Hey guys, this is kinda one of the first threads I've really made, because I don't have a lot to ask, just a lot to tell. Well, this is kinda one of those where I tell and answer questions. Hope you enjoy.
MLG for Pro, MM for Show
Okay guys, this is pretty much an essay me and my buddy have collaborated to write, and have posted on many web sites. After getting in a lengthy debate tonight, I’ve decided it’s time that it come to H2F. This is the first time that I’ll actually be posting it, my buddy has always posted it in past situations, but I’m the one who’s more active on this forum, so we agreed that I post it. In the past, it has opened people’s eyes to both MLG customs, and matchmade games. The main idea is that there is no problem with each, and that no one should be flamed for their decision on what to play. Some of the best Halo 2 players have a balance of both.
Before you comment, I ask that you read through the entire essay, and that you have an unbiased opinion. If you do not meet these requirements, then I ask that you do not post, because you are not fully informed, or you’re just going to start an all out flame war between readers who have met the requirements and ones who haven’t. I guarantee that after reading this, you will (if you don’t already) see a bright side to MLG or MM, as they both do indeed have a bright side. So, here we go, into the world or my view of the legendarily (I guess that’s a word) epic and critically acclaimed Xbox game, Halo 2.
Start off by asking yourself: “Why do I play Halo 2? Do I play it for fun and to ‘pwn’ some noobs? Do I play it to hook up with friends and meet new people? Do I play it to take out my anger on something that isn’t real? Do I play it because I love the competitive atmosphere and I keep coming back for more? Do I play it because I want to be the best in the world someday? All of these are valid reasons to play some Halo 2. This is one thing we all have in common, because even if we have different reasons for it, we all show a passion and love for playing the game of Halo 2 well after a year of its release.
So if you’re still playing now, I assume that you love the competitive nature of the game, because it’s been a long year, with stand-by, modding, and now bridging. So what is the point of Halo 2? You may simply say it’s to win games. How can we do that, and even if we can, how can we do it more effectively and make the game easier for ourselves? The answer is very simple. Think about it. You have a rocket sitting on top of one of the sheds on Turf. You wait patiently for an enemy to pass you by. They come walking with a dual wield, and it’s a simple pull of your trigger that leads to their death. Easy, right?
So what made that kill so easy? Let’s break it down. Well, you have the rocket, which was a better weapon than the measly dual wield, at least in this situation. But was that the only thing that made that kill so easy? You could’ve committed suicide had he seen you and started shooting you, you shooting the ground a little too close to yourself, and him picking up a kill. The other factor that made your kill so easy, was that you were prepared for him, and you were in a better position to go in for the kill. So two factors contributed to you adding a point to your score, the fact that you have a superior weapon in a superior position. Textbook kill. Quick, easy, and painless.
“This seems so easy. So why can Halo 2 be so hard, why can’t I be the champ?” Well, this is pretty much what both teams battle for in every game. They want to get superior weapons, in superior position. You may not know this, or even think about it, but you do it too. This is just simply entering into the psychology of Halo, the mentality of players, and their common reactions. You may have never heard it, but just think, do you find yourself trying to get better weapons than the other players always so you can pick up that easy kill? I know I am. It didn’t even come to mind either until my buddy wrote this for the first time. It opened my eyes to what Halo really was, and what mentality was needed to be truly one of the best at this game.
A great question I have heard before is, “Why didn’t they add race to Halo 2?” Well, the answer is also great, but even more true. “They did add race, at that start of each game players ‘race’ to the power weapons. However, superior position can always override superior weapons. You can always assassinate someone, as well as jumping down from above for the kill before they have a chance to react. You can even take down a rocket with an SMG that way. If you ever get a kill with a weapon of equal or lesser strength, it was the fact that you had superior position, and that’s what got you the kill. Kills can always be broken down to superior weapon and position.
Well, keeping what you’ve read in mind so far, think about this: Eight of the world’s best playing a 4v4 team slayer game at Lockout. It’s Team 3D vs. TmG. The gametype is team slayer. Players start with SMGs. 3D gets a great spawn, with 2 players near the sniper tower and two under glass. They quickly gain control of the sniper, sword, and shotgun. Think it’s gonna be easy for TmG to take these weapons down? Heck no! With just dual wields? How in the world are they going to do it? The truth is, they won’t. 3D will win the game, even with the possibility of it being 50-0. And just to think, games between these two have always been down to the wire. A great matchup indeed, ruined by a crappy spawn.
This is where MLG came into the equation. They said, “Hey, if all these players are fighting for the superior power weapons, are they ever going to lose control of them versus the single least effective gun in the game? No! So lets give players a bit of a more powerful gun when they start, so at least they stand a little bit more of a chance when they spawn from getting mauled by the sniper. That might make the game a little more competitive, don’t you think?” They were completely and 100% right. However, by doing this, they were not only making for better competition, but they were breeding the world’s greatest Halo 2 players. I’ll explain how.
Think of yourself in this situation. You spawn library on Lockout, and you know that the other team has the sniper at posts. You’re pretty much pinned down with your SMG, right? I’d have to agree. But just think if you had a Battle Rifle when you spawned. That indeed makes life a whole lot easier, especially when you’re playing against players like OGRE 1, OGRE 2, T2, and Fonzi. You know that they’ll snipe you every time you try to escape from the library with your SMG.
So we see how it makes the game more competitive, but how is MLG breeding the world’s best Halo 2 players? Well, it’s simple, if you put yourself in the shoes of the sniper. How much easier is it to snipe someone who’s shooting you with an SMG than it is sniping someone shooting you with an battle rifle? A lot easier? Thought so. The main idea is, that MLG, in making the games more competitive, also made it that much harder to keep hold of the superior weapons, training players to control them under intense conditions, and therefore, making better players. Many people have the misconception that MLG is all about being good with a battle rifle. That assumption is incorrect, and is the reason why there are a lot of hot shots out there that think they’re so much better than everyone else, simply because they know they have a good BR. Well guess what guys, that BR is nothing vs. a rocket from 10 feet away, is it?! Exactly.
So what makes MLG so much better than MM? The answer is simple. Absolutely nothing does! They both have a purpose, MLG’s to create more competitive games for highly skilled players, and MM’s to provide a great atmosphere for not as skilled players, with a reward for always getting better, the thing that many people on Halo 2 work towards, their rank. However, just because someone plays MLG customs does not make them better than every player who plays MM, and does NOT give them the right to flame everyone who does.
I’ve noticed that as a common trend, players flaming others, when indeed, they are not as good as them at all. MLG does not automatically make you a better Halo 2 player. It might improve your game to an extent in terms of your aiming with the battle rifle, but I can say from personal experience that MLG really does not start to make you better until you reach the point where you can get to level 40 roughly in team slayer with ease. That’s when you can control the weapons pretty well, and are starting to work together well with your teammates and spawns are starting to take over your games. That’s when MLG starts to help. There’s nothing wrong with playing it though at a lower level of play, where you’re not as good, but keep in mind that it just won’t help as much as it will higher skilled players.
There are proven methods to get up around that level where MLG can really start improving you, but I am not willing to share those right now, as they are long and extraneous. Just know that they are there. The main piece of many of those methods though, is MLG FFA, played on whatever maps you like to help you improve on those maps. There are no maps that you cannot play MLG FFA on. Once you get to this level where you can get to a 40 in team slayer, I’d say you’re going to be around the skill of a 37-38 in rumble pit. That playlist shows how you can straight up slay in a given situation, and you’ll be able to compete with really any players in a FFA at that point. That’s when you can start really seriously forming a team.
In conclusion, MLG and MM both serve their own purpose, as stated above. In short, you can just say “MLG for Pro, MM for Show.” That pretty much sums up the whole essay. The main ideas were the ‘superior weapon in superior position’ theory, how MLG and MM both serve their own purpose, and really how people shouldn’t flame others just because of how they like to play their game. If they don’t have a problem with how they play, neither should anyone else.
I want to thank all that took the time to read through 3 pages of a Microsoft Word document, I hope you found it interesting and informative. Again, don’t turn this into a flame war, because then it gets really ugly. Me and my buddy re-write this essay for every site we post it at, and of course it has been warped out of its mind. If there’s any really dumb mistakes (spelling, grammar) or any points that you think should be added, suggestions are appreciated to me by PM. And yeah, I wrote this up at 11 pm, so don’t be too harsh. Again, thank you for your time, and I hope you have enjoyed taking a view of the game Halo 2, through the eyes of your friendly forumite, silenT scop3.
Remember also, if you're a 'regular', post it in the thread I made in that section, and I'll respond to any questions or comments you guys may have.
A View of Halo 2: MLG for Pro, MM for Show
12-19-2005
Join Date: Nov 2005
12-20-2005
Linear Mode
