Hey there Halo fans,
As you all know, the Champions Bundle was recently released Halo 4. Meaning that the Castle DLC playlist was removed in favour of the newer Champions Bundle DLC playlist; rendering all previous map packs we all paid so dearly for, obsolete. In this blog I'll address the issues caused by 343i's indecisiveness with playlists, and show my selection of playlists I believe need to be added to Halo 4!
Low population playlists[]
Several playlists on the current selection roster support extremely low populations, hitting minimums of below 40 players. So what's the point in keeping them? 343i have yet to release some of the Halo communities favourite playlists from Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, for what I can only speculate as a fear of over selection and server strain. Yet playlists such as Team Throwdown, Legendary Slayer, and Multi-Team are all supported despite having populations under 100 at the same time as Big Team Infinity Slayer hosting over 2000.
I'm not saying remove Team Throwdown or Legendary Slayer, but it only seems logical that if 343i are willing to support selections which a very small minority care about, then why not include some of the more popular playlists from Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, or even host DLC playlists indefinitely rather than for a limited period?
Most needed playlists[]
We've established that 343i have the server space to host more playlists, even "if" we had to sacrifice un-popular and rarely used playlists. So the following proposals are hardly un-achievable, and are what I would describe as "fundamental" playlists needed in the selection. These playlists have been selected based on my many experiences on Halo 4 multiplayer, but may not reflect the views of the majority! Anyway, here goes ...
DLC Playlist[]
For those avid map pack collectors and achievement hunters, we'll have all now paid for four separate map packs, and yet we only have access to one of them on multiplayer. Now rendering all the achievements from the previous map-packs Castle, Crimson, and Majestic, unobtainable. This is something that irritates me immensely. I believe that achievements should never be restricted by time limit and should be free to be obtained by anyone who has paid the money for the game and any subsequent add-ons at any time they choose. Removing playlists after a selected time, especially after the person has paid for it, is practically daylight robbery!
Like in Halo: Reach, I think that a completely DLC playlist should be a permanent option on the selection. We had DLC required playlists in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, so I don't understand why 343i would think that it's not something we should have in Halo 4. Sure some players will complain it's not fair that they don't have access to all the playlists, but why punish those who paid for the playlist in order to appease the minority? All those players who didn't get the chance to play the previous DLC playlists deserve another crack at getting some DLC required achievements, and playing some of our favourite gametypes on these pretty stunning maps - it's better than letting them rot in your HDD right?
Ricochet Playlist[]
Ok, ok! I know, it's only just come out. But, for the week and a bit that the Champions Bundle has been out it's already a massive hit, boasting a lowest of 350 players in off-peak times. 343i have already slated a Ricochet only playlist for release on September 3rd, but again, it's a limited time only! Oddball and Grifball are two of the Halo communities favourites which have been blended into one to form Richochet. The gametype still promotes the beloved goal-scoring objective of Grifball just with the unnecessary and rather messy hammer throwing removed in favour of the more tactical weaponry and strategies of Oddball.
For a gametype this popular, which seems like it's already over taken Grifball in popularity, it only makes sense that it should be a permanent playlist. It will also allow us some time to see what the community can do with this new playlist. I can't wait to see the awesome creativity and ingenuity the Halo community has, put into this pretty sick playlist.
Arena Playlist[]
This probably won't play well with a lot of Halo players, as a vast majority of people heavily dislike the cocky MLG attitude promoted by the MLG and Arena playlist in Halo: Reach. But let's be honest. Arena in Halo: Reach was really popular! With Halo being kicked out of the MLG and the foundation of multiple different competitive game play competitions, such as the Global Championships and Virgin's Infinity Challenge, there's clearly still a want and need for competitive game play.
But, not everyone wants to have to play 20 games a week for four weeks to stare at a leader board every day for some grand prize they'll never get and no recognition of competing or even doing well. Which is why Arena will be such an appeal! Arena merely placed players of equal ability into a division so they could play competitive game types such as Oddball and CTF without the fear of someone way above or way below your standard, lone wolves, or try-hards ruining your chances of playing a tactically competitive game. Halo 4 needs an area where people dedicated to playing an objective game type using team-play can compete against each other.
Classic Playlist[]
There should be a classic playlist which offers Halo 3 or Halo: Reach-like gameplay, such as no tactical packages, support upgrades, or armor abilities, and with a default weapons such as the BR. There could also be a selection of 343i and community created remakes, such as Pitfall and Ragnarok. This would help repromote Halo multiplayer to those who were dissatisfied with the current gameplay system, and would allow us to indulge in some nostalgic gameplay here and there without having to hop back onto Halo 3 or Halo: Reach.
Opinions?[]
What are your opinions? Are there any playlists you miss from the old days, or playlists you think should be removed? What are the current playlists which you enjoy, and are there any improvements you think could be made? Let me know all your opinions and suggestions in the comments below!
