Hi Halo Waypoint. This is my first thread here so if this is in the wrong category kindly let me know.
A concept which I have a great desire to see implemented either in Reach via Title Update or in Halo 4 is a “Special Trait Zone” option that can be configured in Forge. Put simply, the Special Trait Zone, which I will refer to as a STZ, is a designated section of the map that grants players inside special customized traits.
You create the STZ in Forge anywhere on the map in the exact same way you create the boundaries of a Hill, Teleporter, or Kill Zone. You can set the boundaries of the STZ to be invisible, or visible and choose a color.
After creating the STZ, you can go into Advanced Options while highlighting the STZ object and choose the special traits for the players inside. These traits can be anything that can (currently) be granted with a custom powerup or in custom games options. The effects can be bonuses or drawbacks.
Each STZ can be toggled to affect only humans or only zombies or both, only Spartans or only Elites or both, only blue guys or only red guys or both, only people in vehicles or only people on foot or both, and so on.
STZs can be stacked. If one zone grants players 150% movement speed and another grants players 50% gravity and they overlap, players in the overlapping section of the zones get both 150% movement speed and 50% gravity.
The possibilities opened up by Special Trait Zones for custom maps are LITERALLY LIMITLESS. Think of all the different player modifiers already available in Halo Reach… your zone can give players 300% movement speed, 25% movement speed, super high jumps, no jumping, can’t use vehicles, can’t pick up weapons, unlimited ammo or bottomless clip, no shields, invincibility, faster or slower recharging shields, forced color, active camo, can’t use AAs, unlimited AA use, increased or decreased weapon or melee damage or resistance, immunity to headshots, and more…
STZs could let you totally change the way map control works. They could provide great incentives to attract or threaten players, or to make things even more interesting, both.
Imagine a direct bridge between your base and the enemy’s flag that lets you run across at 300% speed but makes you have no shields, and you can’t bail out halfway because you can’t jump while on the bridge – because it’s covered by three STZs that give you each of these traits.
Or imagine a small patch of land with a super tall vertical STZ that gives you 10% gravity that you could jump in to use as a grav lift, or land in without taking fall damage.
Or imagine a STZ that grants you complete invincibility but you deal no damage while inside, like a kind of permanent stationary Drop Shield.
Or imagine in Slayer, there’s a round STZ around your base that gives everyone on your team - but not enemies - 150% faster shield recharging. Spawn camping is now impossible.
Or imagine… never mind, I could do this all day! What do you think, 343 and HW people? The Special Trait Zone concept uses stuff that is pretty much already in the game so it might be possible and even easy to set up.
Edit… Just thought of something else. Since the code exists to attach a Hill to a vehicle in KotH games, it could be possible to attach a STZ to a vehicle too.
Talk about infinite possibilities for ridiculously fun customization…
What would happen if you attached two STZs to a Ghost with small enough radii to just surround it and a meter or so in front, one that makes everyone invincible and one that makes everyone have 10% gravity? A splatter attempt would catapult people across the map, alive! You could use it to propel your own team around like an insane Halo 3 Grifball launch.
You could attach a very large STZ to a single Mongoose in a Slayer game that grants all players some big bonus, then make vehicles indestructable in custom settings, and then the entire game will be about your team keeping that Mongoose.
