1) Fix the -Yoink- spawning.
This is true for all gametypes, (excluding Breakout, obviously) but is particularly annoying in FFA. Half the time I spawn, I’m in sight of at least one person, if not two. The reason for this is that the game detects enemies by proximity, and Halo 5 maps are as open as your mother after a few drinks. There is no cover anywhere, meaning that even if a player were to spawn a kilometer away, neither you nor he would be in cover, enabling a spawn-kill.
2) Do not use the same maps as Team Arena.
Team Arena maps are very open and have a particular flow. Truth, Regret and Colosseum fine examples of an ideal Team Arena map. However, these maps are -Yoink- in FFA. They are set up for team spawns, meaning in FFA, some poor -Yoink- will be spawning near another player, because the game placed them in the same team area. Another problem with this, is that map control is practically impossible. With areas designed to be held by multiple players, single player control isn’t going to happen. There’s just too many infiltration points, forcing players into camping. Which by the way, every match in FFA has at least one camper.
3) Remove the power weapons.
Not all of them, mind you, just the over powered ones. Things like the Rocket Launcher, Railgun and Shotgun shouldn’t be in FFA. They require no skill to use. Power weapons are fine in Team Arena, as you may end up facing multiple allied players, but in FFA, you just end up dominating players with a cheap weapon. Simply replace them with less powerful versions. For example, replace shotguns with Swords, Rocket Launchers with Fuel Rod Cannons, Railguns with Beam Rifles, etc. Anyone who’s used those weapons knows they’re still pretty powerful, without being too powerful. Also, remove weapon pads. Just place the weapons on the map.
4) Give players faster handling and faster spawn time.
If you’re wondering what I mean, I’m talking about action response time, or the time it takes to do stuff. Grenade toss time, shoulder charge recovery time, thruster recovery time, etc. You should also be able to reload and swap weapons while sprinting/clambering/thrusting. Halo is the type of game where, even if they’re on the brink of death, a skilled player will be able to out-play any lesser skilled opponent. With improved reaction/response time, engaging multiple opponents will be a breeze, assuming you got the skills. The faster spawn time also plays into this. If you get killed by a player, you know where they are. With the long respawn time, you lose track of them, and any potential comeback/revenge kill is unlikely. However, with reduced spawn time, you can plan out a counter attack. It also forces the other player who killed you to get moving, and not rely on the same area unless they’re sure they can defend it.
5) Give us optional death cams.
Some may be mad at the thought of kill cams, and I’ll admit, I don’t like them either. They give away your killer’s position and strategy. But I’m talking about death cams. A replay of your own gameplay footage of the time you died, allowing you to see what you did wrong from your own point of view. Now, when I’m salty about being killed, the last thing I want to see is my own failures. That’s why they need to be optional. “Press X for instant replay”, or something like that. It should also delay the respawn to give you time to analyse the footage. Not by much, just an extra second or two.
That’s it for now, I’m pretty sure I’ll think of something else to complain about later. Comment any problems you have with the FFA playlist or my arguments.