Halo 2 Arranged Match for 8PM PST Saturday, Feb 5, 2005! Sign up here!

Carlo Medina · 01-31-2005, 01:03 PM

It's been forever since we all got together and had a big intra-HTF arranged game, so I thought I'd put the call out to see who was interested in playing a big, arranged game this coming Saturday at 8PM west coast time. I figure we'll do an arranged game so no one will be concerned with losing ranking status.

I have a friend who has never been in a big team match, and the few times I've logged on, there's usually either 1) a bunch of cheaters doing the lag or glitch thing, 2) a bunch of well-organized people who just cream us in no-time flat, 3) a bunch of potty-mouthed 12 year olds.

Now we don't suck (though we aren't great), we are ranked 10 in team slayer. But because we don't have much experience in objective based games (which is what big team matches usually are given in matchmade games) we do suck at that. It's also hard to just join a random team when the opposing team is made up of guys who game together. Teamwork tends to suffer.

And no, I'm not a puritan, I don't mind the occassional F- or S-bomb (I say them myself). But there are only so many racial epithets and other various direct insults I can take before getting really PO'd.

So I'm putting a call out to our fellow HTF'ers to see if we all want to arrange a big team game. I'd like to keep it to mostly HTFers, but if there's a lack of interest (i.e. we can't fill all 16 spots up) we can each invite like 1 friend to fill up the spots. Please be able to vouch for these guys as we want to make this a FUN thing, not a trash-talking ultra competitive thing.

Anyone who is interested please reply to this thread, and include your gamertag. I'm part of the HTF2 clan so I'll send an invite to everyone in our clan who's online at the time, but if you aren't in the clan (or aren't sure) then just include your gamertag in your post and I'll be sure to send you an invite.

Oh, and I understand that for east coasters that start time is at 11pm. If you all want to start earlier, by all means do so. I'll create the party when I get online and send out invite to you all.

Hope to see you all online!

Carlo Medina · 01-31-2005, 01:11 PM

Okay, a couple of things I thought of but wanted to put in a separate post:

1. Please share strategies with everyone. It helps bring everyone up to speed and makes the game more fun. I don't know about you guys, but I don't like matches where I'm either being dominated completely or the reverse. The most fun ones are the ones that are close and competitive.

Share strategies here in this thread, and read the main HTF clan thread as Lex Luther posted some really good dual-wielding strategies.

2. Let's try to balance teams. When we chat in the lobby, be honest with how good you are at objective based games. I'm ranked a 10 in small-team slayer, but in reality I'm probably more like a 5 in big-team objective based games. I'm not real familiar with the larger maps that the big-team games are at (that underground purple one for example), and although I'm good at backing my teammates up in team slayer, I'm not real great at the strategies behind capturing a flag, or controlling a territory. I think I understand the basic concept of oddball though.

3. We'll mix it up, with regards to the type of games we play. We'll use democracy to the extent that we can get a majority of people agreeing to a type of game. If someone really hates one particular type of game, speak up at the lobby, but try to keep an open mind and give each a shot. Remember, this won't count towards your ranking.

Seth Paxton · 01-31-2005, 02:14 PM

Someone needs to invite me back in HTF2.

I quit and have tried other clans hoping to get with people who are more online than the HTFers were and were fun to play with. That second part hasn't worked out very well and the first part hasn't been much better.

NaptownSeth

I have put in tons of hours in the last few weeks, playing marathon sessions though usually on Skirmish (random guys). I've learned a lot of tricks and strategies and would love to play with a team that was actually trying to use them, even if we f'd them up as we learned.

BTW, my favorite game is the Assault/Neutral Ball (meaning both teams are trying to score the same ball) on the map where you walk the ledge with a pit in the center (has 4 corners with rooms, all numbered) and 1 turret per side. Hard to score on it but man is there a lot of killing and insanity.

Cameron Yee · 01-31-2005, 02:21 PM

I'm in.

Seth Paxton · 01-31-2005, 02:24 PM

One thing about COMBAT strategies (ie, just straight up fighting) is that they really EVOLVE as people learn tricks and then counter them.

The power pistol (the green thing you can charge up) became very popular about 3 weeks ago and everyone uses it. It wips out the other guys shield if you have it charged up. So people would dual wield one with an SMG for a pretty quick kill.

But then people found out that the Battle Rifle (short bursts, 1 level of zoom) doesn't actually suck after all. Since the power pistol will send its shot pretty far, people started doing a swap (you can't dual a BRifle). They hit you with the pistol from far away then quickly swap to the BR. A couple of shots to the head with the BR and you go down.

And a BR is good if you can focus it on the other player's head period as this weapon has a shot at getting an instant head shot kill (same with the covenent rifle which behaves basically the same). The last few weeks have seen a big increase in BR experts dominating games from a distance.

Also lately I've noticed that the sword seems weaker. They might have toned it down. Power pistol/SMG or a Shotgun should always go after the sword guy specifically.

Sticky bombs are your friend. The more I have improved with these the better my games have gone. Even if you get killed at least the other guy goes with you.

Most of the time if you can get a shotgun and/or the sword, you high tail it back to the base and keep them on defense. It's a big risk to go on offense with either as they can turn the tide.

In fact many objective games are won by teams that first CONTROL THE KEY WEAPONS, and then try to meet the objective. You can't plant a bomb or steal a flag if your dead, and the other team can't stop you if they are dead.

This means that rushes to the rocket launcher, as well as strong support with a sniper often lead to victory. Also if you can take the other team's key weapons (like the sniper on coagulation, ie the big field) you can really supress their ability to fight back.

On assualt games the key is just to get the bomb in the circle, then just keep picking it up. If you constantly keep someone getting back to it, even for just a split second, you will eventually arm it. It's almost unstoppable on a medium map like Ivory Tower.

The counter to this then is to rush more on defense and keep the bomb from even getting to the base rather than sitting back and waiting.

Also, some people might not realize but on turn-based games (ie, not assualt with only one ball on the map that both teams share) you only need to keep someone near the scoring device (flag or bomb) to maintain a final 5 seconds.

When you see time hanging at 5 it means you have someone hiding nearby and you must clean them out to end the defensive stand.

On offense the best thing to do as time winds down is get someone hidden as close as possible and have them just sit still rather than "keep touching it" that you will hear some guys say.

Better to sit and keep time frozen while your teammates respawn and can make a group rush of it. Don't give up that holding position unless you are found out or if everyone on both sides gets killed giving you a chance to score and end it. Don't give into the temptation to jump into a firefight to help your teammate.

Lately the idea of going in pairs has been popping up and its a strategy I have long thought was a pretty good one. The reason for his is that your shields regenerate, so combat isn't a real danger unless you totally lose. Two guys hitting one at a time can keep getting kills and then getting their shields back to 100 before the dead guy can respawn and get anywhere near the situation.

1 on 1 you might lose a fight, but there is no reason why 2 guys with regular shields should lose to one guy.

There are tons of map specific strategies that I could share, but most of them are easier to show than explain. If we want to just go into a map and look around/discuss, I'd be happy to do that and I'm always interested in hearing other suggestions or tips.

**HTF Ads**

RussR · 01-31-2005, 02:39 PM

Carlo--

I'm not sure I'm going to be available that late on Saturday night (East Coast), but I would really appreciate an invite to the HTF2 clan, in hopes that it will soon be regularly active again.

Gamertag: WolfRatt

Jean D · 01-31-2005, 02:44 PM

I left the HTF2 clan this past week cause I was tired of nobody being on-line to play with. But I still keep tabs. anyway, as long as your talking strategy, I must say these few bits of advise which help me tremendously.

1) always reload when you have the time, even ifs its only for 3 bullets.
2) always crouch in either a dark area, corner, etc. if you are just standing guard. the element of surprise is priceless. depending on the situation/level when I see a red blip on my HUD I crouch down, and I try to stay hidden. Theres nothing like meleeing an opponent at the right time.
3) Communicate. Tell your teammates that you have the Rockets, the sniper, the sword, etc. tell the man going after the rockets to have no fear you've got his back. Ask where the bomb is. Just be careful to not talk around red blips, the enemy can use your info to help their strategies...for instance, if Im near the enemy who said they have sniper and are covering their mates back. I know if they are zoomed in they wont see my blip. I will come from behind, melee him and take the sniper, and shoot his mate if I can. Whatever is in my teams best interest.

Philip_T · 01-31-2005, 03:01 PM

I initially got a clan invite, but it seems like that was around the time things were slowing down and I never did get a chance to play with you guys like I had intended to. I'm in a different clan now, but would still like a game invite to give it a try Saturday night. I'm not the most skilled player by any means, but like to have fun with it. I think the foul mouthed youngsters where what drove me away from H2 live. I'm not above using an F or S bomb here and there, but some of those guys on-line,,,,wow. I'll have to practice up what meager H2 skills I have as Ghost Recon 2 has been sucking the life out of me lately.
Gamertag: Glassmaker

BTW, the only strategy I can think of is that you can still do a melee attack when you have the ball, and do some nice damage with it as well. Probably well known by all though.

Carlo Medina · 01-31-2005, 03:17 PM

I'll do my best to invite you all in:

One piece of clarification

This game is NOT LIMITED TO HTF2 clanmembers. If you are a member of HTF (the forum), you can participate in this game without having to be a member of the Clan we call "HTF2". I know LaMarcus & Co. have HTF Forum clan, and I have invited them.

The only reason to be in the clan is to make sure you get the invite from me when I log on and send it to the clan. It's easier for me to message the whole clan as opposed to individual friends. But I understand that a few (lot?) of you have joined other clans.

The other way to get an invite without having to join the clan: add my gamertag Bruin96 to your friend list. I will accept your friend invite and will message you when we're on.

Of course, time permitting I will add all of you who wish back to the clan, when I get home tonight or over the next few days.

Be sure to check your clan invites if you've asked for one. We have a bunch of outstanding invites