No brainer: Rein confirms more Gears 2 tweaks
by Dustin Burg 
{ Dec 9th 2008 at 4:45PM }
We don't think it's a secret that Gears of War 2 multiplayer isn't perfect and, honestly, we don't think Epic Games is oblivious to that fact either. They've already released a patch to speed up matchmaking wait times and now, thanks to Epic's Mark Rein, we can be certain that a more wide reaching multiplayer patch is on the way.
Mark Rein recently responded to a post on the official Epic forums that demanded an improvement to Gears 2 multiplayer. Rein's response, Gears 2 multiplayer "will be improved along with other tweaks and improvements to the game as well." There you go, straight from Epic, a new Gears 2 patch is on its way. Wonder what it'll fix?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Easo @ Dec 9th 2008 4:52PM
I hope the smoke blast goes away or they make the down time standard (sometimes you get up right away other times your down for 10 secs or more.)
LegendaryRedass @ Dec 9th 2008 4:53PM
We owe whoever made THAT post a debt of gratitude.
SadisticHam @ Dec 9th 2008 4:53PM
I don't hold out hope that they'll fix any of the real problems.
I'm not trying to be an ass or negative all the time but what the hell, a one legged, blind, brain dead DONKEY could have seen what they did to the chainsaw was a god awful idea. XD
I'm sorry i just can't even begin to imagine how that got to how it was, I'd have loved to sit in on the board meeting. I've lost all faith in them and there capabilities to run a multiplayer game.
Prove me wrong Epic, please.
Cal @ Dec 9th 2008 8:46PM
I've got no idea how they went from Gears 1, the best online game I have ever played, to Gears 2's MP... It's like they just brought an 8 year old in to come up with 'cool' ideas (invinci-chainsaw, new smoke grenades etc), and chucked them straight in without any further thought...
Nick @ Dec 10th 2008 7:44PM
Staff meeting. The board wouldn't be making game design decisions. ;)
Rick @ Dec 9th 2008 4:56PM
Hopefully, it eliminates all the game-blog comment crybabies.
offday @ Dec 9th 2008 5:25PM
Crybabies? Why? Because people paid 60 or more dollars for a game, and then are forced to wait 20 minutes or even longer just to play one multiplayer match?
I don't call that being a crybaby. I call that people expecting something that they spent their hard earned money on to work. I'm guessing that your game works fine, because if it didn't the rest of us, more than likely, wouldn't be crybabies anymore.
Rick @ Dec 9th 2008 5:29PM
Yeah, I know I'm being a dick about it, but it works just fine for me. Usually find a team and get into the match in under 2 minutes.
It's ok. I felt the same way as you do now when I got Team Fortress 2.
Boff @ Dec 9th 2008 4:59PM
I honestly hope they do manage to fix the multiplayer, enjoyed the Campaign & Horde but the MP has been a bit of an anti-climax.
offday @ Dec 9th 2008 5:21PM
2 patches, huh? Seems like somebody might have changed their mind, considering Epic just said a couple weeks ago that the multiplayer problems were "limited in scale."
Muckrak3r @ Dec 9th 2008 5:22PM
Okay - get this. I'm playing Call of Duty World at War, and re-orderd HALO FREAKING 3 from Gamefly because GoW2 online is so bad. Its a noob and lag fest all rolled into one.
I was really looking forward to it, but the game is completely broken. Hosts quit all the time, spawning with stun smoke grenades, super duper extra rock and roll chainsaw, LAGGGG out the ass, and the list goes on and on.
GoW2 online is SERIOUSLY broken (see what I did there) and until its fixed I am playing other games that are at least enjoyable. Never thought I would pop Halo3 back in my disc tray, but it will be here in 2 days and I will be playing that and CoD4 and 5. And maybe never Gow2 again.
612 @ Dec 9th 2008 5:32PM
Can somebody clear this up for me? Do modded controllers work with chainsaw duels? If so is it possible to ban them like how WaW does ? It just seems like every chainsaw battle I get into I always lose even though I'm practically breaking my B button.
SadisticHam @ Dec 9th 2008 6:13PM
Nothing to do with turbo buttons, it's your connection.
Not saying you have a bad one..whoever you're going against just has a better one to the host.
Anticrawl @ Dec 9th 2008 5:28PM
You can keep your crummy matchmaking for Ranked matches Epic but please please please give us a lobby system for Public matches. I hate not having any control over the game or it's content and having to play with random different people each match. Matchmaking defeats the purpose of Xbox Live, there is little to no social aspect. I want to be able to form friends and enemies online, and play with the same people more than one match, and if they are glitching just remove them.
Also if proximity grenades are going to stay then friendly fire needs to be on by default.
Anticrawl @ Dec 9th 2008 5:29PM
Then of course I'm not quite sure what the idea was with removing the chainsaw animation cancel. Now when you shoot someone revving their chainsaw they just shrug and keep walking without having to repress be to rev it back up.
Mazrael @ Dec 9th 2008 6:00PM
does stopping power mean anything?. it slows the other person down.. I don't see why shooting someone would stop them revving, I'd be more determed to chain you if you were shooting me, if anything the chainsaw should lower a bit for taking hits, but not stop revving.. getting shot doesn't stop you shooting, so it shouldn't stop the chainsaw..
I prefer to play against bots to avoid lag & jerks, the game works fine for me. I'd assume that's how the game would play out online..
Ham @ Dec 9th 2008 6:11PM
@ Mazrael
Pro tip: Tap A
You'll roll and it completely ignores stopping power.
I might add stopping power is yet another fuck up on there part, it slows me down when I'm running away, across, any direction and i get slowed down for no apparent reason.
Rather annoying. Another failed and stupid game mechanic that they ruined the game with was the chainsaw duel, sorry but gears 1 had lag issues what gave you the bright idea to put in a mini game that involves mashing B for what, 3 seconds? It comes down to my connection>yours 99.9% of the time, it's more annoying than the random chainsawing in gears 1.
For those still sticking up for this god awful stupid game, I'm sorry i really am as a 2 year gears player i wanted to love this but it's broken:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUdHmWyw3Ek
In every way imaginable, I have never seen a bigger screw up on a multiplayer game before.
//rant
Brucie B @ Dec 9th 2008 8:22PM
lol @ Ham, 90% of the time you just Suck...
Mikemyerz666 @ Dec 9th 2008 9:20PM
@ Mazrael
Apparently you've been shot with a machine gun and are telling all of us that being shot doesn't affect you what so ever. The only thing i've seen stop the chainsaw is meleeing the person with a shotgun or something other than the lancer and it's hit or miss if you feel like getting that close to someone revving their chainsaw.
The Infamous Money King @ Dec 9th 2008 5:32PM
Okay Muckrak3r, it is probably YOUR connection that is causing those LAG problems not Gears I have played this game since launch A LOT and have NEVER been booted or lagged out of a match . I think if I remember correctly there was one game that STARTED out laggy but that only lasted 5 seconds. I don't know what game your playing or what connection you're playing on but spawning with smoke nades? Is that a problem? And what the fuck is ''super duper extra rock and roll chainsaw'' ? You're hating on a game that I have faith will win GoTY so read before you post next time scrub... And guess what? Halo 3 had MAJOR lag problems when it came out (anybody remember) but it's fixed now. Whenever a game comes out it usually has some big and minor flaws that will resolve itself overtime.
xXxEtown @ Dec 11th 2008 12:58AM
my main concern is the fucking chainsaw. Its invincible.
ScottishPrik @ Dec 9th 2008 6:03PM
Whatever. They'll probably fix a few minor things like the shield glitch. I doubt they'll fix the horrible sniping mechanics or the extremely unreliable hip firing. And yes I am a pessimist. So this game is going to gather dust for quite some time.
d3athcr4ft @ Dec 9th 2008 6:12PM
Hopefully we see a fix for all the areas in the campaign where you can get stuck.. like at the end of the boat level.. Matchmaking has been fine for me since the last patch though -- relatively quick to get into a game, no lag whatsoever.
prence @ Dec 9th 2008 7:02PM
I lovelovelovelove GOW1. But theres no shock that GOW2 has slipped to the 3 spot on XBL most played. It has so many issues: shield wielding shotgunners, guys putting a smoke grenade on their shield then walking around with it, the 'karate backflip' or whatever the hell it's called where people flip ontop of cars or buildings and essentially fly above the map. That's just a small sampler, and I didn't even mention the terrible matchmaking.
I haven't been this disappointed in a game in a while :\ Oh well.
Nick @ Dec 9th 2008 7:13PM
I'm not, in any way, a great gears player. I'm not. I never have been, nor will I ever be.
I have friends that ARE fairly good gears players.
I have not played with a single one of them since I started playing because we are FORCED to the ranked system. I have made no new friends (something I did constantly with public on Gears 1) and am outclassed if even one of my friends (with the 3 gold triangles versus my single) wants to play with me.
Last night I was paired with a crappy connection and EVERY player ranked at least gold triangles or platinum thingers.
I don't enjoy getting completely stomped, and that seems to be the only possible option with my skill level.
Is it technically even POSSIBLE to put in code for player matches? I doubt it. I doubt it'll happen. If it doesn't, I really cannot see how I'll actually enjoy Gears 2 multiplayer, which is a shame.
Andy @ Dec 9th 2008 7:29PM
LOL! INFAMOUS MONKEY...
Halo 3 did not have lag issues. Those were server problems on Microsoft's side....a overload of the servers.
Gears Of War 2 does not over load the servers because Halo 3 is on top the list according to Major Nelson, so explain what causes the lag. I am on a cable connection and I get into laggy games.
Your an ass if you say my connection is bad or anyone's connection is bad. Gears Of War 2 should call up Infinity Ward and ask how they fix and made Call Of Duty 4 choose the correct NON-LAGGY host.
Gears Of War 2 cannot choose a "NON-LAGGY" host if the franchise depended on it. What ruins a game, lag and bad mechanics.
Call Of Duty 4 is still the best game out there because it just runs fine but Gears Of War 2 can't even get a connection down properly, so how can you expect it to run right?
I know all of you Gears Of War 2 fans will come here flaming me but ask yourself one question, "If Call Of Duty 4 had the same gore factor as Gears Of War, would you still want to play Gears?"
You all know that you would be playing Call Of Duty 4 or 5 for that matter if it had the same gore factor as Gears Of War 2. The gore is what makes users keep coming back, end of story.
End Of My Online Flaming.
Toonces @ Dec 10th 2008 11:27AM
So are you saying your cable connection doesn't lag? Are you mentally retarted?? Cable connections lag all the time. They are shared w/ all subscribers in a specified area. Saying cable connections don't lag is like saying peanut butter & jelly sucks ass & I know you like PB&J. Put your helmet back on & eat your PB&J in the corner.
xFenixKnightx @ Dec 9th 2008 8:32PM
Please get rid of the falling down shit with the damn smoke!!!!! Being able to stick it to a wall is fine but damn its just plain stupid when someone throws smoke and the whole team falls down all fricken retarded like.
Frags should NOT be able to be stuck on walls. Damn EPIC how could you not see people doing this over and over and over? Or at least stop them from constantly respawning so quickly.
Other than Frag tagged walls and falling from smoke the game is perfect. Unfortunately I doubt they fix these two small things and yes, it will continue bugging the shit outta me.
Hmm, maybe one more, please DO NOT put 2 power weapons like Mortar and Hammer of Dawn on a map at the same time! Thats why I hate Day One with a passion!!!
There, I'm finished.
Well...maybe onnnnne last thing. Can you slightly, just ever so slightly make the chainsaw less n00bish. Please? EPIC? You there?
*crickets.wav.file
*Cries :(:::::::______
MDJ2010 @ Dec 10th 2008 6:32AM
The sticky grenades seems to be such a divided issue. Personally I love them, they work to create the kind of shooter Gears was always meant to be.
People forget that this isnt meant to be the constant run and gun that gears 1 became. These allow teams to defend their areas. And I think they work well.
Although as you say they do seem to respawn incredibly quickly which could be tuned a bit.
Also RE chainsaws - how about this as an option Chainsaws 'on or off'?
It would work a treat.
ericvitale @ Dec 9th 2008 10:46PM
You still have to wait 2 minutes. That is pretty bad. In Gears 1 I could get into an unranked match in 10 seconds.
xFenixKnightx @ Dec 9th 2008 10:55PM
And then wait for the damn room to fill up. Man, cant please everybody...
yolarrydabomb @ Dec 10th 2008 2:51AM
matchmaking blows on both halo 3 and Gears of war 2
Urza @ Dec 9th 2008 11:15PM
Real glitches and exploits that leads to cheating are the only problems I've had in Gears 2.
Fix the shield glitch. Fix the no weapon glitch. Fix the rubber banding over/behind/on top of cover glitch that happens when you get hit by smoke while taking cover.
Sure there are people with shit connections.. but there's nothing epic can do about that. NOT every game has lag, and quite frankly, if every game you play in has lag, then there's something wrong with YOUR connection.
I do think the chainsaw needs to be tuned better. People stumble when chainsawing, but only when you put a lot of bullets into them. I would like to see that number reduced so stumbling happens sooner... because quite honestly we've traded one form of immunity (during the animation) for another form of immunity (walking up to someone.)
yolarrydabomb @ Dec 10th 2008 3:02AM
you nail it!
nuff said
MDJ2010 @ Dec 10th 2008 6:28AM
Yep I agree too, some problems need fixing but overall what a game!!!!!
dWood @ Dec 10th 2008 1:46AM
i think it sucks that i paid 99 dollars for the wireless adapter but it i still run an ethernet cable through my house to play mp on games like this and rsv2. 16mb/s not good enough i guess. i dont lllllaaaaagggg gggg when im hardwired but i have (not always) with the wifi adapter. it serves its purpose but its not worth it at all. i love gears, 1 & 2, but there really is more wrong with this than the first, maybe it's because there is more to go wrong. epic may have fixed some map glitches, boo, but they let some bad gameplay slip through. they know the multiplayer is why people stuck with the game so long $54.99 used after almost 2 years, come on. i loved the first and i will still play 2 if they dont get the right patches. system linked not online
Urza @ Dec 10th 2008 8:39AM
The wireless adapter is first generation G sadly. If Microsoft ever replaced it with a newer model that uses Super G or N, then it'd be worth getting. As things stand, the wireless adapter is only good for when your 360 is in the next room over from your router. Until it uses Super G or N (which would require you to have a Super G or N router too) it's not worth buy for gaming.
Bugz @ Dec 10th 2008 5:01AM
u guys are singing to the wrong crowd!! this is xbox360fanboy.com ""not"" gearsofwar.com
official problem threads Mark Rein is always on here!
http://gearsforums.epicgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=358
RedSonRising @ Dec 10th 2008 4:08AM
Im over GoW2 already. its not really a sequel: its more like a full priced expansion pack. i expected more and i wont be satisfied until Epic delivers: more executions and more maps specifically..
the matchmaking is awful: if they need to bring back the old player match lobbies.. there were so many exploits discovered day one im scare to see what ppl are doing now..
im not buying the game until the price drops dramatically or when they fix at least half problems with multiplayer including matchmaking.. given their history with gears 1 im pretty sure ill be requesting it from gamefly early next year.
RedSonRising @ Dec 10th 2008 4:10AM
i ditched the wireless adapter a year ago, i use an old router instead now.. works ok but i prefer the hardwire for shooters and fighting games..
lag isnt the problem, glitching and matchmaking are the serious complaint.
MDJ2010 @ Dec 10th 2008 6:26AM
An expansion? Are you mentally ill?
INCREDIBLE Single player campaign.
Horde - a game on its own
LOADS of new executions (but still these are just animations so who cares)
NEW WEAPONS
Loads of new multiplayer game modes.
I want to punch your face!
Kate @ Dec 10th 2008 6:42AM
awesome.
Gears of War 2 Video Review -
http://www.techreviews4u.com/?p=2248
DiggyStyle @ Dec 10th 2008 8:27AM
Fix the shotgun+shield glitch or add a "Kick Player" option. I have given out a ton of neg feedback and complaints to these glitchers and its just not fun losing to a cheater like that.
carg0 @ Dec 10th 2008 9:33AM
it's too little, too late.
gears 2 was a mildly fun diversion, thanks to Horde in particular, but the VS multiplayer remains inexcusably broken and poorly structured.
couple this with other, higher-quality multiplayer experiences like Halo 3, CoD4, Left4Dead and CoD:wow is it really any surprise that gamers have already started walking away (or going back to)?
unless a fix is produced or new maps are released, it wouldn't surprise me at all if gears2 is knocked out of the top 10 entirely two months from now.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Dec 10th 2008 10:03AM
All I'm hoping for some DLC for horde down the line- new maps or new types of waves would be nice. I don't really play anything else online.
Also, to someone above, the loosey-goosey sniper is a Gears of War staple! You can't take that out. You really want to hit the thing you're aiming at?!? Crazy.
drdre74 @ Dec 10th 2008 10:34AM
Stop complaining and just play the game. this is not gears of war 1 this is a new game so stop trying to compare it to that and up your skills and start killing and stop dying. lol!
Benjamin09 @ Dec 10th 2008 11:30AM
I actually enjoy the games in Gears 2 better then the first Gears.
The game was not meant to be a shotgun battle, that is what Gears 1 was all about, people bitched if you used the lancer. Well Gears 2 forces you to use the lancer. Smoke nades also mean you can't go running in all willy nilly. But I do think they need to change the fact that your own team can't set them off. That becomes a pain when someone holes up with the nades and is trying to beat the clock out.
Melee does stop the chainsaw so if you complain about getting chainsaw'd too much you need to work on your timing.
I for one am glad they changed the game to actually having to be tactical instead of everybody using the shotgun and charging.
IF you want shotgun battles, go back to gears one.
Yes the matchmaking can be a pain THAT needs to be addressed, copy halo's style of matchmaking.
Dean Perez @ Dec 10th 2008 1:17PM
Yeah they definitely need to tweak the downtime from smoke grenades
shiftins @ Dec 11th 2008 4:07AM
IMO, I hope it is VERY few things Epic fixes in the first patch.
Lag (hit detection), proximity mine trigger time, shield (and others) glitch, somehow address the standby/lag switch stuff, and public unranked matches.
For instance, the chainsaw 'overpower' is the result of lag. When you shoot a rev'd chainsaw, the "stopping shots" are not registered. Also as a result of lag, the person with the chainsaw is not where you think they are - they are closer. And to boot - YOU are not where you think you are. All of these little micro imperfections make for a surprising gameplay.
Anyways, you can only chainsaw me if I'm lagging, or you get me around a corner.
In the end: EPIC PLEASE DON'T "FIX" THE WEAPONS UNTIL WE HAVE A LAG FREE EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!
Reece @ Dec 13th 2008 6:40PM
This guy should be a game tester OMG he has found sum of the best glithces i've ever seen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrbKbtnTL2Y
check out this new one.