Halo 4

[Hoptimus]

I am down for some MP anytime if you see me on XBL. Just send a message.

[Benson13]

I typically don't play MP but I hoped on last night and had a blast. I got most of you guys on my friends list now so I'll be hitting you up.

[Mr March]

I picked it up today. No time to play it but maybe tomorrow after Skyfall

[Hikuro]

I'm starting to like how everything now is starting to tie together, from the recent novel's to this point in the game. Loving it.

[anime52k8]

so, chapter 5...

I'm Jesus now?

:edit:

also, Jesus Christ the incinerator cannon is ridiculous.

:edit: :edit:

and HOLY F*CKING SH*T, WHY THE HELL DID I JUST DO THAT!?! I'M COMPLETELY INSANE!!!

Edited November 11, 2012 by anime52k8

[Lynx7725]

For those you who are more into the relatively mild insanity of Big Slayer matches, one thing to watch out for if you are playing on Exile map..

.. that little Gauss'thog sitting in the corner of the map mostly ignored? Don't ignore it. Aside from the fact that it's an anti-armour weapon (which would two-shot any Banshee or Scorpion that falls into the wrong hands), it will also One-Hit-Kill any Spartan, and it has a decent AoE effect that is murderous. And its sights are amazingly accurate for sniping Spartans.

And it's perfectly parked, straight out, to cover two major avenues. If someone is manning that cannon, even as a static mount, the opposing team is likely to hurt. Bad.

How do I know? Well... I got a replay clip of me sneaking up onto it (as a Red, IIRC.. Gauss'thog is at the Blue spawn camp, BTW), manning it, waiting for a wheelman... and killing at least 8 Spartans on foot, one in a Banshee while I was waiting. This turned the match around to a tie. Then with the driver, proceeded to kill a Scorpion (with two passengers), another Warthog, and at least one more Spartan on foot for a Running Riot medal, and pushing the scores up enough to win the game.

(I'll upload the clip and screencaps once Halo 4 Fileshare is opened.)

And just repeated it in another match. Was Blue, and got onto the Gauss'thog early with a good driver. Ran all over the place killing things, including an incautious Banshee that came under a stone arch instead of over it -- two shots and took that out of the equation early. Then cheekily hit the enemy Scorpion as it came out, ran the other way, got behind it and blew it up. Total 15 kills for that run -- went on to win that match.

So.. Exile -- control the vehicles. Especially the Banshee, Scorpion and Gauss'thog.

[Benson13]

There are a few things that are starting to annoy me.

1. Cut scene at the end of the first level. Did I just shoot a firecracker at it?

2. Explosions in general. This is Halo, they must be big.

3. Elite AI. They shoot, they chuck a grenade, they shoot, and stand still. Either way they die way to easy even on legen-and I hope you're not lactose intolerant-dary.

Been fun playing with you guys so far too.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Benson13

[CoryHolmes]

The part that really surprises me is the plot and story. Yeah, it was praised by all the reviews, but I'm honestly blown away by the depth and content in this story, especially Cortana. Very enjoyable.

[Benson13]

also, Jesus Christ the incinerator cannon is ridiculous.

That cannon is the bane of my existence when I'm fighting the Knights. Especially on Episode 1 Chapter 4 of Spartan Ops. I've even spawned into a new death several times because of those Knights.

On a side note, Achievements can be earned on the Easy difficulty unlike all the other Halo's.

[anime52k8]

That cannon is the bane of my existence when I'm fighting the Knights. Especially on Episode 1 Chapter 4 of Spartan Ops. I've even spawned into a new death several times because of those Knights.

On a side note, Achievements can be earned on the Easy difficulty unlike all the other Halo's.

I've just been playing on normal because I'm not good enough for solo legendary.

and on the subject of spawning into death. I had this amazing thing happen last night on I think it was level 7

on the research station where you're defending the Composer in a mantis.

I was backing out of a fight trying to get my shields to regenerate and I accidently walked off the edge of the map right as the game check-pointed, so every time I respawned, I was already over the edge of the map and was unavoidably falling into oblivion over and over.

[Benson13]

That's awesome. If you want to do a co-op run on legendary let me know.

[Hikuro]

That's awesome. If you want to do a co-op run on legendary let me know.

Wouldn't mind that myself. Sorry I signed off so fast, I got a weird message saying i wasn't compatible for some reason or another. Dunno wtf happened really. The message made no sense. But either way I didn't even have a microphone, dunno where that bloody thing is either it's probably in storage. So I wouldn't have a way to communicate if I needed back up.

Funny thing too, I looked at my Rep and I have 5 star, but I have a gamer disapproval by 25% which made me scratch my head thinking who the hell ranked me and why? Even said my quit early was 100%. Only time I ever had to quit early was when something screwed up the connection or the host crashed the game.

[Benson13]

Wouldn't mind that myself. Sorry I signed off so fast, I got a weird message saying i wasn't compatible for some reason or another. Dunno wtf happened really. The message made no sense. But either way I didn't even have a microphone, dunno where that bloody thing is either it's probably in storage. So I wouldn't have a way to communicate if I needed back up.

Funny thing too, I looked at my Rep and I have 5 star, but I have a gamer disapproval by 25% which made me scratch my head thinking who the hell ranked me and why? Even said my quit early was 100%. Only time I ever had to quit early was when something screwed up the connection or the host crashed the game.

Eugimon and I was in Spartan Ops when I invited you. Try installing disc 2 on your HD to fix the compatibility issue. As for not having a mic, I don't really care. I prefer one but it's ok if you don't.

Hikuro/Anime52k8 I'll be on later tonight if you guys want to start a legendary run.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Benson13

[Mr March]

Finally got a chance to play. It's Halo alright, for better and for worse. Enjoying the game so far. Played just the first part of the campaign and it was enjoyable. Played a little multiplayer with the 14-day free Trial for X-Box Live Gold and got my ass kicked. There's nothing quite as frustrating as being a pro at one game (Battlefield 3) and then jumping into multiplayer in Halo 4

[Benson13]

Finally got a chance to play. It's Halo alright, for better and for worse. Enjoying the game so far. Played just the first part of the campaign and it was enjoyable. Played a little multiplayer with the 14-day free Trial for X-Box Live Gold and got my ass kicked. There's nothing quite as frustrating as being a pro at one game (Battlefield 3) and then jumping into multiplayer in Halo 4

It's funny how all FPS's have the same fundementals and mechanics and still manage to be so damn different from each other. I never went negative in COD4 once I got the hang of it but I would rarely go positive in Halo 3.

[anime52k8]

It's funny how all FPS's have the same fundementals and mechanics and still manage to be so damn different from each other. I never went negative in COD4 once I got the hang of it but I would rarely go positive in Halo 3.

It's funny though, I've been in a similar situation of doing better (i.e. higher scores, better K-D ratio etc.) in CoD games vs Halo, but I find Halo MP to be more of a fun experience.

Anyways, I'd love to jump on and play with you guys but I'm way to busy right now. the 10 hours over 2 nights I spent clearing the campaign are about all I can devote to games for a while (school projects are kicking my ass and I've got to get crap done. )

[CoryHolmes]

Having just finished the campaign, I have to say wow. Not just wow, but wow. I tip my hat to 343 Industries for not only making a Halo game, but a Halo game with impact. Very enjoyable. Especially the music; it's very obvious that this soundtrack is totally different than anything Marty McDonnel came up with, but it's just as great. It's not as much raw, adrenaline pumping music that makes you want to grab a DMR and blow away some grunts and jackals, but it still makes you feel very heroic as you battle your way through the last levels.

And speaking of the last levels...

Z. O. M. G.

From Cortana's death to the reappearance of the Chief to their heartfelt goodbyes... "kick to the gut" doesn't quite begin to describe it. Plus, the post-credits scene... could've used more of a link to the second and third game in the trilogy, but at least it's not a cliff-hanger like Halo 2 was.

Edited November 12, 2012 by CoryHolmes

[Benson13]

New Spartan Ops should be available early morning of 11/12/12. If all goes to plan we should have a new episode every Monday for the next nine weeks.

[taksraven]

[Mr March]

It's funny how all FPS's have the same fundementals and mechanics and still manage to be so damn different from each other. I never went negative in COD4 once I got the hang of it but I would rarely go positive in Halo 3.

Yes, the learning curve always throws me. Only the fundamental principles of combat apply (don't rush around corners, present as little of your profile as possible, etc). I'm not sure how much I'll get into Halo 4 multiplayer. For me it's always been more about the single player. I'm not sure why but I'm becoming more polarized with game modes as time goes on. Certain titles just feel single player for me and when I want raw, competitive hardcore multiplayer I dive into a dedicated MP game like Battlefield 3. I know many would disagree, especially in the case of Halo 4, but right now I'm unsure if I'll get into the MP for this game in any big way. I am stoked about the co-op part though. Haven't played a good co-op game since Left 4 Dead 1 and 2.

[Archer]

I wonder how many guys are gonna keep playing Halo with Black Ops 2 out this week. I'm actually surprised Microsoft decided to spring this when it did, especially with the popularity of Call of Duty well outweighing Halo for the most part nowadays.

Either way, I picked it up, and it's been pretty fun, although kinda hard to get used to after being a cod player for so long!

[Hoptimus]

I am not a fan of the real gun games. I will be on Halo 4 MP for the foreseeable future with breaks for Borderlands 2 DLC and Gears of War 3/Judgement.

[Lynx7725]

Well... nothing like a SWAT match with people WAAAAAY better than you are to make you realise how big a gulf there is in performance. I got my backside (head actually) handed to me. Some of these guys take headshots like they know nothing else.. they probably know nothing else.

Episode Two Spartan Ops are out.

I've also got in a few Wargames. Frustrating when I kept getting dropped into games already in progress and teams already losing.. badly. Wasn't able to work the Gauss'thog on Exile because a wheelman decided he got more skill than he got... I was stationary, sniping rushing Spartans with the Gauss, he decide to drive over to the other corner into the midst of a enemy squad.

Spartans aren't dumb brutes. Gotta know how to deploy the weaponry, yah?

Still, not too bad as Big Slayers go.. I got to know Vortex better, particularly good sniping corridors. I got to know Longbow better, including an new and incredibly good range where my teammates can tank for me while I DMR the enemy away (and this is on a bunch of Spartans who, for some reason, like going around in jetpacks). Managed a Raganok game where I had decent sniping results with an actual sniper rifle -- including a Snapshot medal for taking care of a Red who followed a screaming Blue back around a rock.

The Big Slayer map I hate most is Meltdown. No good range, you're basically bunched up or going over ridges. It's an assaulty map, good for people who have better aim in close than I do. Just unlocked the Suppressor, hopefully that'll get things sorted on Meltdown.

EDIT: Oh a couple of things, since the discussion came up.. The Incinerator cannon is very powerful, yes. But it is also a slow moving projectile. Once you know it is on the field, you just need to keep out of its arc.. about 35 degree from each side? It does have a decent blast radius so you do need to keep lively.

Also, the Binary Rifle is an incredibly powerful rifle, being able to kill a fully shielded Spartan with a good shot (I don't think you need to have a headshot to do this). However, zooming into the scope would activate very obvious light beams towards your target, and every experience Spartan on the field would immediately backplot. Just scoping activate this, so you need to be aware to avoid getting backplotted to death using this rifle. Once I figured this out, I tend to avoid the rifle.. It's great as a takedown, but the risk is incredible.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Lynx7725

[Benson13]

I wonder how many guys are gonna keep playing Halo with Black Ops 2 out this week. I'm actually surprised Microsoft decided to spring this when it did, especially with the popularity of Call of Duty well outweighing Halo for the most part nowadays.

Either way, I picked it up, and it's been pretty fun, although kinda hard to get used to after being a cod player for so long!

Way I figure it the quality of the Halo games is going up while the quality of the Call of Duty games has dropped rapidly. I know opinions vary but I feel that COD has killed it's multiplayer by producing maps that promote camping. To me it takes all the fun out of a game if I have to sit in a corner the entire round just to get a kill. If you step outside the you immediately get your grape popped. COD 4 had the most balanced maps but it's been down hill ever since.

[anime52k8]

Me personally, I've hit a point of complete CoD fatigue. I've owned and played EVERY CoD game all the way back to Cod 1 on the PC and I've bought every installment since 4 on launch day. I'm just tired of the same game over and over and over for 9 years now. Admittedly, Black ops II looks interesting, and Black ops was probably the best post-CoD4 installment so far, but it's still not enough to make me jump on it. Halo 4 feels fresh and fun for me so I'll probably be sticking to that.

I have a feeling that maybe come winter break when I've got a little more free time I may pick up black ops II and give it a go, but I'm not sure.

[Benson13]

I would like to get into the campaign on BO2 but I'll Redbox it instead of buying it.

[Hikuro]

Eugimon and I was in Spartan Ops when I invited you. Try installing disc 2 on your HD to fix the compatibility issue. As for not having a mic, I don't really care. I prefer one but it's ok if you don't.

Hikuro/Anime52k8 I'll be on later tonight if you guys want to start a legendary run.

installed it first night, so dunno why it happened. But because of that install I have NO space in my hard drive. Time to get a new Xbox but I'll be on tonight, dunno how much I'll be in the mood to play long term when i'm not even done with the campaign.

[Benson13]

So I played the first chapter of episode 2 on legendary by myself. The verdict- 127 kills, 30 deaths. This was a tough one and I recommend you bring your friends. Oh, and their friends too. I'll be tackling the challenges tonight when I get home if anyone would like to join me.

[CoryHolmes]

You know, I'd completely forgotton there was a 2nd disc in the box...

[Hikuro]

You know, I'd completely forgotton there was a 2nd disc in the box...

And make sure you got the HDD space for it too....I mean damn 4 gigs?!

I finished the game, as I promised myself i would and wow.....my god that was intense and different!

[CoryHolmes]

So... uh... what IS that second disc for?

And yes, very intense and visceral and different. I can't think of many "shooter" games with that level of emotional develoment for their PCs.

[Benson13]

So... uh... what IS that second disc for?

And yes, very intense and visceral and different. I can't think of many "shooter" games with that level of emotional develoment for their PCs.

It's the multiplayer content. Once you install it you only need to use disc 1.

[Hoptimus]

I install any game I know I will be playing for hours at a time. So Halo 4 both discs are installed.

[Benson13]

In case some of you have been playing MP just to get some levels for your Spartan I recommend you try Spartan Ops instead. Double the XP in half the time. Make sure you do it in matchmaking though and not just go to the chapter itself. Otherwise you'll be getting the same as MP.

[Mr March]

Played several hours of co-op in the campaign with two other friends. Really fun stuff. Halo 4 is a surprisingly good co-op game.