25-11-2004 07:39									#1
	Just finished Halo2 Increase Your PM Length

Ok, I decided to buy an Xbox. I went and bought a used one with a nice 6 month warranty. Anyways, I also bought Halo2, since this is the game everyone seems to be talking about.

So I bought it Friday and finished it tonight, just now, on Wednesday, on normal level. 6 days of intermitent play.

I have to say I'm a veteran of HalfLife, multiplayer and singleplayer. Also, I've beaten all the addons.

So yeah, I found the game way to easy. Should I have started on something higher? The ammo in the game allowed me to never have to conserve and the automatic "shield life thingy" assured me that I was never in a place where I had to act too stealthly.

One good point, MP is fun.

Asher, what's the deal? Why was it so damn easy?

	25-11-2004 07:57									#2
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All I can say is increase the difficulty level! I beat it at normal. And, yes, it was a fairly easy, forgiving game. Now I'm playing it at Heroic, and its tougher. The snipers, in particular, can be a nuisance. Two shots and you're dead. Your shield and armor are also less effective...

	25-11-2004 10:03									#3
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Normal is very easy...try Heroic, or if you're a real man, Legendary.

A general rule of thumb is if you find the game too easy, and there's several notches of difficulty above it, up the difficulty.

	25-11-2004 10:09									#4
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Normal is cake, Heroic is also pretty easy, but Legendary is legitimately tough. Snipers, in particular, can be a b1tch and 1 hit kill you with headshots.

	26-11-2004 21:19									#5
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you guys are jsut way too good.... i actually got bored with the game, not because it easy , but due to its lack of doing anything different, every level was just more of the same..

oh well back to the pc and away from the x box

	27-11-2004 03:11									#6
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IMHO 'Heroic' should be the default setting, tricky without being too hard. 'Normal' is a piece of p1ss!

	27-11-2004 22:42									#7
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quote: Originally posted by Rasputin you guys are jsut way too good.... i actually got bored with the game, not because it easy , but due to its lack of doing anything different, every level was just more of the same.. oh well back to the pc and away from the x box

That was the reason why I didn't finish Halo 1

	28-11-2004 07:41									#8
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Screw Halo 2.
Halo is better.

	28-11-2004 15:04									#9
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On what basis? I would expect anyone who liked Halo to like Halo2 more.

	28-11-2004 17:09									#10
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike On what basis? I would expect anyone who liked Halo to like Halo2 more.

indeed

	29-11-2004 00:36									#11
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FPS on consoles

I'll wait for it on PC, if it ever comes out.

	02-12-2004 02:43									#12
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Legendary is way harder, and more rewarding.

If you think the game is the same thing over and over, I'd recommend you crank up the difficulty. When you actually have to think in order to survive you begin to realize how each checkpoint is a puzzle in and of itself, where wits count more than shooting.

One huge change from the original that I like is that there's no more co-op respawning in legendary. It changes how you play, and makes some battles unbearably frustrating. A good change I think.

Harry, on legendary the ammo does become an issue, especially if you're not scoring enough headshots. Also the shields don't last long at all. Normal (and easy especially) is for running through the game quickly and unlocking all the campaign levels, so that you can pick and choose which you play for real later on.

	04-12-2004 16:07									#13
	Re: Just finished Halo2 Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

quote: Originally posted by Harry Tuttle Ok, I decided to buy an Xbox. I went and bought a used one with a nice 6 month warranty. Anyways, I also bought Halo2, since this is the game everyone seems to be talking about. So I bought it Friday and finished it tonight, just now, on Wednesday, on normal level. 6 days of intermitent play.........edit......... Why was it so damn easy?

I first noticed this about most console games about 5 years ago when i played a friends PSone, i completed about a half dozen games in about two weeks.

In comparison there are some pc games i can never complete, even years later.

I think console games are generaly aimed at kids - so there is a slight disparity in game difficulty in comparison to pc games.
Still if you've got some difficulty levels to play with i usually go for the next one after 'medium' when first playing a new console game, to get the hang of it, then up the level before you get 'lead through it' and complete it.

I also get a feeling that its part of the design - your meant to finish it quick, then go out and buy the next 'hot' game - its the way they are being made more and more these days

Now if someone could just help me get through a mission in UFO in 'veteren(medium)' mode and above, without cheats or having most of my team killed, i'll be a happy alien-killer

	04-12-2004 16:34									#14
	Re: Re: Just finished Halo2 Enter the AD-FREE zone

quote: Originally posted by child of Thor I first noticed this about most console games about 5 years ago when i played a friends PSone, i completed about a half dozen games in about two weeks. In comparison there are some pc games i can never complete, even years later. I think console games are generaly aimed at kids - so there is a slight disparity in game difficulty in comparison to pc games. Still if you've got some difficulty levels to play with i usually go for the next one after 'medium' when first playing a new console game, to get the hang of it, then up the level before you get 'lead through it' and complete it. I also get a feeling that its part of the design - your meant to finish it quick, then go out and buy the next 'hot' game - its the way they are being made more and more these days Now if someone could just help me get through a mission in UFO in 'veteren(medium)' mode and above, without cheats or having most of my team killed, i'll be a happy alien-killer

Completely agree, though the quick complete and buy another game approach is more and more prevalent within the sphere of PC gaming.

	04-12-2004 16:36									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Felch If you think the game is the same thing over and over, I'd recommend you crank up the difficulty. When you actually have to think in order to survive you begin to realize how each checkpoint is a puzzle in and of itself, where wits count more than shooting.

Absolutely. Even the best game seems boring if it's a complete walkover. It's essential to pick the correct difficulty level, though with Halo style games I sometimes start on one below hardest so that I can play it through twice.

	05-12-2004 03:44									#16
	Re: Re: Just finished Halo2 Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by child of Thor I think console games are generaly aimed at kids - so there is a slight disparity in game difficulty in comparison to pc games. I also get a feeling that its part of the design - your meant to finish it quick, then go out and buy the next 'hot' game - its the way they are being made more and more these days

I think it's much more a matter of the latter than the former. I personally think that games have gotten easier because older people play games now than twenty years ago. Older consumers have more disposable income, and a lower threshold for frustration in their free time. In other words, they'd rather play a lot of easy games than a few hard ones.

Also with online play coming into its own, games are able to ease back on the difficulty of the single player, and allow humans to challenge one another. Single player campaigns are sometimes little more than ways to practice alone or unlock new features.

Point is, I don't think it has to do with consoles targeting a younger audience. Nintendo still tends to target kids with a lot of its games, but Sony and MS target older players.

	05-12-2004 16:04									#17
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Good stuff. It's as I say, the rise of the casual gamer has knock-on effects for all gamers, alas.

	06-12-2004 17:49									#18
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So how much blame should we lay at the feet of the 'casual producer' then

	07-12-2004 04:45									#19
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Well all, and none. After all, they are following the casual gamer.

	07-12-2004 16:35									#20
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Do you know Dr.Spike, i'm starting to wonder about this. Maybe the casual gamer is purely the creation of the casual producer - we can only after all buy the games that are in the shops?

Still to put this back on-topic:

@ Harry Tuttle,

The xbox is a decent console, but if you've grown up a pc gamer, i think you will eventualy find 90% of the console titles a rather shallow experience.
My playing time is split about 50/50 with xbox and pc.

Xbox games still playing:

1. Lma manager(a soccer management game)
2. Morrowind(GOTY edition)

PC games still playing:

1. Xcom(enemy unknown/UFO defence)
2. Call To Power2(playtesting new apolyton build)
3. a mix of many titles that i just dabble with from time to time.

for me its very rare that i'll go back to an xbox game once completed, many PC games on the other hand still get a look in. Its one of the differences i've begun to see between the two platforms.
Still i enjoy my xbox and have found a couple of titles for it that have kept me going for a long time

	07-12-2004 23:54									#21
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor Do you know Dr.Spike, i'm starting to wonder about this. Maybe the casual gamer is purely the creation of the casual producer - we can only after all buy the games that are in the shops?

Whilst taste formation is something that can be influenced by far the most telling link is from consumer tastes to producer choices, not the other way around.

	08-12-2004 00:01									#22
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Do you guys have any recommendations for games? I was thinking of getting Xbox Live, but I'd hate to just play Halo 2 all the time.

Are there any good strategy or single player games out there, something that takes a brain?

Oh yeah, and I played Fight Club too. I beat that one on Hard in 2 hours.

	08-12-2004 00:11									#23
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What genre?

	08-12-2004 00:34									#24
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike What genre?

Surprise me. No Fantasy RPG's please.

	08-12-2004 00:45									#25
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quote: Are there any good strategy or single player games out there, something that takes a brain?

There's chessmaster. I'm not joking.

	08-12-2004 00:46									#26
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There's also Splinter Cell and the Rainbow six games.

	08-12-2004 00:46									#27
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quote: Originally posted by nostromo There's chessmaster. I'm not joking.

Something a little bit more "new" might be in order.

	08-12-2004 00:48									#28
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And I forgot Full Spectrum Warrior...

	08-12-2004 02:28									#29
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quote: Whilst taste formation is something that can be influenced by far the most telling link is from consumer tastes to producer choices, not the other way around.

I agree with this. I think consumer choices are dictating what producers make. After all, for the most part, the 'hard' games aren't purchased in the numbers that the easy games are.


As for XBox games. Prince of Persia (the 1st one) was good. The second one may be good as well, but I haven't played it yet.

	08-12-2004 15:32									#30
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quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui quote: Whilst taste formation is something that can be influenced by far the most telling link is from consumer tastes to producer choices, not the other way around. I agree with this. I think consumer choices are dictating what producers make. After all, for the most part, the 'hard' games aren't purchased in the numbers that the easy games are. As for XBox games. Prince of Persia (the 1st one) was good. The second one may be good as well, but I haven't played it yet.

Yes i think its definately true that games are a much more disposable form of entertainment than in the past, partialy by design.
I think we need a xmas campaign "Remember, a game is for life, not just for xmas", and send it around the publishing houses - but thats just my view

Harry Tuttle,

the only really strategic games i've played on xbox have been the management type simulations(things like 'Roller Coaster Tycoon' and then the few soccer management games i've mentioned before).

I dont know if your a sports fan or not, but maybe there are some management games of US sports like NFL etc?

I dont think games like Madden(by EA) are quite in that management league, but the only version i played of that game was the origonal on amiga, so it might have changed?

Then again if you have a PC you will find the versions of available strat games much better on that platform most of the time.

I guess Morrowind and KOTOR are not on your list

hmm... that leaves Sports games, beat-em-ups and FPS like Halo.
Or if your moral code is low you could try the Grand Theft Auto double pack(GTA2+Vice city)which is meant to be a great game.

It is difficult really - i have played(and bought) around +30 games for xbox in the last 2 years. I now only play two of those regularly.
I even went and got a gamecube just so i could find some games with a bit more depth/different approach(i've had to suck up my predjudice against cartoony looking games though!).

My gf has kept me off the cube as she has fallen big time for Animal Crossing. What i've seen of the games we've got for the cube, i'm happy that it will provide some things the xbox(and to a lesser extent the PS i think) just doesn't.

Still the xbox does what it does better than the other consoles.

FPS
Sports
decent graphics
and unfortunetly for you fantasy RPg's