I found the Elites from Halo 4 really cool and challenging, fighting with great skill the Spartans. The way they always have. But what I really missed them is a distinction between their classes, so far only with the strength of the shield.
The Elites (or Brutes)in the new Halo could do new things in the game that differentiate their classes, such as: Zealot commander could give orders to his soldiers to attack or retreat, could even encourage them to fight (saying things type: “These worms contaminate sacred ground, kill them!” or “Show your honor, brothers, show why you are Elites”).
That’s what I think guys, and I wonder what you would think. Give your ideas and please help to 343 to make the best Halo ever made!!
More ascetic things like verbal orders and personalities would be nice, but what I would really like to see is more of a pure gameplay distinction between each class of each race. There are already examples of it in the previous games: stealth troopers use their camouflage to get close to you and jetpack/jumppack enemies use their equipment to get a good angle before they open fire. It would be nice if there were more various enemy types outside of the standard hierarchy of minor>major>ultra and so on.
It would also be nice to see more unique encounters.
For example, before the Master Chief faces the last Brutes in the Halo 3 level “The Ark”, a Chieftain will challenge him to a fight. He will taunt the Chief by saying, “Fight me, I’m right here!” If the player goes into the center area, not shooting any of the other brutes, the Master Chief and the Brute Chieftain will fight each other one on one while the other brutes circle around and cheer for their leader. When the Chieftain is killed, his followers will go berserk and the level continues as normal.
It’s little things like that which really make the campaign feel whole.
I want Zealots to at least be some sort of mini-boss that’s actually difficult to face, it’s always been “jump somewhere high and hose them with bullets” with them, which is fairly easy.
They need to leap around, sprint, strafe, and, in close combat, have some complex Sangheili martial-arts thing going on. Or at least do more with their sword than “Swat. Swat. Swat. (Wonder if I’ll ever hit anything).”
Spec-Ops camo Elites could be all strategic, like 1) One reveals itself, shoots at you, flees, 2) You follow after it, 3) You walk into an ambush, two knife you from behind. They could also “cooperate” with other ranks, like the same maneuever but instead you walk into the scope of a Sniper/Fuel Rod Guy.
Rangers, especially snipers, will always attack from afar and seek cover. If you get anywhere near them, they immediately leap to some other high vantage point. This could apply to Jackal Snipers as well.
I have spent a great deal of time thinking about this.
Minors-Use very basic weapons (plasma pistol, plasma rifle), not very agile or good at taking cover, can throw punches that don’t hurt shields too much, have weaker shields themselves.
Majors/Officers (pick one)- Use slightly more advanced weaponry (plasma rifle, storm rifle, carbine), more agile and better at taking cover, can give orders, medium-strength shields, can throw harder punches and can kick.
Ultras- Use much more advanced weapons (storm rifles, dual plasma rifles, carbines, concussion rifles), have strong sheilds, give orders to larger fleets, throw mean punches and meaner kicks, and when you take down their sheilds they whip out an Energy Sword Halo 2 Style and turn into ferocious agile swordsman.
SpecOps- Use weapons like Storm Rifles, dual plasmas, carbines, beam rifles, energy swords, extremely agile and dodgy, very precise shooters and can use armor abilities like Active-Camo or Evade or whathaveyou, though they are just as stron as Majors, and perhaps have a system of minor-major-ultra to determine just how precise or dodgy they can be.
Stealth- Have long-lasting active camo and carry swords to try and sneak up on you and assassinate you, but only about as tough as a Minor.
Rangers- Used as Hazop style troopers, carry automatic weapons to kill you quickly, fly around on Jetpacks, harder to aim at, about as tough as a Major though
Generals- Command large fleets, tougher than Ulras, carry heavy weapons like concussion rifles, frgs, plasma turrents, slower though and not as dodgy or agile, but can through hurrendoes sheild destroying punches
Zealots- Miniboss style, as agile and dodgy as spec ops but tougher than Generals. Carry mostly swords.
Did not spell check.