No clan night this week.

John traveling.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Halo 4.

Since nobody ever votes for anything else.

Destiny Music

Skip to 4:15 to start music.

Halo 4 Player Strengths

It's late in the game's life, but thought it might be interesting to post some stats that show off player personalities and strengths:

Key things to note:

• gtdroptop: Only one to complete the Wheelman commendation.  Combined with Assist commendation completion, shows obvious strength in driving the Warthog.  It's good for the clan for GT to be driving.
• darknorpo: Also has the Assist commendation complete, with clan best kill numbers using AR and Frag Grenades.  norpo is decent with the DMR, but excels in Halo 1 classic spray and pray combat.
• OmniscientDeath: Only one to complete the Mounted Turret commendation, with an obvious large number of kills coming from the back of a Warthog.  It's good for OD to be gunning, nobody in the clan comes close.  Make sure you prioritize getting OD in the gunner seat for any vehicle maps.
• octurian pewn: The only one to complete the DMR commendation, pewn is a DMR specialist.  Green across the board for kills and precision.  He likes to hang back a little and steal kills, but that's OK as long as we're winning.
• MEAN MR MONKEY: Most impressively is the only one to complete the Splatter commendation, showing a hidden talent in the Ghost.  This will be a new item for us to loadout as a clan.  Choosing Wheelman as a Tactical Package is advised, to reduce EMP affect and improve vehicle durablity.  (Operator Specialization required)
• Mean Mrs Monkey: Highest kill percentage in Plasma Grenades, with a relatively high percentage of AR kills.  Recommend switching to AR and continuing to empty out Plasma Grenades.  Choosing Explosives (greater grenade damage to others, less to self) as an Armor Support Upgrade is advised.  Should also choose Grenadier (loadout with 3 grenades) or Resupply (pick up grenades dropped by dead players) as a Tactical Package.
• Beer4Porter: Is pretty good at assists, but not great at headshots.  Recommend switching from BR to Assault Rifle as the default loadout.  Suggest using Mobility Tactical Package and Explosives Support upgrade.  Advise tossing a lot of grenades with the goal of never dying with grenades in hand.

darknorpo

darknorpo game footage found on HaloGaymers:

You know, because pink Spartan.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's Choice.

Like the last couple weeks, please join the Xbox Live chat party so that consensus can decide what we play.  If you want to play something else, you should download these things ahead of time.  Choices:

• Halo 4 (Including the newly popular Mini Slayer!)
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Harm's Way (Download now for free): A grown-up version of Mario Kart where you can play as the drivers, or as the turrets trying to kill the cars.

The next free game coming out later today will be Assassin's Creed 2, which is single-player only.

Clan night tonight. 9pm PT. Player's Choice.

Like last week, please join the Xbox Live chat party so that consensus can decide what we play.  Worked out well for the clan to pick the game on their own even when I was still tied up in a concall.  Note that this typically defaults to Halo 4, because it's the only thing everybody has.  If you want to play something else, you should download these things ahead of time.  Choices:

• Halo 4 (Including the newly popular Mini Slayer!)
• Bungie Week Celebration: Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo Reach
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Aegis Wing (Download now for free): A side-scrolling space blaster for up to four players, offering ugly but diverting 3D backdrops and an actual orchestral score.
• Happy Wars (Download now for free): The first true free-to-play title on Xbox Live Arcade, a moderately entertaining class-based MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) for up to 30 players a match.
• Harm's Way (Download now for free): A startlingly high-polish, pleasantly aggressive kart racer from the Doritos brand.
• Spartacus Legends (Download now for free):  A free-to-play fighting game from Ubisoft, modelled on the Spartacus TV series, which proffers "multiple fighting styles and thousands of different weapon combinations".

The current Free for Gold game is Defense Grid: The Awakening.  I've not included it in the list because it's single player only.  The next free game coming on July 16 will be Assassin's Creed 2, also single-player only.

Clan CSRs

Halo 4 matchmaking is now done via Competitive Skill Rank, a TrueSkill ranking system that happens behind the scenes.  It will generally match parties based on the highest CSR in the party.  You have to go to Halo Waypoint to see your CSR, it's not visible in-game as far as I can tell.  CSR is per playlist and on a scale of 1-50.  Here are the current Infinity Slayer 4v4 CSRs for our active clan:

• octurian pewn: 24
• gtdroptop: 18
• OmniscientDeath: 11
• darknorpo: 2
• MEAN MR MONKEY: 3
• Mean Mrs Monkey: 1
• Beer4Porter: 1

Bungie Week

Reposted from bungie.net:

Loot Drop

by DeeJ

Comments

A lot of communities are defined by a pecking order. This inescapable phenomenon starts in school, where the big kids dump the little kids’ books on the floor. Later on, we graduate to worrying about what car we drive. This battle of elitism finds its way to the Internet, where wizened cyber-squatters lay in wait for new registrants so they can brag about the fact they’re kind of a big deal.

On Bungie.net, we like to think we’re more inclusive than your average online haunt. We aim to provide a brightly-lit clubhouse where gamers of every breed can swap ideas and trade barbs. New members are the life-blood of any community, so we welcome them with open arms as they knock on our door. 

As much as we love our newbs, we also can’t help but adore the ancients – those old souls who have stuck with us through light and darkness.  For the first dance of our celebration, we’ve taken steps to decorate them in observance of the years they’ve spent with us. To make sure that they don’t go completely drunk with power, however, and to keep them on the razor’s edge of evolution, we’ve designed our new cool table to make room for the new blood as well.

Can you find the first signs of loot? Here’s a hint. Visit our forum (any forum on Bungie.net will do). Click on some names.

If you just joined us, don’t lose heart. We’ve given you something to strive for. These marvelous baubles are available to you as well, given enough time, so stick around. If you’ve been here for years (and years and years), we thank you. This new system will let you strut your longevity. The best part about this loot drop is that it’s only the first of its kind. 

This is just the beginning of how you’ll demonstrate your prowess as a member of this community. If you haven’t heard, we have big plans for how you’ll evolve and grow over time. Bungie.net will be no exception. If you can go the distance, you’ll discover new and exciting ways to elevate your profile to truly mythic status.

Bungie Week is just getting started. Don’t miss the rest of the parade as it rolls through town.