After playing this game for a few days...

[AlpineSkeleton]

I have come to the conclusion that it has amazing potential, but is far from being a great game. The gameplay itself is nearly flawless in my opinion, but there are a few things outside of it that ruin the experience.

Lack of party system? Playing custom games with your friends is fun. But not being able to play ranked games with your friends (easily) is really annoying. Most of the fun comes from compeition, and it is A LOT more fun to play with people you know and make strategies and such than play with a bunch of randoms. You can see how pathetic it is when you host a game and you have 6 players in your lobby, but nobody wants to join Locust because 90% of the time Cog wins. This would also get rid of the problems with "Connection to the host has been lost". I think Halo 2's matchmaking system (or something very similar) should be used. I see no reason why BIG next gen game isn't stepping up to the benchmark that Halo 2 left.

Chainsaw cut scenes. There is nothing more annoying than watching your friend get chainsawed and nothing can be done, since the chainsawer is invincible during the cutscene.

Better stats. Seeing how most of us aren't pro's, getting stats like "rank 24546" isn't very fun. Stats that rank in levels (or like names) or something along those lines would give someone a much greater incentive to play. Maybe a website (Like Bungie.net) would be nice.

Custom guns in MP. Like why do I always have to use map default weapons? What if I want to play only snipers or something? Dissapointing.

Now I know that alot of my suggestions come from Halo 2, but Halo 2 set a benchmark for major online games. I see no reason why next gen games aren't surpassing it, or at the very last reaching it.

[darkkshadow449]

Agreed much.

[FPS JL]

Though when someone is chainsawing, you can easily walk up to them, rev up your saw, and get him right back...

It's such a foolish tactic when you're outnumbered, when people pull out the saw on me and my friends, and I'm around, I just chainsaw him right back... basically the only way I use the saw (unless of course I have to, or the chance presents itself).

[dowroa]

Well, if you go by unique logins, Gears of War has beaten Halo2 :)

Chainsaw cut scenes -- they are what they are. You can kill the attacker as it gives you 5 seconds to get inside deadly shotgun range or Chainsaw him. In essence, he is accepting a given kill for the fact that he is immobile for 5 seconds, and is giving away his position. I see it as part of the game, and not the best way to kill someone quickly (shotgun being a much more efficent alternative).

I can't disagree with the other things you stated, but I am not really for them either. I would like to see more permutations down the line as it would keep the game interesting, but after hammering this game hard EVERY day since release, I am still playing the multiplayer hard.

I love the game, and the 'paper/rock/scissors' of the guns is good and mostly balanced. I enjoy watching people adapt and find techniques that are killer (at the time), and find better ways to win. Playing with a lot of rounds show the people that find strategies dynamically to win and how to compensate for anything with the team.

Personally, I think it needs some polishing, but I don't think anything with the game mechanics really needs to change dramatically.

- dow

[gloomlord]

I couldn't agree more with the OP. You're not alone in your feelings, particularly in your request for a party system (see my sig).

The other issues you mentioned are very important as well. I can't imagine the line of thought involved in releasing this game with the MP element so obviously unfinished. Sure, I'm happy to get the game sooner, but if issues like these aren't addresed we're looking at a real loss of interest in a short period of time.

[Blind Hammer]

In reply to the mentioning of the chainsaw...

You shouldn't be allowed to stop someone with a chainsaw in the middle of their kill - even if you could, the moment the blades touch someone's head, it'd be an automatic death.

Now, speaking in gaming terms...

If you get chainsawed, you deserve to die and your partner shouldn't be able to stop it midway. =P

[AlpineSkeleton]

Ok, well what I was thinking is that the Chainsaw should be more like a melee. It's more instant, but you can still be hurt. Because watching someone kill your teamate than just roll away makes the feeling of the game diminish.

As I mentioned, I think the gameplay is great. So much potential. This game is big right now online, but honestly if things don't change, it's going to be one of those month fling games. It will be dethroned when another game with some hype comes out. Thats what I think anyways.

[Blind Hammer]

Ok, well what I was thinking is that the Chainsaw should be more like a melee. It's more instant, but you can still be hurt. Because watching someone kill your teamate than just roll away makes the feeling of the game diminish.

As I mentioned, I think the gameplay is great. So much potential. This game is big right now online, but honestly if things don't change, it's going to be one of those month fling games. It will be dethroned when another game with some hype comes out. Thats what I think anyways.

I can see where you're coming from with the whole chainsaw deal, but in response to the other portion...

I don't think this will be a "fad" among Xbox Live gamers. If a game has immense potential, it will continue to thrive with life. If you recall, Halo 2 had some major glitches/bugs as well as some very overpowered/underpowered weapons when it was first released for Live and LAN - some of which included horrible melee damage, a shotgun that could be dethroned by a SMG, dual pistoleers that could clean rooms of people, and several other unmentioned things. My point in mentioning this is basically to those that may find negative aspects with the game.

Also, this is a new style of gameplay to the online community and many people are embracing it. This is a team oriented game and I believe it may end up shining in competitions in months or years to come.

[Moatt]

I couldn't agree more. I gave this game a 9 out of 10 upon first impressions, and the only thing keeping it from being a perfect 10 out of 10 was the HORRIBLE multiplayer system. I thought at the time it was bad enough to deduct a point. With every day that passes, I think it's worth more than just that point. I spent over an hour trying to get a friend into a ranked game the other day, and finally got fed up with it and cut it off to watch tv.

In the thread started on this, Mark Rein closed it stating (in response to the original post stating that Mark felt there was no interest in the lobby feature), "This is not true. Closing thread. No need to start another one like this."

I hope he means that there is no need to start another because Epic is hard at work developing this for us. If not, then there is a desperate need to start dozens of threads like this. Epic has to realize how important this is to gamers. I beat the campaign, and I need a reason to keep this game. The multiplayer is that sole reason, and right now it is frustrating enough to cause me to question its replay value.

Do I want new maps? No. Do I want new weapons? No. Do I want more customizable gametypes? No. I want a party system. The other stuff would be great. I would love to see it one day. But a party system is first and foremost. Hopefully, they'll develop one before I give up and my copy finds its way to eBay.

[Jimmyyy]

very good points...i would have to say that the most important things u said was that there should def be a party system and clan support, and me and my friend were talking about how the rank system should be different and more like the halo rankings which is actually a good system

[IcebergSlim3000]

God you people talk about the same things over and over.

[Traubking]

In response to the chainsaw, that [I]has[I] been talked about a lot, I just wanted to actually give Epic some credit on that one. One of the unique thing that makes this game so fun and so intense is that chainsaw bayonet. And while I do understand people's complaints that they can't help a friend, while being chainsawed, please think about the alternative.

First of all, this game is meant to be an arcarde type game, not a realistic shooter like a Tom Clancy game. That being said, if you were allowed to interupt the chainsaw animation, for the case of realism, then you're kinda pushing the envelope there. Furthermore, if you were able to interupt the chainsaw animation, then think about how little it would end up being used. Like I said above, I think the chainsaw is a pretty awesome/fun/gory weapon to use, and gives the game a unique flavor. The point of the weapon would be pretty minimized if you could interupt it with a few lancer bullets from across the map.

[SolidSmoke]

A) The chainsawer is only quasi-invincible. You can still hurt someone while they are chainsawing, they just cant die. Take them down to basically nothing during the saw animation and when its over put in the extra couple rounds it takes to put em to the ground.

B) The party system isnt necessarily a bad one, but I find it amusing that when H2 came out one of the chief and foremoest complaints about the multiplayer was that it had a party system instead of a lobby system like Rainbow Six 3 and other games. Theres nothing wrong with the lobby system, I just think it might be better if you could set up ranked games the same way you do with unranked, with cycling maps and the ability to invite friends etc. I think the lobby can be improved via other methods as outlined in my post here. (http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=557210)

Whatever the case, the MP in this game in terms of gameplay design is phenomenal, highly competitive, and addicting despite some of the problems that need to be tweaked and evolved into a better functioning whole.

[CoreyDB]

Don't care to much about ranks, or even a party system.. but what needs to be fixed is the actual "game bugs". Hopefully this will be done by the end of the week.

[iI M3GaTRON Ii]

as much as i want this to go pro i REALY cant see .. this is just my opinion... i think that the lack of gametypes really hurts it in that categorie...every game is preatty much tdm

[colddjinn]

You can head shot a chainsawer with the sniper during animation. I do it all the time.

[Kozmo829]

you kno wat i m sick of ppl comparing this game to halo its not halo and if u want it to be halo then go play halo no one is stoppin u. im sure there will be a party or clan system eventually give it time its been out 4 2 weeks. and i like the point system but i think it is who ever plays the most will be on da top. so they should have like (general,private,locust,cog,carmine,cole,raam,dron e,guard,etc. or somethin like that) as the ranksystem along wit the leader boards. halo is done now that gears came out. especially if they get another gears to come out around the launch date of H3. sry halo fans ur history. see ya in hell.

[Newbie1234]

I have come to the conclusion that it has amazing potential, but is far from being a great game. The gameplay itself is nearly flawless in my opinion, but there are a few things outside of it that ruin the experience.

You make some good suggestions, but just remember that Epic (and all game developers) usually follow a strict schedule so the game actually ships. Time is usually the biggest factor, and there has to be a time to draw the line and just focus on what's important.

There simply never will be a "flawless" experience. There's always somewhere to nitpick. Just be happy with what there is, for as a total package, it's easily among the top tier of games out there.

[TNT]

Agreed, cept the chainsaw thing

The thing with the chainsaw is that by doing this, your leaving yourslef open quite a bit, and often if anyone is around you'll die RIGHT after you do it. So lots of times its kinda of a trade off without allies to cover you.

[oO Saga Oo _]

God you people talk about the same things over and over.

God, I haven't seen you contribute anything valuable to a thread in a long, long time.

BTW I agree with roughly everything.

I would be shocked if Epic does anything about his though.:confused: