TLDR breaking down past Halo’s Co-op, how to not only make it worth the wait but replay able and new ideas or mechanics to spice things up. Feel free to scroll to the new ideas if everything else is to much, really could use input on it.
So beyond knowing nothing about how co-op will play out in it’s eventual release I was pondering how they could A. What did past Halo’s co-op do and which felt the best, B. How to reward players of both campaign and multiplayer and C. How do we evolve it and spice it up?
Most Halo’s had you running as Chief or Arbiter regardless of lore, it didn’t bother explaining it either. Halo 3 had you play as Chief, Arbiter and two Elites that if I remember right were close to the Arbiter. Halo 5 had you play one of the 8 Spartans, filling out an assigned squad depending on the mission’s. To me Halo Reach set the bar, it made your custom spartan have more meaning, more impact. Your friends sharing the falcon ride in on the first mission, just felt right. You had all of Noble and your wingmates to take on the world. This leads into my next segment.
If we take Reach’s philosophy and apply it here it benefits the player to play multiplayer, to partake in battlepasses, to do weeklies and events. I won’t touch the pricing of items or battlepass we all know they need adjusting in their own ways but when it carries over to co-op it’s incentive, it makes our investment of time or money that much more impactful. So, custom spartans from multiplayer as the other party members✓ add challenges and other ways campaign impacts battlepass so players who don’t prefer pvp can progress✓
/////////////////
Finally, how could we spice it up? Besides bringing back the scoreboards type stuff with skull multipliers that possibly progress battlepass, UNSC, ODST, ONI, Pilot etc. Have the option to opt in as a none spartan. Not only will this bring the new layer difficulty, it’ll also bring the perspective we haven’t seen since ODST. Now I’m not saying they have to redo the maps and add health or armor or anything for pickups the whole idea is meant to be your either cannon fodder or damn good soldier that survives with Master Chief. Now this would have some drawbacks as an ordinary human without mjolnir power armor would be added disadvantage.
As there are no Spartan cores, my suggestion is to have them class based. You choose what branch of the unsc you came from, get a starting loadout and unique abilities and mechanics. As they are the opposite of sponges and probably will be less of a factor than someone who chose to play as a Spartan I say remove the respawn timer or requirements. When you die you show up as a fresh reinforcements right off the bat. Marines, trusty Ar and sidekick, capable of holding more grenades possibly? I’d have said whatever the Chief gives you becomes unlimited ammo to nod the old games but a capable player could easily abuse it. Maybe has a choice of mechanic, ,medic or armorer. Get a tool to repair vehicles, that foam gel to heal yourself or fellow none spartan and of course ammo drop. Dropping a duffle bag of most ammo types for everyone.
ODST if outdoors and respawning temporary control of a drop pod which holds ammo. Grapple hook, jump pack, and recon becon. If they could make suppressed weapons work I’d say that be their loadout but as is, br or commando with sidekick. More armor but has a spawn delay, if possible be interesting to see the machete from the difficulty images as their go to melee. Stronger then a marine but slower to use? Oni active camo, recon dart, grapple or drop wall. Spawns with bulldog or ar, suppressed sidekick if possible if not br. Same armor as odst, no special melee. Same respawn rate as a Spartan. Pilot, has the least amount of armor starts with a sidekick and assault rifle unless the SMGs are added later. Has repair kit, no respawn delay, but almost as fast as a spartan. When in a vehicle even as a passenger it gradually repairs at a slow pace, if driving/flying weapon cooldown is reduced. Has a re-entry pack to avoid fall damage, think jump pack but only works to cushion a fall.
If you read this far I appreciate it, would love to hear your own takes on any of this. Maybe even get some idea of what we might see? Honestly it’ll be okay when it comes out, but if it’s nothing big in it’s own right and just back to four chiefs or worse back to two… Then it’s delay feels more disappointing and kinda insulting it got delayed at all.