay involving alien weapons is somehow inferior or less fun than human weapons. It is simply to point out an inherent and often unexplainable difference between the Halo 1 and Halo 2 weapon behavior.

Powerups

The use of powerups within the game design of Halo 1 was something very unique and special for competitive gaming. One major quickly noticeable difference between the powerups in Halo 1 and Halo 2 is their major differences in effectiveness. The Overshield (OS) and Active Camouflage (Invis) served as a noteworthy advantage when they were used properly. They also could typically be countered properly by an opponent, plasma weapons for the overshield and baiting for the active camouflage. In Halo 2 however the behavior of these powerups is radically different, most notably the behavior of the overshield. Due to the glowing effects of the overshield on the posessor it usually serves as a bulls-eye not an advantage. When opposing players see two enemies in close proximity to each other their first instict is to shoot the one with the glowing blanket on their armor. The invis in H2 is also quite ineffective at adding an advantageous stealth to a player. Most players will note that they have very little trouble seeing invis players and they can typically light up their shield with the spray of the battle rifle.

Another major difference between the powerups of the two games is the variety of their respawn. The powerups in Halo 1 always respawned at explicit time intervals which ran from the beginning of the game. A useful weapon respawn chart was compiled by HBO beginning in 2002, of which i was a contributing member. The respawn of these powerups creates a fair playing field for all combatants to gain an advantage by picking up one of the powerups. The powerups in Halo 2 are based on set timer intervals for each powerup, however their respawn clock begins when a player picks them up. The Beaver Creek OS has a 1 minute respawn from when picked up, the Ascension OS is somewhere around 2:21 respawn from when picked up. As a side note I am unsure of why Bungie used vastly varying respawn times such as 1:23 for the Ivory Tower OS, perhaps they believed uneven respawns would discourage players from actually timing their spawn, which is moronic to assume. Good players will always use whatever they can to legitimately win, which is allowed and expected.

I believe the powerup difference between the two games shifted the dynamic of the game tremendously to something that is quite "un-Halo." It is my contention that the powerups in Halo 1 serve much like blinds in Poker: they create action and force drama while being applied fairly to all participants. It is expected at high levels of competition that every minute there will be a fight for OS, Invis, or rockets (dependent on which is spawning). However in Halo 2 if a team is able to secure both the sniper rifle and the sword (if the map contains either) early on they can typically be assured of victory. While this is not a steadfast rule and in no way suggests that by simply having the sword a team is guaranteed victory it does illustrate a major gameplay difference between the two games created by the lack of effective powerups.

I will be discussing the respawn of power weapons in a future article. . .

HotCiSioN Double Shot

The following is a video of HotCiSioN showing off his double shot skills with the battle rifle. This video is an example of one of the numerous Halo 2 glitches. While this is a very impressive video displaying his amazing ability to use the double shot to his advantage it is also a display of weapon usage outside of the design intended by the Bungie staff.

Beta Testers?

Like any other well-designed videogame both installments of the Halo series endured rigorous testing procedures. These testers serve numerous purposes such as giving feedback on the game itself, discovering glitches and problems with the game, and testing the playability of the game as a whole. I feel that one error that Bungie Studios made when making the sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved was their failure to include experienced Halo players in the testing process.

One competitive multiplayer combat game over the past 13 years is Magic: The Gathering which is designed by Wizards of the Coast. While Magic is not a videogame it is a competitive multiplayer game which has been successful worldwide for a number of years. The Magic world championship tournament scene awards hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Professional Magic player turned professional poker player Jon Finkel earned just under $300,000 playing Magic before turning to poker. The important aspect of Magic which Wizards of the Coast has embraced is their ability to learn, adapt and change. Wizards uses what is known as a "Future Future League" to test decks and cards which are going to be released in the future. This research and development staff is typically comprised of former professional Magic players and others involved with the development of the game. It is through the influence of professional players that the Magic series has thrived over the years while the variety of their cards and gameplay possibilities has increased. I feel that Bungie's failure to include professional Halo 1 players into their roster of beta testers of Halo 2 resulted in many major problems.

Outside solicitation for beta testers for Halo 2 was completely discouraged due to the fact that the only people that would be testing the game would be limited exclusively to licensced Xbox developers. Since Bungie is owned by Microsoft the only testers for Halo 2 were also required to be developers from Microsoft Gaming Studios. These qualifications trimmed down the pool of available testers considerably. While these testers profession is testing games, they are without a doubt not professional halo players.

These testers lacked the in-depth understanding of the Halo world to recognize gameplay strategies, important weapon strength considerations as well as many other gameplay flaws. The list of flaws overlooked is staggering.

• YXR - Superman Lunge used effectively with Battle Rifle or Rocket


• BXR - Melee to headshot creating an instant kill


• BXB - Double Melee


• RRX - Double Fire


• RRY - Suicide Shot


• Superbounce on numerous maps

This is in no way a comprehensive list of the errors and glitches which were left in the original release of Halo 2.

Due to their inability due to lack of man-hours as well as the proper mindset for gameplay the beta testers were unable to recognize these glitches left within the game. Or perhaps these glitches were noticed but simply left within the game.

Another major problem which testers failed to realize was the disparity of weapon strengths. The most notable of these is the combination of the Plasma Pistol with the Battle Rifle. Through months of testing none of the testers recognized the strength this weapon combination possessed. However by the first evening of gameplay of Halo 2 online the majority of the top-tier players were already using this ridiculously powerful weapon combination to secure victory. It is through the Future Future League that Magic has been able to eliminate problems such as this with cards that are too powerful to be played in open play and tournaments.

The testers and game designers also failed to realize the ineffectiveness of the Battle Rifle due to the inacuracy of the bullet spray. For months the entire online gameplay of Halo 2 revolved around A) Securing the sniper rifle and B) maintaining a supply of Battle Rifle / Plasma Pistols. As noted in his Sirlin's article on Game Balance, Part 1 if an extremely powerful trick such as the Combo appears within a multiplayer game the game will divulge being only about the trick, and not about the game. The usage of the combo creates a severe imbalance in gameplay which is extremely hard to overcome. Due to the programming of the game these glitches were not overcome following the release of the 1.1 live update, which is quite sad.

Unfortunately Bungie Studios failed to look towards successful game testing programs to help alleviate these problems. Perhaps they will solicit the help of professional halo players for their next project, although this idea is doubtable.

Reduced Velocity = Reduced Skill

One of the things I noticed very early on following the release of Halo 2 was a noticeable difference in the character motion than Halo 1. By further inspecting and visualizing the differences between the two games one will quickly notice the fact that the H2 character is much larger compared to the map surroundings. Due to the actual reduction in map size (Compare lockout to Hang 'em High or Midship to Damnation) the horizontal velocity of the character has been reduced to maintain a similar flow in gameplay. This increase in character size with a reduction in velocity creates a lower necessity for reticule correction while fighting a moving character. i.e. shoot a full sprint deer or an injured hobbled one. The product of this change is more kills with a lower number of shots.

This change in H2 creates what could be viewed as a larger mass appeal to the average player. Based on the number of games sold and number of those attending tournaments a very small percentage of H2 players play at a highly competitive level. The "dumbing down" of the Battle Rifle allows for the average player to consistently 4-shot their opponent, which fundamentally eliminates the definition of individual player skill in H2. If a player in H1 were to 3-shot their opponent at a consistent level, say upwards of 75% they would be extremely hard to stop.

It is due to the style of the BR that it is extremely hard for one player to take out 2 opponents, and almost impossible to take out 3 solely with a BR. In H2 when a player is shot in the back by a BR their chances of turning around and killing the opponent are very small, without help from their teammates. This is very obvious due to the fact that the person who shot first most likely will be able to 4 or 5-shot their opponent, leaving them no opportunity to out-BR them. In Halo 1 however a good player may receive a shot to the back, turn around and 3-shot their opponent while out-dancing them to disrupt their opponent. Due to the reduction in horizontal velocity the effectiveness of a players "dance" is almost negligible in Halo 2. In H1 an effective player would also have an effective dance which would aid them in pistol battles. These dances vary from player to player based on personal preference and experience.

It is hard to pinpoint the reason why the Halo series changed in its style of gameplay to the one used in Halo 2, however there may be a few reasons. One plausible reason for this change is most likely due to the level of skill of the players who developed the game. This is in no way an insult on Bungie staff members as being bad Halo players. Their job is not being good at video games, their job is designing them. However with this change they were able to kill opponents at a greater efficiency rate, which for any player always feels rewarding. However the style was changed without assessing what it would truly due to the level of gameplay. In reality the variance may simply be due to the fact that the H2 single player mode was changed with the new engine, which changed the multi-player game without even realizing the inherent differences between the two games. More on game design and the flaws of which coming soon. . .

Yo

First post, ideas coming soon...