Halo 3 - EXP Ranking System

Bungie has incorporated a great system to figure out how to set you up as a player against people of similar skill level. They've done this by separating two ways to measure it - A Matchmaking Skill and and Experience Points (EXP) basis.

A Matchmaking Skill is unique to each Ranked playlist, and can ONLY be earned in a ranked playlist. The higher you go, the higher your rank will go in correlation with your EXP, which will be explained later. This rating system is very similar, if not the same as it was in Halo 2, if you played that.

The EXP system works on a very simple basis. Win a game, you get experience. Lose a game, you don't get any experience. Quit out of a game, you therefore ruin the balance of the game and you lose an EXP point. Pretty simple. The more games you win over time, the higher the rank you'll get as a result, but it will be in correlation with how skilled you are in Matchmaking.

If you lose your broadband connection to the game, or if you purposely quit out, Bungie takes no exceptions and you WILL lose an EXP point. Now I know you think that might be unfair if SBC Yahoo or Comcast decides its time to reset everything randomly, but take solace in the fact that in the log term, Bungie is doing this to protect you and the quality of the game.

You Earn EXP in ANY Matchmaking playlist - both Ranked and Social, but can only increase Skill in Ranked Matchmaking.

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How to get- skulls and armor perms

This is a video with 8 out of the 13 of skulls in Halo 3.


Here is what you need to unlock all permutations:
Body Pieces
Spartan
EVA-Complete Tsavo Highway on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary
EOD-Complete Tsavo Highway on Legendary
Scout-Unlock "Too Close to the Sun" Achievement (Destroy an enemy banshee with the Sp'laser or missile pod in a ranked playlist or campaign)
Elite
Flight-Complete Tsavo Highway on Heroic or Legendary
Ascetic-Unlock "Up Close and Personal" Achievement (Kill 5 enemies via melee or assassination in a ranked FFA playlist)
Commando-Unlock "Triple Kill" Achievement (Get one triple kill)

Shoulder Pieces
Spartan
EVA-Complete The Ark on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary
EOD.-Complete The Ark on Legendary
Security-Earn 750 Gamerscore Points
Scout-Unlock "We're in for some Chop" Achievement (Destroy an enemy vehicle with a piece of equipment in a ranked playlist or campaign)
Elite
Flight-Complete The Ark on Heroic or Legendary
Ascetic-Unlock "Overkill" Achievement (Get one overkill)
Commando-Unlock "Killing Frenzy" Achievement (Get one killing frenzy)

Head Pieces
Spartan
EVA-Complete Campaign on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary
EOD-Complete Campaign on Legendary
Security-Earn 1,000 Gamerscore Points
Scout-Unlock "Used Car Salesman" Achievement (Destroy an enemy vehicle containing 3 enemies in Campaign or ranked playlists)
Mark V-Unlock "UNSC Spartan" Achievement (Reach Sergeant ranking online)
ODST-Unlock "Spartan Graduate" Achievement (Earn 5 EXP or complete 10 ranked matches)
Rogue-Unlock "Spartan Officer" Achievement (Advance to the Spartan Officer ranks online)
Elite
Flight.-Complete Campaign on Heroic or Legendary
Ascetic-Unlock "Steppin' Razor" Achievement (Get one triple kill with an energy sword in ranked FFA)
Commando-Unlock "Overkill" Achievement (Get one overkill)

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18 new Halo 3 Epsilon Screenshots

Here are 18 new Halo 3 Epsilon Screenshots. Including the flamethrower, chopper, elephant, new weapons, gravity hammer, and more.

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Halo 3 Secures Online Co-op

Over in Amsterdam where Bungie is demoing Halo 3, the developer has apparently confirmed that the game will ship with online, four-player co-op. Rumors had been circling that co-op would only initially be available offline, but these thankfully look to be untrue. The news comes from Netherlands Website Xboxworld, and Joystiq now claims to have confirmed the good word with an English-speaking Bungie representative. The developer should be making a formal announcement later this afternoon.While previous Halo games have included a co-op mode, it was only for two people.

Update: Over at Bungie.net, Luke has confirmed the info regarding four player co-op. Additionally, Bungie has revealed two new characters who will play alongside the Arbiter and Master Chief in this four player mode. They are N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham

Here are the details on each character, straight from the source:Name: N'tho 'Sraom Affiliation: Fleet of Retribution/Special Warfare Group/Special OperationsHistory: N'tho 'Sraom is the youngest member of his Special Operations unit and is one of a growing number of human sympathizers amongst the Sangheili youth. He is a fairly typical young male adult Sangheili—he began compulsory military service at the end of adolescence, and remains unmarried with no close, non-familial relationships outside of his martial order. N'tho Sraom refused to stand idly by while the Prophets replaced Sangheili units with Jiralhanae packs, and now bears deep resentment toward those Sangheili politicians who landed his kind in their current predicament.Although N'tho 'Sraom's romanticized nationalism is emblematic of all Sangheili, he has developed a healthy respect for humanity—not for their physical abilities or martial prowess, but for their audacity and resolve.Name: Usze 'TahamAffiliation: Fleet of Retribution/Special Warfare Group/Fleet SecurityHistory: Although Usze 'Taham was born into a respected merchant family he was fathered by Toha 'Sumai—one of the preeminent swordfighters of this age. Usze graduated with honors from the top War College in the Iruiru region of Yermo, Sanghelios (a distinction he shares with Rtas 'Vadum). Shortly after receiving his first post within the Covenant Navy he was offered a place on the Prophets' Honor Guard but he declined citing "lack of practical experience". In truth, he had no desire to be part of a largely ceremonial unit, and at the end of his third combat tour, Usze 'Taham again refused the post—even though his superiors warned him such behavior could be misinterpreted as apostasy.Since that time Usze has evaded countless punitive actions, at least two assassination attempts, and served with distinction for two additional tours before the Schism. Following the dissolution of the Covenant, he was approached by the Ascetics to become one of their liaisons within the Navy.All four characters will perform identically, but the Elites will start with Carbines rather than Battle Rifles. Taken from ign.com