Halo 4 Sandbox discussion - 343 Sparkcast 16 - must listen

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#1 Thu, 09/27/2012 - 10:04
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Halo 4 Sandbox discussion - 343 Sparkcast 16 - must listen

If you want to know about many sandbox features in the soon to be released game, you should listen to this podcast. It's on iTunes too.

343Sparkast_016.mp3

 

This is someones summary but don't take it as gospel. Listen to the podcast.

 

 

•Regen field isn't as powerful as Halo 3. If you connect all of your shots on somebody inside of it, they can still die. If you miss, their shields have a chance to go back up.

•Auto Sentry can look 180 degrees. Dies when you die.

•At one point, Auto Sentry used to follow you around. Now it just stays in place.

•Auto Sentry tracks (attacks) holograms

•Holograms appear red on radar at all times and red with reticle.

•Game is faster paced than Reach

•They initially started with the BR and DMR being 4 shot weapons, and but they were ultimately toned down along with the rest of the sandbox across the board to match the traditional pace of past games.

•BR's recoil depends on how fast you fire, but you can learn how to readjust between each trigger pull.

•Aim assist and bloom were toned down on DMR significantly. DMR and BR are vastly different from their previous iterations.

•ALL weapons no longer get knocked out of scope when you're shot at. Instead, your camera 'flinches' while in scope, and this depends on the weapon you are using. The stability mod just controls how bad your camera shakes while you're being shot at.

•Binary rifle has 6 shots total, but only 2 shots before you can reload.

•There's a bright laser for when somebody is zooming in with the binary rifle (like the spartan laser flare from Halo 3).

•"Bi-Ri" has large reticle from the hip and shotgun-like spread, so can't run around 1sk no-scoping unless it's in extreme CQB.

•Armor mods only effect how you play and not who you are as a player. They emphasize that it behaves very differently than how it sounds on paper

•Shield recharge mod recharges your shield ~15% faster than regular, but it still takes 5 seconds out of combat before it will recharge as regular shields do. Doesn't do anything if you're still in combat.

•Nemesis tells you location of person who killed you for a few seconds after you respawn and then goes away.

•Banshee has more health. It had 330 HP in Reach and has 475 HP in Halo 4

•They changed how the vehicles take damage, which they say happens in 'buckets'. Different parts have different health that contribute to its overall HP

•Scorpion Tank's top speed and acceleration are faster. Cannon shells are slower and hdrop over distance.

•All turrets (vehicle and mounted) are more powerful.

•Warthog and Mongoose are sturdier, heavier, and more stable

•Some games have preset loadouts and those will change based on the game's lifespan and rate at which people unlock stuff

•Can only spawn with 1 pulse grenade in loadout (2 with grenadier mod) vs 2 frags or plasmas.

•Pulse grenade has to land on ground before it activates in a sphere. It does constant damage in a few waves and then builds up to explode on a final wave. Can be used for area of denial.

•Binary Rifle, Scattershot, and Incinteration Cannon are the 3 weapons that do the disintegration effect on players.

 

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 11:02
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Banshee has MORE health? Ugh. 

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 11:26 (Reply to #2)
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zombiekitten wrote:

Banshee has MORE health? Ugh. 

This is why I did not really want to post a synopsis. People express a gut reaction to a more powerful REACH Banshee. It's understandable but you'll have to wait for Halo 4 to know the reality.

The podcast discusses the issue. Player experience has been that it is not overpowered like this in halo 4.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 12:25 (Reply to #3)
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DEEP_NNN wrote:

zombiekitten wrote:

Banshee has MORE health? Ugh. 

This is why I did not really want to post a synopsis. People express a gut reaction to a more powerful REACH Banshee. It's understandable but you'll have to wait for Halo 4 to know the reality.

The podcast discusses the issue. Player experience has been that it is not overpowered like this in halo 4.

 

I'm guessing those who have played it haven't gone up against great banshee pilots.  

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 13:13 (Reply to #4)
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OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

DEEP_NNN wrote:

zombiekitten wrote:

Banshee has MORE health? Ugh. 

This is why I did not really want to post a synopsis. People express a gut reaction to a more powerful REACH Banshee. It's understandable but you'll have to wait for Halo 4 to know the reality.

The podcast discusses the issue. Player experience has been that it is not overpowered like this in halo 4.

 

I'm guessing those who have played it haven't gone up against great banshee pilots.  

This is true, however it was stated that the H4 Banshee is not quite as maneuverable as the Reach version. Meaning the constant flips and tricks have been slowed. Additionally you have to also take into account the Plasma Pistol is a loadout weapon, so that will be another element all vehicle drivers will have to contend. 

While the vehicle may have more "health" in a sense than from a previous game, you have to take into account that H4 will have a totally different sandbox. 

Again, this is simply another "wait and see".

I would encourage people to listen to the podcast as there is some good info.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 14:46 (Reply to #5)
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DarthTabasco wrote:

 Additionally you have to also take into account the Plasma Pistol is a loadout weapon, so that will be another element all vehicle drivers will have to contend. 

 

Remember though, the PP lock-on has been reduced as well as the energy depletes much more rapidly once fully charged.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 15:03 (Reply to #6)
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OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

DarthTabasco wrote:

 Additionally you have to also take into account the Plasma Pistol is a loadout weapon, so that will be another element all vehicle drivers will have to contend. 

 

Remember though, the PP lock-on has been reduced as well as the energy depletes much more rapidly once fully charged.

Also remember the rest of the sandbox. PP is only one weapon. Everything must be considered. The sandbox sounds very powerful.

There will be better than average pilots but when an entire team can respawn with anti-vehicle weapons, how long will they keep flying?

I've watched the Halo 4 Banshee videos too and it looks quite sluggish.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 15:10 (Reply to #7)
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DEEP_NNN wrote:

OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

DarthTabasco wrote:

 Additionally you have to also take into account the Plasma Pistol is a loadout weapon, so that will be another element all vehicle drivers will have to contend. 

 

Remember though, the PP lock-on has been reduced as well as the energy depletes much more rapidly once fully charged.

Also remember the rest of the sandbox. PP is only one weapon. Everything must be considered. The sandbox sounds very powerful.

There will be better than average pilots but when an entire team can respawn with anti-vehicle weapons, how long will they keep flying?

I've watched the Halo 4 Banshee videos too and it looks quite sluggish.

 

Considering dmrs were anti-vehicle weapons in Reach and everyone spawned with them, they will probably keep flying around the same amount.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 15:13 (Reply to #8)
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OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

DEEP_NNN wrote:

OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

DarthTabasco wrote:

 Additionally you have to also take into account the Plasma Pistol is a loadout weapon, so that will be another element all vehicle drivers will have to contend. 

 

Remember though, the PP lock-on has been reduced as well as the energy depletes much more rapidly once fully charged.

Also remember the rest of the sandbox. PP is only one weapon. Everything must be considered. The sandbox sounds very powerful.

There will be better than average pilots but when an entire team can respawn with anti-vehicle weapons, how long will they keep flying?

I've watched the Halo 4 Banshee videos too and it looks quite sluggish.

 

Considering dmrs were anti-vehicle weapons in Reach and everyone spawned with them, they will probably keep flying around the same amount.

Well, at least you can watch yourself go down in a glorious blast in the Kill-cam.wink

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 11:53
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If it takes 4 sniper shots to destroy a banshee now, that means it'll take one plus sniper to do it in H4....

 

Looks like team slayer it is :)

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 12:28
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Also, happy about the aim assist being decreased and the increased power of the warthog.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 13:07
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I like the "camera shake" instead of being knocked out of zoom. I won't like it when they are firing, but I'll like it in my approach.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 15:15
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I like the camera shake in 4 versus being knocked out of my scope previously.  Mainly because of those times where I'm trying to get out of scope myself, but am being shot, so instead I keep scoping in and die.  This will make me happy :)

 

Edit: Also, why would anyone use a binary rifle over a UNSC sniper rifle?  Let's say  you score a headshot every time.  It's 12 kills for UNSC, or 6 for binary, right?  Also with the Binary Rifle there is a giant laser pointing at them so they know to move and they know where you are.  So what's the upside to the binary rifle?

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 15:23 (Reply to #13)
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Autarch wrote:

I like the camera shake in 4 versus being knocked out of my scope previously.  Mainly because of those times where I'm trying to get out of scope myself, but am being shot, so instead I keep scoping in and die.  This will make me happy :)

 

Edit: Also, why would anyone use a binary rifle over a UNSC sniper rifle?  Let's say  you score a headshot every time.  It's 12 kills for UNSC, or 6 for binary, right?  Also with the Binary Rifle there is a giant laser pointing at them so they know to move and they know where you are.  So what's the upside to the binary rifle?

We do one hit kill gametypes with snipers on REACH all the time. Not having to get the headshot makes it easier when shooting at a moving target. Being forewarned by the laser site should make that a more difficult task but not if they are wide open. IMO.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 15:24 (Reply to #14)
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Autarch wrote:

Edit: Also, why would anyone use a binary rifle over a UNSC sniper rifle?  Let's say  you score a headshot every time.  It's 12 kills for UNSC, or 6 for binary, right?  Also with the Binary Rifle there is a giant laser pointing at them so they know to move and they know where you are.  So what's the upside to the binary rifle?

 

Simply because a 1-hit kill doesn't require a headshot.  See a foot peeking out from behind a structure?  Bam!  1-hit kill.  See Wam spawning after a death?  1-hit kill.  See him spawning again?  Repeat.  

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 16:36 (Reply to #15)
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OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

Autarch wrote:

Edit: Also, why would anyone use a binary rifle over a UNSC sniper rifle?  Let's say  you score a headshot every time.  It's 12 kills for UNSC, or 6 for binary, right?  Also with the Binary Rifle there is a giant laser pointing at them so they know to move and they know where you are.  So what's the upside to the binary rifle?

 

Simply because a 1-hit kill doesn't require a headshot.  See a foot peeking out from behind a structure?  Bam!  1-hit kill.  See Wam spawning after a death?  1-hit kill.  See him spawning again?  Repeat.  

 

Ohh ok.  So the binary rifle kills in one hit regardless of shields being full.  That makes more sense.

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 16:41 (Reply to #16)
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Autarch wrote:

Ohh ok.  So the binary rifle kills in one hit regardless of shields being full.  That makes more sense.

Cough, it's in the podcast.wink

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 17:21 (Reply to #17)
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DEEP_NNN wrote:

Autarch wrote:

Ohh ok.  So the binary rifle kills in one hit regardless of shields being full.  That makes more sense.

Cough, it's in the podcast.wink

Which is an hour and a half long :P

I can't control-F the audio to find what I want after all hehe

Thu, 09/27/2012 - 17:29 (Reply to #18)
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Autarch wrote:

DEEP_NNN wrote:

Autarch wrote:

Ohh ok.  So the binary rifle kills in one hit regardless of shields being full.  That makes more sense.

Cough, it's in the podcast.wink

Which is an hour and a half long :P

I can't control-F the audio to find what I want after all hehe

This man knows how to internet.
Sat, 10/06/2012 - 20:05 (Reply to #19)
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OMGaLaserPewPew wrote:

Autarch wrote:

Edit: Also, why would anyone use a binary rifle over a UNSC sniper rifle?  Let's say  you score a headshot every time.  It's 12 kills for UNSC, or 6 for binary, right?  Also with the Binary Rifle there is a giant laser pointing at them so they know to move and they know where you are.  So what's the upside to the binary rifle?

 

Simply because a 1-hit kill doesn't require a headshot.  See a foot peeking out from behind a structure?  Bam!  1-hit kill.  See Wam spawning after a death?  1-hit kill.  See him spawning again?  Repeat.  

 

75

Sat, 10/06/2012 - 15:55 (Reply to #20)
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Autarch wrote:

I like the camera shake in 4 versus being knocked out of my scope previously.  Mainly because of those times where I'm trying to get out of scope myself, but am being shot, so instead I keep scoping in and die.  This will make me happy :)

 

 

Me too. I hate hate hate getting knocked out of scope, so this is awesome news.   19

Sat, 10/06/2012 - 16:07 (Reply to #21)
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BCyclops wrote:

Autarch wrote:

I like the camera shake in 4 versus being knocked out of my scope previously.  Mainly because of those times where I'm trying to get out of scope myself, but am being shot, so instead I keep scoping in and die.  This will make me happy :)

 

 

Me too. I hate hate hate getting knocked out of scope, so this is awesome news.   19

 

I think it'll end up playing well, but what happened to "get better" and "acquire your target quicker"?  I can see someone that's bad at sniping trying it out and livestreaming it on the first night.  They're zoomed in and get pinged from a DMR a distance away and stay in scope, but they've shot a round five Spartans away. Repeat until death.

Sat, 10/06/2012 - 17:26 (Reply to #22)
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Dixon_Tufar wrote:

BCyclops wrote:

Autarch wrote:

I like the camera shake in 4 versus being knocked out of my scope previously.  Mainly because of those times where I'm trying to get out of scope myself, but am being shot, so instead I keep scoping in and die.  This will make me happy :)

 

 

Me too. I hate hate hate getting knocked out of scope, so this is awesome news.   19

 

I think it'll end up playing well, but what happened to "get better" and "acquire your target quicker"?  I can see someone that's bad at sniping trying it out and livestreaming it on the first night.  They're zoomed in and get pinged from a DMR a distance away and stay in scope, but they've shot a round five Spartans away. Repeat until death.

Not getting knocked out of scope may fix a long standing problem for me. I always found the wild swings I got from descoping, disorienting and a bit nauseating. I won't miss that aspect of Halo.

Sat, 10/06/2012 - 18:28 (Reply to #23)
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DEEP_NNN wrote:

Dixon_Tufar wrote:

BCyclops wrote:

Autarch wrote:

I like the camera shake in 4 versus being knocked out of my scope previously.  Mainly because of those times where I'm trying to get out of scope myself, but am being shot, so instead I keep scoping in and die.  This will make me happy :)

 

 

Me too. I hate hate hate getting knocked out of scope, so this is awesome news.   19

 

I think it'll end up playing well, but what happened to "get better" and "acquire your target quicker"?  I can see someone that's bad at sniping trying it out and livestreaming it on the first night.  They're zoomed in and get pinged from a DMR a distance away and stay in scope, but they've shot a round five Spartans away. Repeat until death.

Not getting knocked out of scope may fix a long standing problem for me. I always found the wild swings I got from descoping, disorienting and a bit nauseating. I won't miss that aspect of Halo.

 

It might be a simple case of being careful of what you ask for, too.

Fri, 09/28/2012 - 09:32
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It's a good listen.  The things I like so far:

Spent alot of time tweaking AA's so they are not overpowering or any one is the right choice.

Thruster pack began as a teleport (like Promethians do in campaign video).  Was way overpowering, so they modified it.

Jet pack has been way nerfed

They all had a good laugh at how crazy over-powered armor lock is and how it was poorly implemented.

Increased ROF on the DMR and tweaked the bloom.  Very different from the Reach DMR.

 

I'm about 1/2 way through.

Fri, 09/28/2012 - 09:49 (Reply to #25)
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Ghost92 wrote:

It's a good listen.  The things I like so far:

Spent alot of time tweaking AA's so they are not overpowering or any one is the right choice.

Thruster pack began as a teleport (like Promethians do in campaign video).  Was way overpowering, so they modified it.

Jet pack has been way nerfed

They all had a good laugh at how crazy over-powered armor lock is and how it was poorly implemented.

Increased ROF on the DMR and tweaked the bloom.  Very different from the Reach DMR.

 

I'm about 1/2 way through.

 

When your developers say that Armor Lock was overpowered and poorly implemented, then you've got something definitive.

 

Haters, unite.

Fri, 09/28/2012 - 10:16
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Yea, these aren't necessarily Reach developers though.  

Fri, 09/28/2012 - 14:53
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Finished.  The second half is much less interesting in general.  Probably the biggest thing I took out of it was that they have spent alot of time talking about and tweaking overall kill times.  They seem to have worked pretty hard to find the right times between not too fast where people don't understand how the get killed and too slow where people are frustrated.  That has made many changes to how weapons work and their roles in the sandbox.

 

Also, on the vehicles, they did say they have made the banshee stronger but have tuned down it's acrobatic skills and it's ability to evade being shot.  I think that's a more than fair trade.

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