Halo impressions thread

[Vash]

Just had my first real fun with Halo multiplayer last night.

It took me about 45 minutes of hardcore losing to realize that pretty much every habit that Quake 3 and Half-Life and CS and UT ingrained into me need to be re-evaluated. Here's a short list of things I learned last night:

1. Pick your battles carefully.
2. Never go off by yourself. Your chances of surviving (and getting kills) increases when you're working with someone.
3. Circle strafing and jumping to avoid getting hit is your friend, but no longer your savior. You move too slowly for it to be as effective as it is in Quake 3 or UT.
4. Your choice of weapons has a definite impact on your chances of getting a kill. Pick wisely, and don't forget you have grenades!
5. Going on a flag run with 2 other guys and a Warthog is one of the funnest things I've ever done.


I don't know if anyone else needed to read that, but I figured it's better to read it than go through 45 minutes of 3-kill and 15-death rounds, learning it all yourself. Maybe it'll only be 10-15 minutes for you - I've been out of the online gaming loop for a long time, and I've had to relearn a lot of what came to me naturally while I was still in college.

[Riptide]

Thank god there's no more jumping around. I frickin hated that and absolutely refused to adopt it as a method to fight with. I got my a** handed to me because of being stubborn about that but I don't care. I think that's a bunch of crap (jumping around like a jackrabbit all the time).

I agree 100% though, it is an absolute blast to work as a team on this game. I only wish there weren't so many dummys out there killing their own team members. Granted, it's impossible to not kill one of your own guys once in a while but I've seen people just sit there and attack their own team over and over. Bastids...

[Nephilim]

Originally posted by Vash
Just had my first real fun with Halo multiplayer last night.

It took me about 45 minutes of hardcore losing to realize that pretty much every habit that Quake 3 and Half-Life and CS and UT ingrained into me need to be re-evaluated. Here's a short list of things I learned last night:

1. Pick your battles carefully.
2. Never go off by yourself. Your chances of surviving (and getting kills) increases when you're working with someone.
3. Circle strafing and jumping to avoid getting hit is your friend, but no longer your savior. You move too slowly for it to be as effective as it is in Quake 3 or UT.
4. Your choice of weapons has a definite impact on your chances of getting a kill. Pick wisely, and don't forget you have grenades!
5. Going on a flag run with 2 other guys and a Warthog is one of the funnest things I've ever done.

You have just described why I love Halo online so much. Like Tribes, it forces you to think about what you are doing.

This is what separates it from the herd of FPS games online. It almost requires (but it does not demand) that you and your team work together to win. There is nothing I love more than getting into a 'hog with 2 other players (I love being the driver) causing havok, and then capping the flag.

The only gametype worth playing IMHO is CTF. Slayer and the rest are just not nearly as much fun.

[Vash]

Originally posted by Nephilim
You have just described why I love Halo online so much. Like Tribes, it forces you to think about what you are doing.

This is what separates it from the herd of FPS games online. It almost requires (but it does not demand) that you and your team work together to win. There is nothing I love more than getting into a 'hog with 2 other players (I love being the driver) causing havok, and then capping the flag.

The only gametype worth playing IMHO is CTF. Slayer and the rest are just not nearly as much fun.

I have just described why I love Halo online so much. (Glad you like it, too).

CTF just rules like nothing else. I'm sure that once the editing toolkit comes out, we'll see some other gametypes that are fun as well - but I'm also a proponent of team slayer. Normal slayer is fun, too, but not as much as team or CTF.

[Blacklash]

What Neph said,

Halo really is all about MP to me. I don't buy these sort of games for single player.

Nothing is as exciting as being part of a good team, or war party in a Pvp game, where everyone knows their role and how best to act in a given situation. When you take out the semi moronic computer AI and add in a real thinking person near your skill level, then you have on line bliss.

Generally speaking ,good natured balls out competition is probably number one on my list for enjoying a computer game.

I can hardly play single player anymore. Cept Max Payne II, I HAD to play that, too good to pass...

[Vash]

Got any tips? I've still got a ways to go until I'm as good at this as I am Q3/UT, etc, and I could use 'em.

Halo tips:

1. Banshee = win.

2. Ghost = win.

3. Warthog is best flag capping vehicle (except for Banshee, except everybody goes for you in the Banshee) with or without a gunner.

4. Shotgun + plasma grenades = win.

[Vash]

Short and to the point. Thanks. Halo's kinda simple like that...it's gonna take me a while to get some of the finer points nailed down.

[Riptide]

Vash, the warthog is a great offensive weapon with or without a gunner and passenger. Just run into people. Crude, but effective. I've run over almost 10 enemies before they finally got me with a grenade. Very satisfying. Now, they just need to add in a nice bone crunching sound when you run over people and the game will be truly complete.

Fuel rod gun is also, IMO, highly overrated. Pistol and shotgun are a fantastic combination; use the zoom on the pistol to strip their shields, and then when they get near you, whip out the shotgun and kill them in one shot.

[saturnotaku]

Originally posted by The Baron
Fuel rod gun is also, IMO, highly overrated. Pistol and shotgun are a fantastic combination; use the zoom on the pistol to strip their shields, and then when they get near you, whip out the shotgun and kill them in one shot.

Excellent tip right there. I wish my wireless connection didn't start to suck in primetime, else I'd play online a lot more.

[Nephilim]

Yeah, I love the Pistol/Shotgun combo. The Fuel Rod Gun is just a pain in the butt really. It is generally considered a newbie weapon.

One thing I have enjoyed is making people in 'Hogs go flying....

Because of the headlights you can get a few seconds warning before they come around a corner. Just get out of sight (if you can) and as soon as they come into view toss a plasma grenade in the driver's lap. It's always good for a laugh when they go sailing.