(Reposted from HaloWaypoint) with my commentary along the way…
This Monday’s Matchmaking Update welcomes the long awaited Halo 4 Weapon Tuning Update as well as other Matchmaking updates. Starting today, several of Halo 4’s multiplayer weapons have been slightly tuned to provide optimal Matchmaking experiences. To see the full details of this update and how each weapon has changed, check out last week’s Halo Bulletin.
In addition to weapon tuning, the following updates have also been applied to Matchmaking:
The “Slayer Pro” game mode in Big Team Infinity Slayer and Infinity Slayer now has an Assault Rifle loadout. Also, the “Global Skill searching,” or CSR matching duration, has been increased once again for all playlists. This increase will help ensure that Matchmaking is primarily searching for both teammates and opponents at your per-playlist CSR level.
The Majestic DLC playlist has returned as the “featured DLC” playlist. We will continue to offer a variety of DLC maps in this slot, and may update the game types, maps, and even team sizes moving forward to keep DLC content fresh and available in Halo 4 Matchmaking. The Community Forge Island playlist has been retired. In Capture The Flag, the overtime period has been increased from one minute to two minutes in order to allow for even more nail-biting, and “big party matching” has been turned on, which ensures that parties of three or more will get matched with parties of three or more. In King of the Hill, the hill point limit has been increased from 25 to 50, and the score to win has been increased from 150 points to 250 points to provide more control-based game play.
Lastly, the multiplayer design team has been updating all of Halo 4’s maps with new weapon (ordnance) locations, new weapon drops, updated starting, vehicle, and objective spawns, and even new Forge objects to diversify and balance gameplay. Full details of these changes are below.
Abandon
Sniper rifle above gold lift
Sniper rifle next to red spawn by the cliff
Overshield placed on 1st floor of center structure equidistant from both team spawns
HFFL: Oh this should be interesting.
Red flag moved to bottom of gold lift
HFFL: Good move, IMO
Blue flag moved back closer to cliff
Adrift
Overshield placed in center of map below Mantis
HFFL: Um, what Mantis? And how can it be below it? Unless it’s not directly below it.
Twin Sniper rifles placed on the corners of the map
Needlers replace the frags in the center room in the corners
Adjusted cover and line of sight in the top hallways to help attackers in objective modes
HFFL: Nice!
Complex
Moved spawns farther apart and in proper “bases”
Flags are now moved to their respective “bases”
HFFL: About damn time!
Red team Sniper rifle moved to the 2nd floor of their “base”
Rocket Launcher replaces Sword in the courtyard
HFFL: Awe yeah!
Exile
Mantis replaces Scorpion and placed equidistant from both team spawns
HFFL: WHAT?! Now how in the frag am I supposed to get the Scorpion commendation. BAD UPDATE HERE!!!!
Laser spawns in center cave
Railgun is in front of each team spawn replaces SAW
HFFL: Nice!
Removed Gauss Hog and replaced with Rocket Hogs for each team
Exile CTF
Team spawns and flags pushed back into their respective “bases”
HFFL: Makes the MOST sense!
Sticky Det spawns in Banshee hangar (no Banshee)
No team Warthogs
Gauss Hog spawns in the center of the map and is flipped onto its side
HFFL: BOO! This is going to make this map SO one sided!
SAW in front of each team spawn
Beam rifle spawns in the cave over by the Scorpion bay
Haven
Rotated team spawns 90 degrees to oppose each other on the opposite axis found currently in matchmaking
HFFL: Thanks, that’s SO much better!
Sword spawns in the upper center
Concussion rifle spawns next to closed ramp
Sniper rifle spawns next to open ramp
Lifts are now at the drop downs to allow more flow to the upper level
HFFL: Good move here for people who don’t use Jet Pack.
Colored lighting to distinguish player/map orientation
HFFL: VERY good move!
Miscellaneous grenades placed around the map
Landfall
Moved spawns and flags to opposite corners of the map. Blue flag in lift room and red flag by sea side
Shotgun, sniper rifle, and Overshield are initial weapon spawns
Longbow
Gauss Hog at each team spawn
HFFL: Oh this map just got a WHOLE lot more fun!
Banshee at each team spawn
HFFL: Oh this map just got a WHOLE lot more fun!
4x Shade turrets at the center fort on the ridge
HFFL: Oh this map just got a WHOLE lot more fun!
Overshield in center cave
Beam rifle and Rocket launcher at each team spawn
HFFL: Oh this map just got a WHOLE lot more fun!
Meltdown
Fuel Rod replaces Incinerator cannon at each team spawn
Gauss Hog at each team spawn
HFFL: Look out Mantis!
Plasma turrets inside each side bunker
Scattershot at each side bunker
Meltdown (CTF)
Mantis at center of map under bridge
HFFL: Another one-sided move. Better get to that Mantis first!
Beam rifles on top of the side bunkers
Plasma turrets inside each side bunker
Ragnarok
Added Rocket Hog to vehicle set
Ragnarok (CTF)
2x SAWs at each team spawn
Railgun in the field opposite Pelican crash site
Solace
Removed Incinerator from low center
HFFL: What?! That’s one of the ONLY things that made this map FUN! Damn…
Sword is alone at low center
Fuel Rod spawns on the side of the map equidistant from the team spawns
Vortex
Gauss Hog at each team spawn
Mantis at each team spawn
Banshee low center equidistant from team spawns
HFFL: Oh this map just got a WHOLE lot more fun! (X3!)
HFFL: So for the most part, many of the changes I agree with and look forward to utilizing. A couple kind of irk me, especially the removal of the InCin on Solace. But otherwise, some pretty solid changes or ones that will make maps MORE fun, especially by vehicle combat. I’m looking at you Longbow!!!
And finally a fantastic concept of the cryo chamber room from the beginning of the Halo 4 campaign.