Halo: The Master Chief Collection Discussion

[Apoll0]

That's not how testing environments work. It's explained right here:

 

"Fundamentally it was because we were testing it in an environment that we had set up incorrectly and with some (as we discovered later) faulty assumptions. And unlike some of our other normal testing cycles, we weren’t testing for gameplay balance and stuff that the original releases already contained so our test process was radically different, and we made mistakes in some of the scenarios we asked for."

 

You make it sound like they didn't get people connecting over the world to the test server. They 100% would have done that, probably hundreds if not thousands at a time for testing. But they were connecting to a dodgy test environment which, in their words, was set up incorrectly and with some (as we discovered later) faulty assumptions.

 

The game was functional for their test enviroment and they were confident moving it to production would work. 

 

There is simply no way.  If this is true then it means that they didn't setup QA/Staging/UAT (whatever they call their release candidate testing environment) in a way that resembled production AT ALL. Low population might make matchmaking testing take longer, but once players were found there shouldn't be a shitton of failures to connect.  Trying to get a lobby together of people that live geographically close, all have open NATs etc was next to impossible when the game first launched.  Plus the myriad of totally non-connection related issues like campaign levels failing to load and corrupt save game files.  All it takes to find those is a single, solo playthrough of the games.  

 

Like I said, without an explanation of what the incorrect assumptions are that they made to judge if they were in fact reasonable, and as a QA professional myself, I find Frankie's explanation of how they didn't find issues in testing very VERY hard to swallow.

[Basu]

I can understand party stability, getting lobbies to merge and even the 3v4 bullshit being different in retail compared to their insider build. Basically the entire online part of the game.

But the hundreds of campaign bugs? The fucked up UI? The game freezing on map loading? Complete nonsense. There is simply no way that the game was working flawlessly on their dev consoles and then magically these evil retail Xbones and XBL network made things difficult. They are developing for one platform ffs. How hard can it be? No wonder H5 on PC and Halo Online are complete dogshit performance wise.

Meanwhile DICE fixed BF4 in a timely fashion on like 7 different platforms and thousands of possible PC configurations. But no let's give them a pass, 343 was clearly overwhelmed given that their internal networking and consoles were different from the retail Xboxes.

[RC_5213]

The Halo Infinite trailer for instance. I think it speaks to what Halo is on a more intimate level than even Bungie's better trailers, and someone at 343 spearheaded that.

 

[Silos]

Red or blue name toggle coming to H1 MCC.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

343's community managers have the literal hardest job in the gaming world right now 

 

 

The only scenario in which a 343 community rep has a job that is even remotely difficult is if they are deliberately hamstrung by corporate and are specifically ordered to peddle some bullshit and not answer any questions to a meaningful extent. 

 

And if that's the case, well they can cry about it on their pile of money. 

[Silos]

October Waypoint blog about MCC. Includes some nerdy deep dives into Halo 1 code and why some things are not as easy as they seem, as well as some information on match composer.

 

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/mcc-october-update

[Sitri]

October Waypoint blog about MCC. Includes some nerdy deep dives into Halo 1 code and why some things are not as easy as they seem, as well as some information on match composer.

 

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/mcc-october-update

Doesn't look like we can select multiple team configurations, and Infection is the only FFA.

[SMARTAN 427]

That sucks that FFA has all but been killed due to lack of support. It used to be my #1 reason to play matchmaking. I don't understand why it literally can't exist. I want to play every game in FFA, not just frickin H3.

 

Also, all that talk about coding and QoL stuff is interesting. Stuff like the potential to maybe access old 360 fileshares through MCC, the potential of getting Halo Custom Edition to be integrated into Halo CE(meaning new features and maps), and supposedly easy-to-implement QoL stuff for HCE such as KotH hill move timer and Flag Carrier Traits is cool stuff, and gives a very tiny glimmer of hope for the future.

 

Detailed code lingo like that should be more common from 343I, IMO.

[Apoll0]

I really think the best thing QoL-wise they could do for CE atm would be to add a timer and score counter to the HUD.

[Killmachine]

ill never understand why i should feel bad for a company that makes millions of dollars and can pick and choose fan interaction. i think postums even left the h2 discord which was giving him feedback on that game.

 

u guys took our money lol now deliver what was promised and stop trying to get us on your side when its your fault this all had to happen anyway

 

actually i take it back somewhat, i think i feel more bad for the QA testers and the people who most certainly had to crunch especially in the wake of that rdr2 scandal. but the people at the top and the mouthpieces that oversee it ? i dont care one bit about how they feel

[Shekkles]

Like I said, without an explanation of what the incorrect assumptions are that they made to judge if they were in fact reasonable, and as a QA professional myself, I find Frankie's explanation of how they didn't find issues in testing very VERY hard to swallow.

 

Well he can't just flat out say "Our project managers had no idea what they're doing or of it was even possible." can he?

 

Can he?

[NavG123]

[Shekkles]

Sigh this is the one thing that sucks about game developers they’re always the guys who suck dog shit at video games, and call anyone who’s remotely good a sweaty no life try hard.

Is that a direct quote?

[NavG123]

Is that a direct quote?

I think it was actually Abraham Lincoln who said that during his Gettysburg Address.

[Riddler]

I think it was actually Abraham Lincoln who said that during his Gettysburg Address.

can confirm, I was there.

[Cursed Lemon]

Lincoln's K/D was four score/7

[FarSight XR~20]

 

This involves doing a “diff” of the original game’s content with what’s in HaloPC/MCC, which by itself has called out some head scratchers.

 

I'll bet.

 

(Fuck Gearbox.)

 

 

"water not rippling in Halo 4 when a Warthog drives through it."

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again - EVERY part of MCC has problems. EVERY. PART.

[Destroyaaa]

Whats the population like in some of these playlists? I've been playing H2C Team Arena since I cant find games in the hardcore playlists

[Silos]

Whats the population like in some of these playlists? I've been playing H2C Team Arena since I cant find games in the hardcore playlists

Sadly no numbers, but ranked by popularity.

 

Source: https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/84ad72a8b51847978545f685f651fc15/topics/mcc-playlist-update-10-17-18/b6922c99-2a93-4e69-8dd8-7bad899e8e6b/posts

 

1. Social Slayer

2. H3 Team Arena

3. Big Team Battle

4. H3 Big Team Battle

5. Team Action Sack

6. H3 Team Doubles

7. Team Snipers

8. H3 Team Hardcore Doubles

9. H4 Team Arena

10. H2C Team Arena

11. H2A Team Arena

12. HCE Team Arena

13. H3 Team Hardcore

14. H3 Lone Wolves

15. HCE Team Doubles

16. H2C Team Hardcore

[OG Nick]

I haven't touched MCC in so long. I miss Halo

[Knighty Knight]

now that it's easier to party up and the party rarely falls apart i find the experience a million times more enjoyable. can just sit in a xbl party chatting with friends ive known for 20 years and play some classic halo. feels good

[Destroyaaa]

Sadly no numbers, but ranked by popularity.

 

Source: https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/84ad72a8b51847978545f685f651fc15/topics/mcc-playlist-update-10-17-18/b6922c99-2a93-4e69-8dd8-7bad899e8e6b/posts

 

1. Social Slayer

2. H3 Team Arena

3. Big Team Battle

4. H3 Big Team Battle

5. Team Action Sack

6. H3 Team Doubles

7. Team Snipers

8. H3 Team Hardcore Doubles

9. H4 Team Arena

10. H2C Team Arena

11. H2A Team Arena

12. HCE Team Arena

13. H3 Team Hardcore

14. H3 Lone Wolves

15. HCE Team Doubles

16. H2C Team Hardcore

Thanks. Yeah no way they release numbers they're probably ridiculously low.

 

Are there groups looking to play H2 customs? I could use some Midship FFA.

 

Funny story so I was searching H2C and matched with this guy ll StPeter ll. I was thinking to myself hmm that name sounds familiar. I invited him after the game and we played for a while reminiscing. Then it hit me. I played against him in the H2 Challenge playlist with Strongside(changed his name to Technicity apparantly) and ElamiteWarrior in the same game!

 

https://halo.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo2.aspx?gameid=715430212&player=Destroyaaa

[Riddler]

Thanks. Yeah no way they release numbers they're probably ridiculously low.

 

Are there groups looking to play H2 customs? I could use some Midship FFA.

 

Funny story so I was searching H2C and matched with this guy ll StPeter ll. I was thinking to myself hmm that name sounds familiar. I invited him after the game and we played for a while reminiscing. Then it hit me. I played against him in the H2 Challenge playlist with Strongside(changed his name to Technicity apparantly) and ElamiteWarrior in the same game!

 

https://halo.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo2.aspx?gameid=715430212&player=Destroyaaa

our brains are fucking weird

[Destroyaaa]

our brains are fucking weird

Not really.

 

Think about how big of a moment playing against two pros in the same game was for 15 year old me. That stuff sticks to you. I've also gone through a lot of my games on bungie.net so I may have remembered his name in passing.

 

For me it just seems that when I'm competing at a high level in any game or sport it definitely makes a lasting mark in memory. I can recall so many epic moments I've had competing in video games and sports.

 

Unfortunately things like the name of the restaurant I ate at two months ago vanish. Not because I didn't enjoy the food, but more because food isn't something that leaves a lasting memory. At least for me. Many people, my girlfriend included, can remember what she ordered, what I ordered, when we went, what it tasted like, etc. because she's a big foodie.

[2pro4show]

Whats the population like in some of these playlists? I've been playing H2C Team Arena since I cant find games in the hardcore playlists

 

Pretty poor judging by the matchmaking queue times I'm getting...