Less than six hours before the continuing adventures of the Halo universe drops. Anyone else getting this? I’ve got my copy pre-ordered and will be picking it up at midnight. Hell, I even took tomorrow off just so I can play all night. Who, from here, am I going to be seeing online tonight. Maybe get a little co-op action going?
I’m not into Halo myself but that game is getting good reviews. Have fun.
I’m picking up my copy in an hour and will be playing from 19:00 GMT.
user is xx yoj1mbo xx
I’m on the SDMB account’s friends list.
Looking forward to this in a big way. New Halo is always welcome.
Just got my copy, can’t wait till I get home so I can play it,
I kinda run out things I can do with it without my Xbox and TV…only six hours to go
I’m having a hard time getting fired up for it, honestly. Oh, I’ll get it, but I just want the multiplayer maps.
I got it from a friend today, and was excited to try out the new co-op only, Horde-inspired Firefight mode. Set up my controls, selected Firefight, then looked for the options to fill my team with people from the great big internets.
Hm, no indication - just see some menu options about whether to make my Xbox Live Party invite only or open to friends and recent players. Maybe I have to hit Start before it matchmakes me with someone…?
Wait, cancel–that started the countdown to the actual firefight. So how do I engage in the very basic online service of matching with random people to play this brand new multiplayer experience?
PROTIP: You can’t.
That’s right: a feature which has become standard since Halo 2 on the original Xbox - that of random, anonymous matchmaking - is somehow missing from the new Firefight mode of ODST. So the only way you’re going to be able to enjoy all the challenges and glory of Firefight is to schedule a time to play with the folks on your friends list who own the game, or hop on a forum and schedule to meet with people there.
Now, maybe I’ve been spoiled by games which do this right (i.e. most of them), but I admit I like being so spoiled. I mean, yes, when it comes down to it, I could go through all the motions and set a date and time to play ODST Firefight or Super Smash Bros. with a buddy or three, then make sure I’ve input their Friend name/code correctly, then hope we’re all on the same page when it comes time to play… but that’s taking way too many steps for something which has been a few presses of a button since 2004 on consoles (and far, far previously on PCs).
Bungie themselves (and their legion of forum fanfolks) have claimed this is intentional, as Firefight is a strictly team-based mode where you’ll want to play with people you know. At the same time, the Bungie.net forums are filled with people making dozens of silver ‘dummy’ accounts (similar to the aaa_SDMB that LOUNE has going) that people can add, then wait to be re-added, then sift through pages of people who might want to play ODST with you, whereupon anonymous invites can be sent with the dire hope of filling one of these ‘strictly team-based parties’ with strangers so this new four-player mode can actually be played how it was intended.
This is, frankly, retarded. I was very much looking forward to trying out Firefight, but I’m probably one of maybe three people ever on my XBL list who has the game right now, and I’m not sure for how long I’ll have it. I’m not sure why this technical oversight from Bungie wasn’t mentioned in a few more reviews, but I think it definitely deserves more attention for anyone wanting to get their money’s worth out of the new stuff in ODST.
That said, the atmosphere and challenge in the Campaign is definitely turning out to be novel and exciting (tho the shooting still feels like traditional Halo), so I may come back to rant in the opposite direction once I’ve beaten it 
That’s interesting. That’s also almost ironic. A lot of people that play online hate playing with randoms because they drop out, don’t communicate, or play in a way that doesn’t mesh with yours/the rest of the party. Also, according to how TruseSkill works, you’re actually penalized for going into Matchmaking with a party of 4. If you go in alone, the algorithm apparently takes that in and weights performances.
Now, here’s a game that you play with others and need others to play with, but you can’t just go into Matchmaking. It almost sounds like what they could/should have done with the MLG playlist instead of Firefight.
Also, if you’re 25 and older, sign up on 2old2play.com and add this Gamertag to your friends list if you want some folks to play ODST with: A1A 2o2p ODST
I don’t know whether the particular piece of music i’m thinking of is the Rookie’s “theme”, but it’s one that plays quite a bit, and i’ve fallen pretty damn hard for it. The music in general is really pretty good, though, but i’m seriously considering buying a soundtrack CD if one comes out for that piece alone.
Oh, and the game’s pretty good. I’m under 25, so should anyone fancy a game at some point, my gamertag is shadeedge.
Marty’s music in the Halo games has always been exemplary. Rev Thresh, are you on the SDMB Gamertag?
My better half bought it for me as a birthday present, and it is on the way in the mail. I may not be playing it much till we get back from vacation in a couple of weeks, though.
I beat Halo 3: ODST. The end guy/wave was hard.
So, the story in this one is pretty excellent - I’m willing to say, probably the best-told story in any Halo game to date. As the Rookie spends the game alone, trailing along after clues about his lost squadmates, the music, lighting, and neon-outlined city combine with sparks and debris to set a tone of feeling utterly lost and alone in a city already trampled by an invading force. There’s actually a lot of Bioshock influence in the game as well - from the brief and violent stories told by corpses in a corridor to the frequent audio recordings about one person’s struggle to help the city during the invasion. The game sets a more somber pace than any experience Master Chief had, which gives you time to connect with and start to worry about the characters. By the end, the flashbacks to the Rookie’s squad leave you with a definite sense of how a team of people working together can tip the scales on the battlefield just as much as the last UNSC Spartan.
Anyone who’s been a Halo fan should definitely give it a try, especially if you want more of a sense of how dangerous the Covenant can be when they have overwhelming odds. Previous games have been more about how awesome the Master Chief is and have had very little to deter a player from running around like an invincible badass; this game focuses a lot more on staying in the shadows and conserving ammo, as you never know when another wave might get dropped in. The shooting and movement is still classic Halo, but the way it’s played is quite unique to the series.
(For anyone who’s interested, I have indeed been playing it in pretty much all my spare time, and only on Normal. It took me about 7 hours to get through the campaign.)
I changed up to Heroic last night as I was finding it pretty easy but I’ve played a huge amount of Halo over the last year. I has to learn to hold back a bit as I was so used to Master Chief’s strength and endurance. Also Brutes look taller?
I agree with Robin Goodfellow it’s great. The audio tape easter eggs are a good listen, only got about 10 so far.
Firefight Mode is fantastic IMO. I’m a bit surprised that you can’t matchmake with general XboxLIVE people but thems the breaks I suppose. I’d hate to be playing it with a person who’s not on the same page anyway as when one player quits it ends the game for everyone, that could get very annoying if you were playing with fuckwits. Anyway the actual mode is great. Basically filters down big battles with skulls turning on after each set(5 rounds). I got 120 kills as a warthog gunner and got my first UNTOUCHABLE on my 2nd game.
All in all I’m very happy with the game and plan to spend more hours with it tonight.
Oh and I cracked up when during a Firefight level Sgt Johnston said “Is Sgt Johnston gonna have to choke a bitch?”
I highly recommend turning on the two optional skulls that add extra dialogue and the grunt party one which make their head explode and confetti pop out when you get a headshot. The explosion of confetti and the “YAY!” that accompanies it never get old.
The Grunt Birthday Party skull has been there since Halo 2, I believe. But yeah, it’s great fun. I played for 50 minutes on the easiest difficulty on Firefight by myself this morning and racked up a lot of kills. I lasted 20 minutes on Heroic and the second wave on Legendary. Man, I’ve got to relearn how to kill those Hunters.
I don’t believe so, though I do have some SDMB people in my friends list. If i’m not, i’ll send a request (I only have one cable socket, so can’t be on the net on my PC and Xbox at the same time).
If you’ve got nades to spare, there’s a good tactic. If you throw a standard frag nade at them, they’ll hunker down behind their shields. If you wait just a second after the first nade and throw a second one behind them, the explosion from the first nade will detonate the second one right behind them, killing them instantly.
On Legendary? Hm. I’ll have to try it, but I doubt it. They’re pretty hardy creatures and have been pretty keen on jumping the fuck out of the way whenever I throw something that goes “boom” at them.
Tough Luck Skull is on from the start which means they are very good at dodging 'nads
Well, that’s good. I didn’t plan on throwing my 'nads at them anyways.