Recently in my Halo: Reach outings, I've been playing almost exclusively in the Premium Playlists, as I feel the new maps they added are severely underused. There's only ever a couple hundred people playing in these playlists (compared to the thousands in others) and I made me wonder why.

Is it that people don't like these maps? Or is it just the fact that the other playlists have more people? Maybe people don't like the gametypes in these lists?

I'd really love to know any of you guys opinions, if you're still playing.

I personally think they're some of the best map designs in the game, and Tempest in particular is not only fun but spectacular looking. I have a great amount of fun playing on all of the Noble and Defiant Maps, I just think it's a shame not many other people seem to play them.

So, opinions?

They were good, though damnation is my least favourite so far, I don't like the flow of that map.

Oh and installation 04 is really amazing, ODSTs and set pieces being dropped are just awesome.

Pretty sure neither of those are Noble or Defiant, let alone being in the game at the moment.

I love Tempest and Breakpoint is pretty good too. It just sucks that they didn't make any DLC Required playlists to go with them. I got Noble maps a few times in regular playlists, but that never, ever happens with the Defiant ones. It feels like nobody bought that pack. Having DLC Required playlists "encourages" people to buy them, and gives the people who already bought them a way better way to play them.

@MideonNViscera: They do have those playlists, but they're just solely for the DLC (even though I've seen a couple of Forge World/Invasion maps on there with different game modes)

I really wish they did it like Halo 3 and added them into the normal playlists. It would be great to play them more often.

@Sitoxity said:

I really wish they did it like Halo 3 and added them into the normal playlists. It would be great to play them more often.

I like both Noble and Defiant maps, this is my only complain not being able to play them more.

This is the same shit that happened in Halo 2, and Reach is nowhere near as popular as that game. Only when people are forced to download the maps, are when they become relevant. People only care about playing their favorite playlist, and if the new maps aren't part of that playlist, then you're boned.

They were good, though damnation is my least favourite so far, I don't like the flow of that map.

 Oh and installation 04 is really amazing, ODSTs and set pieces being dropped are just awesome.  

Yeah, the way the CoD games did the whole DLC problem was good, it's a shame that Reach hasn't had that implemented yet.

I'm okay with not having all the old maps back, though there are some I wish we had. Chrion couldn't work purely because the amount of teleporters they can have in the engine is a lot smaller than they'd need. (I'm sure I heard someone at Bungie talk about wanting to make it at some point...) but I would have loved a new version of Boarding Action.

I'm fine with the Firefight maps as they are, though I wouldn't mind having the ODST ones to play around with. As for MP in FF maps and vice versa, they're designed completely differently, so I doubt they'd work well as their opposites.

I loved both DLC packs. I just tend to think those premium playlists arnt more played since they only have those DLC maps and it kinda gets boring to play the same few maps over and over. Ill occassionally get those maps to come up in normal playlists but its rare and sadly it usually ends up being Anchor 9 which is probably my least favorite of all the DLC maps.

Both are good, great maps in both - They should fix the rotation, having them in the DLC premiun list is clearly not helping.

I have a feeling that after Anniversary comes out, the DLC map playlists will get a ton more foot traffic. That said though, it is a shame that they're underpopulated right now cause a lot of those maps are positively superb. Certain Affinity knows them some Halo maps!

I don't know if I've ever played a real game on it, but I love Highlands just for the way it looks, so I'm going to say that should be in the rotation more, if only because I think it's pretty.

@Slaker117 said:

I don't know if I've ever played a real game on it, but I love Highlands just for the way it looks, so I'm going to say that should be in the rotation more, if only because I think it's pretty.

At peak hours there is arround 1k players in the premium DLC list - Getting constant games on those maps is NP

Might be just me, but I simply don't see the value in the map packs.
And cutting me off because I don't throw my cash down? Yeah, I'll be here enjoying Firefight matchmaking then.
I still think DLC is too expensive.

@TaliciaDragonsong: I think we don't want to cut people off who don't buy the maps, because hey, that's your choice if you don't want them. It's just been proven that there is a way to have the DLC maps in these playlists without splintering the community, as was mentioned in CoD games.

Honestly, the map packs for Halo have always been good value to me. You get a decent number of them, they add in some achievements and they're always top quality. (Unlike the CoD DLC, which I do think is way overpriced, and why I never bought them)

The firefight map they added in one of the map packs (I forget which one) was actually pretty damned neat. Very fun.

Halo Reach does integrate all the DLC maps into other non premium playlists. If everyone in a match has the maps they will be available to play the same as COD. I haven't bought any DLC maps so I don't know how often they come up but I remember it being a thing Bungie had stated since lots of people complained about not being able to play in popular playlists without DLC. 
 
I haven't bought any maps because I don't have the spare cash laying around and although the default maps in the game aren't great I still find them enjoyable. I might get them some day but Halo 4 is out next year and I might be better saving the money till then.

@ShaneDev: Even if this is the case, they are extremely uncommon to the point where they just do not come up. I've never played a regular playlist on a DLC map.

Some of them are cool but the fact that they aren't integrated in the main modes kind of ruins them to me, because I rarely play on premium slayer.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

@Sitoxity: I hear ya, its just quite silly to see a "You need DLC to play this playlist" etc. I understand why and how, I just don't like the concept! Can't speak for any Reach or CoD map packs, I only got the Halo 3 ones for free on the ODST disc ( right?) but I dislike it in general. I was actually doubting to buy that map pack just for the Firefight map, I love firefight.

Considering Reach is going to be the main Halo multiplayer hub for at least a couple of years more. DLC has more value than CoD ones.

Black ops just release a new DLC like a week ago... who's going to buy that with Mw3 coming in a couple of months?

They did to little to late

@left4doof said:

They did to little to late

They took to long to deliver balance updates yup, I still play it thou. There is no other multiplayer like it.

I want more map variety in Reach! I can count on my fingers the number of times a DLC map has come up in the regular playlists. And even if they come up, that's no guarantee they'll be selected. My biggest gripe with Reach that, having paid for two DLC packs, I hardly ever get to play on them. They're good maps, but largely ignored. Because Reach divides its (limited number of) maps into "big" and "small", if you play the "core" playlists (TD, Infection, Squad Slayer) you end up playing the same "small" maps over and over again. And, before anyone makes the point, the Forge maps (though some are pretty good) are no substitute for proper maps! I've played on the DLC-specific playlists a couple of times, but they are dominated by the very best players, making it quite hard for me to find competitive games. As has been pointed out above, COD does integration of DLC maps far better.