Yesterday the December 2008 issue of Game Informer was deposited into the anxiously awaiting mailboxes of loyal subscribers everywhere, and the information gleaned from a certain ten pages (which were packed full of juicy info and screenshots straight from Bungie about their upcoming project Halo 3: Recon) spread like wildfire. As always, gamers worked hard to prove themselves as a fastidious bunch by focusing on one inconsequential morsel of information only. Not the fact that Halo 3: Recon is expected to be a mere three to five-hour experience. Not the fact that Bungie is still insisting it will not be a $60 title (anyone want to place bets on $50?). Instead attention stayed and continues to stay glued on one particular item that can be unlocked by completing all of the Vidmaster Challenge achievements (the four current ones plus additional Halo 3: Recon specific ones as well). The point of contention? The highly coveted Recon armor permutation. After watching Bungie.net thread after Bungie.net thread spiral to hundreds of responses in a matter of hours, it is clear people want to talk about this subject. So let’s talk about it.
What is Recon exactly besides a very rare variant of the standard Mark VI MJOLNIR powered assault armor? I think the heart of the entire matter lies just in that deceptively simple question. As unnecessarily deep as this sounds, Recon armor means different things to different people, which is making the upcoming general accessibility to it such a meaty debate.
Status Symbol
Some rather passionate people inside the microcosm of the Halo community view Recon armor strictly as a status symbol. Upon catching a glimpse of someone sporting the ODST-esque helmet, they automatically assume they are in the presence of complete and utter greatness. Despite the fact that some people have received Recon simply for having their number drawn in a completely random raffle or for having the unfortunate but comical luck of getting killed by a devastatingly violent cone-shaped road marker, certain fanatics hold on tight to the belief that anybody and everybody that wears this armor is worthy of worship. Desiring the same treatment, these people want the armor simply because in their eyes it garners immediate respect from their peers.
Personal Memento
For some of those that have been awarded Recon armor, it represents a personal memento more than anything else. Recon armor is not tangible; you can’t hold it in your hands and there is no way to actually wear it. While it has absolutely no meaning outside of Halo 3, it is a virtual representation of being recognized by the very people who made your favorite trilogy of video games. That is significant and it is sentimental, and the importance of that cannot be taken away by the mere act of giving it to others. This is only my opinion but I don’t feel like Bungie is looking to take the significance of the gift away from those that have already been given it, but instead they are rewarding other gamers that have stayed loyal to their series for a number of years. And perhaps this is an avenue for padding their pockets with a little extra cash as well considering purchasing the expansion pack will be a prerequisite for unlocking the armor. They are a business you know, just sayin’.
Human Nature
Psychologists have shown time and time again that human beings find more value in things that they have a hard time obtaining. Simply put, people want what they can’t have. Whether it’s your best friend’s beautiful girlfriend, your boss’s amazing job, or that elusive next rank of General Grade 4, that which remains just outside our grasp only sweetens with time. After being told you cannot haz Recon for so long, it’s simultaneously confusing and exciting to finally have it just within our reach. Is the armor really shinier on the other side of the fence though? Looks like you may find out soon enough.
Just Another Armor Permutation
Some people like Recon armor simply for the way it looks. Perhaps they prefer the thin visor of the helmet. Maybe the slanted rectangular strip of metal jutting outwards from the shoulders makes them quiver in excitement. Could be they just like the look of the more angular chest piece. But some gamers simply like it for the sheer appearance of it.
So now for the discussion. How do you feel about Recon armor being attainable through achievements? What does this particular armor permutation mean to you and how does that have an impact on your opinion on this issue? Do you even care, or do you just want your new game and maps already?!
Posted by Handmade Hero on November 13, 2008 at 3:03 am
me want new game and maps plzzz! I’m actually pretty happy that recon will be unlockable through achievements; It will make the populous internet squeakers very quiet and should hopefully put an end to all of the account jacking
Posted by TheChrisD on November 13, 2008 at 3:12 am
It’s just an armour permutation; anyone who is sitting in the corner, completely hyper, and trying not to hump themselves to death after hearing the news, should be taken out and shot, they have that little sense.
Posted by Waffle Deluxe on November 13, 2008 at 3:45 am
I think that those who have obtained it before for being out of the box amazing deserve something new to make up for their new unspecialization
Posted by A10M1C on November 13, 2008 at 4:11 am
I used to be a machinima director until I got wrapped up in my High School Media’s class and became one of the top video editors/directors/producers in all 3 grades at the moment.
I have a LOT of real life friends who have never heard of Recon but play halo and claim their Hayabusa armor is the best thing in the world. I personally have no problem with everyone unlocking Recon. It’s an armor perm I like and wouldn’t mind having to show my cousin’s and allowing my little sisters to play with.
And besides. Not like I have the chance to play Halo as much anymore.
Posted by Aperture S on November 13, 2008 at 4:13 am
The armor shouldn’t be given out due to unlocking achievements. I like how every n00b wants it and will most likely will never get it (at time of writing).
It makes me happy seeing one person out of many in a game with it, People running around in Recon would make it not special anymore.
I certainly don’t want recon. All i see it as is a invite for n00bs to always ask you, via messages or in-game talk, how you got it and can they get it.
After all I like my Rogue (Head) + Scout (Shoulder) + Hayabusa (Chest) combo and would most likely never change it for recon.
Posted by Aperture S on November 13, 2008 at 4:14 am
All though I wouldn’t miss a chance on getting it…Just to have that feeling that I have recon.
Posted by Mace Windex on November 13, 2008 at 4:25 am
Order of Want:
1. New maps
2. Halo 3: Recon
3. New robot suit for my spaceman.
Posted by Ragingterror on November 13, 2008 at 4:25 am
Despite the fact that some people have received Recon simply for having their number drawn in a completely random raffle…
Hey… not so loud. I rather enjoy freaking out the squeakers with it.
I am of the opinion that it is merely an armor permutation. Bungie can do whatever they want with it, but if they do make it unlockable, I’d like to see them give something special (yet inconsequential, if that’s possible) out to the people that already have it. Because of its rarity, I would be nice to see something simple that identifies “original holders” of the much coveted armor.
Posted by Excardon on November 13, 2008 at 4:41 am
Recon is now the new Hayabusa.
Nuff said.
Posted by mendicantbias00 on November 13, 2008 at 4:51 am
Recon is now the new Hayabusa.
Exactly.
While I will patiently wait for my issue of Game Informer so that I may ogle the tidbits of Recon (game), I will also wait patiently for a real chance at Recon armor.
I personally really like the way the armor looks, especially the shoulder and chest piece. And while I do not look forward to seeing EVERYONE wearing Recon, I do think that it is a step in the right direction towards stopping greedy fucktards from jacking accounts.
As for Bungie giving “something simple that identifies ‘original holders’ of the much coveted armor” I am going to disagree, after all it is “merely an armor permutation” right?
Posted by Ragingterror on November 13, 2008 at 4:57 am
I am going to disagree, after all it is “merely an armor permutation” right?
True, but I also happen to be a little bit of an information junkie. :D
Posted by the silver fox on November 13, 2008 at 5:59 am
About Recon armor, well, I would certainly like to have it (given that the shoulders are one of the few permutations that can be made to look like Marine shoulders), but I want the OTHER Recon and the maps first.
Posted by PsycheDiver on November 13, 2008 at 6:23 am
My favorite setup is the Security helm with the Hayabusa torso. My thoughts on the shoulders change periodically.
Posted by Tortacular on November 13, 2008 at 6:29 am
It’s just armor. People need to get over it. Bungie is gifting it to the Halo nation.
Posted by hob-la-hey on November 13, 2008 at 6:31 am
I thought the idea of keeping recon from everyone who owns halo 3 was rather dumb in the first place… I mean people had to bust their balls to get all the achievements (some harder than others) and after all the work to unlock everything available, it came down to a simple matter of chance and a video clip showcasing one stupidity in some cases to get it.
I mean I know everyone had a shot at it potentially, but the halo community is vast and its like finding a needle in a haystack or being owned by a cone.
Bungie has their flames…. leave it at that…. everyone one has access to all the armor and bungie remains the only “flamers” in our halo universe.
Posted by Reneiw on November 13, 2008 at 6:39 am
I like that Recon will be available for two reasons:
1. It is probably not going to be easy to get because of certain VMCs.
2. Only people that go out and earn it will be able to get it, not just by getting sprees, or getting certain medals, etc.
The reason I really like #2 is because it means that the 10-year-old-hyped-up-on-Mountain-Dew can’t get it…they won’t have the brains to do the VMCs to get it.
Posted by mendicantbias00 on November 13, 2008 at 7:02 am
It’s just armor. People need to get over it. Bungie is gifting it to the Halo nation.
:D
Posted by Alex C on June 14, 2009 at 8:28 am
:D :D :D
Posted by AusQB on November 13, 2008 at 7:16 am
I laughed so hard at the third screenshot (Human Nature).
Ever since Halo 3’s release, I haven’t been able to say enough to the Halo community to relax about Recon. It’s not even a tangible asset. It’s a bunch of pixels in a video game. Not having it will not destroy your life.
I will say this though, I feel one of the reasons it is one of the best looking armours is primarily because of the shoulders. They just seem to have a perfectly proportioned, square shape about them. They look so manly.
Posted by PurpleSteve on November 13, 2008 at 7:17 am
For me, its just for the variety, i like having more and more pieces to mix and match and make the best armour.
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 13, 2008 at 7:42 am
I like the look of the head, I’d keep my EVA shoulders and Mark VI chest.
But really it is just armor. (This next tidbit isn’t aimed at those who honorably wear recon)
But i think it will bring those with recon who brag about it off their high horses. You know there are some snot-nose jackasses who got it from the 2v2 at PAX, or a random drawing, or even sniping themselves or gettng the most sticks who think they are better than everyone else because they have recon. Releasing it to all will put everyone on the same level again. Those who earned it ahead of time know who they are, and know they did something great for it (EX: DigitalPh33r and Predator) and should be proud of it.
Plus it puts an end to the account hacking and inbox spamming that comes with recon these days.
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 13, 2008 at 7:53 am
I was looking at the bungie.net thread, and I think it’s funny how everyone was upset that they couldn’t have recon, now they’re upset that they can.
Make up your mind people!
Posted by Elvis Diaz on November 13, 2008 at 7:56 am
….i..can finally haz reconz!!!…all those wasted years!!
Posted by Ragingterror on November 13, 2008 at 7:56 am
I was looking at the bungie.net thread, and I think it’s funny how everyone was upset that they couldn’t have recon, now they’re upset that they can.
Yeah… people are funny like that. They never really know what it is they want. >_<
Posted by Socket on November 13, 2008 at 8:10 am
I think it’s going to lower the value of it quite a bit…everyone having it.
I realize that getting the Vidmaster achievements is sort of padding…rather than just giving it out, but one achievement (to me) is ridiculously hard.
(Feel free to ignore anything below this line)
[rant]
Why did they have to put the four-player co-op as one of the achievements? All of the other acievements, can be accomplished with nothing but yourself and an xbox live connection.
The Halo level one is something different though.
Most people probably have no trouble doing this. They probably have a ton of friends on their FL. Me? I have about thirty or something. Only about four of them are online at any given time, I hardly know them, they don’t remember me, and they’re always playing some other game that I don’t even have.
Only two people on that list are people that I know in real life. Both are from band. One is this really annoying kid, and I only put him on ther because I’m polite, and the other guy is never online.
I’m not in any groups online. I don’t usually have that much time to play. And if I did organize a meeting of four people to help me with that, probably only one would show up.
To wrap this up, I don’t think Bungie should have included that achievement. It’s not like the others, and it’s too hard for people like me ( People who like matchmaking, like the community, follow the news, but don’t have excess time to play), to get.
[/rant]
Posted by Crazyeye0 on November 13, 2008 at 8:31 am
I believe Recon to be mainly a status symbol and some form of an achievement, since it is hard to obtain, and hard, if not impossible to earn it through hard work, except in the case of a machinamist, it warants a certain amount of respect. But past all the magical atmosphere it creates, it is also quite a nice looking armour permiation, due to the fact that it is unual, like the EVA helmet, it may not look amazing, but is unusual, which makes it more interesting than pretty.
I also feel, that as much as I’ve always wanted Reconz, that Bungie shouldn’t make it available to everyone. It will probably get rid of the respect I have for people wearing Recon, since it is achieveable through a few (and some agrovating *cough*Anual*cough*) achievements, and a bit of whatching youtube vids to find hidden skulls on currently non existent maps. I’m surprised their hasn’t been too much controversy or people yelling at Bungie like they do, but I have steered clear of Bnet since the anouncement, It’s probably less safe from the hordes of people who make up the vast majority of Bnets posts by posting crap.
I think someone may of said this already, but Recons probably going to end up as the new Hayabuse armour.
Posted by Socket on November 13, 2008 at 8:35 am
Hmmm
I was in the B.net thread, and Great_Pretender said this:
“i can haz arbitar armoer”
I wonder if he’s just joking….or not.
Posted by AT-AT on November 13, 2008 at 8:45 am
I fall in with “it just another armor”. I will definitely be wearing the shoulders (I’ve always like angular and blocky geometry). I may wear the chest (don’t know if I’ll like it more than scout). I hate the head though.
So when I go to my occasional spartan, you may not even notice I have recon pieces on (since most people seem to recognize the head first).
Posted by AT-AT on November 13, 2008 at 9:05 am
About Annual, I’ve heard of people doing it with 2 Xboxes, and with Guests. So it may be that you can do it on one xbox, its just that your Halo Lobby has to be set to Xbox live instead of Local or LAN.
Posted by Salen on November 13, 2008 at 9:45 am
Recon’s going to become the new “Katana”, not the new “Hayabusa”. I remember when my friend, Instant, was struggling and clawed his way to get the elusive 1000 GS, so he could have the Katana. And as soon as he got it he declared…
“You know, this thing looks horrible”, and took it off.
So yeah the fact that Recon will be available to others is nice. I remember the trouble I went through to get the Mongoose splatter so I could get the scout shoulders, and in the end I realized “Hey, EVA looks better”. So it’d be nice to have, and I could see myself switching to the Recon chestplate or shoulderpads, but like the Katana, I just don’t care enough to drive myself crazy to get them. I got the 7-on-7 Vid achievement, but other than that, I just don’t care to try.
And that’s why it’s just another cool suit of armor that I’m not going to care about getting. It’s good that folks can go for it if they want, but me, I’ve got other things to focus on.
Posted by SonofMacPhisto on November 13, 2008 at 10:01 am
Instead of making fun of my my rank, I’m waiting for folks to make fun of me for playing as an Elite.
‘You don’t have Recon? Haha!’
Then I shall enjoying silencing them, with great justice. :D
Posted by the Light Show on November 13, 2008 at 10:02 am
now i can quit spamming all my recent players with useless “forward to 15 players and get recon” messages! yay!
Posted by Fezzer on November 13, 2008 at 10:02 am
A certain level of maturity is lacking in most of the Halo Nation. It’s virtual armor in a virtual video game that does nothing to improve your life.
I can’t believe the frenzy over this.
Wear it if you want, but I couldn’t care less about it.
Plus, it’s ugly.
Posted by WyIdfyre on November 13, 2008 at 10:30 am
God, I wanted Recon since before I even found out about it’s “uniqueness’, however, this update angers and saddens me.
It’s a cool permutation, but once the Brain Pan achievement gets onto Youtube, it’s just gonna be another Hayabusa…
Posted by Brian on November 13, 2008 at 10:33 am
I’m not gonna cry about not having it, seeing as I haven’t cried about it yet, but I would like it because IMO the other helmets available are really less than spectacular. I mean, honestly, the Mark VI is of course fine, the Mark V isn’t even that great, it’s classic but it looks weird, EOD is ridiculous and i would never wear it, same with hayabusa. CQB is okay but i get tired of it and Security is okay but kinda ridiculous at the same time. EVA is super ugly, etc. etc. And the shoulder choices are even worse and the chest choices even worse than that. So, as someone who changes armor often, having another choice that i think looks cool would be nice.
I do understand, however, that I cannot put “haz recon” on my resume.
I really wish they hadn’t made so many ugly armor permutations.
Posted by Brian on November 13, 2008 at 10:36 am
I do think its good that one of the achievements is to beat the game, which is something a surprising number of people on XBox Live have not done
Posted by blueazure on November 13, 2008 at 10:37 am
Im a completionist, and im just glad to finally be able to have everything on the list. Finally.
Posted by Gilver on November 13, 2008 at 10:40 am
I don’t even know if I’d wear it if I got it…
I may…but I don’t simply view it as just another permutation.
The people who have it now are indeed lucky and/or great.
If I played someone with it, I’d spaz.
But once everyone else has it, it won’t be as special. I may end up using it, but not as much as you might think
Posted by Ragashingo on November 13, 2008 at 10:52 am
To me Recon armor has been a sign that somebody in the community has been noticed for doing something cool. Being recognized by the developers who made your favorite game is a neat thing.
That said I hardly even know what Recon armor looks like, I’m certainly not going to go out of my way to try and get it, and I’ll be happy once it becomes available to everyone just so its stops being an issue to the community.
Posted by Dust and Echoes on November 13, 2008 at 11:01 am
Another most likely false rumor about an armor perm I couldn’t care less about. No offense to those who like it, but its ugly. Status symbols are great and all, but there’s a point when everyone stops caring
Posted by AT-AT on November 13, 2008 at 11:05 am
I really don’t think we’ll need YouTube for the Mythic skulls. They’re multiplayer maps. Inherently smaller than Campaign (The smallest campaign map, Crow’s nest, is a lot bigger than the biggest Multiplayer, Avalanche). And tend to have a lot less obscuring scenery and out of the way corners that you don’t normally look at. The only maps I foresee having problems with would be big team maps.
Posted by Ulyseto on November 13, 2008 at 11:09 am
I like the armor set, but the only thing i would change to my armor is the recon chest plate, it looks badass
Posted by Das Kalk on November 13, 2008 at 11:25 am
They had already started to deviate from it, but I saw it as a badge of honor. Something you would wear to show that you are a contributing community member. Now it’s just another armor permutation.
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 13, 2008 at 12:15 pm
A word from Shishka, provided by HBO Forums:
: All worked hard and earned their Recon armor.
Here’s a common problem people seem to get hung up on since Halo 3.
Working hard on something = Getting Recon Armor.
This is not, nor has it ever really been true. Walshy smoked us in 2v2 at PAX. What work did he do? I once gave Recon to a guy whose sarcastic remark to some stupid remarks on the forums made me laugh out loud. One guy wrote us a letter offering his wife in exchange for a remake of Ascension. Even included photos from their wedding. We gave him Recon instead.
The most famous case of Recon is the one that made people aware of the armor: A film of an errant sniper rifle shot that sent a cone flying into the head of a player at such a high velocity that it killed him.
The fact is that people have never understood that if you’re doing things in an attempt to get Recon, you’re probably not going to get it, unless the thing you do involves winning a tournament or contest where we have offered Recon as a prize. The mods, Digitalph33r, the first cone kill guy, those guys don’t do what they do (or did what they did?) for an armor permutation. They did it for the love, and would do their thing even if Recon didn’t exist.
Recon isn’t a payment for services rendered to the community. There’s actually a lot of people that have Recon. A lot, and the reasons all vary. We’ve told people that doing things that make an impression on the Community is the best way to get Recon, but what most people don’t understand is that “Make an impression on the Community” isn’t an achievement to be unlocked that in turn unlocks Recon. It was our attempt to get people to be active in the community, a nod to the pillars and the meme-creators and the people that do awesome stuff for the sake of doing awesome stuff and make the community a better place as a whole. But instead, people connected the difficult task of recreating the cone suicide to “earning” Recon, and it became set in the minds of the community that Recon is thusly a prize for completing tasks. But doing things for the community shouldn’t be a “task,” it should be something you do because you enjoy it. Would Predator still make his screenshots if there was no Recon? Would Bryan Simon have sung those songs? I certainly hope so.
I haven’t been messaged by anyone with Recon that wishes to complain about the announcement. I do not find that to be odd.
-S
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 13, 2008 at 12:16 pm
http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=906274
Posted by daredizzle on November 13, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I have a very split opinion on this…
On one side it is good that bungie is releasing the armor to be obtained by achievements. It is even better that these achievements aren’t something that someone on youtube can walk you through like unlocking the katana which initially was a mark of status and is now simply a mark to point out who still lives with their parents and balls have yet to descend bringing their high voice with it. Recon armor will be a mark of dedication to achieving something. A sign that you put time into the game. And as far as I know, none of the achievements require general status or 50,000 headshots in a game which means it isn’t just available to those whose xbox is permanently on, water cooled and hand painted to look like cortana is winking at them personally. Even I, the one who runs straight at the sword wielding general thinking maybe I can bash him, can obtain this armor with the right amount of dedication and sick days from work.
However, bungie just played a marketing card I would have expected more from Disney or whoever makes Hello Kitty: Island Adventure. They have simply realized that there are countless threads on countless forums of whiners and complainers explaining how many times they have forged a pile of cones and thrown n number of plasma grenades into it to receive nothing. They have entered contests, filmed horrible movies to worse soundtracks and still have no armor to show for it. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize there is profits to be made and honor to be stripped here. So they pulled quite the move in annoncing the release of this game, they have captivated every different halo player in one box, not that they didn’t already, but a new campaign, new set of maps, and an obtainable permutation of armor that was previously only for the abnormal is now going to hit store shelves. We will all buy it, we will all get the new maps, we will all at least try to get recon armor but some will realize that the 6th of every month is binge drinking day and you’ll sleep through the seventh, or maybe that’s PTA night. This is more of a rant than a comment and I apologize bs angel, and to those who read it. But we’re about to strip people of their glory and put even more money into the pockets of the halo creators. Get ready for Cribs: Bungie Edition people and you better believe they have the nicest theatre room.
Now if I could get my hands on a flaming helmet, 50 bucks doesn’t sound too shabby…
Posted by BerserkerBarage on November 13, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I’m one of those people who feel badly for the people that got it as a reward. People like Predator or DigitalPheer or hell even the moderators. Or even the people that spent 4 hours standing in line at PAX to get a chance to even play for it.
Bungie has consistently devalued parts of their interaction. It started with (coincidentally) with the VidMaster Challenges. In Marathon, if you could VidMaster you were a freakin’ god to be able to go through on TC difficulty doing all the other requirements. If they would have made the only way to achieve VidMaster was completing SLASO or CO-LASO where it actually means something maybe I wouldn’t feel so bad about it. The current achievements for VidMaster disgrace the name. Now, they devalue an armor perm that they had previously said was only to be used as positive-incentive for the community. The only positive-incentive here is to buy H3:R. Which I understand is a pretty strong marketing force for the 11year old twits that breed on this kind of cheap marketing but to the rest of us it’s just sad.
It’s just sad that Recon is going to be just as worthless as Hayabusa but this time BUNGIE is the one doing it! They are devaluing their own property for the sake of marketing. Maybe it wasn’t just MSGS that was pimpin’ Halo 3 out to anyone who would throw money at it (Pontiac, Pepsi, 7/11, etc.).
This is a tremendously sad day for me as a long-time Bungie fan.
~B.B.
Posted by BerserkerBarage on November 13, 2008 at 12:43 pm
What Chad doesn’t realize is that they aren’t going to complain to the people that gave them the armor. If they did they would just seem spoiled and upset. I’ve talked to several people that currently have Recon and they weren’t the least bit happy about the announcement. Not because they are eventually losing the exclusivity of what they have but because the community is losing a good incentive.
While Predator surely would have made his screenshots regardless…what about all the people that got involved in the community for the first time with the siren song of Recon as the goal? While they might not have had the purest reasons behind why they were being good community members, the good was still accomplished. Now it seems it’s for naught.
The only positive thing about this situation is that people will now be less inclined to steal accounts with Recon because it’s been devalued to the point of nothing.
~B.B.
Posted by PikminGod on November 13, 2008 at 12:47 pm
EVA FTW!!
i want the hellspartan armor that mcfarlane toys debuted at ComicCon this past year recon is dumb!
Posted by John Killer118 on November 13, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I don’t know what to think. If anything it’s a disgrace to anyone who truly deserves Recon. But at the same time… oh no… it’s…. com…ing……………………………………. :O
I CAN HAZ RECON ROFLCOPTOR LOLZ SOISOISOISOISOISOISOISOISOISO111!!111I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111!!!111!111!!111
Posted by NartFOpc on November 13, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I’m an Elite. Wutz recon lol?
Posted by vshields ash on November 13, 2008 at 3:19 pm
when i played online as an elite, someone once asked me, why i was playing as an elite. i said because i am elite. i went on to explain why, and he agreed.
i still play as an elite. ;)
ash
Posted by Yellow Six on November 13, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I have always liked Recon armor. To me, it looks much better than any of the current choices, save maybe standard Mk VI. However, Excardon is right: Recon is the new Hayabusa. Now everyone is gonna be screaming “OMG I HAZ RECON GUYZ LOOK AT MAI OSSUM ARMER LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!11!!!1!”
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 13, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I’d just wait a few months after the release, the hype will die down after that.
Posted by Time Glitch on November 13, 2008 at 4:17 pm
So they finally did it.
Personally, I was always one that didnt care weather I got Recon or not. If I got it, nice. If I didnt, whatever. However I really think Bungie has just completley deflated any status that Recon might have within the community. Making it attainable through pointless achievements whos solutions will be released on Wikipedia the second they are found takes all the charm of having Recon away. Now, if you have Recon, you will not be considered someone that Bungie has seen it fit to give, or a very lucky person. You’ll now be seen as someone who probably spends too much time playing Halo games, and who should probably be doing something better with their time.
This never happened with Hyabusa, because lets face it, the achievements were easy. But if Halo 3: Recon’s achievements are hard, well then you might seriously be considered a life waster if you end up getting all of them.
Then there is the obvious issue: What happens to those who already have it? Will they be ridiculed in this way as well? Some people who have Recon genuinely deserve it, and to take that special little token away from them seems like a very bad thing. I think its unfair to those who already have it to be giving it away like this.
The one thing I can see coming from this is the awesome fact that nobody will have to deal with the “HOW CAN U GET RECON” messages from all those idiots out there.
But it’ll turn into the new Hyabusa. Everyone will eventually have it, and it won’t be special anymore. Oh well.
Guess we’ll have to start worshiping potato chip bags again. (I dont know why I said that, it was just the only thing I can think of right now)
Posted by TTL OboeCrazy on November 13, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I value my recon because it is a personal momento. A reminder of the amazing time I had playing Grifball with Team Cannonball, and the extrodinary experience it was to win the championship. That’s why my recon is special to me…not because of what it is, but what it represents. I wear it for many reasons, but mostly because it make me smile to remember why I got it.
Giving everyone the chance to get that armor does not take away my personal momento. My extrodinary experience is not dulled simply because others have Recon. I will still look at it and smile and remember and be happy. I don’t need the recon to remember that event, it’s just nice to have the reminder. And if having recon makes other people happy, then how can I be unhappy?
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 13, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Thank you!
I wish more people were like you Oboe
Posted by the silver fox on November 13, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Amen to some common sense from someone who already wears Recon.
At least Jim should have Recon now as well. He deserves it for his work on Reclaimer.
Posted by Commenter on November 13, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I like it for the look.
Before Halo 3 came out people “hacked” bungie.net to find out what the armor permutations looked like and made that spiffy program so you could choose different combinations to see how it would look. I was playing around with that and picked out an armor set for myself that included the Recon helmet. When the game finally came out, I was severely pissed that this was the one helmet that I couldn’t unlock.
Posted by radiant penguin on November 13, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Chance that I will eventually be wearing Recon armor – 0 %
Chance that I will continue to be ridiculed for playing as a pink Elite – 100 %
Chance that I care about either – 0 %
Ahhh. . . blissful indifference.
Posted by triptup on November 13, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I love Halo. I love Bungie. I love the Halo Community. This is a game. Have fun and stop worrying about what you look like…
Posted by JuJoo Guppy on November 13, 2008 at 7:10 pm
These are my thoughts.
I hope to do something for the community that they feel is deserving of the armor BEFORE its available for everyone. As a momento, more than anything.
I hope everyone who currently has it views it as still being special, because they were given it for something special.
I am glad the crying over the armor will stop..
I can no longer harass Louis Wu about it..
And no more account hijacks. (We ever figure out who was seriously dumb enough to hijack Louis Wu’s account? rofl)
Posted by beloved22 on November 13, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Hopefully they do this for ALL future games made by Bungie. It really drawns people in.
Posted by newguy2445 on November 13, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I saw Recon as the ‘Personal Memento’ category. The only thing that attracted me to it.
But I can understand why Bungie would make Recon available to all, mainly because of the sheer amount of spam they get asking for Recon, after a year it must have got very tiresome to see endless B.net threads asking for Recon, endless emails, endless game messages, it’s much easier to just say, here, you can get Recon, now stop bugging us.
I’m okay with it, sometimes it got annoying when people asking for Recon started spreading into non-Bungie employee areas, somebody even asked for it on the official Halo Wars Forums o.O
Posted by Senor Leche on November 13, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I would hope that for those who were given the armor for making a contribution to the Community, the armor is just a physical manifestation of Bungie appreciating what you did. That nod from Bungie, that sentiment of appreciation…that’s what was meaningful. Not the armor itself.
I’m delighted that others can earn it. That doesn’t lesson those contributions at all and I hope that others feel the same.
In response to BB (BerserkerBarage), people will still get recognition for making cool contributions to the Community buddy. With Urk doing spotlights and front page articles like a champion, etc. At PAX, I was joking around with Wu and I said “People love seeing their name in lights”. Of course, I also said “Whoa, check out that girl in a skintight Cortana costume” so pay no attention to me. ;)
- Leche
P.S. vshields, your comment was hilarious. I love it.
Posted by Mondo Titan on November 13, 2008 at 11:51 pm
it really doesnt make much of a difference to me [see: ELITE!]. i’ll still probably do the Vidmaster Challenges, and play through H3:R. not for the armor, but for the fun in accomplishing the challenge.
a side note. I remember reading once in a Bungie Weekly Update that they’ve been keeping a list of people that will NEVER receive Recon. now, i dont know if that was just a threat, or if they actually have a list of Gamer Tags that are denied access to this coveted armor. either way, it’s a funny thought.
Posted by ZZoMBiE13 on November 14, 2008 at 4:33 am
I just hope they add some all new original armor perms. Recon this or that makes little difference to me personally. Although since its sure to rocket to the top of the “most used perms” list, so at least there will be less people using the helmets I like now. I guess that’s something.
Posted by Salen on November 14, 2008 at 5:14 am
ZZoMBiE: Ok, I have to ask, which helmets do you like the most? I personally think the Recon helmet is just sort of ‘meh’, but I love the Rogue helmet.
Posted by Mikeio on November 14, 2008 at 5:19 am
I don’t really agree with what they’re doing. Making Recon available to anyone like this is like the the queen of England releasing a to-do list to get you knighted. Follow these easy steps and you’ll be a “Sir” in no time!
Before, Recon was something that was given to a select few, either out of awesomeness or randomness, and now it’s going to end up just like the Hayabusa armour, overused an no longer unique or cool in any way.
Posted by Mikeio on November 14, 2008 at 5:21 am
as a sidenote, I’m just realizing now that I’m saying exactly what a lot of other people are saying and I’m not trying to copy you guys in any way.
Posted by BSG Surgeon on November 14, 2008 at 7:23 am
I couldn’t be happier about this actually. After reading quite a few reactions to this on BNet it is my opinion that most, not all, but most that either had it or wanted it seen it as nothing more than a status symbol. I see that more and more as these people continue to ask for something new that will again make them “special” after its release. For those folks I say that you are no more special than I or anyone else. We all paid the same price for this game therefor we all deserve to be able to use the full feature set that was shipped with it.
I have supported and contributed to this community not for any reward but simply in order to give back to a community that has given me so much. Throughout the last year I have had the opportunity to meet, game with, and get to know some really great people… even Ms. Angel herself. If you ask me that’s a pretty good reward. I don’t think Recon can touch that.
Posted by Apostrophe on November 14, 2008 at 7:41 am
I agree with the folks that are saying that Recon is just another armor permutation.
I also agree that this is just a game, and it doesn’t matter what you look like. The only time you see your armor is when you die.. (by which point you may not even care).
Recon really isn’t that special. If Bungie had made it unlockable by regular means, no one would care about it.
Personally, I still prefer the ODST armor.
Also;
“One is this really annoying kid, and I only put him on there because I’m polite…”
I think everyone has this really annoying kid on their list… I’ve got two of ‘em.
Maybe we can set up a trading service. I’ll trade you “masturcheef69″ for that kid with all the numbers in his name.
Posted by BerserkerBarage on November 14, 2008 at 9:07 am
Posted by Senor Leche:
“In response to BB (BerserkerBarage), people will still get recognition for making cool contributions to the Community buddy. With Urk doing spotlights and front page articles like a champion, etc. At PAX, I was joking around with Wu and I said “People love seeing their name in lights”. Of course, I also said “Whoa, check out that girl in a skintight Cortana costume” so pay no attention to me. ;)”
I understand that Leche but it just seems to me that Bungie is going back against what they said the armor stood for. They said Recon was a community reward and it was a very powerful reward indeed. Now that “reward” is being transferred to cheap marketing. That’s what probably bothers me the most. The simplicity of the action needed to complete the task. Again, if they would have said “if you can SLASO you can unlock Recon” as part of the VidMaster Challenges I probably would have less of a problem with it. To me this all seems like Bungie is recanting what they’ve been saying all along.
Take for example the Hayabusa helmet. To unlock that was next to impossible originally. It was suppose to be a reward for people who spent hours trying to figure out every nook and cranny of the game. Sadly, people looked through the hex code and found out how to unlock it. I’ll admit that I have the skull but I won’t wear the helmet because I really shouldn’t have it. I can recall how there were quite a few Bungie employees that were tremendously saddened by the fact that something they wanted to keep very exclusive got overexposed in an instant. Now it seems that THEY are the ones doing it with their own IP.
I’m making a big deal out of really nothing here and I recognize that but I don’t see how this is a good decision by Bungie except for the pure marketing factor. They know people are quite obsessed with the armor perm so what better way to market their new game than make it so you can finally access something you previously saw as the holy grail.
To me, the holy grail is now devalued to the point of being a Wendy’s carryout cup.
~B.B.
Posted by Bryan on November 22, 2008 at 7:39 am
Honestly i think that it should stay the way it is. Recon is cool and all but having to see every damned person on the game wear it is sad. I like to play people who have it cause I dont. He/she got it for whatever reason. i dont care.
im not one of those people who try like hell to get it. to me its just a digital clothing for my avatar. bungie should give out a Recon Mrk II or something. at least give the original Recon a bit of a rarety.
Posted by Socom boy27 on December 1, 2008 at 11:17 am
I think that this recon situation should not be this easy to get because now people are asking me for help on these achievement I dont help them because I like to watch them cry and complain about how they dont have the achievements and now because of this their is going to be noob running around in recon
you can contact me on Xbox live Socom boy27
Posted by SupplyMan420 on July 8, 2009 at 5:58 am
i read most of what everyone has said and these are my thoughts. Personal Memento is deff what i consider recon. i have worked very hard to recieve the original 1000 and by doing so i got the katana and security armors. i currently wear both the katana chest and security sholders because i think the combo with the ODST helm or hyabusa helms work and look great to me. it also to me shows that i have put alot of effort into getting all the achievements, almost all the medals and have been a long time player. i may not be that good compaired to some but i still completed the annual in an hour an a half with swords so i proved i was worth the achievement. now odst is coming out and ill have the final 3 maps…. thank god i can finally kinda learn wepon placements maybe nade locations to and the final 3 skulls for brain pan and then the final three achievements to reach the perfect gamer score. when i first started playing halo was about 3 months after halo 3 came out so im relatively new to the line of duty so to speak. yet through hard work and some good friends have accompleshed alot. regardless, when i first started i set a couple simple goals.
1. get all pieces of armor.
2. get all 1000 gs (complete game on legendary goes in here somewhere)
3. reach level 50 in loan wolf
4. and finally get a general grade 4 by the time i got general id be happy though.
since then i have completed only one of those goals… number 2. ive also added a few more.
5. get all heroic and legendary achievements.
6. get all mythic halo 3 disk only for perfect 1750 gs.
7. finally recieve recon for some sort of hard work.
there are a total of 7 vidmasters to recieve the recon armor so i think th i will have some something pretty hard to do considering some of the vids require 4 people either for the annual or while playing firefight.
so in my opinon im glad bungie released it to the whole world. it would still be a status symbol because it would show all the hard work you had to do no matter how good you are at the game to get the VidMasters or something to benifit the community to recieve it. even after odst releases bungie will still give recon from time to time for certain things to those who dont already have it and have been long time players or atleast have 1500 games under their belts. i personally have around 4000 and am a 28 in LW but highest achieved their is a 32. i play alot of social and a lot of ranked i enjoy both and play for the fun of the game aswell to acomplesh my goals. so again it goes back to recon becoming like the hiyabusa armor. it will be very valuable untill we see alot of people wearing it then people will calm down. personally i want the helmet to finish my rewards suit(recon helmet, security sholders, and katana chest). all of which were for doing so many things. like 35 of the 50 gave u all security but head that was at all 50, katana for having all of the original 1000 gs and of course the 7 vid masters or spectatular work in bungies eyes… maybe im side tracking a little but thats my opinion. its just another armor perm that i want to have to show that i love this game enough to work for all that is available in game while still having fun.
Posted by REcon on July 18, 2009 at 10:27 pm
recons cool and all, but for christs sake it looks like ur crying the whole time.
anyway, heres the perms for the recon-look alike
Scout head
EVA shoulders
Hayabusa (not katana) body.
Posted by shane on November 6, 2009 at 8:15 am
i need help geting two vids on halo3 odst not the classic i will help any one that needs help i got all of them exsept those two.reply plz
Posted by shane on November 6, 2009 at 8:17 am
my gamer tag is insainpain146