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Re: Counter-play
Posted By: yakaman	Date: 11/21/12 10:10 a.m.
In Response To: Counter-play (Leisandir) : Extra Credits' new episode today discusses the concept of counter-play (the : episode can be found here ). I'm curious about how this relates to Halo's : multiplayer. Essentially, the idea is that every new ability (and in this : context, 'ability' includes weapons, items, powers, and vehicles) should : add something interesting for the user as well as something interesting : for the player on whom it's being used. Halo is used as an example of poor : counter-play. We've all been in the situation where a player gets the : sniper rifle and the high-ground on a map like Ascension and does nothing : but rack up kills, while the opposing players have the experience of : hiding until they poke their heads out, at which point they are : immediately taken down. : Obviously, Halo's multiplayer does things right, else it wouldn't be as : popular as it is, but this is an element that I think has been missing in : a lot of situations and I'm interested in examining Halo 4 to see in what : ways it's remedied or perpetuated this. I've only just finished the : episode, so I haven't had much time to mull it over, but I figured I'd : post my initial thoughts and see what you guys think about it, as well. : In Halo 4, a pretty significant element of multiplayer gameplay has been : radically changed. I'm specifically referring to weapon spawns. In : addition to reflexes and aim, knowledge of the map has been integral to : success in Halo's multiplayer. The inclusion of weapon drops has changed : this - power weapons still spawn on the maps, but every player can get : access to them through performance-based rewards. This is something that a : lot of us have complained about, and as significant of a change as it is, : that isn't surprising. The weapon spawns did add an element of : counter-play in that they created opportunities for a lot of player : choices: do I risk running out in the open and hope the sniper-rifle is : still there, or do I play it safe and stick to cover? Do I camp the weapon : spawn and hope someone comes for it, or do I grab the shotgun and GTFO? Do : I race this player to the sword Hunger Games style, or let him have it and : try to find another tactical advantage? Many of these options are no : longer significant. Yeah, I could dash to the Spartan Laser, but it would : be safer to be safe, get some kills, and call down a gauss rifle. On the : other hand, I think the inclusion of weapon drops addresses the issue : raised at the beginning of this post: if a team gets control of the power : weapon, the high ground, and the weapon spawn, the team which would : otherwise be hunted for the remainder of the match now has the opportunity : to get a power weapon of their own to try and take the field back. : Vehicles are significant, as well. We're all painfully aware of the power of : the Gauss Hog and its pinpoint-accurate death cannon, and we've all been : stuck in the game with the enemy in control of the Banshee raining down : perpetual death. As Halo games have progressed, they've added more and : more vehicles to the sandbox, and I think there's some counter-play at : work here. The Gauss and Rocket Hogs are capable of taking down Scorpions : and Banshees, but without turning it into a rock-paper-scissors scenario. : Our new friend, the Mantis, seems to fill a similar role: it's deadly to : both other vehicles and ground forces, but it's far from invincible. It's : been crafted with a few specific weaknesses: its turning speed makes it : difficult to track nearby infantry and its height makes it a vulnerable : target from range. I've only played a few games including the Mantis, but : so far I've found that it created some interesting situations demanding : that both the team with the Mantis and the team trying to take it down : work together in interesting ways: infantry to provide close support to : the 'mech, trying to position heavy weapons to take it down, distracting : it with lighter, faster vehicles. : I guess I'm kind of rambling by this point, but I am curious to see what : others think of all this. For certain, I feel that vehicles, while still dangerous in the hands of skilled operators, don't dominate game-play for duration like they have previously. A Banshee or Mantis or Tank might have a good run, but weapon drops inevitably give the other team a counter. In the past (Reach for sure, H3 to a lesser extent) if your team lost the power weapon/vehicle scramble at the beginning you were in for a long game. Now it seems that momentum can swing back a forth a few times, keeping the game fresh. It feels a bit like a basketball game, with runs as one team gets hot and the other cools down. Just as I really start to dominate with my ordinance-dropped fuel rod cannon, I out of ammo. Or...I've been binary-rifled by some guy who requested it specifically to kill my cheap, point-blank, insta-kill weapon using ass. Many can dominate with a power weapon and limitless ammo. What about when your primary has run out of ammo and you're out in the middle of Ragnarok? It seems H4 includes changes specifically to increase the amount of counter-play. Less camping, more movement, less "high-ground, power weapons" domination.

Message Index

Counter-play	Leisandir	11/21/12 8:21 a.m.
Re: Counter-play	Ragashingo	11/21/12 10:08 a.m.
Re: Counter-play	yakaman	11/21/12 10:10 a.m.
I agree.	robofin117	11/21/12 11:16 a.m.
How...	uberfoop	11/21/12 12:26 p.m.
Re: How...	Leisandir	11/21/12 1:36 p.m.
Re: How...	Ragashingo	11/21/12 1:51 p.m.
Re: How...	Leisandir	11/21/12 3:33 p.m.
Re: How...	uberfoop	11/21/12 3:59 p.m.
Re: How...	Leisandir	11/21/12 4:05 p.m.
Re: How...	uberfoop	11/21/12 2:11 p.m.
Again Extra Credits is clueless	Cody Miller	11/22/12 3:19 a.m.
Re: Again Cody Miller is clueless	Quirel	11/22/12 11:21 a.m.
Re: Again Cody Miller is clueless	Cody Miller	11/22/12 11:25 a.m.
Re: Again Cody Miller is clueless	Quirel	11/22/12 11:51 a.m.
Re: Again Cody Miller is clueless	WhoLikesChicken	11/22/12 12:23 p.m.
Re: Again Extra Credits is clueless	Dervish	11/22/12 2:42 p.m.
This guy.	Leisandir	11/22/12 3:21 p.m.
Re: This guy.	Cody Miller	11/22/12 5:21 p.m.