Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is a first: a competition ladder group has made good use of Halo 3: ODST's stat tracking and begun coordinating global challenges for the Firefight co-op survival mode. We love Firefight, but thanks to its painful lack of co-op matchmaking we've had to resort to our Waypoint Co-Op Nights and Co-Optimus matchmaking tools in order to secure a full four-man squad. Websites like HaloCharts.com are not only innovative...but useful in this regard.
The current challenge is called Chaos Den. In order to pass, you have a laundry list of accomplishments that need to be fulfilled, either alone or in co-op. Among them are items like "10 Sniper Kills", "10 Beatdowns", "5 Spiker Kills", and even bonuses like "5 Plasma Pistol Kills". Everything is reviewed and qualified afterward by staff members. It seems like a solid way to expand the community-driven capabilities that Halo's detailed stat tracking is designed for.
This is a great way to not only motivate people to play, but also to encourage players to team up for some co-op fun. So far, I haven't seen any measureable award for completing the challenges - other than the obvious, which is you get to play Firefight with custom objectives.
If anyone signs up on Halo Charts, let us know in the comments section. We'd like to see just how well this challenge system works out.
Thanks to for Mrxknown_JG for the tip!
REMINDER: Tonight is the Halo Waypoint Co-Op Night! Be there or be square-ish!