So, I've played the multiplayer of Halo: Reach for about a week now, and I must say, I'm still not sure what I think about it. I want to love the multiplayer aspect of this game, I really do, but to be honest there is a lot of stuff that piss me off immensely. I am a very competitive person by nature, whether we are talking sports or video games etc. I want to win, not necessarily be the best, but I want to win. This would also be the perfect point to add, that I am no Halo god, I can hold my own in a 1v1 gunfight, but I am no more than an average player at best-
 
Halo Reach is a good game, no doubt, I simply love the core gameplay, I like that it takes at least five shots to kill a guy, I like the new armor abilities and again, the core multiplayer gameplay appeals to me. However, I find this game to be very infuriating as well, and some of the problems are fixable. To start off, why does inactive players not get kicked? This is my competitive nature talking, but when two dudes on my team aren't moving throughout the entire match why aren't they booted? Speaking of people leaving the game, why doesn't the games fill up when people leave the game? It's 2010 now, online multiplayer is THE hottest thing right now, and I consider these things pretty basic, so why are these things a problem in Halo: Reach? And yes, for me it has been a problem, I've probably played about 30 games the last few days, and I swear to god, more than half of these games, I have played more or less alone (because people ragequit/are inactive) against four-six other guys, no matter how I look at it, I don't see any fun in that. I'm not mad at the players quitting, I'm just baffled by the fact, that there isn't a "join in progress" or "kicked for inactivity"  thing. 
 
Another thing is the spawn system, I'm not sure if it's just me, but I find it absolutely horrible. I can't count how often half a team has spawned just behind me, or I in front of them, and being killed merely seconds after you spawn isn't fun either.  Yet another thing that irritates me, is the fact that there is no specific playlist for each gametype, I'm pretty sure it's coming to some extent, but I don't find it very enjoyable playing SWAT 15 times in a row, especially when people on my time rage quits, and I'm the only one left on my team.
 
That was the more objective stuff, personally I also dislike pretty much every map in the game, I think it has worse maps that Modern Warfare 2 (Zealot is just horrible, along with every forge world map, except Asylum). I also feel that the grenades are a little too powerful, the same with the energy sword, considering it takes five shots with a normal weapon, but these things are instakills, they are meant to be so I can't really complain too much, I'm also not a big fan of the campy-ness but that is a problem in every shooter. If you are still with me at this point, I want to make one final comment. Even though this has pretty much been one long rant, I want to stress out, I do not hate the game. It might just be me who takes the game a little too serious, but, I can't help it. I love the game at its core, and many of these problems are hopefully going to be fixed by Bungie (because there are a lot fixable stuff) so, I guess I'll just have to suck it up, only play with a party to avoid some of the stuff, and remember.... it's just a game.
 
But, dear reader, do you recognize any of these problems, do you agree with me, or am I just an overreacting sore loser?
 
(I'm super tired right now, and English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if any of the sentences are super weird and/or hard to understand, I've read through it a few times, and it seems fine to me sooo)

So, I've played the multiplayer of Halo: Reach for about a week now, and I must say, I'm still not sure what I think about it. I want to love the multiplayer aspect of this game, I really do, but to be honest there is a lot of stuff that piss me off immensely. I am a very competitive person by nature, whether we are talking sports or video games etc. I want to win, not necessarily be the best, but I want to win. This would also be the perfect point to add, that I am no Halo god, I can hold my own in a 1v1 gunfight, but I am no more than an average player at best-
 
Halo Reach is a good game, no doubt, I simply love the core gameplay, I like that it takes at least five shots to kill a guy, I like the new armor abilities and again, the core multiplayer gameplay appeals to me. However, I find this game to be very infuriating as well, and some of the problems are fixable. To start off, why does inactive players not get kicked? This is my competitive nature talking, but when two dudes on my team aren't moving throughout the entire match why aren't they booted? Speaking of people leaving the game, why doesn't the games fill up when people leave the game? It's 2010 now, online multiplayer is THE hottest thing right now, and I consider these things pretty basic, so why are these things a problem in Halo: Reach? And yes, for me it has been a problem, I've probably played about 30 games the last few days, and I swear to god, more than half of these games, I have played more or less alone (because people ragequit/are inactive) against four-six other guys, no matter how I look at it, I don't see any fun in that. I'm not mad at the players quitting, I'm just baffled by the fact, that there isn't a "join in progress" or "kicked for inactivity"  thing. 
 
Another thing is the spawn system, I'm not sure if it's just me, but I find it absolutely horrible. I can't count how often half a team has spawned just behind me, or I in front of them, and being killed merely seconds after you spawn isn't fun either.  Yet another thing that irritates me, is the fact that there is no specific playlist for each gametype, I'm pretty sure it's coming to some extent, but I don't find it very enjoyable playing SWAT 15 times in a row, especially when people on my time rage quits, and I'm the only one left on my team.
 
That was the more objective stuff, personally I also dislike pretty much every map in the game, I think it has worse maps that Modern Warfare 2 (Zealot is just horrible, along with every forge world map, except Asylum). I also feel that the grenades are a little too powerful, the same with the energy sword, considering it takes five shots with a normal weapon, but these things are instakills, they are meant to be so I can't really complain too much, I'm also not a big fan of the campy-ness but that is a problem in every shooter. If you are still with me at this point, I want to make one final comment. Even though this has pretty much been one long rant, I want to stress out, I do not hate the game. It might just be me who takes the game a little too serious, but, I can't help it. I love the game at its core, and many of these problems are hopefully going to be fixed by Bungie (because there are a lot fixable stuff) so, I guess I'll just have to suck it up, only play with a party to avoid some of the stuff, and remember.... it's just a game.
 
But, dear reader, do you recognize any of these problems, do you agree with me, or am I just an overreacting sore loser?
 
(I'm super tired right now, and English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if any of the sentences are super weird and/or hard to understand, I've read through it a few times, and it seems fine to me sooo)

Good blog post.   I'm new to Halo (and I suck) so I'm not the one to give feedback, but you make some really valid points.  I've wondered myself, when someone quits, why can't someone just "pop" into the game.  
But then again, I don't know the mechanics of it, but would think it would be possible.

Reach multilayer definitely has it's flaws. I agree with the spawning stuff, I've never had a problem with spawning before in a halo game, but I've taken it up the ass quite a few times respawning in reach, and it's always a little disheartening when it happens. They're fixing the SWAT issue, giving it it's own playlist, so you won't have to deal with that anymore if you're not feeling it, which is something that definitely makes me happy.  
 
As far as players joining in mid game, I don't mind they don't have it. I can understand being stuck on numerically inferior teams all the time would piss me off, but that hasn't been a problem for me, so I haven't had to confront it. Do you like reflection? That's the only map I really dislike, and I hate the fact that it's so prominent in team slayer. I actually am finding that I like zealot, games on it seem to have a good mix of crazy action, or one on one stalking.  
 
Maybe when you start hitting your stride and lucking out with some decent teammates you'll feel it more, or you're just being over critical of something you like, I tend to be the same way. 

A lot of this stuff is almost exactly what I would say, so I can't add much to your blog except for this point:
 @JacDG said:

"Speaking of people leaving the game, why doesn't the games fill up when people leave the game? It's 2010 now, online multiplayer is THE hottest thing right now, and I consider these things pretty basic, so why are these things a problem in Halo: Reach? And yes, for me it has been a problem, I've probably played about 30 games the last few days, and I swear to god, more than half of these games, I have played more or less alone (because people ragequit/are inactive) against four-six other guys, no matter how I look at it, I don't see any fun in that. I'm not mad at the players quitting, I'm just baffled by the fact, that there isn't a "join in progress" or "kicked for inactivity"  thing."

"I also feel that the grenades are a little too powerful, the same with the energy sword, considering it takes five shots with a normal weapon, but these things are instakills, they are meant to be so I can't really complain too much"

Zealot is my favorite map. I like it because there aren't any sniper towers or really high up places that people can camp in and take pot shots at people.

I really don't think Bungie are going to start changing things like the energy sword and the grenades, they're pretty much a staple of Halo. I also think most people consider the map design in games like Halo to be very good. Quitters, idlers and SWAT are all a problem but in the case of SWAT Bungie is fixing the issue.

Good post. I haven't had the problems you mentioned so  can't really comment. In terms of spawning...it seems more focused on spawning you next to a teammate than previous Halo games, which could be part of the problem. But again, I can count the number of times I felt cheated by the spawn on one hand...maybe two...and I've played over 200 matches.
 
I for one think it is great that they do not allow joining mid-game. Allowing mid-game joins would likely increase the frequency in which people quite. If people know there is no punishment to the team for leaving they will leave as soon as their k/d goes negative.  I know it seems impossible, but I do think some sense of guilt keeps some people in the game even when they would love to quite. I know I would have quite a few games, but felt bad leaving my team a man down.  Also, would it really be that fun to be the guy who joins into a match midway when the team you come in on is down 40-15. I'll pass thanks. Plus evenetually Bungie will start enforcing the early quiter ban-hammer and that problem will disappear.  I for one would rather keep the integrity of matchmaking and suffer through a few matches a man down.

" Zealot is my favorite map. I like it because there aren't any sniper towers or really high up places that people can camp in and take pot shots at people. "

" Reach multilayer definitely has it's flaws. I agree with the spawning stuff, I've never had a problem with spawning before in a halo game, but I've taken it up the ass quite a few times respawning in reach, and it's always a little disheartening when it happens. They're fixing the SWAT issue, giving it it's own playlist, so you won't have to deal with that anymore if you're not feeling it, which is something that definitely makes me happy.   As far as players joining in mid game, I don't mind they don't have it. I can understand being stuck on numerically inferior teams all the time would piss me off, but that hasn't been a problem for me, so I haven't had to confront it. Do you like reflection? That's the only map I really dislike, and I hate the fact that it's so prominent in team slayer. I actually am finding that I like zealot, games on it seem to have a good mix of crazy action, or one on one stalking.   Maybe when you start hitting your stride and lucking out with some decent teammates you'll feel it more, or you're just being over critical of something you like, I tend to be the same way.  "

" I really don't think Bungie are going to start changing things like the energy sword and the grenades, they're pretty much a staple of Halo. I also think most people consider the map design in games like Halo to be very good. Quitters, idlers and SWAT are all a problem but in the case of SWAT Bungie is fixing the issue. "

Seriously, the multiplayer is pretty much the same as Halo 3 except there is not battle rifle and your character has health on top of the shield.  I think anyone who is a Halo fan but is skeptical about playing online should give it a chance.  It is a lot better than MW2.

"Seriously, the multiplayer is pretty much the same as Halo 3 except there is not battle rifle and your character has health on top of the shield.  I think anyone who is a Halo fan but is skeptical about playing online should give it a chance.  It is a lot better than MW2. "

" @Gamer_152 said:

" I really don't think Bungie are going to start changing things like the energy sword and the grenades, they're pretty much a staple of Halo. I also think most people consider the map design in games like Halo to be very good. Quitters, idlers and SWAT are all a problem but in the case of SWAT Bungie is fixing the issue. "

Yeah, I know you are right, it was just a personal prefrence, and as I said, these weapons are supposed to be that strong. My problem might be that half my deaths tend to come from the energy sword, I put three or four shots into the guy, but he launches over and kills me, because it seems that you can only parry once? "