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Halo: The Master Chief Collection Gets 60Hz Update To Make Games Run Smoother
Halo: The Master Chief Collection has received yet another major update, and this one includes a series of significant changes, one of which should make most multiplayer games run smoother.
The new update available now “upgrade[s] the rate at which network packets are sent by the server” for Halo 2, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo. Additionally, the amount of data that individual packets can hold is increased. What this means is that each game should now run more smoothly and reliably. For Halo 3 specifically, the clients previously sent 15 packets per second, with the server sending 30 per second. But with the update, servers and clients send 60 packets per second. That puts it in line with the 60FPS frame rate.
Here’s how Microsoft’s Dana Jerpbak summed up the changes:
“We’ve upgraded the rate at which network packets are sent by the server in Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Halo 2A. We have also increased limits on how much data each individual packet can contain,” Jerpbak said. “This includes data about the position of bipeds, where they’re aiming, what projectiles they’re firing, etc. The server prioritizes what data is contained in a packet until it reaches a maximum size. In gaps where the client hasn’t received a certain type of information from the server (due to latency or prioritization), the client predicts what this information should be based on the last data received. It then corrects its predictions upon receiving new data.”
“This can result in cases of rubber-banding’ where a biped’s position is predicted locally and then corrected by the server. By increasing the allowed size of packets as well as their frequency, we have significantly reduced these gaps. This results in less prediction and correction due to more frequent and more complete updates from the server. In Halo 3, the clients would send 15 packets per second to the server, while the server would send 30 packets per second to all clients. Now both servers and clients will be networking at 60 packets per second, aligning with the framerate.”
You may still experience some rubber-banding, as the rate at which packets can be sent depends on your network environment. But overall, Jerpbak said “the increased send rates should generally result in an overall smoother online experience. This improvement affects dedicated servers as well as peer servers in peer-to-peer matches.”
Jerpbak said Microsoft conducted “extensive” internet and external testing, and Microsoft has concluded that the changes will have a positive impact.
You can read more about the network changes in this ridiculously in-depth blog post.
The new MCC update also comes with makeover themed around Yapyap The Destroyer from Halo Wars 2. You’ll immediately notice that the splash screen and the main menu have received a Yapyap-themed takeover, while there is a nice Yapyap game selection option in Social Matchmaking; if you play enough you can earn a Yapyap nameplate and more.
Another big update is that loading screens in multiplayer now display lots more detail, including the map name, the primary starting weapon, the time limit, the score to win, the Gamertags of people in your session, the data center hosting dedicated server of the match, as well as the game type and description and other helpful hints and tips.
For campaign, the new loading screens now display the mission name, the difficulty, and the Skulls you have turned on, among other things.
You can read this Halo Waypoint article to see a full breakdown of what’s new.
In other news, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PC, and the rollout process begins with a beta test for Halo: Reach later this month. A similar beta test, or a “flight” in the Microsoft parlance, will be held on Xbox One.
Beyond that, Microsoft is expected to discuss Halo Infinite (and new Xbox consoles) at E3 this year, so keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-the-master-chief-collection-gets-60hz-update-/1100-6466054/
Halo: Reach Begins Beta Tests On PC And Xbox One This Month, See A Work-In-Progress Menu Image Here
Halo: Reach is coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One and PC, and now Microsoft has shared the first image of what the game looks like from the main menu. Microsoft shared a work-in-progress version of Reach in the campaign section of MCC on Xbox One. As you can see, it’s left of Halo: CE, as it’s a prequel to that game.
Halo: Reach is expected to come to both Xbox One and PC later this month through its first “flight” AKA beta test. To get in to the test, you need to register to become a Halo Insider, which you can do here. For PC, you’ll need to upload your DxDiag and link your Steam ID.
The number of people who signed up already “blew away” Microsoft’s expectations, the company said, so it further warns that it “simply cannot accomodate everyone.”
On PC, each title within the Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be sold individually, but the “flights” are free, if you get in. And in a big change for the series, Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be available through Steam.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection originally launched in November 2014 for Xbox One. It faced serious and significant server issues at launch that made the title basically unplayable for some. Microsoft improved the experience significantly over time, and today the title is mostly stable and highly populated with players thanks in part to its inclusion with Xbox Game Pass.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-reach-begins-beta-tests-on-pc-and-xbox-one-th/1100-6466053/
The Division 2 Adding New Difficulty Mode And World Tier Soon; First Raid Gets A Release Date
The next big update for The Division 2 is coming very soon, and it adds a new, more challenging difficulty mode, as well as a new World Tier, weekly invasions, new weapons and gear, and more. Not only that, but the first raid is on the way at the end of the month.
The new update, Tidal Basin, is part of the first post-launch free content, Invasion: Battle for D.C., and it arrives on April 5–here’s exactly when. It adds a new stronghold, Tidal Basin, which is occupied by the Black Tusk faction. “Tidal Basin is now home to some of the most powerful enemies in the game, and they’re not going down easy,” Ubisoft says.
Players who successfully complete the stronghold will rise to World Tier 5, and in turn this lets players get gear scores in the range of 450-500. Reaching World Tier 5 unlocks new weekly invasions that see Black Tusk enemies take over missions and strongholds throughout D.C. They are described as “harder” than other challenges, and the reward for completing them is better loot and gear.
Additionally, Invasion: Battle for D.C. adds a new Heroic difficulty setting that Ubisoft says makes for “some of the most challenging gameplay yet.” On top of that, new two exotic weapons, Pestilence and Nemesis, along with gear sets True Patriot, Hardwired, and Ongoing Directive, are coming to The Division 2 in the update.
In addition, a new PvP map titled Fort McNair is added in the update, while there are more cosmetics to acquire through the Invasion Apparel Event.
Looking ahead, The Division 2’s first raid, Operation Dark Hours, is slated to arrive on April 25. It’s an eight-player raid that is described as “the toughest of all challenges,” and one that will “test the teamwork of the most experienced agents.”
Even further out, Ubisoft will add a new Specialization to The Division 2, but there is no word yet on what it’ll be or when it’ll release.
Invasion: Battle for D.C. is the first of at least three free content drops for The Division 2 in its Year 1. The others include Episode 1: DC Outskirts Expedition (Summer 2019), Episode 2: Pentagon: The Last Castle (Fall 2019), and Episode 3 (Winter 2019).
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-division-2-adding-new-difficulty-mode-and-worl/1100-6466052/
