Am I missing a leg, or did I even have it to begin with?
My pet peeve: If you're going to quote me, do it right. My words of epicness don't belong to anyone else but me.
Halo Reach Beta Q&A Thread
No I don't have any Beta codes. Sorry :(
Got questions about Halo Reach?
Post your questions here, and either myself or beta testers will answer them for you.
See Goat's post on Page 3 here for more Q&A
Where's Invasion?
Invasion starts May 7th on Boneyard
Where's the shotgun on powerhouse?
Towards the very back left of the level behind the first pavement ledge. I'll post screens of all the weapon locations in a thread and link it here.
Can you use Armor Lock in mid-air?
You can't use Armor Lock, Evade, or Sprint in Mid-air, but you can move further in the air if you Sprint or Evade off of a jump or ramp.
Is the Pistol and DMR a good combo?
DMR for longer range, Pistol for shorter range. A skilled player can go throughout the game with just these 2 weapons, or an NR and Plasma Pistol.
Does Ret. Bloom make No-scope sniper shots harder?
In theory, it does. However, since players move slower, sniping is easier, and if you line up your shot, it'll seem easier to get them.
Is navigating the maps different with abilities?
Yes. Jumping and crouch jumping is no longer the primary way to get around maps. You can sprint and make far leaps, or you can jetpack and gain vertical distance. Jump height has been lowered, but you can still make tactical jumps if you crouch jump or use the jetpack
Is it harder to ninja
Not unless you have the high-ground. You can use a jetpack to pull off nice ninjas though.
How are grenades?
Frags don't bounce as much, and they have a blast radius the size of 2 scorpion tanks. They're fairly powerful, and if you don't have full health, they'll kill you. They make a ringing sound when they land by you. They're also a little different to throw. Sticky grenades are less powerful than before.
Can you talk to your opponents in the pre-game lobby?
You can't talk Halo 2 style while searching, but you can talk while voting. You can't, however, talk to opponents in The Arena. They'll be listed as "Opponent" instead.
Can you block Sword melees with a Melee?
Yes. You could even do this in Halo 3 if you timed it right. It takes away your health though, and it cannot block lunges. It balances the sword on Swordbase
Does Reticule bloom make guns harder to use?
If you don't time your shots with guns like the DMR, Needle Rifle, and Pistol, you probably wont get many kills with them. It makes it very difficult to use, and you have to time your shots with it. It separates good pistol users from bad ones, but you can still spam in CQB and get kills with the pistol.
How high can you jump?
About same height as in ODST
Has Reach gone in the right direction?
Absolutely. It's introduced fresh features, enhanced gameplay on the technical side, and the best part of all is you can customize what you want in the full game. So if you like playing a certain way, you can do so this fall.
Are sprees and multi-kills harder to get?
Once you get the hang of the game, nope. However, the game focuses more on Teamwork than Halo 3 or Halo 2 did, so it's imperative that you stay with at least 1 buddy if you want to out-gun your opponents and improve your lifespan.
Is FFA more fun than Lone Wolves?
With Armor Abilities, it's tons more fun. You get the play the way you want. Headhunter and Juggernaut are great modes, and Crazy King breeds Jetpack craziness.
How chaotic and intense are battles?
Depends. If there's lots of camo going on, battles are generally quiter. If there's jetpacks involved, battles are much louder and chaotic. Swordbase usually has louder combat due to 'nade spam, the plasma launcher and jetpacks. SWAT is pretty quiet.
How responsive are the controls?
Animations, graphics, and the controls are definitely smoother and more natural than any other Halo game before.
How has Melee combat changed?
Lunge has been slighty reduced, and the system has been reworked. However, if you are right in the face of someone, it's better to melee them twice than shoot first and melee or melee and headshot. Double beatdowns are very quick in this game, which can lead to stale gameplay in some instances. The Melee isn't as problematic as in Halo 3, but it's my ToD because someone's always up in my face when I'm using Armor Lock.
How long does the Beta take to download?
Anywhere from 10 minutes to 8 hours. Depends on your connection speed and how many people are downloading it. Took me 15 minutes.
How are the Plasma Repeater, Needle Rifle, and Plasma Launcher?
The Plasma Repeater is a really strong successor to the Plasma Rifle. It's stronger than that and the AR, and it shoots much faster. It's also much more accurate. When you fire for a long time, it's RoF will slow down, but shots will become even more accurate. You cool it down with the reload button (which is awesome). Use it over an AR any day
The Needle Rifle is a very comfortable gun. It's the easiest headshot weapon to use in the game. It doesn't have much bloom, and if you hold the trigger down, it will fire automatic. The super-combine animation is also pretty sweet. It takes some getting used to.
The Plasma Launcher is awesome. Tracking with it takes getting used to, but when you prime those grenades, you can hit multiple targets from across maps and stick them. IMO it's kind of overpowered, but it's still pretty awesome. Armor Lock can block the sticks.
How's the voting system?
You're given 3 maps to vote on, or a none of the above option to vote on 3 other maps. You can change your vote as many times as you want. Unfortunately, if the vote's a tie, the top vote gets selected. If you don't vote, your vote is automatically tallied towards the top option.
How extensive is Armor Customization?
In the Beta, you can purchase 5 shoulderpads, 5 chestpieces, 3 helmets, and 3 helmet add-ons for each. There will be more in the final game. Credits are used to purchase these, but you need to be a Warrant Officer (takes at least 100+ games) to buy most of the pieces.
Do Grenade's explode when you shoot them?
Plasma grenade's do. If you hit someone's head with a frag when you throw it, it'll kill them.
How different is the shotgun?
The Shotgun has been nerfed once again. Its range has increased, but it has less rounds in its clip and its much harder to aim and use. A skilled Pistol wielder can take him down before he gets near, but it still dominates in CQB if aimed right. Its intervals for shots and such have been changed.
Are Healthpacks balanced on maps?
Yes. Nobody camps them, and once you get used to their location, you can find them easily. There are 4 on each map. You have to press your action button to pick them up.
Are there guardians or invisible barriers?
On Powerhouse, if you get on to the rock wall, you will be prompted to return to the battlefield in 10 seconds, or you'll commit suicide.
How big of a roll do AAs play in Combat?
They play a huge roll. They're essential for map navigation, and can be deadly when used in coordination with your team. Just play a round of Slayer Classic or Juggernaut and you'll miss them. Of course, if they aren't your forte, you can turn them off in the full game with custom options.
All the abilities have their pros and cons, and it's up to you to use the one that suits your playing style.
How do you upload content on your fileshare?
1) Go to the main menu
2) Press start to access Settings
3) Go to File Browser
4) Local Files
5) Select your media
6) Press X, and you should have the option to upload.
7) You cannot watch your files from here.
8) Be careful what you name it, because you cannot rename it
How's splitscreen?
Unfortunately, not that fun. When you use Camo, but players cannot hear any sounds. The pause screen is also still on both screens, and sometimes you get split onto different teams. You also can't even see callouts, and the HUD is hard to see when playing 4 players splitscreen.
How's aim assist for Melees?
Quite non-existent. If you are off by even an inch it will miss. They take more aiming, but double beatdowns are a growing issue.
Does the Needler go back to its Combat Evolved roots?
Yup. Needles do damage when they're hitting you now, and there's a "Frisbee" melee animation where you hit with the actual needles. Its kill time is longer though, but it fires quickly.
Are assassinations worth it?
Yup. If you catch a player by himself or you've got buddies nearby, you should always go for it to embarrass them. Nothing more than a taunt.
Is Burst Firing with the AR and Plasma Repeater useful?
Yes, but for the AR, if you're not in it's range, you'll exhaust a magazine before getting a kill this way.
Is the Grenade Launcher a 1 hit kill?
Yes, but it's incredibly hard to use. The rounds bounce a lot, and the manual fire rounds bounce too. A dead-on shot will result in an EMP medal and a kill, but it can damage you if you're too close.
Can you assassinate someone who's assassinating someone?
Yes, but you can't use the special animation if they're doing it. You can kill them though to save the person they were assassinating
Any changes to the betrayal system?
Still the same, but Betrayals will take away from your credits and arena ranking, and you can still get booted after the round is over if you betray during the scoreboard :/
See Goat's post on Page 3 here for more Q&A
[Edited on 05.06.2010 10:43 AM PDT]