Official Halo Thread

[Matt Mortem]

Yeah I have no problems when people kick my ass with it when I'm rushing them for a beatdown, but the people who use it when you're about to win an AR duel? ugh. It does nothing but slow the game down.

When the Reach beta first came out and we saw armor lock for the first time, my friends and I knew that the days of getting killimanjaro's and those kind of awesome medals were over.

 

[Benstamania]

The whole damn team was armor locking. They would spam the **** out of that armor lock melee combo. It was the cheapest **** I've ever had to deal with on Halo. Armor abilities ruined Halo.

Eh, I disagree... people spamming ANYTHING can ruin a game. I HATED the BR in Halo 3. HATED it. I admit I was never that great with it, but holy crap. Every game people spammed that bloody gun. It borderline ruined anything other than big team games for me in 3. I felt that at least in big team people were using other weapons.

 

[Benstamania]

I like when I go up against other armor lockers, because one well placed/time sticky grenade ends their fun real quick.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Eh, I disagree... people spamming ANYTHING can ruin a game. I HATED the BR in Halo 3. HATED it. I admit I was never that great with it, but holy crap. Every game people spammed that bloody gun. It borderline ruined anything other than big team games for me in 3. I felt that at least in big team people were using other weapons.

See I don't have a problem with spamming a BR or an AR or anything like that. Rocket spamming, sword spamming and the like are gonna happen, but those can be avoided or at least don't happen as much as armor ability spamming. Armor lock and armor abilites completely trashed Halo IMO. For me Halo 2's MP was all skill based. You just had Gun/Grenade/Melee. Nothing fancy. The kids that beat you at Halo 2 beat you because they were good. Now I get killed because of stupid **** like armor locking or invisible *******s. Those additional things completely ruin the flow of gameplay. I cannot stand them.

 

[Benstamania]

I agree about Halo 2...

However, like I said... the people that DO spam armor lock can be beat and fairly easy because armor lock is a fairly smart ability used by dumb people.

Also, no offense to anyone... but if I'm in a AR duel and if popping into Armor Lock can give me a SLIGHT advantage... why not? I mean... I'm often shot from behind... which instantly gives me a disadvantage. Should the guy behind me fire a warning shot and then have me turn around so we can have a fair fight?

I'll take a Halo game with NO armor abilities (I doubt 4 has them.. if so.. maybe different ones...?) but as long as they are there and they can possibly give me an advantage over someone else... well yeah, I'll use them.

If someone is better than me, they'll figure out a way to get around my armor lock... Like I said, I know how to get around it when others use it.

 

[Matt Mortem]

I still play the same way I did in Halo 2, so there lies my problem. I expect it to be a gun v gun battle when it's usually much more

 

[Benstamania]

Well, therein lies the problem. HOPEFULLY in Halo 4 we can play like we played in Halo 2... but in Reach... it's a completely different creature.

I kind of like them both. I like that 2 is based on skill... but, anymore I don't just set around and attempt to get better and better to rank up, so I am one of the few Hardcore Halo fans out there that enjoys how you level in Reach.

Sure, it's not really skill based, but again... I'm past the point where I have nothing to do other than play Halo every night.

I DON'T care for armor abilities... but... they're there and I'm not going to constantly pick sprint so I feel better about how I'm playing the game. There are MILLIONS of cheap-o's playing online anymore... you better believe that I'm going to fight fire with fire. Don't get me wrong, I like playing SWAT from time to time just to prove to myself that I still have a bit of my ol' "Halo Skillz" but for the most part... I don't care, lol.

If I can log on, beat a few people down, shot gun spree here and there with the occasional overkill and MAYBE, MAAAAAAAYBE (not really anymore) Killimanjaro... then I'm good.

If I played Halo now like I USED to play it... I probably wouldn't have any fun. I honestly think that's what burnt me out on Reach a while back.. I tried playing it like 2, and to a lesser extent 3..

That can't be done.

I don't blame Bungie for "ruining Halo" or whatever. You gotta expand your audience, I understand that but I really hope that 343 takes us back to the basics that made Halo great in the first place.

Gun vs Gun battles and that's it...

However, I believe EXPECTING that is setting yourself up for disappointment. I doubt we keep the same abilities... but I wouldn't be surprised to see something like them return.

...Just as long as they keep bloody PERKS out of my Halo...

 

[Matt Mortem]

I'm not expecting too much out of Halo 4 if for no other reason than to avoid that crushing disappointment. It would be nice for them to go back to what made Halo 2 so great

 

[Asteroid-Man]

The abilities I think are fair game:
Sprint
Jet-Pack
Hologram
Roll (I really couldn't care less for what it's actually called)
Bubble

The ones I think should go:
Invisible
Armor Lock


If they just take Invis and Armor Lock back out and bring back the over shield and cloak it would be so much better.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Sprint is the on ability I'm fine with. Every other shooter has it, why not Halo. Jet-Pack is kinda dumb. I've killed more people while they were trying to jet-pack away then I'd care to count. It's a neutral ability IMO, I don't care about it. Hologram is fine though I find it's more useful in the campaign. Bubble is just the bubbleshield which I never had a problem with. Armor Lock and Invisibility are the ones that ****ed up Halo for me

 

[Benstamania]

Eh, I still don't get why people hate armor lock so much. It's NOT hard to get around... seriously.

Yes, if I'm on a losing end of a AR duel and I can manage to one up the guy by popping in AL and then popping out quick (as the person comes in close as t hey ALWAYS seem to do...) and meleeing him... Guess what? All's fair in gaming. If I get a win over someone because I can use my AL ability to MY advantage... well, go me.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I was never that big a fan of Halo to begin with, but i think the armor abilities have made the game much more unique. I do think the sprint should just be unlocked all the time tho. I dont think you should have to decide between that and armor lock or a jet pack.

I also guess i dont mind any of the armor abilities because the only game mode i play is SWAT.

 

[Benstamania]

I agree about Sprint... it should just be something we can do... Not a "special".

 

[Asteroid-Man]

Eh, I still don't get why people hate armor lock so much. It's NOT hard to get around... seriously.

Yes, if I'm on a losing end of a AR duel and I can manage to one up the guy by popping in AL and then popping out quick (as the person comes in close as t hey ALWAYS seem to do...) and meleeing him... Guess what? All's fair in gaming. If I get a win over someone because I can use my AL ability to MY advantage... well, go me.

There's a difference between winning a fight based on skill and winning a fight solely because of equipment. All the abilities have a weakness that is equal to their advantages, except for Invis and Armor Lock. Sprint impairs your reaction time and offense, hologram gives away your position, Jet Pack makes you an easy target with no cover; using one of those three abilities in a fight gives you a bit of a leg-up on one hand but a disadvantage in another way. Armor lock - on the other hand - is completely unfair and cheap. You could be engaged in an AR fight and it's kind of like an unwritten contract to duel - once someone breaks that, they are being unfair. Imagine if you've spent all this time in an AR duel and then in the last second, at the height of the intensity of the fight, he whips out a rocket launcher and blows your ass up. It's irritating and requires NO skill whatsoever. It's ridiculous and I can guarantee you that I will destroy anyone who depends on Armor Lock to play the game if we were to play classic slayer.

 

[Benstamania]

I don't see that at all.

I bring up again... lets say you start shooting me from behind... that instantly give you the advantage, right? I mean, in Halo the "turn arounds" are still rather slow.

Should you give me a warning shot so we may duel fairly?

What about sticky grenades? They're often my "go to" weapon, they have been for a long time... I'm a master at them... What if I plant one one someone from behind... is that then unfair too?

I find it silly that people B&M about this "Oh boo hoo, you beat me at the end because you popped into armor lock for a second." I often ONLY pop into armor lock for just that, a second. Long enough for who ever happens to be beside me to get part of the blast and be able to get taken out with a quick melee.

I still say that AL is a GOOD power up that's unfortunately used by stupid people that don't know how to use it to their advantage properly.

A good way to get around ME is to make sure you have a sticky equipped, I don't go into AL for very long (as I previously stated) and plop it down as soon as I go in... I pop out, boom.. problem solved.

I can go an entire match and not even USE it... but if it saves my skin and allows me to get the 1 up on ANYONE else... then so be it. I play online to BEAT the other guy... I don't care how "nubbish" that guy that I happened to beat down views me.

This whole "play this way or you suck" attitude is what really makes me hate online gaming. It's like you have to go by some other guys set of rules and if you don't, well... you ruined the game.

That itself is more annoying than the cheapest Noob Tuber I've ever come across... Noob Tubers, while annoying at least don't subscribe to an elitist attitude of "play this way or don't play."


I've been playing Halo since Halo 1 LAN parties and I'm a skilled player (not the best, don't try to be... but skilled enough) and I've never heard of these "unwritten rules." When I play, I play to win... if I beat you with something given to me IN the game BY the developers then I don't view that as cheating. Hell, I remember getting SCREAMED at in Halo 2 and 3 because I would go on crazy sprees with Warthogs/banshee's. People would call me cheap just because they couldn't bring me down. I didn't think it was cheap... I helped my team win...Not my fault people couldn't take me out.

Like I said, I'm a decent player with or without armor lock I don't need it, in fact I went back to playing 3 no problems without it. I just like that added surprise of knocking people out real quick like with a fast pop in, pop out melee.

More so now since I know it gets under peoples skin so much.

For the record, I'd be fine if they took out AL in Halo 4 and replaced it with a Bubble Shield, no problem. At least then I guess it would give other people a fighting chance before complaining that I "cheaply ran into a bubble shield and had a shotgun waiting for them when they came running in."

 

[jacobed]

I hate the argument saying that the armor abilities are for only people who have no skill or the make the game more noobie. First off skill is a term I would use very very loosely with gaming and I think its an insult to people with actual skills. Secondly, doesn't armor abilities bring in more thinking and strategy thus involving more skill to use.

 

[Benstamania]

We're going to have that in every game, in Reach "armor lock" users are unskilled, in CoD it's the Noob Tubers, in Halo 4 it will be something else.... I even agree to a point that a LOT of the guys that use AL don't do it correctly, but they're also the guy that goes into AL, isn't aware of his/her surroundings and when they pop out they get melee'd from behind.

Anyone that has EVER used armor lock knows that it does have a draw back... as soon as you pop out of it you can be taken out rather quickly. If you stay locked for longer then a second or two then chances are the guy you're going against is gone... or is re positioned somewhere else and 9 times out of 10 will take the locker out.

I'm good at armor lock... and people probably do hate that, but seriously... I may only use it once or twice a match.

First off skill is a term I would use very very loosely with gaming and I think its an insult to people with actual skills.

I agree with this as well, it's also half the reason why I don't game like I used to... the guys that act like their K/D Ratio is the be all end all of any kind of skill just tick me off. I don't play games to be an "in game l33t sniper!" I play games now to have fun and pass time with friends.

 

[jacobed]

I always wanted to get better with armor lock but I could never get the timing down right and I'd be one of those that gets killed right after coming out of it

 

[Benstamania]

I don't even find "stealth" to be that cheap... It's more useless than cheap. I mean, unless a camper is setting absolutely still then you'll be able to see the stealth user no problem.

If the guys camping... chances are he's a camper and would camp regardless of armor abilities.

Besides, as we all know, camping is a legitimate strategy.

 

[Team Andino]

I don't even find "stealth" to be that cheap... It's more useless than cheap. I mean, unless a camper is setting absolutely still then you'll be able to see the stealth user no problem.

If the guys camping... chances are he's a camper and would camp regardless of armor abilities.

Besides, as we all know, camping is a legitimate strategy.

I rarely use that ability but when I do I use it to jam my opponents radar.

 

[Team Andino]

I always wanted to get better with armor lock but I could never get the timing down right and I'd be one of those that gets killed right after coming out of it

In my peak on Reach I became pretty good at using Armor Lock to avoid being run over, fend off grenades, and protecting myself from getting stuck in them middle of a huge gun fight on both sides of me. I tend not to use it on basic one on one situations unless I were close together in a narrow area then I'll throw a grenade down and lock up.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

In the world of online gaming, if something kills you, its either "cheap" or "unbalanced". Gamers are the damn whiniest, brattiest group of people on the planet.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

I don't see that at all.

I bring up again... lets say you start shooting me from behind... that instantly give you the advantage, right? I mean, in Halo the "turn arounds" are still rather slow.

Should you give me a warning shot so we may duel fairly?

What about sticky grenades? They're often my "go to" weapon, they have been for a long time... I'm a master at them... What if I plant one one someone from behind... is that then unfair too?

I find it silly that people B&M about this "Oh boo hoo, you beat me at the end because you popped into armor lock for a second." I often ONLY pop into armor lock for just that, a second. Long enough for who ever happens to be beside me to get part of the blast and be able to get taken out with a quick melee.

I still say that AL is a GOOD power up that's unfortunately used by stupid people that don't know how to use it to their advantage properly.

A good way to get around ME is to make sure you have a sticky equipped, I don't go into AL for very long (as I previously stated) and plop it down as soon as I go in... I pop out, boom.. problem solved.

I can go an entire match and not even USE it... but if it saves my skin and allows me to get the 1 up on ANYONE else... then so be it. I play online to BEAT the other guy... I don't care how "nubbish" that guy that I happened to beat down views me.

This whole "play this way or you suck" attitude is what really makes me hate online gaming. It's like you have to go by some other guys set of rules and if you don't, well... you ruined the game.

That itself is more annoying than the cheapest Noob Tuber I've ever come across... Noob Tubers, while annoying at least don't subscribe to an elitist attitude of "play this way or don't play."


I've been playing Halo since Halo 1 LAN parties and I'm a skilled player (not the best, don't try to be... but skilled enough) and I've never heard of these "unwritten rules." When I play, I play to win... if I beat you with something given to me IN the game BY the developers then I don't view that as cheating. Hell, I remember getting SCREAMED at in Halo 2 and 3 because I would go on crazy sprees with Warthogs/banshee's. People would call me cheap just because they couldn't bring me down. I didn't think it was cheap... I helped my team win...Not my fault people couldn't take me out.

Like I said, I'm a decent player with or without armor lock I don't need it, in fact I went back to playing 3 no problems without it. I just like that added surprise of knocking people out real quick like with a fast pop in, pop out melee.

More so now since I know it gets under peoples skin so much.

For the record, I'd be fine if they took out AL in Halo 4 and replaced it with a Bubble Shield, no problem. At least then I guess it would give other people a fighting chance before complaining that I "cheaply ran into a bubble shield and had a shotgun waiting for them when they came running in."

You realise that there is a radar to avoid having that happen right? Otherwise, there's just as much of a chance for someone else to start shooting you from behind when you shoot someone else. You need to look around and understand your surroundings. Armor Lock is unbalanced and it's noobier than noob-toobing. If you suck at the game, you take armor lock. If you don't believe me, take up my challenge and come play me.

In the world of online gaming, if something kills you, its either "cheap" or "unbalanced". Gamers are the damn whiniest, brattiest group of people on the planet.

That's a load of ****. If you are ACTUALLY being unbalanced I'll call you out on it. I expressed my dismay for Armor Lock and Invis and the majority of others agree with it - it's like common knowledge among the Halo Reach players, but guess who disagrees? The Armor Lock ****es.

 

[jacobed]

I'm terrible with Armor lock and I don't think its unbalanced at all. I find it funny that most of the people who hate the armor abilities because they are "unbalanced" are the same people who want the battle rifle back when that is without a doubt one of the most unbalanced weapons in the Halo series.

 

[StrainedEyes]

My favorite is tossing a sticky grenade on someone trying to AR me to death, then going into armor lock and watching them run around me like an idiot until they explode. If any of those times were against you, Asteroid-Man, just know that I enjoyed it.