Alternative evolutions

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

First of all, I didn’t want to open a thread for this at first.

I was writing an answer to a forumer in a thread which has been locked before I could post my message. His question was: “what would you like to see in a new halo game besides remaking halo 2 or 3 everytime?”.

I can’t pretend to have better ideas that what has already proposed by the community (most of them have certainly already be posted), and I can’t even pretend to explain them in the best way as I initially just wanted to provide a simple answer. But in this time where many people think that because some players don’t like how the multiplayer evolves, they are against any changes, I thought that maybe it could be worth just exposing a few ideas of how I would have liked Halo to evolve.

Again, this is not a thread to make things change, just to expose alternative evolutions in a humble way.
The list is absolutely not exhaustive. I obviously can’t know how this kind of stuff would work precisely. Feel free to discuss it.

I think its difficult to name accuretly new stuff that would make the game evolve without being game changing as it requires a deep understanding of the game, metagames and game mechanics. Beside “basic” things like new weapons, new maps or new vehicles, here’s a few examples of ideas that IMO, would have been sufficient to give a fresh air to the game without altering the way it is played.

  • New gametypes: maybe it seems obvious to you, but I think new gametypes are already a simple way to bring new experiences to the game. I have already said this in another thread, but Ricochet and Dominion were nice additions to the multiplayer, I give it to 343i.- Interactive maps: 343i have already started to put this in H2A (it seems that it was planned for the original game), and I think it would have been an interesting idea to push on, but in a more sophisticated way in order to enhance competitivity. Imagine a few strategic actuators that could be used to weaken or to strenghten a power position, or to very locally modify the map to make creative strategies and enhanced map flow.- No-gravity combat: let’s be honest, I don’t exactly know how this would be created, but Halo is a futuristic shooter which often takes place in space in the lore. I’m not saying it should be an entire gametype based on this, nor do I say it should be strictly no-gravity conditions, but we could have imagined a way to implement this in a dedicated map or in a specific location on some maps. I’m not sure this have been implemented before in any multiplayer.- Maps with different gravity zones: not my idea, and kinda similar to the previous one, while not the same. Imagine a corridor where you would walk on the roof, shooting at someone which is to the opposite side walking normally on the ground. This is just an example, but many creative maps could be imagined.

Maybe the last two points would not be usable on the competitive scene, I don’t know, but they would not impact the overall gameplay.

Regarding now what has been given to us. Except sprint (clamber also), which is what is the most detrimental IMO to the gameplay, there have been many things that were not bad in themselves, but just poorly implemented.

  • AA’s: (except armor lock) they were terrible at spawn, but they would have been a nice evolution of H3 equipments by remaining map pick-up only (except for very specific gametypes), and would have allowed for many possibilities in custom games. Maybe with a limited use also.- Default thruster pack: because of sprint, I find it too much in H5. However, I would have not been against it without sprint, maybe with just a little tweak.

That’s all I have in mind right now, but I hope some of you will understand that again, it’s not because we don’t like the overall direction taken by 343i for the multiplayer that we are necessarily opposed to change in general.

Thank you for reading this.

2

Halo Custom Edition came out like ten years ago and has more new content than Halo does right now.
Boats, Fuel Rod Ghosts, Motorcycles, being able to fly Longswords and Pelicans across giant (bigger than Battlefield) maps as well as fight with them, so on.

Someone could get that game, play a few separate maps made by different authors, and immediately get a feel for what Halo is capable of doing.

3

I never had the opportunity to play the Custom Edition, I will search for videos, I didn’t know it contained all of that. I guess they could have implemented that too…

4

An extreme idea:

Have Spartans be able to walk on all surfaces, I’m talking walls and ceilings…matrix style.

5

> 2533274797604373;4:
> An extreme idea:
>
> Have Spartans be able to walk on all surfaces, I’m talking walls and ceilings…matrix style.

That’s more or less the idea behind “maps with different gravity areas” ; )

6

> 2533274940426117;5:
> > 2533274797604373;4:
> > An extreme idea:
> >
> > Have Spartans be able to walk on all surfaces, I’m talking walls and ceilings…matrix style.
>
>
> That’s more or less the idea behind “maps with different gravity areas” ; )

Either way it would be pretty fricken epic.

7

Spider Spartans? Wtf? No.

8

> 2533274807544947;7:
> Spider Spartans? Wtf? No.

It would not be an ability that you can use when you want to. The gravity would be set in different directions in some places.

9

Starting off with something actually quite banal but improving general and especially MM performance. Personally, I would rather do without some (new) things than having to fight the game’s performance hiccups and issues on a frequent basis and the game eventually hinders me to enjoy said things in the first place anyway. H3’s netcode inconsistency was quite annoying at times. H4 was even worse with all its lag, frame rate drops, blackscreens, etc. I guess there is no comment needed for the MCC. So basically, next gen smoothness, not next gen troubles.

You could significantly innovate/improve/“freshen up” Halo’s gameplay (experience) with map design alone.

You already touched on having different gravity zones/traits on maps or on (specific) map areas which you could extend to different and also dynamic environmental traits in general.

“Map transformation” would be another concept. That for example the map’s structure transforms on certain intervals during the game into another. Could be done on a big scale (affects entire map) or a small scale (affects certain areas, positions, pathways, etc,), what could especially get used for more dynamic power position play, map flows or challenges provided by the map affecting all players equally.

“Rotating Maps” would also be an interesting concept in my opinion. I.e. that could mean having a central structure that rotates around its central axis on certain intervals (or alternatively via player input, though I personally prefer the set interval system) and eventually changes sight-lines, pathways, choke points etc with that or in big scale that could mean something like a map in the design of a simplified and modified Rubik’s cube.

And these are now just two greater (new and more complex) concepts. There is so much stuff you could also do and improve with simple and more familiar map concept and elements to create new and better gameplay experiences.

When it comes to the thrusters (as an improvement/expansion of base traits/abilities), what I mainly like about them or rather their concept is the ability to strafe in midair.
And perhaps that should also be the only thing what they get designed around.
So, instead of a one-time fast and rapid jet boost, more of “jets/stabilizers” that let you change directions while you are falling and only as long as you are falling/ as long as you are in midair. Imagine H3’s floaty jumps, that allowed you like 2 seconds to glide in midair, and during these 2 seconds you can strafe in midair via the thrusters with the same speed like you can strafe/ change directions on the ground, eventually also allowing you to shoot while doing that, and the moment you hit the ground the thrusters aren’t of any use anymore.
I have of course no idea how this would play in reality, perhaps it is total garbage, though at least in my head I imagine it playing quite interestingly and “Halo-like”.

Lastly, making big steps in the custom and community experience like Ramir3z77 already touched on with vastly improving and expanding custom options, forge and adding something like a custom games browser or dedicated playlists section.
And come on, it is bad enough that 4-player split screen hasn’t become a proper staple on consoles but at least keep it a staple in Halo in my opinion.
I couldn’t care less if the game wins “best graphics of the year” but I care so much more when the game supports an great experience for 3 friends and me on the couch.

10

> 2533274965837334;9:
> Starting off with something actually quite banal but improving general and especially MM performance
>
> So basically, next gen smoothness, not next gen troubles.
>
> You could significantly innovate/improve/“freshen up” Halo’s gameplay (experience) with map design alone.
>
> There is so much stuff you could also do and improve with simple and more familiar map concept and elements to create new and better gameplay experiences.
>
> Lastly, making big steps in the custom and community experience like Ramir3z77 already touched on with vastly improving and expanding custom options, forge and adding something like a custom games browser or dedicated playlists section.

I think you can’t imagine how much I agree with your post, especially the sentences I kept in the quote.

Your two points on map design describe in more details what I was meaning with “interactive maps”, and I do like your Thruster concept, would have been awesome. And yes, many improvements could also be brought to custom games, forge, theater and firefight.

This is what I would have liked Halo to become…