34 replies to this topic

[TheItalianMob64]

After watching all three of the IGN walkthroughs of the new maps, I am really disappointed in the lack of knowleadge the Lead MP Level Designer, Kynan Pearson, has.

Ryan would ask him BASIC questions like what gametypes would be best used on this map? And Kynan pearson would be in like a hardcore thinking mind blown nervously answering attitude.

Another, would be like, What armor abilities would be most effective on this map? And again he had a difficult time answering these questions.  If he really did put in the time and play tested these maps wouldnt he know for sure right off the top of his head, what everyone was mostly picking, including himself. Also, while explaining how to use the armor abilities on the map saying the thurster pack would help get out of bad situations. NO SHIT! He couldnt even give an explanation about when to use the thurster. For example: Thruster has been most effective with players saying by the bases to protect the flags.

If this is the guy that is leading the charge for the future of MP Maps I believe we need a change.

Watch or rewatch these videos and listen to this guy, Kynan Pearson. And let me know what you guys think.

PS: Whoever was playing lost the majority of the time. While using the Assualt rifle.

[iRGush]

I'm sure 343 has their fare share of people who know what they're doing. Granted not many are seen by us when kevin franklin shows up at an mlg event wondering where the AR's are but its not as if their clueless.

But yea, kynan is not #1

[TiberiusAudley]

Doesn't 343 outsource all their map design to Certain Affinity, though?

[Korlash]

TiberiusAudley, on 08 December 2012 - 04:22 PM, said:

Doesn't 343 outsource all their map design to Certain Affinity, though?

That's what makes me wonder..

What does this Lead MP Level Designer actually do if Certain Affinity is in charge of "designing?"

I guess his "title" just confuses me.

[Maybach]

I am pretty sure 343i make a general layout of the map and CA add all the extra texture.

For example: Kynan tell CA to make a Small circular symmetrical map. CA make the rough version of the map and sends it back to Kynan. Back and forth process until Haven is made.

[SecretSchnitzel]

TiberiusAudley, on 08 December 2012 - 04:22 PM, said:

Doesn't 343 outsource all their map design to Certain Affinity, though?

From what I've gathered, they outsource a good bulk of it to them. Sadly, Certain Affinity is headed by one of Bungie's most succesful multiplayer map designers. Or so I've heard. :/

[JasonK123]

Yeah the interviews with the guy is seriously painful to listen to. I am almost embarrassed for him the way he struggles to answer the basic questions, its definitely frustrating to know that this is the guy who is the "lead" multiplayer designer.  

And of course they choose the POV of a guy who looks like he is playing the game for the first time and is running around with an AR completely oblivious of his surroundings. I mean did they not have anyone who was at least somewhat capable of playing decent enough that it would make it a lot smoother and more enjoyable to watch?  Are they all THAT BAD at 343?  Do they even see that and think the guy is bad or is that how they think everyone plays...?

[Nightsnipe]

if they outsource the MP maps to CA then WTF does 343 actually do?

[ShmaltzyLatkes]

For Halo 5, they should just bring in a bunch of forgers who know good map design and let them make the map layouts. The game would be 20X better.

[Maybach]

Nightsnipe, on 08 December 2012 - 05:04 PM, said:

if they outsource the MP maps to CA then WTF does 343 actually do?

The sandbox......

that's it.

[octorox]

Maybach, on 08 December 2012 - 05:08 PM, said:

The sandbox......

that's it.

And campaign, which afaik has always taken the bulk of the time and resources in Halo development.

[M ii N i MaN x]

I usually detest IGN with their total lack of knowledge and skills for Halo - but I really feel sorry for this Ryan guy who is trying to interview this seemingly clueless man who is the Lead Multiplayer Designer. Honestly, by the way he talks you'd have thought he'd never seen any of the maps before.

[XHitmanX]

I actually found myself longing for some Pit Slayer after playing on the H4 maps.

[iRGush]

XHitmanX, on 08 December 2012 - 06:33 PM, said:

I actually found myself longing for some Pit Slayer after playing on the H4 maps.

Anything beats vanilla complex slayer

[XHitmanX]

iRGush, on 08 December 2012 - 06:35 PM, said:

Anything beats vanilla complex slayer

For the love of God, anything that is FLAT would be better, every Halo 4 map is a maze fuck of geometry.

[Great Reclaimer]

Kynan Pearson is the lead designer at CA.

[stevomilo]

The guy is incompetent. Id love to know what his Halo and multiplayer background is.

[Ragnarok Flames]

stevomilo, on 08 December 2012 - 10:55 PM, said:

The guy is incompetent. Id love to know what his Halo and multiplayer background is.

Most of the Multiplayer team is incompetent.

[HellRazor1281]

XHitmanX, on 08 December 2012 - 06:40 PM, said:

For the love of God, anything that is FLAT would be better, every Halo 4 map is a maze fuck of geometry.

I'd rather have a map be good.  But if you want flat, there's always haven.  And when you're done with that, you have haven, haven and haven as well.  And then you can traipse around in forge maps and then go right back to haven.

[Ragnarok Flames]

HellRazor1281, on 08 December 2012 - 11:05 PM, said:

I'd rather have a map be good.  But if you want flat, there's always haven.  And when you're done with that, you have haven, haven and haven as well.  And then you can traipse around in forge maps and then go right back to haven.

Don't forget the classic standby map, Haven.

[Negative 9]

I always wondered what the hell went on in that studio.

You have to wonder how maps like Complex are made and how much thought actually goes into a mechanic like random power weapons.

[sg1elim89]

Hey guys lets put some random ass cubes, pyramids, and prisms on this maps and call it competitive. Casual community will like it because it does not promote skill and we'll just tell those competitive people the maps is competitive.

[stevomilo]

Ragnarok Fyre, on 08 December 2012 - 11:04 PM, said:

Most of the Multiplayer team is incompetent.

I thought about this and this is what I have to say about assessing the work of the multiplayer contributors:

Sound: ABSOLUTELY sublime, this lead designer deserves to stay on (I think its the Japanese guy)

Sandbox: I will say that the weapons are fairly well balanced. Maybe the dmr, br, carbine need some minor tweaks, but Id give the overall weapon designers a B for their work. Shocking, I know.

Movement and strafe: Considering its substantially better than Halo Reach, its okay.

Maps: 2 out 10. Those designers have to go.

Gameplay: Whoever decided to incl things like sprint and instant respawn, plus the flag (although I personally dont mind it as much), oddball should go as well. I wonder how much of a say Josh Holmes and Kiki Wolfkill had in these calls.

[EK Elmo]

Well we can always go hire a group baboons from Africa if Halo 4 isn't properly fixed, at least Halo 5 would then be a long awaited improvement.

[EK Elmo]

stevomilo, on 09 December 2012 - 12:33 AM, said:

I thought about this and this is what I have to say about assessing the work of the multiplayer contributors:

Sound: ABSOLUTELY sublime, this lead designer deserves to stay on (I think its the Japanese guy)

Sandbox: I will say that the weapons are fairly well balanced. Maybe the dmr, br, carbine need some minor tweaks, but Id give the overall weapon designers a B for their work. Shocking, I know.

Movement and strafe: Considering its substantially better than Halo Reach, its okay.

Maps: 2 out 10. Those designers have to go.

Gameplay: Whoever decided to incl things like sprint and instant respawn, plus the flag (although I personally dont mind it as much), oddball should go as well. I wonder how much of a say Josh Holmes and Kiki Wolfkill had in these calls.

/thread. You sir win.

[The Snazzer]

like sgt, Johnson said in H3  "You have got to be sucking on purpose!"

[The Snazzer]

I can make a map in a day, But if you gave a week or two, i can study previous halo maps and multiplayer flow and come up with a better map than these guys, I think many people in here could do that also given the tools.

[Maybach]

doubt it.

no disrespect tho.

[Akuma Matata]

Just saying when it comes to gameplay MS dictates a lot of what 343 would have to do.  Why do you think the Lead MP Designer left 343 saying that "I'm not making the game I loved", MS does a lot of the gameplay decisions

[iRGush]

Cows say meow, on 09 December 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

Why do you think the Lead MP Designer left 343 saying that "I'm not making the game I loved",

When did this happen?

[iambicjelly]

iRGush, on 09 December 2012 - 01:22 PM, said:

When did this happen?

http://www.joystiq.c...soft-opens-cam/

[iRGush]

iambicjelly, on 09 December 2012 - 01:28 PM, said:

http://www.joystiq.c...soft-opens-cam/

Assuming he wanted to keep halo to its core arena shooter values, thats sad

[cT]

iRGush, on 09 December 2012 - 01:32 PM, said:

Assuming he wanted to keep halo to its core arena shooter values, thats sad

I doubt he wanted to do that. He probably wanted to make it even more outlandish. No one calls keeping a game the same a "crazy endeavor."

Besides, it's blatantly obvious that we have the things we hate about halo 4 simply because cod took away all their players and the people who sign the checks wanted them back. Its really REALLY obvious. Hmm, what game came out when Halo 3 was popular and knocked Halo from the top spot on XBL after 4 years of dominating it? HMMM, what game had sprint, ordnance drops / killstreak care packages, flinch, one gametype per playlist, press X to spawn (instant), emphasis on 6v6 and higher games (no small maps), kill cams, loadouts, progression/experience-based ranks? HMMM WHAT GAME WAS THAT AGAIN?

Yet all of these things ended up in Halo because some deluded prick who drives a maserati thought that all the CoD kids would come running back to halo as soon as they saw it had those things too.

Guess what asshole? thats not how it works. You just alienated all the people who liked halo for what it was and all of the CoD fans are still playing CoD cause you left the kill times insanely long. Thats why they left for CoD, not for your bs. They left cause they can point a gun and actually kill something instead of pinging a sprinting shield for an hour.

The map design is just a small, small part of a much bigger, depressing picture.

[BUTTAIDS]

I am left scratching my head and full of rage after listening to this moron. The most insulting thing is they think the casuals are far more stupid than they actually are. The bits of advice he gives in this video are mind-numbingly dismal for a video showing DLC of a game that's been out a month. How fucking stupid does he think people are?

I'm going to send 343 an envelope full of shit with a note calling for the severed heads of Kevin Franklin and Kynan Pearson to be erected on pikes somewhere public.

[RandyROFLSTOMP]

There were walkthrough videos for the on disc maps on ign or gamespot.  I remember a number of times where I was thinking the interviewee didn't have a full grasp of what he was doing.  There was a question like "I see that rockets now have a smoke trail, was this to allow the target to more easily find the shooter?" and the response was "well we just wanted to change the way the weapons looked".

I felt bad for the interviewer at points because he seemed to have a deeper understanding of the game just from watching footage, not developing it.