• Can’t tell if you liked Goldeneye or not, but in my book, it was probably one of the best deathmatch experiences in my life other than the first Halo. Ed and I had some epic golden gun battles when we were roomies.
• You are the only person I know that likes and wants splitscreen. I am p!ssed that there are Achievements in Rainbow Six: Vegas for playing splitscreen. Even on a widescreen HD set, it still sux. No one is in college anymore needing to play in the same room and if they are, they are playing sports games (which obviously work way better) or doing a LAN party.
• People that pour over their stats on Bungie.net or save films to view later have too much time on their hands. These are people that live for their clan and to game. Unless you are getting paid for game professionally, you need to get some other hobbies instead of analyzing old games you played or waxing nostalgic about that time you pwned OB1 twenty-times in one match. Not saying that’s you, just saying.
• These same people are the ones, along with the cheaters, that are ruining the experience for casual gamers like me. Rampant cheating or spending excessive amounts of time playing so that you know every spec of a map and where all weapons are, etc. isn’t normal (in my book) behavior. Bungie tried to work out a matchmaking system for Halo 2 that took skill into account, but people found ways around it (like deliberately losing to drop) just so they could pwn folks they had no business playing. They also intro’d the banhammer which didn’t much work. Apparently MS is cracking down on modders across XBL and banning them better than before, but you know what? If people want to void their warranty and mod their console, let them. Identify them as you are doing now and pool them into their own little playpen. Let the cheaters cheat against each other!
• The shotgun is back? I don’t remember it ever going away. It wasn’t in Halo 2?
• I’ll take duel wielded SMG’s over any single (non-sniper) rifle as it is the only way to spray a bunnyhopping player enough to kill them.
• What good is nightvision on the sniper rifle when all the multiplayer games take place outside in daylight? Oh, I know, advantage for outlining a player across a board instead of dealing with the background. Yeah, no thanks.
• The Assault Rifle is more like the SMG, not the Battle Rifle (which I’m not a fan of compared to the original Halo Assault Rifle).
• In Halo 2 most people did use the SMG because that was what was available all over the place. I think people here are, again, stuck with what you start with or enamored with the new weapons. I’ll take the Plasma pistol and SMG combo any day. Knock down the shield and spray!
• “The rocket launcher no longer locks on…” and thank you. It should only lock on to vehicles IMHO. I used the Missile Pod a little bit yesterday. Not real impressed, but I love the switch to third-person view when you wield it. I wish this were an option for the entire game. I prefer third-person view now because I like to be aware of where my character’s body is in relation to the terrain. If I miss a jump, I want to see by how much, etc.
• “Personally, I wish the sword were gone forever (it’s not). I hate that thing.” Is that because you got pwned too much by its wielders? I think it is a great weapon, but the issue is its scarcity. If you are going to make it available, then put a few of them out there so that if people want to have a sword fight, then let’s have a sword fight! And for gawd sakes, make it run out like in the single player. The unlimited nature of it in the multi was their biggest mistake in Halo 2.
• I think a laser wielder will join the ranks of the sword and rocket launcher wielders… as soon as they are identified, everyone will try to kill them.
• “Since the Xbox 360 controller has two more buttons than the original Xbox controller…” Really??? Hmm… I thought there was one new button, which would be the big X in the middle for your Dashboard/Menu access. The two bumpers are simply the old small white and black buttons. I’m already on record for not liking the scheme changes, but I’m sure I’ll get over it as I play over time.
• “On occasion I’ve used the Bubble Shield; some players are dumb enough to run in after you inside the bubble, at which point you can slap a Spike Grenade onto them and get the hell out of there.” Why are they dumb if that is the only way to kill you inside the thing? Should they just patiently wait outside for you to come out or for it to expire? Hell no, they should run in their and stick you! What would be cool is if they did so and when you explode inside, it splatters all within the shield. Yeah, that would be cool.
• The guy on the rampancy.net link you include complains about the radar. I hate snipers that complain about getting whacked in the back because they can’t see their radar while zoomed in. In my book, if you are holding the feckin thing, you shouldn’t have access to your radar. I don’t like people that must, and I mean MUST, be a sniper, especially if it goes against the objective of a team game. You know what? There are other parts to the game, but you and your ilk are why we must deal with crap game types like Shotty Snipers. I’m not sure if you are one of these sniper jerks (you weren’t from what I saw yesterday), but they bug me a lot (unless they are pwning the other team for me so I can CTF.
• I save the worst for last… and it has to do with the tone of the post. I don’t know if it is just me, but you come across as both cocky and self-deprecating/humble, so which is it? Pick one! If you are going to be cocky, then be it without the humble thrown in there. I’m not going to back this up with quotes because this is long enough, but it is there for me.

So much for fast hitting bullets…

I should have titled this “The comment about the post about the Halo 3 Beta!”