343, what we want for next time

Community General Discussion
1

343, you didn’t do terrible. I don’t understand why some people are condemning you for making a Halo game that feels slightly different from classic Halo. Just because it’s not original Halo, doesn’t mean it’s not Halo. However, I have some concerns I’d like to address regarding what should/shouldn’t be done for the next Halo game.

Requisition system:
Not a bad idea, but the main gripe I have with it is how that is how you earn ARMOR. That is not how it should be done. Air Assault was my iconic helmet in my clan. It is the one thing that has remained the centerpiece of my armor since Reach. And I was able to get it fairly quickly through the economy system of Reach, and the Rank Up system for Halo 4. If you just left it at REQUISITIONS, people wouldn’t have a whole lot of problems with it. But since you had it so that that was how you got all the armor, people have gotten VERY pissed. I am not one of those people, but I’m willing to speak on their behalf. If you let us earn the armor we want, it means that the people who unlock the legendary Halo armors, like FOTUS. It shows other people that he who wears that armor wasn’t lucky or rich to get it, but they were skilled enough to get it, and worthy of their respect. Besides that, I don’t have any problems with the req system.

I also understand that the micro-transaction aspect of the Requisition system has angered many people, so make sure to avoid having this be such a factor. Just take out the fact that it’s how you get armor, and leave it at only stuff for Warzone, like power weapons and loadout items.

Like everything that you agree with. More sections will follow.

2

Lack of Forge:
I’ve mentioned before that I hope that you guys kept Forge out to make sure that it was polished. I hope that it’s the primary reason. Forge has become a cornerstone of the Halo experience, so I understand why people are outraged that Forge isn’t here at launch. But if you are waiting to release Forge to make sure it’s good, then you have my utmost respect. I’m sure many of us here would rather listen to people whine about “having to wait 2 months for Forge. It should have released with the game” in order to have a massive payoff of the greatest Forge we’ve ever seen, that would be great. I’d rather have 2 months of people whining about the lack of Forge, than having the eternity of people whining about how it sucks. If you are going to keep it from us on release, make sure it’s something worth the wait.

3

Arena:
A lot of people don’t like how Arena has gone away from the classic Halo feel, so I feel you should add a classic playlist to multiplayer, with a few remastered “throwback” maps from Reach and 3. Removing the thruster ability, ground pound, and Spartan Charge would go a long way for those people who want this to be in the game. I do think that the starting playlist selection was a good bit shallow. Infection with the new abilities would make for hectic games where zombies are jetting around to avoid getting shot, and the humans are jetting away from sword swings. Even bringing back some of the old classics would satisfy a lot of people. Bringing back the old school gametypes with options to play “new school” or “old school” versions of the gametypes would make everyone happy.

The main thing is adding something new, without destroying a key pillar of what made Halo great. The new game modes are not bad, but the maps seem repetitive. Eden and Empire are fundamentally the same. All the Breakout maps are so similar that I need to rack my brain in order to remember which map is which. It took me a week to learn and remember which one was. I still don’t even know how to tell the differences between Orion and Pegasus. I couldn’t tell you the name of the 3rd map with that template. The maps feel recycled and generic. Having the community made maps put into playlists would bring a refreshing new feel to Halo. But just let us have the option to play old stuff, old stuff with the new feel, new stuff with the old feel, or new stuff entirely. Halo has been built by having the old stuff evolve SLIGHTLY, and adding new stuff to test if that is what the community wants. Keep true to this tradition, and the community will be much happier with you guys.

4

What about splitscreen?

They really let the community down with that one, in hopes just to make a bit more money.

It’s a damn shame.

5

Split Screen:
I’m not SURE that is the reason, but it is a possibility. Halo was built on split-screen, but I do see the logic there. I rarely have friends to come over to play Halo anymore, but that’s just me. I feel they should have left it in there, but I understand why it was left out. Either way, Halo has been built on split-screen, so please bring it back.

6

Campaign needs to be a hell of a lot longer.

7

> 2535472302558740;4:
> What about splitscreen?
>
> They really let the community down with that one, in hopes just to make a bit more money.
>
> It’s a damn shame.

Not the reason. The reason for it is so the game can run at 1080pp and 60fps.

8

> 2533274807130841;6:
> Campaign needs to be a hell of a lot longer.

Yeah, and an actual story - y’know beginning, middle end etc would be nice too!

9

> 2533274948963729;1:
> 343, you didn’t do terrible. I don’t understand why some people are condemning you for making a Halo game that feels slightly different from classic Halo. Just because it’s not original Halo, doesn’t mean it’s not Halo. However, I have some concerns I’d like to address regarding what should/shouldn’t be done for the next Halo game.
>
> Requisition system:
> Not a bad idea, but the main gripe I have with it is how that is how you earn ARMOR. That is not how it should be done. Air Assault was my iconic helmet in my clan. It is the one thing that has remained the centerpiece of my armor since Reach. And I was able to get it fairly quickly through the economy system of Reach, and the Rank Up system for Halo 4. If you just left it at REQUISITIONS, people wouldn’t have a whole lot of problems with it. But since you had it so that that was how you got all the armor, people have gotten VERY pissed. I am not one of those people, but I’m willing to speak on their behalf. If you let us earn the armor we want, it means that the people who unlock the legendary Halo armors, like FOTUS. It shows other people that he who wears that armor wasn’t lucky or rich to get it, but they were skilled enough to get it, and worthy of their respect. Besides that, I don’t have any problems with the req system.
>
> I also understand that the micro-transaction aspect of the Requisition system has angered many people, so make sure to avoid having this be such a factor. Just take out the fact that it’s how you get armor, and leave it at only stuff for Warzone, like power weapons and loadout items.
>
> Like everything that you agree with. More sections will follow.

I think you have a good point, but I think i mixture of the two would be better. By mixture, I am saying that the majority of the armor can be earned inside a micro- trans. world, but some of the original stuff such as mark 5 helmet, recon, Hyabusa, gold visor, ect. need to be earned by commendations, participating in time events or time items, or even easter egged behind something. This way everyone can get the majority of the armor and can buy it if they want it faster, but the good stuff needs to be earned

10

Campaign:
Campaign, I’ll be honest, was weak. It was interesting enough to keep me going, but I couldn’t help but feel that prevalent lack of Chief missions.

Chief finally reunites with Blue Team, and later, Cortana. 1 mission playing with Blue Team. 2 more with Chief trying to get to Cortana.In of these he fights Covenant, then Prometheans. In the other, he fights only Prometheans. There was WAY too much focus on Locke, and they killed off all of the advertisement hype that we all bit into. The only confrontation we got was at the end of Mission FIVE, out of fifteen.

And while it was awesome, it was just a cutscene fist-fight. And for how athletic they are in game, it was like watching two guys in riot suits. Chief, WITHOUT HIS ARMOR, took out a small group of ODSTs. I think a few of them died. Locke is a normal human being under the Mjolnir suit, and he went toe-to-toe with the Chief. Chief would’ve EASILY overpowered Locke.As for the “screen-time” issue, 3 of the missions are simply walking around. All three of those missions are with Locke. I don’t hate Locke, but Chief is the mascot of the franchise. When people think, “Halo”, Master Chief comes up a heckuva more than the Halo rings themselves! You don’t leave out the mascot of the series. That would be like Metal Gear Solid leaving out… Solid… Snake… (remembers MGS2)

Anyway, Chief is the icon of Halo, if not Xbox as a whole. Halo was Xbox’s first exclusive, which came out with the original Xbox at it’s release. If we had a game with ONLY LOCKE as a side-story to introduce him, that would have been better. Even just adding in something to establish him as a character more, like his own side series like the Fall of Reach. We know very little about him, and now you give him to us for 3/4 of the combat, and 4/5 of the game in general. You are actively denying us the poster-boy for Halo. We want the Chief. Give us the Chief.

Listen to us, and make sure you deliver something that does the advertising proud, and will add relevant information to the Halo Universe.

I would’ve been fine with this game having Cortana stay a hallucinatory memory, having the Guardians being automatically activated by an ancient Forerunner plan put in place by the Didact, or even Mendicant Bias. That would have been best. I’m not fond of the idea of Cortana, your longtime friend and ally, being a now all-powerful being bent on galactic peace. But having Cortana, whose “death” was the only occasion in gaming where I had a tear come to my eye, turn into a blue, female Skynet is not okay.Make the campaign more equal if you are going to have split arcs, or focus more on the Chief. With Locke guiding the story, it almost felt like we were being pushed through. With Chief, even in the first mission, something came up, and Chief went off the grid. Rather than going to Infinity (like I thought he would) and trying to negotiate that Blue Team should go, Chief’s just like, “Too bad, I call dibs, bye!” He just threw orders into a freakin’ woodchipper. He heard something about Cortana, and he was willing to find her by any means necessary. Locke was even authorized to use deadly force if necessary. Chief knew all this, and he still went after her.

And it turns out, the Domain turned her into Didact 2.0. The Mantle must be upheld. But what I find funny, is that even the Didact thought that the Mantle would fall to Humanity next. And if only the Forerunners and the Reclaimers could activate the Halo rings, then how could Johnson or Miranda activate/deactivate the Halo Array?Nevermind. Gotta get back on track. 343, give us more Chief, and a longer, more stable story. Please.

11

MichaelBucs, I’m somewhat with you there. I think a mix of the economic system and the earning system would function the best. You could buy armor, weapon skins, etc. with money earned in game, have the option to buy more in-game money using real money, or complete the necessary task(s) to unlock the armor for free. THAT would be a great system for the next Halo game. Option to “pay”, option to pay, and option to earn.

12

Again, people, this is my opinion on how to make Halo better, and my opinion is not the only way to make it better. Feel free to add something you feel would make the next Halo one to never forget, and never stop playing. All helpful opinions are welcome. We want 343 to use this as a reference for what the community wants. I’ll set up some polls at some point to gauge what people want for Halo 6.

13

My hope for halo 6:

  1. Better story for campaign. It wasn’t bad, but as others have described it, the story is dry. I was so hyped for the story prior to it’s release and i thought it would be so much more than what it is, but instead it seems like it’s missing nearly half of it’s full potential. That said, it was still really good and i believe it did close to what halo 2 did in the end and left us all hungry for more because of what happened. Personally i can’t wait to see the end of the reclaimer series because of what crazy things happened in guardians.

  2. A leaderboard system. I and many others are highly competitive and i wish 343 would have included some sort of leaderboard system in the game to compare myself to everyone else. They really nailed this concept in MCC and i don’t understand why they took it away.

  3. Matchmaking. Matchmaking is very good and i have very few complaints about it. However, there are a few concepts i’m not to fond of. To start, armor/helmet acquirement. The only way to get armor in halo 5 is essentially through luck of the draw and i hate it. This shows no skill in what you’ve done in the game. In the past i strived to get the hardest obtained armor in the game so everyone could be jealous or think i’m awesome for having such armor i.e. recon in halo 3. Reqs are great for everything except armor and wepon skins. Those should be unlocks not luck of the draw. Next, playlists. Honestly, it’s not that hard to include past game types and playlists with launch. I wish some playlists offered could be unranked so you can play for fun instead of having to grind out a win everytime. Lastly, keep it mainly the same in halo 6 because again, the matchmaking is very well put together!

It seems to me that 343 is so worried about making their own halo that they’re scared or against using past concepts and ideas. I really wish they would make a happen medium of new and old, but more new.

With all that said, Halo 5 guardians is definitely an amazing game. Love it. Great work 343!!!

14

Split screen, longer campaign and more playing time as the Chief.

But that having been said, I definitely did not hate H5 at all, the way it is. Enjoying it.

15

We want Firefight
and also I have to agree on the whole armor thing there is absolutely no prestige in armor anymore

16

> 2533274948963729;5:
> Split Screen:
> I’m not SURE that is the reason, but it is a possibility. Halo was built on split-screen, but I do see the logic there. I rarely have friends to come over to play Halo anymore, but that’s just me. I feel they should have left it in there, but I understand why it was left out. Either way, Halo has been built on split-screen, so please bring it back.

Agreed. I mean, how hard is it to make it split-screen?

Also, the reason I think it was a “money-grab” is because of this:

Phil Spencer (Some Xbox representative):
“We see the robustness of what Xbox Live is today and where people are playing across Xbox Live–you at your house, me at our house. We know that’s the vast majority of the co-op play. With Halo 5, the team really wanted to focus on making that experience great, both visually on the screen that you’re looking at, and all the systems in place.”
“I love the nostalgia of the couch co-op of what Halo did in the past, but I also know in the realities of the day with people’s busy lives, it’s not as easy to get everybody in the same physical place. It’s one of the advantages that Xbox Live obviously offers.”

Just seems like a bunch of baloney. They just want people to go out and buy their own copy/buy their own Xbox.

17

split screen
duel wield
invasion

18

Dual Wielding:
Another minor point that would be cool to have back. I loved playing Halo where I could run in and spray down a room with dual SMGs. I understand that balancing would be troublesome, but games of Breakout where you take out an enemy, then pick up an enemy SMG and spray down two guys as they run for cover would feel so amazing. Dual boltshots would be a bit too OP, and Needler is easily out of the question. Dual Suppressors would be neat, and relatively balanced. That is really all I have. Some people want it back, others can live without it. I want it back, but I can live without it. So bring it back if you have some spare programming time.

19

> 2535472302558740;16:
> > 2533274948963729;5:
> > Split Screen:
> > I’m not SURE that is the reason, but it is a possibility. Halo was built on split-screen, but I do see the logic there. I rarely have friends to come over to play Halo anymore, but that’s just me. I feel they should have left it in there, but I understand why it was left out. Either way, Halo has been built on split-screen, so please bring it back.
>
>
> Agreed. I mean, how hard is it to make it split-screen?
>
> Also, the reason I think it was a “money-grab” is because of this:
>
> Phil Spencer (Some Xbox representative):
> “We see the robustness of what Xbox Live is today and where people are playing across Xbox Live–you at your house, me at our house. We know that’s the vast majority of the co-op play. With Halo 5, the team really wanted to focus on making that experience great, both visually on the screen that you’re looking at, and all the systems in place.”
> “I love the nostalgia of the couch co-op of what Halo did in the past, but I also know in the realities of the day with people’s busy lives, it’s not as easy to get everybody in the same physical place. It’s one of the advantages that Xbox Live obviously offers.”
>
> Just seems like a bunch of baloney. They just want people to go out and buy their own copy/buy their own Xbox.

They took out split screen for more than that reason. My conclusion for the removal of split screen is:

  1. To achieve 1080p 60 fps. It’s so difficult to obtain those two things with more than one person in the same console with what hardware these machines are made of. Even in the past they’ve had to reduce textures just to run at 30 fps. Put in halo reach and start up 2 player if you dont believe me.

  2. Phil Spencer’s argument. People would rather prefer their own machine and one big screen. Console gamers not so much, but they’re trying to appeal to everyone (that means pc gamers) and pc gamers ALL prefer their own machine and screen. Besides people aren’t really doing to whole spilt screen thing anymore.

  3. It is a cash grab, i’m not going to dispute that.

20

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343, I would like to be an Elite again. I know you don’t like me already, but please hear me out. I remember being an Elite back in Halo 2 for the first time ever. It was amazing. Finally, a game with variety in its multiplayer. I was elated. Halo 3 came around, and guess what I was: an Elite. They just connected with me more than Spartans did. I felt like I had joined their world. I read up on all their lore, researched history, battles, famous faces, strived to unlock Sangheili armor, etc. I was a Sangheili fanatic (still am). ODST and Reach shipped in and proved to be better than Halo 3, esp Reach. Halo Reach really went all out and provided for almost all the fan base: casual gamers, competitive players, mlg, campaign only people, etc. We were all almost satisfied. Then, Halo 4 and Halo 5 released with no Elites. I have nothing against Spartans or Humanity, but I don’t want to be them. Sangheili is what I desire. I did not purchase Halo 5 or the Xbone, not until I know you guys aren’t going corporate. Please 343, bring back Elites so that we can all be happy. Some players don’t want us back; that’s fine. Do it like Reach. On competitive playlists, all Spartans. On customs & Forge, Elites & Spartans. That method was fun. It worked too. Thank you for handling Halo though, and for trying your best.
Side note: Firefight, split screen, longer campaign, more settings control, classic maps
Good notes: Awesome Forge, cool graphics, nice voice acting, great design