This weekly update was a big one, in terms of the September Playlist changes, which is all I will be discussing here. I'm not interested in PAX. I was, however, very intgrigued with the new maps coming, the playlists that are leaving us, and the new playlist arriving. I'll break down each segment. For those who haven't seen it yet, the update is here.
Added Epilogue – Epitaph with no Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
Added Boundless – Snowbound with reduced Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
Added Sand Tarp – Sandtrap sans Elephants, default team spawns switched in one-sided games. Added alongside default map variant.
Added Pit Stop – The Pit with inaccessible spawn hives. Added alongside default map variant.
Ghost Town – No longer appears in any symmetrical gametype.
Team Slayer – Spawning configuration in default Team Slayer now includes a secondary weapon – the magnum
Some very good moves in there, and some I don't understand. First off, Epilogue and Boundless get an A+ with me, because shield doors really do stall gameplay. I am also eager to see the new weapon spawns, because if not done well, these maps could fall to B-. When you think about Epitaph's winding platforms and Snowbound's underground tunnels, these maps do have excellent construction, and if the weapons and shield doors are fixed, these maps could be great.
The Sand Tarp move I don't like. First off, I've never heard a single complaint about Sandtrap's Elephants. Second off, with both BTB playlists gone, all this map could really ever appear in is in Squad Battle. (You'll hear more about Squad Battle and BTB later) Do we really need this map in Matchmaking, taking away chances for maps like the Heavies or Avalanche?
I love the idea of Pit Stop, using invisible barriers to block off the attic; one less problem in matchmaking. Ghost Town doesn't belong in Symmetrical Games; it belongs with Team Slayer, SWAT, Snipers and Free For All. As for Team Slayer getting a magnum secondary; sure, why not, I doubt this will have any problems or improvements for matchmaking.
Ranked Playlists
Lone Wolves
Player count increases from six players to 8 players.Team Objective
Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).Team Doubles
This playlist now requires ALL content (Cold Storage, Legendary and Heroic maps are being used in Team Doubles)
Objective Gametypes have had their appearance frequency reduced.
Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).Ranked Big Team Battle
This playlist is retired.Introducing Squad Battle
Squad Battle is a Ranked six on six Playlist designed to fill some of the void left by excising Ranked Big Team Battle from the Halo 3 Playlists. Squad Battle gametypes are focused on Slayer and Capture the Flag and this playlist currently requires the Heroic Map Pack.
Ranked, in my opinion, just got a whole lot better. The move from 6 to 8 players in Lone Wolves can be better or worse based on the map you'll get: I'm neutral on this move. As for Objective; I'm disappointed. Objective is such a mandatory playlist, and I expected with so many changes, there would be an attempt at saving Team Objective. Instead; nothing but a hill time change. I wanted more.
I love the changes to Doubles. The hill time needed to be increased, because if you've ever played Doubles king, there is an initial rush that is dominated by one team (Either because of spawns or weaponry) and the other team doesn't get another chance for that hill. I still don't like Doubles King, but it's nice to see it is weighted less. I'm also thrilled that it will require all DLC: Cold Storage and Blackout belong in Doubles, along with maybe a little Ghost Town.
What has to be the biggest change to ranked is the removal of Ranked BTB for Squad Battle. In my opinion, this could be a great move. I hope Heavies will keep its place in Squad Battle, and I am hoping for some tactical games, like Sniper Starts, or no radar games. Hopefully, this won't turn out to be the same as renaming Ranked BTB and taking out four players; it will change into less of a charge-fest and more into a big, tactical playlist. My final decision on this change will have to wait.
Social Playlists
Big Team Social
This playlist is retired.
Rocket Race
This playlist is retired.
Multi Team
Rocket Race has been added to the gametypes and set with a low weighting.
It is a sad day for the Casual Gamers. First off, the removal of Social BTB is okay, but I think Social Slayer should be upped to at least 5 on 5 then. As for Rocket Race, a change was needed, but Bungie went about it all wrong. Not only is Rocket Race gone, but Multi Team is officially trashed.
Picture the Multi Team community now. There will be the Rocket Race Cult (Fans of RR are die-hard fans of RR) and the regular Multi-Teamers. The Multi-Teamers are looking for Slayer, Ball and King, while the RR Fans are obviously looking for Rocket Race. They both lose what they're looking for, and keep quitting out until they get their Rocket Race or regular Multi Team. It's like putting Team Objective and Team Slayer together: you're mixing two very different communities that don't belong in one playlist.
If I had the final say, I would change Rocket Race to Racing, and add Brute Shot Race (Like RR but with Brute Shots) and speed (Lapped) races on Forged maps. Bungie dropped the ball on this one.
DLC Playlists
Since Big Team was cut from Social, eight on eight action is reborn in the overhauled DLC playlists section of Matchmaking. DLC Slayer and Objective are both retired. These playlists require Halo 3 Downloadable Content (at least up through Legendary, but in the case of FFA, it requires all DLC) to participate.
DLC FFA
This is an eight-player Free For All hopper focused on DLC content. The gametypes contained herein are a mix of Slayer, Objective and Infection modes.
DLC Big Team
Eight on eight Social Slayer and Objective action (Gametypes from Big Team Social)
Focused on DLC content (Requires both Heroic and Legendary Map Packs)
Uh... okay. Not thrilled, not disappointed, but this DLC overhaul is okay. I like the fact that DLC FFA has a bit of Infection in it, but if regular Lone Wolves is now 8 players, this should be at 6. It seems that with this update, the big playlists get smaller, and the small playlists get bigger.
As for DLC Big Team, I am a bit disappointed with what I found. See where it says Gametypes from Big Team Social? Heavies were not in Social BTB. That means that Squad Battle is ur only chance for Heavies. I don't understand why they wouldn't add Standoff and Avalanche Heavy to DLC BTB.
Hardcore Playlists
Team SWAT
Objective Gametypes, SWATGuns set to skip after veto
Weighting on all Objective games, SWATGuns and Magnums reduced
Player Damage Resistance set to 150% (was 200%), players no longer spawn with grenades
SWAT map variants now have Carbines and grenades available to pick up.
Head to Head
This playlist is retired.
Bungie did a nice job cleaning up the Hardcore playlist. I'm glad Team SWAT Objective is weighted less, because SWAT is about having a quick trigger finger, spotless aim, and reacting before thinking. It wasn't a strategical gametype in the form of objective. I am also glad Carbines finally found their way into SWAT. Don't expect me to pick up one, but they belong there. As for Head to Head: good, it just wasn't any fun, and it wasn't competitive. It was about who got the sniper and tracked the waypoint, and who killed the leader at the end, because the waypoint was the only way to prevent camping, but at the same time it killed the gameplay.
Keep in mind those are only my insights. Feel free to dispute where I am wrong in your book, but none of those insights are from my personal favorites point of view: I stayed neutral in writing this. Thank you for reading.
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