First of all...
no 8v8 Valhalla?!?!?!?!? and now Sandtrap will be the barren huge map instead of Avalanche? This has got to change. Just make the DLC Big Team into a playlist that using all BTB maps and require the DLC. I mean who decided Valhalla had to go? The only time I'll get to it play half-properly is in laggy, cheating-heavy ranked games.
Now that I've got that out of the way, it's time for me to dissect:
Before we drill into the playlist specific changes, heres the list of changes that will affect all of matchmaking.
* Added Epilogue Epitaph with no Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
Eh, while it will undoubtedly play better without the shields, I still think the level is poorly designed with lousy sightlines and I already know it'll be an AR-fest. This is all speculation as I've never played a proper game on Epitaph without sheilds so I'll withhold my final judgement. Please don't let this creep into TS.
* Added Boundless Snowbound with reduced Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
Good deal, I've played a few matches on it without the doors and it actually plays decent. What I don't understand/fear with both Epilogue and Boundless is their weighting. There's no reason to keep the old versions in there and hopefully the weighting works out so that the combined weighting of both the old and new versions don't add up to any more than they used to. If they're treated like seperate maps and each pop up just as much as they used to, I'll be sad.
* Added Sand Tarp Sandtrap sans Elephants, default team spawns switched in one-sided games. Added alongside default map variant.
So I'm assuming that the only place Sandtrap will ever pop up in is in the new 6v6 playlist, eh, don't understand enough to comment but my gut isn't liking what it's hearing.
* Added Pit Stop The Pit with inaccessible spawn hives. Added alongside default map variant.
No real need to keep the default map varient. Atleast block it off for swat, snipers, oddball, vip, and juggernaught.
* Ghost Town No longer appears in any symmetrical gametype.
Thanks
* Team Slayer Spawning configuration in default Team Slayer now includes a secondary weapon the magnum
:lol :lol :lol oh wait, wait wait... :lol :lol :lol
Ranked Playlists
Lone Wolves
* Player count increases from six players to 8 players.
Seems like a bit much for maps like Smuggler, Guardian, and maybe Blackout. Then again, I despise FFA so do as you wish Bungie
Team Objective
* Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).
Seems reasonable
Team Doubles
* This playlist now requires ALL content (Cold Storage, Legendary and Heroic maps are being used in Team Doubles)
* Objective Gametypes have had their appearance frequency reduced.
* Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).
Don't play doubles but they're all great changes.
Ranked Big Team Battle
* This playlist is retired.
I wanted to see this playlist at one time but we quickly realized it was a disaster. R.I.P. RBTB. At least now SBTB can do away with all the bullshit gametypes like Territories, VIP, etc. and it's gametypes and weighting can look more like RBTB with awesome gametypes like heavies.
Introducing Squad Battle
* Squad Battle is a Ranked six on six Playlist designed to fill some of the void left by excising Ranked Big Team Battle from the Halo 3 Playlists. Squad Battle gametypes are focused on Slayer and Capture the Flag and this playlist currently requires the Heroic Map Pack.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Be prepared to have
no one play Team Objective anymore though. May as well do away with that playlist now. This is the playlist TO should have always been.
Social Playlists
Big Team Social
* This playlist is retired.
Hold the fuck on! What happened here? RBTB is finally gone so you can stop handicapping SBTB in an attempt to entice people to play ranked. SBTB can now fill RBTB's place. Ugh, biggest disappointment in the update. No no no no no
Rocket Race
* This playlist is retired.
Multi Team
* Rocket Race has been added to the gametypes and set with a low weighting.
Eh, saw this one coming. I think RR was fine where it was, it had enough population to sustain itself and didn't take away from other playlists' population. At least we'll be seeing it in multi-team and in double exp weekends.
DLC Playlists
Since Big Team was cut from Social, eight on eight action is reborn in the overhauled DLC playlists section of Matchmaking. DLC Slayer and Objective are both retired. These playlists require Halo 3 Downloadable Content (at least up through Legendary, but in the case of FFA, it requires all DLC) to participate.
Sad to see DLC slayer go, it'll be tough getting matches on Ghost Town, Blackout, and the upcoming DLC maps with it gone. DLC Objective was a pretty good playlist but it seems other playlists pick up its slack.
DLC FFA
* This is an eight-player Free For All hopper focused on DLC content. The gametypes contained herein are a mix of Slayer, Objective and Infection modes.
Ugh, more FFA? Oh well, it's cool to see some Infection slipping in there.
DLC Big Team
* Eight on eight Social Slayer and Objective action (Gametypes from Big Team Social)
* Focused on DLC content (Requires both Heroic and Legendary Map Packs)
Continuing my utter disappointment in this decision. I see no reason why Valhalla, Sandtrap, and Last Resort couldn't be in here. 8v8 isn't even that good for Standoff and even a tad cramped for Rat's Nest.
"(Gametypes from Big Team Social)"
"(Gametypes from Big Team Social)"
"(Gametypes from Big Team Social)"
"(Gametypes from Big Team Social)"
"(Gametypes from Big Team Social)"
"(Gametypes from Big Team Social)"
What a fuck up, give me a break, why can't we have the gametypes from RBTB. They fit perfectly in there and even if the 6v6 playlist pick up some of them, I don't want to have to deal with such a high weighting for VIP, Territories, and Covies. Get that shit outta there and give me CTF, neutral assualt, and heavies.
Hardcore Playlists
Team SWAT
* Objective Gametypes, SWATGuns set to skip after veto
* Weighting on all Objective games, SWATGuns and Magnums reduced
* Player Damage Resistance set to 150% (was 200%), players no longer spawn with grenades
* SWAT map variants now have Carbines and grenades available to pick up.
Good stuff
Head to Head
* This playlist is retired.
Who didn't see this one coming even before that abortion of a playlist was added.
Once my rage settles I'll probably decide I like overall setup of MM more but for now I can only focus on all the screw-ups I see. Cheers.