Reach Beta - Generator Defense goes live today

The last playlist and associated map goes live today.  Generator Defense is a 3v3 asymmetrical Spartans vs Elites game type played on Overlook.  Beta friends and family went live at 10am, the Beta went public around 10:30am, and Invasion went live about 11am.  I would expect a similar schedule again.

HR: Gametypes - Slayer

I explained all the brand new gametypes in a previous post here.  There are a few Slayer variants that are available that aren't as obvious and that folks don't get to play very often.  They are:

• Slayer FFA: This is free for all Slayer available *only* in the Free For All playlist.
• Team Slayer: This is standard 4v4 Slayer in Grab Bag or Arena.  Standard maps, abilities, loadouts, etc.  This is the Reach slayer experience.
• (Team) Slayer Classic: Armor abilities are disabled, but everything else is standard.  Like Halo 3 with new maps and weapons.
• (Team) Slayer Pro: Sprint is the only armor ability available, DMR starts, no radar.  Like MLG playlist from Halo 3.
• (Team) SWAT: Sprint is the only armor ability available, DMR and Magnum starts, no radar, no shields.  Get headshots to win, stay in cover, talk to your team, occupy high ground, switch to Magnum in close quarters, cover your backs.
• Invasion Slayer: Previously posted and explained here.

Invasion Slayer Territories

I've updated the previous post with one more detail that has arisen. Namely, only the team that captures the territory can trigger the power weapon or vehicle spawn. This gives you motivation to capture territories. 15 seconds after the territory is captured, the icon above it will show a parachute with a "0" if it is not occupied by the capturing team. It will remain that way until somebody from the capturing team re-enters the territory. The opposing team can not trigger the spawn. The territory appears to be able to stay in this state indefinitely.

This is a pretty big change to how the game is approached. It gives you strong motivation to take a territory, but also allows you to defer the weapons until the coast is clear. This is *especially* useful in phases 2 and 3 when vehicles are dropped in. Currently in most games, the vehicles are instantly spammed with grenades when they spawn and are killed quickly. It's probably a good idea to let the other team cool off and head to the next territory before triggering your vehicle spawn.

Invasion Tips

As per previous post, the new 6v6 Invasion game type went live today and it is FUN! Here are some quick tips:

General:

• The base engine of this game type appears to be multi-team because everyone is split into two-man fireteams and each two-man team is scored separately. If you care about score, play nicely with your assigned teammate.
  
• You have your choice of spawn locations which can be selected with the D-Pad. You can spawn on your fireteam partner, or in the vehicle bay when they're unlocked, as examples. Choosing spawn is important! The fastest (and maybe only) way into the vehicle bays is via spawn choice.
• If your fireteam partner has chosen to spawn on you, you'll get notified with a big red warning. They can not spawn on you if you're in combat, and you'll see that at the top of your screen (area unsafe). But the big red warning pops up a bit before their spawn timer is up, so you'll see it even if you're in a safe zone.

Invasion Classic

• On initial start Spartans should load out with a DMR first and sprint to the balcony to suppress oncoming elites. Save your grenades for defending the territories. Elites should scatter to spread out the Spartan DMR fire and go for both sides of the base.
  
• In Phase 1, once Elites have reached the base, teams should cover the right and left territories on the end, they're the most vulnerable. Talk! It only takes 20 seconds in total (timer does not ever reset) to unlock a territory, so you can lose a territory just be trying to get from one to the other. You MUST work as a team.
• In Phase 2, everyone is fast tracking it to the other side of the map where the other two territories are. Both can be defended from the interior hallway that connects them. For Elites, the easier territory to take is the inside one on the left because it's harder to defend. The territory out in the open is subject to tons of grenade spamming.
• In Phase 3, Spartans need DMRs once the core is out in the open. If you put a good long range player on the lift pad for the Phantom, that fireteam can keep spawning there, Elites will be focused on grabbing the core. Banshee becomes available to Elites and is super Splatter happy. Beware of Armor Lock Spartans, they will break you if you try to splatter.

Invasion Slayer:

• Firefights will center around the territories, so head towards those.
• [Updated 5/8 12:39am] Stay near the territory after you capture it!!! The territories are not the objective, they are only spawn points for power weapons and vehicles! The weapons/vehicles don't come in for another 10-15 seconds after you capture the territory, so stay there until you get your stuff! Only the team that captured the territory can trigger the spawn. There will be a parachute showing "0" if unoccupied or held by opposing team after capture. Will not drop weapons until the capturing team returns to the territory.
  
• Territories are KEY to winning. In my last game, we had THREE Wraiths cruising around at the end against Spartans on foot.
  

Invasion is Live!

The 6v6 Invasion playlist for the Halo Reach Beta just went live! I'll be on much of the day.

HR: Beta - What You Need to Know

I've flooded the blog with a ton of content about Reach and there's a ton more coming. But this post will give you the high level overview of everything you need to know to get started.

How to get in: Use your Halo 3: ODST *CAMPAIGN* disc. Will be available "late morning" on Monday, 5/3. I will post here on the blog as soon as its available.

Player models: Spartans and Elites are very different now. The game will decide for you which side you will play on. Elites are faster, have better shields, but are a bigger (easier) target to hit.

Health and shields: Halo 1 (or ODST) style "health" is back for Spartans. After your shields are down, you will take health damage. Shields regenerate, health does not. Health packs are wall mounted and can restore your health, but you must hit a button to activate (can't just walk over it). Elites have regenerating health.

Radar: Enemies below will be a darker red dot. Enemies above will have a shadow behind their dot. Active camo has a radar jammer effect and will create lots of fake red dots.

Melee: In general, works the same as it did before. You can now hold melee to do a super cool assassination when behind a player. This takes time and is not an instant kill, which means you can be killed in the process before your target is dead.

Armor abilities: Brand new in Reach. You will have to choose a loadout, and with it, an armor ability at every spawn. Learn the icons so you know what you're choosing. Spartans have: Active Camo, Armor Lock, Jet Pack, Sprint. Elites have: Active Camo, Jet Pack, Evade.

Weapons: No more dual wielding. Learn the icons so you know what weapons you're choosing with a loadout. The biggest changes to your most common loadouts are the Magnum and DMR. Magnum is now the Halo 1 human pistol that pwns face again. DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) replaces the H3 Battle Rifle (BR), but works very similarly.

Gametypes: Reach introduces several new game types. These will be in the Beta:

• Generator Defense: 3v3 Spartans vs Elites. Spartans have 3 generators to defend. Elites try to destroy them. Generators can be temporarily locked down and made invulnerable.
• Invasion: 6v6 Spartans vs Elites. Spartans have a data core to defend, protected by two layers of defenses. Elites try to shut down both layers of defense and steal the core. Each phase of the game lasts 4 minutes and introduces better weapons and vehicles.
• Headhunter: Team or Free For All. Try to collect skulls and bring them back to your scoring zone. Kill other players to collect their skulls. Hold and score 10 skulls at once to get an instant win.
• Stockpile: Team. Try to have as many flags as possible in your scoring zone at the end of each scoring period. Scoring periods end every 60 seconds.