Got a business card? Remember that as you get involved in the competitive community you build a reputation. This reputation can be positive or negative and it may affect how easily a team gets into scrimmages with top teams.

* Get contact information. Whenever you play a new team take down one of their email addresses or AIM names - some way to contact them. The more people you know the more opportunities to practice and expand your experience.

* Remember your reputation precedes you. If you act like a jerk in a custom game with one team, other teams may hear about it and won’t want to play with you. In general, maintaining a positive and friendly attitude will serve to get more invitations to play.

* Find some consistent practice squads. When two teams discover that they match up easily, it’s in both of their interests to try to set up a practice schedule. The best way to improve is with consistent practice. Scheduling times to practice makes it more professional and serious, which will ultimately result in steady improvement.

Halo is no different than any other community. The more you play, the more people you meet and the more connections you can make. Attitude is everything so try not to lose your cool and you’ll find yourself meeting great players and having an opportunity to play with them.