There was an AMA on reddit regarding MCC for PC, I gleaned the Q’s and A’s into a handy thread
Q: Should we expect to see the same amazing Ranking/Credit system in Halo:Reach like it was in the past?
A: First, we’re happy to say that Halo: Reach in MCC will in fact have the same level of “mix and match” customization found in the original games (all the individual armor pieces, etc…). As to how it’s earned, we are exploring a new and deeper progression system that retains the feel of the old systems and blends them with newer models for game progression (all based on in-game play, no type of monetization or anything of that nature)
Q: In regards to framerates, will Reach be playable at 144 fps? Better yet, will there be a framerate cap at all?
Will the PC versions of the games be rebalanced in any way for the sake of adapting to KB+M play?
What kind of turnout can we expect for the flight testing? Will most players who sign up be accepted, or will the process be highly selective?A: Current plan is to support ‘uncapped FPS’ in each title. But, as we move deeper into development on each title, we’ll have to determine what’s feasible within each game.
Delivering great KB+M controls is one of our top priorities. We are exploring different ways to make a balanced, fun experience for PC and will share more details in the future.
We’ve been blown away by the interest and support for the Halo Insider program! Our goal is to balance accepting as many as possible against the specific needs for a particular flight.
Q: Since MCC on PC will see the games being released chronologically over a period of time, does the team currently have any idea or goals to what that time frame might look like in between each release? Is there currently an internal roadmap that we might be able to get a peak at?
A: Right now the priority is getting Halo: Reach ready for public flighting and work is underway almost in parallel for Halo: CE, which will be the second game. Ultimately we want to get these games into player’s hands as soon as possible. We’re hesitant to commit to a firm time frame because the truth is they’re ready when they’re ready. Flighting will be critical to help us get these titles to a great place and depending on how that goes, it could lengthen or extend the release cadence. We’ll definitely share more details as we start ramping up flighting.
Q: Will the upcoming custom games browser support community dedicated servers, like those found in Halo PC? The ability for players and clans to host their own persistent 24/7 servers, with rulesets that suit their tastes, has helped many games foster incredible, long-lasting communities; I’d love to see the same happen for the Master Chief Collection.
A: This is a topic of discussion here but currently this isn’t something we’re able to commit to in terms of actual community-hosted dedicated servers. A custom games browser is of course very important to us and something we’re looking forward to bringing to MCC on PC and Xbox One.
Q: Thank you for doing this AMA and making MCC on PC in the first place! My question is will MCC have modding tools and/or Steam Workshop support? And splitscreen?
A big and great part of PC Gaming is all the mods that add years to a game’s longevity.A: We are working closely with the members of the modding community (including some friends on the ElDewrito team) to explore our options for “official” mod support, but we won’t have this at launch. Our #1 priority for launch is ensuring we get each of these core games “right” for PC and security/anti-cheat is a big focus. As we’ve stated, this entire offering will grow and evolve over time.
Q: Will the pack be purchasable as a whole or our only option will be to buy the games separately? Also, just to make sure, will Windows 7 and 8 be supported on the Steam version?
A: Both - It’s the players choice if they’d like to purchase each of the games within MCC one-by-one as they release or wait and pick them all up at the end.
Currently our focus is on Win10 and Win7. Win8 is still being investigated.
Q: First off I LOVE Forge Mode.
Will there be forge QoL improvements for Reach?
Magnet snap points?
Ability to put kill barriers on delayed spawn? (Not possible on original Reach)
All building blocks available on all maps?
Bigger forge budget?Will you fix the aerial assassination for the sword? (Both players clip inside each other and play the same animation)
Will you be nerfing the auto aim for the passenger seat of the revenant for console players?
Full armor customization? YES!
Will there be progression or will everything be unlocked?
(I would like to pick up where I left off in progression if account sync is a thing.)
Thank you SO much!
Long term questions about other titles:
I know that Halo 3 is a long way down the road for PC, is there any possibility that 343i can work with Team Ninja to bring back the Hayabusa armor for everyone?
Can ODST Firefight be brought to the MCC?A: [i]We love Forge, too! It’s a bit too early to get into this level of detail but these are great suggestions. Forge and Theater are awesome features but as we learned with Halo 5: Forge, these features require a lot of extra work and diligence to bring to PC - particularly with the complexities of M/KB and remappable key-bindings. With this in mind, Forge and Theater for Reach won’t be ready at the same time as the MP/Campaign/Firefight experiences on PC. From a development perspective, it makes more sense for the team to tackle Reach’s Forge/Theater a little later in the roadmap at the same time as Halo 3 and Halo 4 work.
Re: Halo 3 Hayabusa - it’s a bit too early to say, but we’ll be sure to add this to our list.
re: ODST Firefight - we know this is a longstanding request from players and is something the team will continue to evaluate for the future. For now, our focus is on bringing ODST’s Campaign to MCC on PC. (and we’ll of course have Reach Firefight coming to MCC!)
Q: Simply put, what’s the ballpark estimate of when people can play Reach in the MCC?
A: Our first major step was opening up the Halo Insider program and building up a participant pool to help us flight all of these games. The response has been amazing, thank you! Our flighting team is working on building out the first audience based on the needs of the game. In parallel, the dev team is working on getting Reach for PC including a solid first pass at the PC UI/controls before we release the first flight. This is underway now and is really the determining factor for timing of the first flight.
Q: Should we expect a Field of View slider, if so, what’s the maximum it can go to?
How will the frame rate options be? Capped at 60, 144?A: Yes, support for FOV-sliders is the plan. We will adjust what level of FOV is supported on a title by title basis. As an example, if adjusting the FOV causes significant player/weapon model distortion, we may need to put limits in.
Uncapped framerate is the plan, but the specific level of support will vary by title.
Q: Seeing that a Xbox Live account will be required, will progress / multiplayer progression carry over from console to PC (ie: Halo Reach multiplayer ranks and unlocked armors)?
A: Within MCC, yes, your progress and progression will carry-over between the console and PC versions. All stats, achievements, Forged maps, and game variants will be shared between all of the games within MCC. Mid mission saves will be unique to each platform and cannot be shared.
Your Halo: Reach unlocks and progression from the original game on Xbox 360 will NOT carry over to MCC.
And as a reminder, MCC on Steam will require a free Microsoft Account, but not Xbox Live Gold.
Q: Will it have some form of Anti Cheat?
A: Yes! And we’ll share more details down the road.
Q: will there be local splitscreen multiplayer/campaign?
A: This one is tricky and the team is still looking at what can be supported.
Q:
Will there be a centred crosshair in MCC PC?
How will non in-game terminals work (Halo 1/Halo 2/Halo 4)? Will they go to the Waypoint app?A: We know centered crosshairs/the ability to adjust positioning is something PC gamers want and it’s currently being investigated.
We’ll have to follow-up on the terminals question at a later date.
Q: PC System requirements?
A: Ultimately, flighting and the results of those tests will help finalize the min specs but we want to support the widest range of hardware possible. We’ll definitely share spec details soon.
Q: Will it be possible for those who own MCC digitally on Xbox be able to play/own the game on PC via “Play Anywhere”?
Will previous versions of Halo already on MCC get their armor customization revamped for individual armor pieces instead of armor sets as Reach will be getting its armor customization?
As steam will use xbox live, will windows store and steam versions be able to cross play?A: We’ve addressed a few of these already, but with regards to “Play Anywhere” -
As Bonnie noted on Sunday, we appreciate all of the Xbox One players who have supported MCC over the years and we realize that many existing MCC players are also interested in playing the game on PC. While MCC was released prior to the Xbox Play Anywhere program, we are still exploring ways to recognize the continued support of our Xbox One players so they are also able to enjoy MCC on PC. We will have more details as we get closer to launch.
Q: Ultrawide Pc support
A: we plan to support Windowed Mode, 21:9, 16:9, 16:10, 3:2, 4:3
Q: In terms of the rollout of content for PC, will we be doing it in terms of canon? Reach First then 1-4? Or will we start with 1?
Do we have any word on how soon the insider content is dropping for PC.
Will Crossplay be available for MCC on PC?
Will KB+M Support be dropping in the future on Xbox One?
A: Yep, in terms of our rollout, we’re starting with Halo: Reach as the fictional beginnings of Chief’s saga and will go in chronological order from there.
We touched on Insider timing a little earlier, but we’re excited to get flighting up and running as soon as possible.
re: Crossplay - PC players will be able to play together regardless of which store they choose to purchase from. In terms of Xbox One to PC crossplay, it’s not something we’re currently committing to at launch but it is top of mind and the team is actively investigating this.
Q: You had mentioned a “Ready when it’s ready” approach to the release. Is that literal in the sense of, lets say the first flight somehow goes perfectly and the next flight or 2 go great as well. Will the release be bumped up?
For Halo Reach, by the time it hit it’s EoL we had too many different settings (Base, TU, MLG, CEA) are there plans to condense this down? I would personally love no bloom and the nerfed Armor Lock (or no armor lock lol)
In the waypoint blog posts there was mention of getting Custom Edition maps working in CE, will there be Custom Edition Map support for MCC on the PC?A: We want to get these games into the hands of PC players as soon as possible once they’re ready.It’s too early to get into specifics on what playlists will be available and with what settings, but as always, we’ll look to the community for feedback and input as we craft these experiences together.We are always investigating ways to bring the wealth of Halo user created content to a larger audience for everyone to enjoy. Halo Custom Edition content is definitely on our list and is actively being explored.