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Halo 5 active players is the highest since Halo 3 (even before the free play period)

The matchmaking is outstanding, probably my favorite since halo 2. Only I wish they would add a solo queue or playlist so that I don't have to play full teams as much as a random.

The numbers and recognition are well deserved for 343 though. Congrats.
 

Chittagong

Gold Member
I really think too that the Halo 5 multiplayer should not be switched to a new one with Halo 6. For the first time in ages there is a really strong and dedicated player base and the game is also 100% valid in high levels of competitive play. To throw that away in favor of a new iteration would not only be a waste, it would be risky.

Halo 6 should have a huge, awesome campaign and a ton of new content to the existing multiplayer in the form of an expansion pack. (Of course that creates, too, some conflict with the philosophy of keeping all content that influences playlists free.) If Halo 6 were to come to Scorpio, then it should only differ in terms of graphics. And if the Xbox One version of Halo 6 had better graphics (and they'd want to update the MP graphics too), it should be done in the way of a massive update to the multiplayer component.

I don't know if some of this is a pipe dream, but the main point is that the existing Halo 5 MP and its community should be preserved, and one should not introduce anything that would divide the player base.

Truer words have never been spoken, hope 343 reads this.

Constant evolution of the Halo 5 base with maps, refinements, and even graphics upgrades for Scorpio is the way to go. Keeping that big community unified. Like WoW.
 

Trup1aya

Member
I really think too that the Halo 5 multiplayer should not be switched to a new one with Halo 6. For the first time in ages there is a really strong and dedicated player base and the game is also 100% valid in high levels of competitive play. To throw that away in favor of a new iteration would not only be a waste, it would be risky.

Halo 6 should have a huge, awesome campaign and a ton of new content to the existing multiplayer in the form of an expansion pack. (Of course that creates, too, some conflict with the philosophy of keeping all content that influences playlists free.) If Halo 6 were to come to Scorpio, then it should only differ in terms of graphics. And if the Xbox One version of Halo 6 had better graphics (and they'd want to update the MP graphics too), it should be done in the way of a massive update to the multiplayer component.

I don't know if some of this is a pipe dream, but the main point is that the existing Halo 5 MP and its community should be preserved, and one should not introduce anything that would divide the player base.

I'd like this approach. But I think it would be difficult to pull of. Existing fans would want the new maps to continue to be free. Obviously this would be the best solution for the matchmaking experience.

But one sure the suits would want some sort of way to encourage people to get people to spend $60 on launch, and a campain alone wouldn't do it.

I think if MS finds a way to create a robust in-game economy, then such an approach would be most effective. Maps could continue to be free, subsidized by Req packs, and the economy. And the campaign could be sold to those who want it for $30.
 

AP90

Member
The multiplayer is fantastic so it's understandable. Warzone Firefight pulled me back in after a fairly long hiatus.

This.

Finally found a true purpose to use all my reqs that I was hoarding. Plasma caster is one of my favorite crowd controls. Especially when you have to defend a point and etc.
 

legacyzero

Banned
The game is fucking fantastic. So unfortunate that there are so many Halo purists that write it off. The changes really are positive.
 

Hulud

Member
Well deserved. It's the only console game I play and the only reason I own an xbox. Default settings (Pistol +AR starts with no stupid perks) are miles better than even Halo 3.

I'm still not happy with the changes they made to the core aiming formula (why try to fix what wasn't broken?), but I can live with that.

Also, how badass is it that the pistol is once again the primary weapon in Halo? Nice callback to H1 by 343 while also making it their own.
 
So, as good as 4? Not surprising. 4's player base was abysmal. At first I thought they meant as good as 3, but that's not possible.

Not sure this is somthing to celebrate.

I really couldn't get into 5 mp. It didn't feel right to me. Might have been the comparison after playing Destiny I think.

It's like you woke up and said, "I want to fail at reading comprehension as horribly as possible, and I want to do it in a very public way," and then you went out and absolutely nailed it.
 
People obviously stick around due to Halo 5's weapon balance.
1.0


Seriously though, not only is it the best in the series in terms of balance, it's one of the most balanced shooters period. This is of course referring to Arena and not Warzone, but even Warzone is pretty well tuned for the chaotic mess that it is.

Halo 5 does a lot right. It put an end to BR starts, the pistol is a great utility weapon. It made automatics viable for the first time, every weapon class now has a situational role. They were also able to make Promethean weapons standout since they dropped the loadout nonsense Reach and 4 tried to pull. Halo 5 is a return to form, putting an emphasis on power weapon and map control. I know a lot of people say Reach was the start of the downturn, but I think it started with 3's poor gunplay, introduction of equipment and questionable map design.
 

gweemz

Member
I've been playing since day 1, and really enjoying this game. Warzone Firefight is great! It is nice being able to spend reqs again, as I got bored of Warzone. Just wish the Arena was a little better. They constantly take out maps and gametypes. I would like a social playlist that would allow us to play Assault games again.
 
Like most I loved the multiplayer but didn't really find much enjoyment in the single player. Had they not done the whole play as Lock 75% of the game and kept it with Master Chief it would have been a lot better. I'm also tired of every game revolving around finding Cortana now.
 

SatansReverence

Hipster Princess
I can't believe that. Halo 3 sold 15 million copies, and was the #1 most played game on XBL from 2007-2009 when MW2 came out.

There's no way a game with not even 1/3 of the sales can have a higher Active Players than Halo 3 at the same point in time. (May 2008)

EDIT: Wait, since Halo 3 means it's excluding Halo 3.

I believe it. Reach and Halo 4 were pathetic in terms of Player Population after launch. Good job on fixing a problem you created 343...

Reach hovered top 3 for ages so no, I don't believe it. Halo 5 at the moment is 6th and thats while it's playable for free... Last I heard before the free play it was 17th.

What they probably meant was "most MAU since we took over" which, well, I don't think I need to tell anyone how badly Halo has fared since 343 came along.

The game is fucking fantastic. So unfortunate that there are so many Halo purists that write it off. The changes really are positive.

hahahahaha, no. Just no.

Sprint is still a cancer in Halo. Always will be.

Thruster is even worse.

Aiming is childishly easy. Easier then Halo 2.

Snipers aim themselves.

Maps are universally awful.

Autos are hilariously overpowered.

etc etc etc etc etc.
 
I've been playing since day 1, and really enjoying this game. Warzone Firefight is great! It is nice being able to spend reqs again, as I got bored of Warzone. Just wish the Arena was a little better. They constantly take out maps and gametypes. I would like a social playlist that would allow us to play Assault games again.
Playlist management is among the weaker points of Halo 5. There are some really great forge maps that could be added to the competitive side (High Citadel, Simplex), instead we are regulated to Pegausus. BTB could also use some pruning, cutting out the bad maps such as Antifreeze. Again, there are plenty of high quality BTB maps that can replace the bad ones. Then there's the lack of a permanent social slayer playlist. Instead, we have gimmicks like Griffball, which should be lumped into an Action Sack playlist. A solo queue ranked 4v4 playlist would also be welcomed.
 
Love the game and post support. My only gripe with the game is some of the maps IQ looks terrible. Besides that, good game...hopefully H6 follows the formula and refines it.
 
The only issues with Halo 5 were the story itself and the lack of Social playlists and more modes (KOTH/OddBall).

The game was developed with competition in mind. The game play is the BEST it's ever been and at 60 fps on dedicated servers. They also didn't have a botched launch.
 
Reach hovered top 3 for ages so no, I don't believe it. Halo 5 at the moment is 6th and thats while it's playable for free... Last I heard before the free play it was 17th.

What they probably meant was "most MAU since we took over" which, well, I don't think I need to tell anyone how badly Halo has fared since 343 came along.



hahahahaha, no. Just no.

Sprint is still a cancer in Halo. Always will be.

Thruster is even worse.

Aiming is childishly easy. Easier then Halo 2.

Snipers aim themselves.

Maps are universally awful.

Autos are hilariously overpowered.

etc etc etc etc etc.

Factually, OBJECTIVELY false. Goes along nicely with the litany of poorly formed and argued opinions.
 

JaggedSac

Member
Factually, OBJECTIVELY false. Goes along nicely with the litany of poorly formed and argued opinions.

If I recall correctly, in the past that poster was complaining about the game having not played it, or not played much of it. I am on mobile so cannot look at his stats at this point.
 

Lan Dong Mik

And why would I want them?
Damn I fucking hated Halo 5. It didn't really feel like a Halo game to me, at first. Sold my Xbox one. Few months later went to a friends house and we were playing it there and it was then that I realized I had made a huge mistake. I miss Halo.
 

shoreu

Member
Reach hovered top 3 for ages so no, I don't believe it. Halo 5 at the moment is 6th and thats while it's playable for free... Last I heard before the free play it was 17th.

What they probably meant was "most MAU since we took over" which, well, I don't think I need to tell anyone how badly Halo has fared since 343 came along.



hahahahaha, no. Just no.

Sprint is still a cancer in Halo. Always will be.wrong

Thruster is even worse.Wrong

Aiming is childishly easy. Easier then Halo 2.Halo 2's aming isn't even that hard.....

Snipers aim themselves.I mean Halo 2's Sniper was the pinnacle of skill

Maps are universally awful.Poor opinion

Autos are hilariously overpowered.and just wrong.... You might as well just be hubble on this one.

etc etc etc etc etc.


Halo 5 has the best weapon balance in the series.
 

link1201

Member
Like most I loved the multiplayer but didn't really find much enjoyment in the single player. Had they not done the whole play as Lock 75% of the game and kept it with Master Chief it would have been a lot better. I'm also tired of every game revolving around finding Cortana now.
I kinda agree. I just want to play as MC and save humanity. I think 343 over thinks it on campaign side of things. I actually liked the encounters aside from WE but the story just wasn't there for me.
 

VeeP

Member
Man, Halo 5 is a great multiplayer game.

I just REALLY wish they launched/had more maps. More variety is definitely needed. And I mean Arena maps, Warzone is fun once in awhile but it's not really my thing.
 

UberLevi

Member
I tried Halo 5 for the first time during the free period with the presumption that I'd buy it afterwards, but I was surprised to find that I didn't enjoy it at all. I've never been a Halo purist and I loved Reach and Halo 4, but Halo 5 just felt odd for me. It might have been because I was out of practice for so long, I dunno. Didn't get the chance to try Firefight. I hated the whole REQ packs system, I was disappointed in the direction of the story, and all the armor pieces looked like unrecognizable 3d meshes with no real heart or personality. Hell, even Forge managed to feel more like an editing tool than a sandbox gamemode, which I suppose is good for content creators but as a casual Forge user I felt overwhelmed with the new UI and features (which is really my own fault for not spending more than 20 minutes to absorb it all). I really wanted to like Halo 5, but I just didn't.

I'm glad to hear the game has legs and a lively community, though. Even if I didn't like this iteration I think Halo has room to grow and hopefully whatever the devs cook up next draws me back in.
 

Tomash

Member
Halo 5 also has the second best player retention in Halo franchise.

Josh Holmes said:
I'm not downplaying the importance of matchmaking speed, but getting stomped can be really discouraging. It can lead to players dropping out of the game permanently, especially if it happens early in their experience (based on data). For what it's worth, H5 MP has the best player retention of any Halo game other than H3. So to some degree the close matches seem to be working. That said, it may not be optimal for all hoppers and there is always room for improvement.
 
I kinda agree. I just want to play as MC and save humanity. I think 343 over thinks it on campaign side of things. I actually liked the encounters aside from WE but the story just wasn't there for me.

I disliked the lack of Master Chief as well. But that wasn't the only problem with the campaign. The moment to moment stuff was great, thanks to the stellar mechanics as well as good level design. Yet it lacked the grander moments such as Assault on the Control Room's bridges and canyons. Or something truly special like Silent Cartographer or the Covenant. The campaign wasn't bad by any means, I liked it more than 4, but there's a lot of work to do. The story was pretty underwhelming, I'm hoping the popularity of Hunt the Truth will lead into a better Halo 6.
 
hahahahaha, no. Just no.

Sprint is still a cancer in Halo. Always will be. opinion

Thruster is even worse. opinion

Aiming is childishly easy. Easier then Halo 2. objectively false

Snipers aim themselves. what?

Maps are universally awful. opinion, and no

Autos are hilariously overpowered. what?

etc etc etc etc etc.

riiiight. youre either making shit up or posting your opinions as facts
 

Blueblur1

Member
Base multiplayer is fun. I hope they bring back real Firefight in Halo 6 though. Oh, and also the half dozen gametypes that are still missing in Halo 5. Oh, and real Big Team Battle maps.
 
Man, Halo 5 is a great multiplayer game.

I just REALLY wish they launched/had more maps. More variety is definitely needed. And I mean Arena maps, Warzone is fun once in awhile but it's not really my thing.

do you still think this? just curious?

theyve added so many maps now that when i play arena im hardly hurting for new content, might just be me though.
 

FyreWulff

Member
I can't believe that. Halo 3 sold 15 million copies, and was the #1 most played game on XBL from 2007-2009 when MW2 came out.

There's no way a game with not even 1/3 of the sales can have a higher Active Players than Halo 3 at the same point in time. (May 2008)

EDIT: Wait, since Halo 3 means it's excluding Halo 3.

I believe it. Reach and Halo 4 were pathetic in terms of Player Population after launch. Good job on fixing a problem you created 343...

Halo Reach had a steady population post launch... it's numbers didn't drop until 343 released their TU. It didn't get to Halo 3 numbers but it wasn't actually that far below it - only by about 150k/mo.

Halo 4 was the first Halo game to tank out in population post launch. Up until the launch of Halo 5, Halo Reach actually had three times the population of Halo 4 on the 360.
 

mcrommert

Banned
Reach hovered top 3 for ages so no, I don't believe it. Halo 5 at the moment is 6th and thats while it's playable for free... Last I heard before the free play it was 17th.

What they probably meant was "most MAU since we took over" which, well, I don't think I need to tell anyone how badly Halo has fared since 343 came along.



hahahahaha, no. Just no.

Sprint is still a cancer in Halo. Always will be.

Thruster is even worse.

Aiming is childishly easy. Easier then Halo 2.

Snipers aim themselves.

Maps are universally awful.

Autos are hilariously overpowered.

etc etc etc etc etc.

Aww you're adorable
 

Ceadeus

Gold Member
It's well deserved, the game is awesome all around. Fun factor is very high and addictive.

Only thing that is missing is online campaing matchmaking
 

FyreWulff

Member
The game is fucking fantastic. So unfortunate that there are so many Halo purists that write it off. The changes really are positive.

Halo 5 is not a bad game.

But it's not Halo as we knew it. I think a lot of the "purists" are just people that realized that Halo went one way while we all went another.
 

SatansReverence

Hipster Princess
Factually, OBJECTIVELY false. Goes along nicely with the litany of poorly formed and argued opinions.

You are wrong.

3o6gDSvzMzeKdXOs6s.gif


af79b6992773f31133b8d4270fd74022.png


Yup, not even a hint of RRL for the final shot of that "perfect" kill while playing drunk.

Hell, the fact I'm even hitting shots bouncing around like an idiot is telling enough...

Halo 5 has the best weapon balance in the series.

Automatics that aim for you killing significantly faster then precision weapons is balance now? Ok, sure.
 

Graciaus

Member
Not that surprising when you think the competition is Reach, 4, and probably a broken MCC. The core gameplay is good but they need some serious work on their maps.
 

Z3M0G

Member
I've heard people say its some of the best multiplayer out right now. If true, then it was only destined to grow over time, rather than drop off suddenly and stay down. Regardless of the reception of the campaign mode, etc.
 

Sanpei

Member
Team Slayer,b tb and Fiesta modes are very good...Core mechanics are perfect...

But i dont have so much fun in Warzone....Req system is ruining it...
 
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