{"id":13322,"date":"2014-02-27T14:49:24","date_gmt":"2014-02-27T19:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=13322"},"modified":"2014-02-27T14:49:24","modified_gmt":"2014-02-27T19:49:24","slug":"the-halo-bulletin-2-27-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=13322","title":{"rendered":"The Halo Bulletin 2-27-14"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2-26_halobulletinheader\"<\/a>Bravo writes this week’s bulletin.<\/p>\n

Last week, I predicted that this month\u2019s community playdate would result in numerous interoffice debates, references to match highlights, and food fights. While I have been unsuccessful at actually getting the third activity in that list to happen (one day, I tell you), the first few days of this week have absolutely been full of sly references to Monday\u2019s mischief. Several of us hopped into the Big Rumble playlist on February 24, and before each game, bs angel not only encouraged everyone in the lobby to target me during the match, but also made sure that everyone voted for anything but my favorite voting option. Essentially, she was doing her best to make sure I was having an awful time. Despite her best efforts, though, we (myself included) had an awesome time playing with many of you, and also enjoying the chaos that is Big Rumble Oddball on Exile. We ran into a bunch of community members, including several of you who kicked our butts. As usual, if this applies to you, you are now banned from Halo 4. (Just kidding! Or am I?)<\/p>\n

If you missed us this week, don\u2019t worry \u2013 we\u2019ve got another community playdate right around the corner. On March 10th, we\u2019ll be playing some Medal Madness. Speaking of \u2013 let\u2019s get into this week\u2019s Matchmaking update.<\/p>\n

Matchmaking Playlist Update<\/span><\/strong>
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This Monday, we\u2019ll be bringing some new freshness into Halo 4 Matchmaking, including a brand new featured playlist and Community Choice Poll winner. Last week, we asked which throwback Rumble Pit game type you wanted to see in Matchmaking, and your votes have been tallied.<\/p>\n

\"2-26_voting660\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Securing nearly half of the community votes, Rumble Swords was selected by you for inclusion into the Rumble Pit playlist, and the game type will be available in Matchmaking this coming Monday! If you\u2019ve got the urge to do a bit of slicing and dicing or want to rack up some kills for your Energy Sword weapon commendation, hop into the playlist and do some damage.<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> Dang, I was hoping for Rockets…Ah well.<\/span><\/p>\n

The March 3rd Matchmaking update will also include our newest game type, Medal Madness. This 4 vs. 4 game type brings an entirely new experience to Halo 4 War Games, and we have been playing (I mean, cough, play testing) every chance we get. Rather than ramble on about how cool I think it is, I sat down with TTL L askan, one of our multiplayer designers, to talk about the game type and also what\u2019s in the works in the Matchmaking department.<\/p>\n

Hey, Laskan! <\/span><\/p>\n

WHATSUP, BRAVADO! It\u2019s not often that we get to talk here in the office so I gotta say it\u2019s nice to hear from you. I love hearing your buttery-soft dulcet tones live and in person. For anyone who doesn\u2019t know, who maybe hasn\u2019t heard Bravo call a game of Halo (Halo 4 Global Championship FTW), his voice is pretty darn easy on the ears. I often wonder if the world even knows what it\u2019s missing since he decided against pursuing a career as a vocalist. Also, dude, I thought Ave Maria was a bold choice for karaoke.<\/p>\n

Thanks for the kind words! I\u2019ve always had a soft spot for 19th century French classics. Let\u2019s start with the game type on everyone\u2019s mind. Tell us about Medal Madness! <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad you\u2019re asking about the game type. We\u2019ve never done anything like this in Halo, and I\u2019m excited to see what the community thinks. Medal Madness is a 4 vs. 4 team game type where each side works to collect the most of a requisite medal in a one-minute time period, which we refer to as mini-rounds. The team that collects the most of said medal will win the mini-round and earn a point. The first team to earn seven points (by winning mini-rounds) wins the match. To facilitate the earning of medals, we dynamically shift player traits as the new mini-rounds begin, and there are no breaks in the action (as opposed to actual round-based game types). As a quick example, when the Double Kill medal is the goal, the rules of the game mirror SWAT – you\u2019ll immediately have no shields, no radar, and a Battle Rifle will pop into each player\u2019s hand. Headshots galore!<\/p>\n

\"2-25_medalmadness_1920x749\"<\/a>HFFL:<\/strong> Okay, this sounds pretty cool. I’m definitely going to give this new game type a gp!<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some of your favorite mini-rounds in Medal Madness? <\/span><\/p>\n

There are a bunch of cool, and maybe I should say, unexpected mini-rounds in Medal Madness. A few of my favorites are Snapshot, Assassination, and Hail Mary. One thing I particularly enjoy is watching the mini-rounds shift and how the proximity of players changes so dramatically. Watching players go from Binary Rifle kills to Melee Medals is a riot. Since you never know what\u2019s next, no two games are ever the same.<\/p>\n

Here are the different medals that are available in Medal Madness in each of our randomly generated mini-rounds:<\/p>\n