[beakeruk360]

As crazy as this might sound, but Ive only just discovered how good this is multiplayer. When this game came out I slowly made my through the campaign but then COD4 appeared and took over my life for quite sometime cuz I was always playing it with long standing mates. By the time COD4 wore off Id got a whole library of games to get through so Halo 3 got left on the wayside.

Now, however after seeing Halo3 constantly at the top of the LIve charts, I thought I'd jump in and give it some stick, WOW what have I missed! Its awesome, its so easy to pick up and play and every game is a blast. I'm not a great player but I can hold my own and sometimes depending on the matchmaking I can kick ass.

Loving it!!!

[1LeeDenton]

It's NEVER too late to join the Halo fun mate. FR on the way Have a scroll through some of the other Halo threads and you'll get an idea of who the regular players are. Send out some FRs and join in.

[PurpleSteve]

Ive been on Halo since it came out and I love it. It can be heard to get into now but its totally worth it. Its good to see some new blood coming into the often stagnant pool of halo players. Stick at it man

[beakeruk360]

Cheers guys, I got your FR mate and added you, I aint been back on since as I was watching a DVD with the mrs and the kids, will defo be hammering it later tonight when I finish work.

[CRZombie]

Likewise, I got halo 3 on release, over the last month I've become addicted.
I need to get my trueskill up badly

[Mendes]

We must have game CR! This is very addictive and the only game i play regular over live. Not been on for a bit though, 1v's100 has taken over but im getting bored with that everynight.

Add me and we should get some games in sometime!

[Billy Goodgun]

If you are trying to get your rank up I'd advise you to steer clear of Team Doubles, Team Objective and Team Snipers! Lots of second accounts/boosters and high ranks who are still at low levels in these playlists. Lone Wolves can also be pretty bad for second accounts, but for each bad game, you should also have a good one, and Lone Wolves is the quickest way to rank if you can keep winning. You should actually find these a little easier once you get past level 10 in a playlist, as the boosters/second accounts tend to even out a bit, and you will then get more players who are genuinely at that level or thereabouts.

[The Bass]

Team doubles is ridiculous! I used to play it before it required the maps a year ago and it was fine but now about 3/4 of the games are either second accounts, boosters with a -xp partner or people who are 50's in other playlists.

[1LeeDenton]

Originally Posted by The Bass

Team doubles is ridiculous! I used to play it before it required the maps a year ago and it was fine but now about 3/4 of the games are either second accounts, boosters with a -xp partner or people who are 50's in other playlists.

+1!!

I sometimes dip my toe into the Team Doubles waters, and regret it pretty much straight away.....can't remember the last 'proper' game I had in that playlist, as its just infected with boosters/-xp/2nd accounts.

[Billy Goodgun]

+1 here, too - Team Doubles is the worst playlist going for boosters. It's why I don't play it; I think potentially I could quite enjoy it, but I haven't had a good game since I can't remember when.

[PurpleSteve]

Im up to rank 28 on it but that was a long time ago. The reason its so bad is because its easy for generals or boosters to boost players. If your not good enough to get there yourself then why be there. I have no idea why people buy general accounts or get boosted to them because the skill shows in the game. I'd be embaressed.

[Billy Goodgun]

You bought your 42, we all know it.

[PurpleSteve]

Ha Ha I might jokingly put one of my 2nd accound lieutenants on ebay just for the lol's.

[Billy Goodgun]

It's sad, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone bought it just because the stats were good on b.net

Anyway, yes. Back on topic.

Halo is fun. Play it. It's good for you.

[CRZombie]

Originally Posted by Mendes

We must have game CR! This is very addictive and the only game i play regular over live. Not been on for a bit though, 1v's100 has taken over but im getting bored with that everynight.

Add me and we should get some games in sometime!

Yeah mate, I added you awhile ago so we could play but it never happened, Your playing now so i'll throw you and an invite

[sordid_sentinel]

Originally Posted by Billy Goodgun

If you are trying to get your rank up I'd advise you to steer clear of Team Doubles, Team Objective and Team Snipers!

Team Snipers isn't too bad for boosters actually, I play it now and again and usually do quite well (and if you knew how I handled a sniper rifle you'd know that's no mean feat!)

Doubles on the other hand I used to enjoy it 'till it became booster heaven.

[Mendes]

Originally Posted by CRZombie

Yeah mate, I added you awhile ago so we could play but it never happened, Your playing now so i'll throw you and an invite

Good to finally talk to you mate!

[RobG123]

Chaps - will be on this evening if anyone fancies a game

[sordid_sentinel]

Originally Posted by RobG123

Chaps - will be on this evening if anyone fancies a game

Won't be on tonight, should be on tomorrow night for a good sesh if you're about though

[iainl7]

I appear to be absolutely terrible at the game online, but the worst part of being so late to the party is just how few options you have now for playing if you don't want to pay for extra maps over and above the ones you haven't learned yet.

[Billy Goodgun]

Just wait, Iain! Hold on, if you can! In less than two months, Halo: ODST will ship which has an entirely new campaign (you play as an ODST). It also comes with a separate disc which contains everything you need to play Halo 3 online - and by that, I mean it includes all the map packs, including three maps that aren't even out yet (they're being released with ODST). You can order it for £30, which represents excellent value for money if you don't have the other map packs already.

As for improving, well, it's tough. Halo has been out for nearly two years now, and the people still playing it are mostly loyal fans who've had it since day one. The other thing to realise, too, is that many people now have second accounts, or "boost" accounts. This simply involves high-rank players setting up another gamertag, so that these experienced players can play low-level games again, or help their friends progress up the ranks (boost).

Some very basic tips:

1. Learn to use the BR (battle rifle). It's the go-to weapon of any serious Halo player. Why? Because a single headshot with a BR on an enemy with no shields will give you a kill. This leads me to the next point...

2. Practice using your grenades. Getting "sticks" with plasma/spike grenades is fun, but if you have a BR (or a Carbine, it works similarly), then any well-placed grenade will take off even a full shield, allowing you to pick up an easy BR kill with the headshot.

3. Learn the maps. This includes weapon spawns - you need to know where the power weapons are. If your team doesn't have them, avoid these areas. If the power weapons are respawning, grab them as soon as you can. Don't forget, too, that weapon respawns are timed - keep an eye on the clock in the bottom left of your screen. They normally reappear every two minutes or every three minutes. The same goes for vehicle respawns and power-ups/equipment - anything you can pick up and use has a respawn time. Avoid "busy" areas on the map, especially in Lone Wolves, and try to pick off kills from weakened players in these areas from a safe distance.

4. Learn from others. Use the the theatre mode - watch back games and follow the best player. Check what weapons they were using, and when. What routes did they take around the map? When they died, where did they respawn, and what did they do?

5. Try customs! It's a great way to practice new tricks and tactics without the stress of matchmaking.

5. Practice, practice, practice! It's easy to get disheartened, but try not to. You'll get there in the end.

[simon147]

Originally Posted by Billy Goodgun

Just wait, Iain! Hold on, if you can! In less than two months, Halo: ODST will ship which has an entirely new campaign (you play as an ODST). It also comes with a separate disc which contains everything you need to play Halo 3 online - and by that, I mean it includes all the map packs, including three maps that aren't even out yet (they're being released with ODST). You can order it for £30, which represents excellent value for money if you don't have the other map packs already.

As for improving, well, it's tough. Halo has been out for nearly two years now, and the people still playing it are mostly loyal fans who've had it since day one. The other thing to realise, too, is that many people now have second accounts, or "boost" accounts. This simply involves high-rank players setting up another gamertag, so that these experienced players can play low-level games again, or help their friends progress up the ranks (boost).

Some very basic tips:

1. Learn to use the BR (battle rifle). It's the go-to weapon of any serious Halo player. Why? Because a single headshot with a BR on an enemy with no shields will give you a kill. This leads me to the next point...

2. Practice using your grenades. Getting "sticks" with plasma/spike grenades is fun, but if you have a BR (or a Carbine, it works similarly), then any well-placed grenade will take off even a full shield, allowing you to pick up an easy BR kill with the headshot.

3. Learn the maps. This includes weapon spawns - you need to know where the power weapons are. If your team doesn't have them, avoid these areas. If the power weapons are respawning, grab them as soon as you can. Don't forget, too, that weapon respawns are timed - keep an eye on the clock in the bottom left of your screen. They normally reappear every two minutes or every three minutes. The same goes for vehicle respawns and power-ups/equipment - anything you can pick up and use has a respawn time. Avoid "busy" areas on the map, especially in Lone Wolves, and try to pick off kills from weakened players in these areas from a safe distance.

4. Learn from others. Use the the theatre mode - watch back games and follow the best player. Check what weapons they were using, and when. What routes did they take around the map? When they died, where did they respawn, and what did they do?

5. Try customs! It's a great way to practice new tricks and tactics without the stress of matchmaking.

5. Practice, practice, practice! It's easy to get disheartened, but try not to. You'll get there in the end.

Well said, i've done all that and still pretty rubbish . I've been playing Halo 3 online on and off since Halo 3 was released and as much as i'm pretty useless, i do love it still

[Billy Goodgun]

Other pointers: learn to use Bumper Jumper! It may cause you a headache at first, but it doesn't take that long to re-program your neural pathways

Bumper Jumper is one of the default button layouts, by the way. It maps jump to the left bumper (LB) and melee to the right (RB), which allows you to continue aiming and shooting even while jumping. It also helps with assassinations - you can jump over or past people and melee the back of their necks or the side of their back and get a cheeky kill!

If you try this and you're still getting nowhere, learn to play a support role. On maps with vehicles, learn to drive the hog - you'll then be able to be a key player and help pick up huge kill sprees, just not firsthand. Don't rush off on your own; help mop up weakened players, but don't go and pick a fight yourself. Leave that to the better players.

[Andy58]

Great tips there Billy - thanks for that.

[Billy Goodgun]

Unfortunately, a lot of it falls into the "easier said than done" category, but it's still good strategy. In Lone Wolves, "kill-stealing" is essential for success. Try not to kill full shielded players on your own, unless you're using rockets or something. Look for other fights and throw nades or use the BR.

In team games, looking for your team-mates is as important as looking for the enemy. And don't forget: your team has blue arrows and service tags above their heads. If an arrow (not the service tag, that stays blue) above a friendly turns yellow/orange, it means they're involved in a fight (they're shooting). Rush to back them up if you can.

One last thing: learn call-outs. If you're playing Team BRs on The Pit, a shout of "two spawning snipes going OV" lets your team know how many players are going to a certain point on the map (overshield) from another point, and what weapons they have. Sounds simple, but it really helps.

[iainl7]

Thanks for all the tips. I play support roles with the medic, engineer and pyro on TF2, so finding a way to do that in H3 would be great. I'll also reconsider getting ODST - I didn't realise it came with all the other premium content as well as those new maps.

[Billy Goodgun]

ODST, at £30 for a whole new campaign, three brand new Halo 3 multiplayer maps, all the existing DLC content, and a new game mode (Firefight) seems like good value to me.

Oh, and one final tip I forgot: LEAD YOUR SHOTS! In other words, since bullets travel in real time, you need to aim slightly ahead of moving players. The further away they are, the more you have to lead the shots.

[CRZombie]

Good advice there Billy
Been using bumper jumper for about a week now, Its taking awhile to get out of old habits, but it definately helps!