Halo Reach May Matchmaking Update

[Spectral Jester]

May Matchmaking Playlist Update

 

It’s been said that April showers bring May flowers. Considering the Matchmaking Systems Team was so busy this month they didn't have time for daily body cleansing, they’d like to offer you a matchmaking playlist update in place of the more traditional botanical gift. The details of their aromatic bestowal are outlined below.

 

 

• Firefight updated.

 

The Firefight Arcade playlist was changed to Firefight, and new Firefight Arcade game types were added (with the original Firefight Arcade game types remaining intact). The new game types have been suffixed with NEP, which stands for "New Enemy Progression." As indicated by the acronym, you will see a more diverse enemy offering in all three types of waves–initial, main, and boss. Making a triumphant return to the same playlist are Limited game types, in both their original form and with a new enemy progression.

 

Firefight Doubles was also updated, adding new enemy progressions alongside the original Firefight Doubles game types.

 

I believe there are only three things left to say. And that would be bip, bap, and bam!

 

 

• New 4v4 maps added to Arena, Super Slayer, and Team Slayer.

 

We know you’ve been waiting for new 4v4 playspaces, and with the help of the Community Cartographers, we were able to scour multiple submissions and implement a handful of the highlights. The new community-created maps added to Arena, Super Slayer, and Team Slayer were Ellul, Imago, Temple, Midas, Unconquered, and Pulse. All six were added to Super Slayer and Team Slayer, while Imago and Pulse were added to Arena (as we found them to be a good fit for the symmetrical, competitive spaces found in that particular playlist).

 

 

• Team Objective updated.

 

We’re always crunching numbers and looking at statistics to determine how we can improve your matchmaking experience. Reorganizing voting options is one of the results of that regular data mining. To ensure you get a diverse offering of map and game type selections, we updated the Team Objective voting options to have Capture the Flag in the first slot, Oddball or KOTH in the second slot, and one of the other available game types (Territories, Stockpile, Assault, etc.) in the third slot.

 

In addition to the voting reorganization, we’ve also implemented a credit stimulus based on win-scaling to spur the economy in this playlist. Basically, that’s a fancy way of saying victorious teams will receive double the normal win bonus. So cap those flags and arm those bombs already. Objective holders, I may or may not be looking at you….

 

 

• Speedflag updated to lower carrier speed.

 

In Speedflag, we noticed a trend of defending teams unable to catch up with flag carriers. While I suggested military physical training exercises as the fix, we opted to instead lower the carrier speed. Consider your Spartan officially off the hook. For now, anyway.

 

 

• ZB Slayer retired.

 

While the Zero Bloom Slayer playlist is being retired (gasp!), those game types are not disappearing from matchmaking (phew). Hop into the Super Slayer playlist to keep them in your regular rotation. Keep in mind the MLG playlist currently features Zero Bloom game types exclusively as well.

 

 

• Super Slayer voting options updated.

 

Super Slayer voting options were updated to have DMRs in the first voting slot, standard Slayer in the second slot, and the remaining game types (including the aforementioned Zero Bloom variants) in the third slot.

 

 

• User-created maps updated.

 

Updated versions of Select and Synapse were added to matchmaking, and updated Heavies variants Rasu, Delta Facility, Asphalt, and Cragmire were incorporated into the Big Team Battle playlist.

 

Look for these changes to go live on, near, or around next Tuesday

[Mr Biggles]

No more ZB playlist? FML, Full on MLG then, no more warm up.

[Archangel Tyrael]

Nice changes to the voting options, more cR for victorious teams in Team Objective and woo for new maps! (although they are community).

[mikeyr]

Where are the new maps for Team Swat? So we are stuck playing the very few selections again? WTF???????

[The Director]

While I am pleased with this update, I'm disappointed in the lack of attention to one of the largest playlists in Reach (Team SWAT). Hopefully, in the next update they will add the maps that they added to slayer into SWAT. Until then, SWAT is doomed to be bland and repetitive. Also, Team Snipers need some new maps too. Other than that, yay!

[Baby Boo]

Wooaaaa buddy I'd HATE to see the look on the member "ThreeBadBoys" face once he reads this... He LIVES for the ZB playlist... Although, it does not barely affect me much. I like these updates. Keep it up 343!

[BLiX]

Oh that is cool

[satanic script]

You need to have two playlist. 1 with all game types with the TU settings and another with all game types without TU settings ( so normal reach settings). My opinion all game types on reach are worse with TU and people who like it that way should go back to halo 3

[Zelda]

Again. Us SWAT players get to suffer some more. Personally, I do really hope they remove all of these updates when the new Halo 4 come's out. Seriously, I just want Reach to go back to the way it was before 343i stepped into the picture. Move all these update's to the new Halo 4 and put Reach back to the original form. Oh, and one more thing 343i, get yourself a new Ban Hammer like what Bungie used to have. Your killing Reach. Between the Spawn Killer's and the A-hole's who think its awesome to shoot through walls, floors, and ceilings, its pretty much becoming more and more unbearable to play anymore. You took out Uncaged and Pinnacle, yet left in Asylum? The least you could do is maybe throw in Cliffhanger and Atom. And when we were all complaining about the spawn killings, we were mainly asking if you could possibly take a little time out of your busy days to rearrange the spawn points and maybe even add a few extra things in the maps to help prevent spawn killing? Sure, there's a few of us that are glad to see them maps gone, but now we have to deal with Asylum over, and over, and over again. You guys completely ignore Swat and Snipers.There's no Super Jackpot, no new maps, no new game types, no new nothing, whatsoever! I'm Begin to think you people HATE Swat and Snipers. If you need someone to build you Swat/Sniper maps, my Fiance and I are more than happy to take on that challenge. He's been building Swat maps for quite sometime now. All we need is just a little bit of a chance for it. It's really not that much to ask. And please, please, please put Rumble Pit back the way it once was. Seriously, there's no need to change Slayer Pro to just DMR's and Frag's. That used to be one of my favorite gametypes and favorite playlist until you had to screw it up as well. Enough with the T.U. And I agree with Santanic Script, its the least you could do. Make two separate categories. One with all your T.U. and the other with the ORIGINAL playlist's without T.U. So I leave you now to think about what I said. Start paying attention to your costumer's or your not going to last very long with Halo. :wallbash:

[General PWNFACE]

No more ZB playlist? FML, Full on MLG then, no more warm up.

 

I know right... oh well

[Ch33ze311]

idk what people are talking about with the flag carrier being too fast im always the flag carrier and i get so slow when carrying it now im going to be slower stop giving into noobs bitching 343 ur ruining halo

[jeps29]

I like the updates but could i suggest bringing back safe havens for the next month ? This is for the people who have never played it before or some of the other maps on living dead like sword base or uncaged but anyways i would really like to see how safe havens is or was anyone else agree?

[gone]

I played a couple of Super Slayer matches today, and I've got to say; the new maps are bad. At least the ones I tried,

[okapi]

Wow, the one thing that kept me playing Reach throughout April was the hope that all of the negative feedback I had been seeing about the SWAT changes may have actually gotten through to you guys, and that maybe you would return what often seemed to be the player favourite maps. Uncaged and Pinnacle should have been added back into the voting system, even if they weren't as frequently available. You could have at least given us something new if you were too afraid of admitting a mistake and just reversing the changes.

 

[Ccup-mann]

I played a couple of Super Slayer matches today, and I've got to say; the new maps are bad. At least the ones I tried,

Second that. I'm dissapointed with team swat, i was hoping for more maps, i guess we have to wait

[Natalie.]

I appreciate the work that 343 are putting in to these monthly updates, but I am still very disappointed that there are no new maps for SWAT.

[mikeyr]

I appreciate the work that 343 are putting in to these monthly updates, but I am still very disappointed that there are no new maps for SWAT.

 

^^^^^^ THIS

 

343 Industries where are our the new maps for Swat? You removed two very popular maps last month and replaced them with nothing.

 

WE NEED NEW MAPS!!

[Baby Boo]

idk what people are talking about with the flag carrier being too fast im always the flag carrier and i get so slow when carrying it now im going to be slower stop giving into noobs bitching 343 ur ruining halo

 

Please refrain from swearing on your posts.

[LORDLIDELL]

doesnt feel like much

[DoctorB77]

Yay for Objective credits. I will go there more often.

 

I also enjoy DMRs being top alt. Good edits this time

[Ccup-mann]

I like the idea of more credits in team objective if you win, it makes players want to win.

[Three Bad Boys]

Seriously? Removing the TU ZB playlist? I can just imagine how these meeting go...

 

Boss: "Does anybody have any ideas on how to improve matchmaking?"

 

Employee 1: "Well I've been playing Halo competitively since the original Halo and have a very good grasp on how to make a fun and competitive game. The trick is to reward players for learning the game and allowing for balance among different weapons. We should have both large maps and arena style maps. While bloom sounds like a good idea, it has serious flaws (namely, it cannot be perfectly handled no matter how much one plays). In fact, the Title Update and MLG playlists most closesly match the speed of play and overall style that made Halo so famous in the first place."

 

Boss: "One more utterance like that and you're fired. Anybody else?"

 

Employee 2: "I know! How about we add ghosts to all the maps, make sure armor lock is available in every playlist, eliminate the skill gap almost completely, and just generally disincentivize players from trying to learn the game really well."

 

Boss: "Now that's what I'm talking about! That's the type of initiative that will get you to the executive offices in no time! How about you take the lead on Halo 4 multiplayer development?"

 

Employee 2: "I'd love to! I have some great ideas, too. How about a random weapon drop system!? We'll market it as a way to 'even the playing field'. We can't give too much of an advantage to the people who play our game the most!'

 

Boss: "Brilliant!"

 

*Rest of employees clap enthusiastically*

*Employee 1 jumps out nearest window*

 

FML

 

I have not once seen ZB in the Super Slayer playlist, and now MLG and Snipers are literally the only options for top tier players. So stupid.

[Azaxx]

Seriously? Removing the TU ZB playlist? I can just imagine how these meeting go...

 

Boss: "Does anybody have any ideas on how to improve matchmaking?"

 

Employee 1: "Well I've been playing Halo competitively since the original Halo and have a very good grasp on how to make a fun and competitive game. The trick is to reward players for learning the game and allowing for balance among different weapons. We should have both large maps and arena style maps. While bloom sounds like a good idea, it has serious flaws (namely, it cannot be perfectly handled no matter how much one plays). In fact, the Title Update and MLG playlists most closesly match the speed of play and overall style that made Halo so famous in the first place."

 

Boss: "One more utterance like that and you're fired. Anybody else?"

 

Employee 2: "I know! How about we add ghosts to all the maps, make sure armor lock is available in every playlist, eliminate the skill gap almost completely, and just generally disincentivize players from trying to learn the game really well."

 

Boss: "Now that's what I'm talking about! That's the type of initiative that will get you to the executive offices in no time! How about you take the lead on Halo 4 multiplayer development?"

 

Employee 2: "I'd love to! I have some great ideas, too. How about a random weapon drop system!? We'll market it as a way to 'even the playing field'. We can't give too much of an advantage to the people who play our game the most!'

 

Boss: "Brilliant!"

 

*Rest of employees clap enthusiastically*

*Employee 1 jumps out nearest window*

 

FML

 

I have not once seen ZB in the Super Slayer playlist, and now MLG and Snipers are literally the only options for top tier players. So stupid.

 

That was a stupid analogy, because thats not what happens.

[Loser]

agree we need new maps for Team Swat there are to many campers and hiding spots

[stegall44]

Please 343 stop messing with halo by adding all this zero bloom its just for noobs who cant pace there shots and just spam the trigger. And please pay attention more to what the players are telling you. Stop adding all this useless stuff that people never asked for. And 1 more thing i really think you guys should add a 1v1 playlist at least try it out and see how it goes.