This update will affect us:

Reduced Grenade Tag melee distance
Removed host name from Ranked match server browser

I'm glad to see that the tag-melee distance is reduced. I hope it is severely reduced. For the amount of damage the grenade does, you should have to be right up on top of someone to tag them.

Looks like we won't be playing Ranked together. That's fine with me. Ranked gaming experiences were almost always not as good as Player match gaming. Fixing the microphone/voice issue will make it even better.

"Increased penalty for quitting a Ranked match to -50 points" What? I thought the penalty was -500 points.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/753/753468p1.html

Ign has some images of the new maps that will be released. Also, there are multiple fixes to the game in the update that comes out before the maps.

I see nothing about friends being able to join ranked matches, but do see that they are removing host names from ranked match searches. So I guess they are still trying to keep friends from joining friends in ranked matches, which i do not understand.

@ JDOGG: moved your new post to this thread since it was already on the front page and will capture discussion about this update.

Why play ranked over player matches? You can invite friends and have a map cycle that keeps the party going?

This is the opposite of what I have heard everyone ask for. I want to be able to play as a clan in ranked matches. The logic is all wrong. You want good teammates for something with a rank associated with it. You have to play ranked to earn achievements. You have to be a weapon whore to earn half the achievments and quite often do what is best for you, not the team. These goals contradict eachother. You shouldn't have to worry about achievements in ranked. You also shouldn't have to play with random nubs against your will to play in the semi-competitive portion of multiplayer. For a game that focuses on teamwork so much, this is going to kill the longterm popularity of this game.

I say Epic shoud go ahead and give us the ability to earn achievements in player matches and then we can just forget about ranked matches all together.

As rapture pointed out, those two updates are the most significant. As he said, it looks like we won't be playing ranked together anymore. I could give a flip, except I'd like to get all the achievements for Gears, as I have done for other games that I really like.

I like the reduced grenade tag distance. I'm glad I got the achievement already, before the distance is reduced. This will seriously affect the MLG tournament gameplay. Since none of us depend upon nade tags for our playing style, we should be OK, and even have an advantage, if anything.

As FB pointed out, I just don't get what Epic is shooting for. When it comes down to it, screw ranked matches and screw the XBL leader boards. We all know that the best players aren't on top. The only reason to play ranked is achievements, so I suppose I'll get them very slowly by screwing off with random nubs. I suppose that's how they envision their ranked match system.

I was reading the reactions to the patch on Epic's forums and people seem to be split down the middle, specifically about the removal of host name in ranked games. I was really kind of hoping to see a statement from an Epic employee explaining their thinking. I didn't see one though.

There was one interesting theory I read though. One user suggested that the new map descriptions actually sound like new gametypes. I suppose it's possible. Some kind of "Free the Stranded" mode and a "Territories" mode could be extracted from the descriptions. The first one doesn't seem likely at all, and territories doesn't either, given the "round" system and single-life/round convention. I suppose they could change that though. I suppose I could have purchased a rear-projection LCD in 2006 when much better technology was available too, but not likely.

I'd like there to be a "Team Slayer" gametype were you can respawn and join the fight in progress. That probably takes away from the spirit of the cover system, though. This game is about the cover system. Given that, I'm not so sure a CTF gametype would work well in this game. I guess it WOULD work well, it just wouldn't be in the spirit of this game. Who knows? It would be awesome to execute someone with the flag. *Graphic*

Is it me or does "Raven Down" look extremely cluttered. How the heck are we supposed to roadie run through that mess?

I just saw some news come across my reading telling me that the GoW patch has been released. Anyone getting on tonight?

Even though the tourney is postponed, I'm still planning on going to FB's house and playing GoW. I hope that's OK with him...

Couldn't this problem be easily circumvented if you were given a set amount of lives per round, like three?

I think that's the entire point of that level.

I think we can still play ranked matches together....i mean pick a number of rounds that has very few hosts in it then pick a map that isn't already being played - then just tell all of us to go to that certain match - i ended up with the same person today 4 times by doing that

Ranked, 18 rounds, Mansion, Execution...

Might work.

Phoenix,
I had suspected that it was possible with a little obscure hosting, as you mentioned. However, trying to get 3-4 friends in the same ranked match is tough. I don't know why, but it is. After this patch, and added difficulty, I'll probably give up trying.

It is nice to know it's possible, though, given enough effort and a little luck.

I just downloaded and played...err...walked through these maps. Initial impressions:

Raven Down is very small. It's basically a big "+" sign in shape. I found no weapons on the map and only two frag grenade spawns. I saw no destructible environment elements. I found one small room on one of the corners. I have no idea how this map will play.

Old Bones is a larger map. It has plenty of hiding places with several hallways that are inside a building. I found a Boom Shot near the middle of the map and a Longshot in a good sniping location...complete with plenty of cover and barricades. I guess we know were sparda will be :). I found two frag grenade locations.

I only got to play Old Bones for a few minutes but nothing else jumped out at me. I spent about 12 minutes on Raven Down and got bored. I felt I had seen everything 3 times already.

Another thing that happened today is... Texas Hold 'em scores were reset! And I'm not sure, but I think they also added camera support...

I understand that there is NO vision support at this time.

This is information that has been relayed to be and should be taken as such.