Before I express my following concern, I would like to have it pointed out that I am in no way trying to spark arguments of any kind. I am simply trying to express something that has worried the Elite community. I fully understand that the campaign of Halo 4 will likely not have Elites, and I am in no way making a statement that the Sangheili should appear in it. This is strictly for the multiplayer aspect of the game. Also have it understood that this is in no way intended to be a “Spartan vs Elite” thread (although I do not feel that this will be an issue on these forums).
Now, on to business…
In 343i’s upcoming installment of Halo 4, it has come to the attention of Halo’s “Elite Community” (Players that prefer the Elites over Spartans), that there is a possibility that the Sangheili will no longer be a playable species in multiplayer. I understand that, for the most part, the playability of Sangheili in multiplayer has almost zero contributing factors to the overall game, and that for most of the Halo community, the would not be a big deal.
However, for the Sangheili-fans out there (those who seem to be very far and in-between the Spartan-lovers), the removal of Elites from multiplayer would be a devastating blast to our small community. As some of you may know, the Elite Community is almost 100% constructed out of Elite Clans (most of which are based off of the Sangheili-military system within the Covenant). These clans have all been around ever since their creations in Halo 2’s “glory days”, and have legacies that have lasted for over five years… If the Sangheili were to be removed from multiplayer in Halo 4, every one of these clans would be destroyed, and so would their legacies. People who have been playing Halo for years would have one of their most cherished aspects of the game taken away from them… Believe me, although it may seem pointless to an outside bystander, the very fact that our community wears Elite armor is what keeps us together.
The Sangheili community is more than just a conglomerate of clans, it’s an online family. Everyone knows eachother, and everyone plays with eachother. Similarly to Halo’s Forging Community, MLG Community, and even it’s Machinima Community… The world is small, and everyone seems to know who comes and goes through their home (metaphorically). I, being a clan leader myself, have been around the Elite Community for around five years. I’ve met so many players similar to myself and I’ve played with those people (some of which I still play with today). Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I know almost everyone within the Sangheili community… In all honesty, this is probably because they play as Elites, and because this community has had a tendency of sticking together. Removing Elites from Halo 4’s multiplayer would likely crush a large number of bonds and ties within the community, and it would fade away in a heartbeat.
Now, again, I understand the little significance the Elite Community has on Halo, but in all reality… We’re Halo fans too, and we’re tired of being stepped on over and over again. During bungie’s management of Halo, our community has always been of little importance, has always been the last to be thought of, and has always been given half–Yoinked!- gifts compared to everyone else: less armor permutations than spartans in Halo 3, no customizable armor in Halo: Reach (and on top of that, Field Marshall armor is just a splice of Zealot and General), and there are many, many other things I could name off. But in shorter terms, we’ve always been given the short-end of every deal… And in all honesty, it’s not fair, especially because we’re just as loyal to Halo as the rest of the community here is.
TL;DR: I’m not asking for fancy, shiny things for Elites in Halo 4 (which would be nice, for a change), and I’m not asking for them to be part of the campaign. All I am asking for, is that 343i have enough respect for our community to allow us to be ourselves in Halo 4’s multiplayer… That’s all we really want, and that’s all it’s ever been.
Thank you.