[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [/quote]Alright pal, before I respond, let me ask you just one question. From most favorite to least favorite, what's your favorite Halo game? Mine is: CE > Halo 3 > Halo 2 > Reach _______ [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan Granted, but then again when has the friendly AI in halo ever not been worse than the enemy AI?[/quote]The trilogy allies were useful. CE: marines with snipers stole kills, in large numbers the marines could be useful since they kept the enemy on their toes (Elites spend more time dodging than firing) H2: mostly because marines are damage sponges. As for Covie allies, because Elites had shields and could use swords H3: much better vehicle handling (could stop them if they tried to drive off with your vehicle), stayed in cover [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan This has a very limited impact on gameplay, you're just nitpicking.[/quote]Not for me. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan How so? The numbers were relatively equal to or more than that of halo 3, which no-one complains about.[/quote]Read my replies below. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan No more lame than other games. The [i]only[/i] objective of sierra 117 was get to evac, with "coincidences" constantly preventing the player from doing so. Also the storm had the player simply destroy 3 AA objectives, something much complained about on TOSP. The objectives can be as boring as you want if you try.[/quote]By lame, I mean execution. I could care less if the objectives are do this or do that. As long as it's done well. AotCR had repetitive locations but the encounters were so different and refreshing which is why I could tolerate it. Reach was just skirmishes while Halo 2 and Halo 3 were just room-to-room. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan I'll admit, they kinda sucked comapred to levels like The Ark and Assault on the control room.[/quote]Should have been optional. Vehicle segments have always failed IMO because they force you to use a vehicle and you can't do -blam!- without it. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan Thats simple game mechanics, don't let enemies get close to you.[/quote]When you only have 1 vehicle to work with on a level (LNoS mission start only has a single Wraith) and you want to do something else with it besides killing infinitely spawning enemies, you end up placing yourself in scenarios where you have to get up close. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -vehicles are often irreplaceable so it's annoying having to abandon a functional vehicle[/quote] Twas the same in all the other games apart from CE.[/quote]In Halo 2 and Halo 3, you didn't have to leave the vehicle when it looked like it was going to blow up. As unrealistic as it was, it was very convenient for a lot of setups. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -lack of AI collections[/quote] I don't understand what this means.[/quote]AI go on a mass exodus to some location, you come in, they all swarm you, even the Elites. Also, when you bring friendly AI to difficult places, such as under a map. And a bunch of other things like having clones of Arbiter and Johnson. 7erminalVeloci7y's Meta Stability 2.0 has shown that AI collections in Reach are possible but they are much more smaller in scale compared to the trilogy. And granted, Reach does have cloning (2 Emiles, 2 Juns, 2 Jorges, 2 Carters on various levels). [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -lack of freeroaming AI[/quote] Not in previous games.[/quote]Even in Halo 2 and Halo 3, enemies are hard to persuade. The best you could do in Halo 2 is get a train of Ultras. The best you could do in Halo 3 is lure the hammer Chieftain to the end of Crow's Nest in addition to getting a train of kamikaze Grunts on The Covenant. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -excessive scripting (also in H3)[/quote] If you mean scripted events, it's not an RPG, the story is kinda scripted, like ALL other halo games.[/quote]Halo 3 Sierra 117: Phantoms at the end of the level blow up on their own over time, Pelican loaded with missiles is impossible to stop and has hax (can fire at enemies behind it) Halo 3 Crow's Nest: impossible to save the Warthog Halo 3 Floodgate: marines can get infected before the Flood falls on them or you saved them Halo 3 The Storm: enemies at the AA gun get killed off once cutscene starts Halo 3 The Ark: cannot touch light bridge or you die, marine driver of Gauss Hog dies even if you manage to save him Halo 3 The Covenant: if you skip all the enemies at Journey's End, they get killed off Granted, Reach at least lets you save the Troop Transport Hog on ONI. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -Noble Team and Pelicans ruin any hope of fun on lower difficulties[/quote] What fun?[/quote]TotS AA gun battles: Pelican comes in, ravages Grunts LNoS mission start: cleared by Noble Team LNoS beach battles: Pelican comes in, kills everything The Package: they get held up by Jackal snipers earlier in the level but when confronted by a Covenant army, they just graze through it like it was nothing PoA: Emile takes 2 Zealots out, only 4 Zealots left to fight I've played Reach longer than you think I would. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -overrated encounters[/quote] Example?[/quote]4 Zealots at the end of PoA, 4 Ultras at the end of LNoS I did not find them intimidating. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan Because you aren't supposed to kill civillians and betray your team-mates, you sadistic bastard.[/quote]It was encouraged as an easter egg in CE: killing Keyes and doing a bunch of random stuff unlocks access to Megg. Plus, when you pissed off your allies in either CE or Halo 2, the crosshair turned red and their performance was more better than when they were allies. Bungie wasn't opposed to betraying allied NPC from the start. It began with Halo 3. Besides, what would you do if you had an army of marines but nothing for them to fight? You'd be tempted to turn on them. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan That's kinda what the thunderstrom skull does. It's not like they're any harder to kills, just one extra bullet.[/quote]Slow kill times. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPtUrClkTV0]A lot of grenade spamming Grunts, headshots, and Grunt Birthday Party is one hell of a birthday bash[/url] (also in Halo 2), whereas Reach lacks such an experience (Thunderstorm makes Grunts more likely to throw grenades and it makes them more durable so they don't blow themselves up which is why I want to turn it on). [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -still can't turn on/off skulls without restarting the mission[/quote] This was never in the previous games...[/quote]Halo 2: turn on skulls any time without restarting level. Turn off skulls by resetting Xbox Halo 3: have to restart ODST: have to restart [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -no carrying over weapons to next mission. Game frequently gives you a loadout[/quote] Carrying over weapons was only in halo 2, thougb it was pretty cool. Also you kinda have to have a loadout or you'd be weaponless, can't kill covenant then.[/quote]Also in Halo 3 (Tsavo Highway-The Storm, The Storm-Floodgate, The Covenant-Cortana, Cortana-Halo). Agreed. That doesn't mean it should be giving me crap weapons. The Package mission start is comparable to Delta Halo and The Covenant. The difference: no unique weapon that you can give to your marines so they can kick ass. Delta Halo: Rocket launcher, The Covenant: Spartan Laser, The Package: standard loadout How the hell am I supposed to enjoy an 'epic' mission without epic starting weapons? [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] SubtleSpartan [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sliding Ghost -redundant sandbox: *useless weapons (AR, plasma repeater, magnum) *situational weapons (concussion rifle, plasma launcher, plasma rifle, needler, plasma pistol overcharge, focus rifle, spartan laser) *useful weapons (DMR, needle rifle, plasma pistol, rocket launcher, sniper rifle, target locator)[/quote] Every weapon has a purpose and different people prefer different weapons. The AR is a brilliant secondary on legendary if you use it's burst fire to take down shields.[/quote]Granted the AR in Reach can actually be useful but only if I use it from mid-long range. Up close, you just get tempted to hold the trigger down in addition to dealing with a strong autoaim. [Edited on 09.17.2012 7:47 AM PDT]