> 'Firefight Pro’
> - Gameplay example – v1 ((slightly different loadout setup)
> - Download gametype – v2 [Gametype specifics]
>
> - For limited: remove or extend time limit, set the win condition to one set or higher, and increase lives to 10.
>
> Mirror: bungie.net
In my experience Firefight pits the player against relatively dull bullet sponges, which matchmaking attempts to compensate for with ridiculous loadouts, damage modifiers and a large, if not infinite, pool of lives. The only plausible explanation I can think of for playing Firefight in its current form is that is offers a sizeable pay out of credits. Campaign lacks even a plausible explanation.
However, like many aspects of Reach, both Campaign and Firefight are theoretically sound. The levels are well designed and the AI can flank, rush and fall back when necessary. The problem is that the current set-up does not lend well to any of these AI behaviours. You can choose to face dim witted and weak opponents, or more co-ordinated foes with near impregnable shielding; neither option is particularly enjoyable and both restrict variety.
This problem has persisted since Halo 2. In Halo 2 some Elites had the equivalent of 3x Overshields, yet they never advanced on the player, choosing instead to sit back and sponge clip after clip. All this did, aside from highlighting the shortcomings of enemy AI, was force the player to use a smaller pool of weapons in order to progress. Halo CE by comparison pitted you, the player, against weaker but more aggressive foes; difficulty came from enemies punishing your every error in combat, rather than punishing your poorly equipped presence. On the second mission for example it was not uncommon for Elites to run up the hillside, charging your position. Despite this aggression a skilled player could decimate Covenant squads with anything at their disposal, be it with a Plasma Rifle and its quick shield dissipation and freezing effect, the ‘elite killer’ Needler, the overcharged plasma pistol or powerful grenades. This created fast paced, challenging exchanges and allowed players to enjoy the breadth as well as the depth of the weapon sandbox. Difficulty in subsequent campaigns has been intensified by bolstering AI health, rather than increasing its ferocity.
[rant]Before I continue I would like to express my agreement that Halo 2’s campaign, like its prequel, should be noted for its difficulty. However I believe it gains this reputation for the wrong reasons if we look at it from a gameplay point of view (reasons comparable to Halo 3 and little better in Halo Reach). What Halo 2 had was a harsh learning curve which is misinterpreted as difficulty (although I admit some levels [aka Gravemind] were particularly challenging). By a learning curve I mean that it was only once the player acknowledged the value of the plasma pistol that they could pass the first hanger bay of Cairo Station [with complete ease might I add] and that any level containing Jackal Snipers required the player to repeatedly replay sections until they had memorised the location of each sniper, as each wrong step was met with instant death again, and again; neither of these factors relied on any significant level of gaming prowess, instead they stifled variety and made gameplay frustrating.
[/rant]For a time I couldn’t put my finger on the reason I enjoy the Campaign of CE more than its sequels. However here I believe I have finally found the answer. Simply put, strong [or ‘unfair’] enemies are not only a pain in the -Yoink- to fight, they are boring. When I shoot something I should not have to unload an entire clip before my foe’s shields have even popped, regardless of the difficulty. In Combat I should have multiple options, even -if not particularly- on Legendary. This comes with lower enemy health, but it also comes with a higher level of AI aggression that forces the need for quick decision making (which is otherwise only found in multiplayer). As a consequence of such changes I would be punished because the enemy actually outsmarted or outplayed me, rather than because I failed to use the plasma pistol. Reach has succeeded quite well in producing the latter (increased aggression), but rendered this pointless by failing to produce the former (lowering enemy health).
However, there may be a way to find the fun in Firefight. As already explained, Reach has a great deal of potential because of the intelligence and behaviour of the enemy AI. As Firefight is the only medium where AI and player traits can be altered it may be possible to turn this intelligence an asset, rather than it just being a frustration on higher difficulty levels. I initially came up with this idea when playing Doubles Attack several months back. It was the damage change in 2x Score Attack that injected some level of enjoyment. As a player I felt less restrained, I could leave the confines of the base on Unearthed and deal a good level of damage to the Covenant; this was particularly the case with the Rocket Hog. The only issue with the 2x gametype was that I felt no vulnerability; increased damage was coupled with an additional layer of shielding which completely negated any need for caution or cooperative play. This is why I feel completely changing the dynamics of Firefight would be beneficial.
The past week or so I’ve been without access to XBL so [I decided to try putting my theory into practice](http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/fileshare.aspx?player=Tom T 117) (filename: Firefight Pro (play legendary)). The result is by no means perfect; even after a dozen or so iterations I’m not completely happy with it (so I can begin to understand the frustrations of designers!). The main things I have done are increase the player movement traits so that they are equivalent to Team Classic (to speed up gameplay and map movement); alter player shield and health charge times so that the player can frequently dip in and out of combat, rather than having to endure long periods of stagnation while waiting for their shields to recharge; heighten AI awareness (by using the wave traits eagle eyed and sharp) to produce even more aggressive characteristics; and reduce the damage the AI can deal and the damage the AI can take, so that they are placed on a more even footing with the player. With these changes I hope players will feel less restricted in terms of both weapon usage and map movement.
The purpose of this thread, aside from providing a nice opportunity to rant about/discuss the mechanics of campaign, is to also try and find the fun in Firefight. I welcome you to share your views on the campaign of all the Halo games from a gameplay perspective, try out the altered setup and maybe even share your own.
