Create a Campaign level

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

About a month ago, I made a thread asking what sort of bosses they’d like to have in the Halo games. It was fun! But now I’m wanting to hear more ideas from you all, so here we are!

This time I’d like to hear what ideas you have for a campaign level. What happens in it? Where does it take place? Are there any bosses or mini-bosses we’d have to fight? Your imaginations the limit! :slight_smile:

I’ll start:

'It is split into three parts. First part takes place in the base, the second part in the air, and the third part on the ground.
The levels starts in a UNSC out-post. You’ve just completed a certain mission (the previous level) and have given your report, and are about to head back to the Infinity. Suddenly, Shots seem to ring out. The Storm Covenant is raiding the out-post. First you must despatch of all the enemy forces here. After clearing the base, you get a call from the brigadier stationed there, telling you to come at once. When there, you find that the enemies you’ve just defeated where only a first wave. There’s a Covenant Super-Scarab heading towards the Out-post! This out-post has a lot of important data, which CANNOT be destroyed or taken by the enemy, so you must protect it at all costs. The brigadier orders you to take one of the Shortsword fighters docked at the hanger, and along with other pilots, bring the fight to the Scarab before it reaches the base.
Outside would be a large mountainous area, and banshees are flying around the super-scarab as an escort. The objective: You are leading an air strike with Shortsword fighters to destroy the super-scarab. The super-scarab is much stronger than a regular scarab, it has stronger armour, and much stronger weapons. There are UNSC ground forces, but they aren’t much help.
The weak points would be the legs, (as usual) and the main cannon at the front. While you can eventually disable the main cannon by inflicting enough damage, it is dangerous as one clean hit from it and you will be killed!
After doing enough damage to it, it will collapse, but the weapons are still functional. You now will have to land and board the super-scarab and destroy the core. Since it’s other weapons are still in working order, you have to land a distance away from it. You decide to drive a Warthog to get back to the Scarab.
This part will be much easier if you destroyed the main cannon while in the air, otherwise the cannon will still be operational and will fire at you, making the journey to it much harder. A couple of Wraiths and ghost will try to stop you from reaching the scarab. After reaching the super-scarab, you will then have to board it. When onto the scarab, you will have to find the control room. After defeating the guards and other enemies on board, find the control room and destroy the core. You then have 30 seconds to get out and drive away as quickly as you can to get out of the blast radius…
BOOM! The super-scarab is destroyed! The brigadier congratulates you, and orders you to return to base.’

Now, how about you? What are your ideas?

Please be respectful of other people’s ideas though, as we all have different opinions. :smiley:

2

My idea involves an actual Forerunner city.

You would start out as part of a vehicle convoy heading into the centre of the city so that an outpost/research base can be set up. You roll through the Forerunner defences in tanks while fighting off the Covenant, who are attempting to stop you from claiming the city.

Once you reach the city centre you are tasked with clearing out and investigating a large Forerunner structure that seemed to serve as a sort of centre of government. After making your way to the core, deep in the foundations of the building, you accidently activate the city’s system which start changing the structure of the city; i.e. walls shifting and floors dropping away. You then fight your way back outside through this shifting landscape.

Once outside you need to hold off a Covenant assualt on the base camp, including the use of a MAC turret to destroy incoming Covenant phantoms and fighting off a scarab, while the UNSC prepares for an evacuation. Finally, just when the Covenant retreat the city finishes it’s reconfiguration and detaches from the planet or shield world and launches into space as the mission ends.

3

A really cool and creative idea for a thread, OP.
I would definitely like to fight a thing like a Super-Scarab.
Fighting in a shifting landscape sounds amazing to me as well.

In my idea I let flow some story in as well.
Here it is:

The UNSC and the Storm Covenant are fighting against each other in a massive space battle near some planet, possibly forerunner.
The UNSC got the information that Jul Mdama and Dr Catherine Halsey and probably the other half of the Janus Key are onboard of a certain Covenant carrier which you (John) should now infiltrate with a small team of Spartan IVs with the ideal goal to eliminate Jul, ‘rescue’ Halsey and get the other half of the Janus Key.
You and your team get send to a hangar and manning advanced Sabres. The hangar gates open and reveal an impressive picture of space war.
You start your engines and the action begins.
Firstly, you have to fight your way to the carrier. Imagine yourself flying through the crossfire between UNSC frigates and Covenant cruisers, watching them explode and break into pieces that you have to dodge and having intense dogfights with Space Banshees and Seraphs in that chaos.
After you manage it to break through the lines and barriers that where between you and the carrier, Roland would hack one of its hangar gates for you and your squad to provide you an entry. He manages to hack it within a few seconds, what actually slightly wonders you as well as the lack of a more intensive resistance but nevertheless you continue your mission and land inside the hangar.
You clean off the Covenant troops in there and the reinforcements. After that you have to find out the exact location of Jul and Halsey. You search a terminal/console and hack it with the help of Roland and again, after a few seconds you exactly know where they are: in a room near the bridge.
Now there are several individual ways to get there and each would lead you through a different section of the carrier (maybe an armory, a mess hall, a medical station or a servicing), so you can freely choose which one you will take and fight through. All ways will finally lead you to an elevator that gets you on the right level and near your targets.
The elevator’s doors open and reveal an empty hallway.
You look for the marked room and finally arrive at the door, behind that Jul and Halsey should be. With the help of Roland you hack it again and immediately storm into it after it opens. The room is empty. You ask Roland if they are somewhere else now but he gets no signal anymore and only suggests to check the bridge or the other rooms. You are heading to the bridge while your squad checks the other rooms. The bridge is abandoned as well as the other rooms like your Spartans tell you.
Right in the moment you realize you have been tricked, a massive detonation knocks you off your feet. The carrier breaks into two pieces which are slowly falling into the atmosphere of the planet. You try to find some escape capsule but there are none. It is hopeless to get out of the ‘sinking ship’, so you look for at least some kind of cover before the part of the carrier, in which you are, crashes into a large lake. Darkness.

After that you would look for some remaining Spartans of your squad and search for a way out of the dark and ‘burning’ wrack that would be partly filled with water now and is still filling itself. And in that water could be some new and scary things that are not really friendly minded.
But that would be a second mission though.

4

Well, if there’s one thing I hope for, I hope there’s a level where either Infinity is under attack, or some other UNSC Frigate. Something like the Pillar of Autumn in CE/CEA.

5

>

A brilliant idea! Not only would it allow us to see what sort of cities the Forerunners lived in, but the level just sounds really fun!

I love how the level would be constantly changing. It would be brilliant for hiding skulls as well. Say, get to the skull area before the floor falls away, and stuff like that. Fantastic!

>

I love the multiple route idea! I’ve always liked stuff like this, as it adds replay value. I wonder what sort of stuff you could find in each of the routes. I also like how you’ve led it into the next level as well. Awesome!

>

I really liked that level. I hope there’s something like that as well. :slight_smile:

These ideas are absolutely fantastic!

6

Location: The Ark
E3 Trailer (minus the cloak and Forerunner Robot) is the opening cut-scene. John walks through the barren desert with Mk VII armor. Cut to game play.
Gameplay:
As the player walks through the barren wasteland, across rocky crags and through caves, everything is quiet. Then the player reaches a canyon (similar to the part in The Package in Halo: Reach.)As the player goes into the canyon, a rock falls from above and you can either doge it or get hit, it will drain your shields. There is a dry creek bed ahead. It is more open. on the cliffs above, Promethean Snipers open up.You are armed with a DMR and AR, but a Crawler sniper on one of the cliff walls falls and gives you access to a Binary Rifle.
Then there is another canyon section similar to the one above, but you fight new Knight forms. A “Squire” a smaller human-sized knight. They are armed with light to medium Promethean Weapons. Their behavior is similar to a pissed-off allied Marine. So, they can be tough in groups.
After dealing with them, you come to an open area in the canyon which leads to a desert beyond. In this area are petrified trees above, on a cliff is a huge tower that stretches into the sky. This area used to be a forest.From the dead tree tops, several Phantoms with Banshee escort fly by headed to the tower. More Promethean fight you. Watchers emerge from the tops of trees and Knights and Squires attack from the ground. Watchers can pick up Squires, boost forward and drop them closer to you, as well as shield them.
You are now in another open area. The tower looms overhead. As you approach the tower, Covies, Elites, grunts, and Jackals attack with Watcher support. After fighting them a cut-scene triggers:
Cut-scene: John, at the foot of the tower looks up to see a dozen or so Phantoms approaching and a Cruiser emerge from Slip-space. From the tower, hundreds of Sentinels emerge and engage the Phantoms. After the Phantoms are dealt with, they combine like the Onyx sentinels and blast that Covenant cruiser that just entered the sky.
Game play: The tower door opens and the player walks inside. Inside, there are a few covenant headed to a central Gravity lift. Deal with them and head up.
Cut-scene:John emerges from the gravity lift at the top of the tower. Ahead of him is a room reminiscent of the Halo 3 Map Epitaph.Entering it, a voice booms:
“Reclaimer,so you have come.”
That’s all I’ve got for now.

7

> Location: The Ark
> E3 Trailer (minus the cloak and Forerunner Robot) is the opening cut-scene. John walks through the barren desert with Mk VII armor. Cut to game play.
> Gameplay:
> As the player walks through the barren wasteland, across rocky crags and through caves, everything is quiet. Then the player reaches a canyon (similar to the part in The Package in Halo: Reach.)As the player goes into the canyon, a rock falls from above and you can either doge it or get hit, it will drain your shields. There is a dry creek bed ahead. It is more open. on the cliffs above, Promethean Snipers open up.You are armed with a DMR and AR, but a Crawler sniper on one of the cliff walls falls and gives you access to a Binary Rifle.
> Then there is another canyon section similar to the one above, but you fight new Knight forms. A “Squire” a smaller human-sized knight. They are armed with light to medium Promethean Weapons. Their behavior is similar to a pissed-off allied Marine. So, they can be tough in groups.
> After dealing with them, you come to an open area in the canyon which leads to a desert beyond. In this area are petrified trees above, on a cliff is a huge tower that stretches into the sky. This area used to be a forest.From the dead tree tops, several Phantoms with Banshee escort fly by headed to the tower. More Promethean fight you. Watchers emerge from the tops of trees and Knights and Squires attack from the ground. Watchers can pick up Squires, boost forward and drop them closer to you, as well as shield them.
> You are now in another open area. The tower looms overhead. As you approach the tower, Covies, Elites, grunts, and Jackals attack with Watcher support. After fighting them a cut-scene triggers:
> Cut-scene: John, at the foot of the tower looks up to see a dozen or so Phantoms approaching and a Cruiser emerge from Slip-space. From the tower, hundreds of Sentinels emerge and engage the Phantoms. After the Phantoms are dealt with, they combine like the Onyx sentinels and blast that Covenant cruiser that just entered the sky.
> Game play: The tower door opens and the player walks inside. Inside, there are a few covenant headed to a central Gravity lift. Deal with them and head up.
> Cut-scene:John emerges from the gravity lift at the top of the tower. Ahead of him is a room reminiscent of the Halo 3 Map Epitaph.Entering it, a voice booms:
> “Reclaimer,so you have come.”
> That’s all I’ve got for now.

Wow… I could picture all this in my head. I love the beginning. So quiet, so still, yet you know that something’s wrong.

I like this ‘Squire’ enemy you’ve created as well. Basically the elite marine of the Promethean army. I like it! :slight_smile:

This petrified forest sounds really good for atmosphere as well. Such a dead area, so silent, save for the ringing of the shots from your gun and theirs.

The tower looming over the forest. What secrets lie within it’s walls? Obviously the Covenant want to know. I like how you’re including stuff from the books as well, with the sentinels combining like that.

Overall, sounding really cool! :smiley:

8

I’ve almost got another idea thought up. I’ll post it later today.

Anyone else got any cool ideas?

9

> Well, if there’s one thing I hope for, I hope there’s a level where either Infinity is under attack, or some other UNSC Frigate. Something like the Pillar of Autumn in CE/CEA.

This for sure. Maybe on a more intense scale than SPOPS was, even include Jun in the action.

10

Location: Unknown

This would be a massive battle. The opening cutscene would be similar to the one in Reach where the UNSC and Covenant are preparing to do battle on a large sandy plane. Dozens of vehicles and tons of infantry clash.
The battlefield layout would have a few UNSC bases under attack. They are spread out and can be saved in any order you see fit.
You can complete the mission having lost all the bases like loosing all the Marines in the H:CE mission “Halo”. There would be 3 or 4 bases, similar in design to High Ground.
The bases have several functional auto turrets that you can activate, a gate you can close, and a rear SAM site that actually works against incoming Phantoms and Banshees.
The first base is easily defended, but each base gets harder to defend as the battle progresses. However, reinforcements from the liberated bases will follow you to the next for extra firepower.
Each base is a good Warthog ride apart, of-course hijacking a Banshee or Ghost will help you get from place to place faster. You’ll fight mostly Covenant ground troops and light vehicles between the bases.
Once each base is liberated, there is a final confrontation with the Covenant. Here, several Scarabs will be encroaching on the liberated bases. Use the Base’s many defenses to fend off the scarab attack. Painting a scarab with a target locator allows any still functioning SAM Site to launch its missiles at the Scarab. (If you feel like doing so, you can board the Scarab and kill it the old fashioned way as well.)
After the scarabs are dealt with the mission completes.

11

A prologue where you get to play key moments from Halo CE, 2, 3 and 4

12

> Location: Unknown
>
> This would be a massive battle. The opening cutscene would be similar to the one in Reach where the UNSC and Covenant are preparing to do battle on a large sandy plane. Dozens of vehicles and tons of infantry clash.
> The battlefield layout would have a few UNSC bases under attack. They are spread out and can be saved in any order you see fit.
> You can complete the mission having lost all the bases like loosing all the Marines in the H:CE mission “Halo”. There would be 3 or 4 bases, similar in design to High Ground.
> The bases have several functional auto turrets that you can activate, a gate you can close, and a rear SAM site that actually works against incoming Phantoms and Banshees.
> The first base is easily defended, but each base gets harder to defend as the battle progresses. However, reinforcements from the liberated bases will follow you to the next for extra firepower.
> Each base is a good Warthog ride apart, of-course hijacking a Banshee or Ghost will help you get from place to place faster. You’ll fight mostly Covenant ground troops and light vehicles between the bases.
> Once each base is liberated, there is a final confrontation with the Covenant. Here, several Scarabs will be encroaching on the liberated bases. Use the Base’s many defenses to fend off the scarab attack. Painting a scarab with a target locator allows any still functioning SAM Site to launch its missiles at the Scarab. (If you feel like doing so, you can board the Scarab and kill it the old fashioned way as well.)
> After the scarabs are dealt with the mission completes.

This sounds awesome! I like how you can save the bases in any order. The fact that you could fail to save a base puts a bit of pressure on the player as well, as if you don’t save the bases, it’s only going to make it harder for you. These consequences would make the player really want to just get out there and save the bases quickly, which is pretty cool!

I also really like the scarabs at the end, which as you said can be defeated in different ways, giving the player(s) a choice. I would love to see the player(s) defeat each one the old fashioned way. That’d be awesome!

13

You search deep into the city of new phoniex to find answers it appears that new uniqe prometheans have shown up after the attack of didact.

14

> You search deep into the city of new phoniex to find answers it appears that new uniqe prometheans have shown up after the attack of didact.

I like it! That’d be a pretty awesome level. Searching through the ruins of New Phoenix, finding different kinds of Prometheans. Awesome! … And pretty sad as well if you think about it too much. :frowning: Just don’t send Spartan Thorne there.

15

A little while back I was writing a Halo 5 script and wrote out the first few missions. I’ll either link it later or post the levels here.

https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2505445_TheSpiritForce-s-Halo-5-Script.aspx#post2505445

16

Alright, one more idea:
Mission name: Janus
Location: ONI Prowler
The Prowler carrying the UNSC’s half of the Janus key has not arrived as CICONI as planned. Osman can not contact the Prowler, but it’s location is known. Osman sends John to retrieve the half of the Janus Key.
The Infinity drops John off and hangs back.
Gameplay: Use your Zero-G thrusters to navigate a debris field of Covenant vessels. Lasky remarks that the radiation in the area is high, Roland confirms stating that it was probably the result of a Shiva warhead detonation.
As the player reaches the Prowler, Roland gives you a waypoint, the way inside. Go inside an Airlock.

The interior of the Prowler is quiet. When John tries to radio back to the Infinity, no response. The comm. jamming equipment in the Prowler is active. He is on his own. Or is he?

Moving through the Prowler, the player comes across a number of pseudo terminals that give background on Halsey’s betrayal and info on the Janus key. There is an increasing feeling of Uneasiness.
The Janus key is still nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, John is ambushed by Spec. Ops Elites. After the player deals with half a dozen or so, he finds a Covenant Boarding craft attached to another air lock. These boarding craft are the small variety seen in Halo:CE. At the back of the craft is the Janus Key. Pick it up and head to the Prowler’s bridge.

On the Prowler’s bridge are a few grunts guarding a Zealot. Kill them.

Cinematic: John sits down in the bridge of the Prowler, and activates the engines. Lasky contacts him, but John, feeling betrayed doesn’t respond. Instead, he punches in a course and leaves in slip space.

17

> A little while back I was writing a Halo 5 script and wrote out the first few missions. I’ll either link it later or post the levels here.
>
> https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2505445_TheSpiritForce-s-Halo-5-Script.aspx#post2505445

Nice! I like the idea of this replacement Spartan! It wouldn’t surprise me if the UNSC did something like this!

> Alright, one more idea:
> Mission name: Janus
> Location: ONI Prowler
> The Prowler carrying the UNSC’s half of the Janus key has not arrived as CICONI as planned. Osman can not contact the Prowler, but it’s location is known. Osman sends John to retrieve the half of the Janus Key.
> The Infinity drops John off and hangs back.
> Gameplay: Use your Zero-G thrusters to navigate a debris field of Covenant vessels. Lasky remarks that the radiation in the area is high, Roland confirms stating that it was probably the result of a Shiva warhead detonation.
> As the player reaches the Prowler, Roland gives you a waypoint, the way inside. Go inside an Airlock.
>
> The interior of the Prowler is quiet. When John tries to radio back to the Infinity, no response. The comm. jamming equipment in the Prowler is active. He is on his own. Or is he?
>
> Moving through the Prowler, the player comes across a number of pseudo terminals that give background on Halsey’s betrayal and info on the Janus key. There is an increasing feeling of Uneasiness.
> The Janus key is still nowhere to be found.
>
> Suddenly, John is ambushed by Spec. Ops Elites. After the player deals with half a dozen or so, he finds a Covenant Boarding craft attached to another air lock. These boarding craft are the small variety seen in Halo:CE. At the back of the craft is the Janus Key. Pick it up and head to the Prowler’s bridge.
>
> On the Prowler’s bridge are a few grunts guarding a Zealot. Kill them.
>
> Cinematic: John sits down in the bridge of the Prowler, and activates the engines. Lasky contacts him, but John, feeling betrayed doesn’t respond. Instead, he punches in a course and leaves in slip space.

A cool idea this! I like the idea of finding stuff out in here.

I wonder what course he chose to go?..

18

I thought I just continue where my previous mission ended and create a new one.

Name of the mission: Immersed

Location:
The Covenant carrier’s wrack that has sunk on the ground of a lake for the most part

Mission:
You find yourself under some debris near the Covenant carrier’s bridge. The carrier’s lightning has turned out for the most part and strange fire and sparks, alarming blinking devices and the water that is slowly flowing inside turning the inside of the carrier into an unreal and menacing environment.
You try to contact the outside via your COM but you only get a hissing as reply.
You turn on your flashlight and try to find a way out of the wrack. Optional you can look for your squad members, perhaps some of them are still alive like yourself.
Again there are several individual ways that are leading you to the outside but some ways are ending in a dead end as well.
On your search to find a way out of the carrier’s labyrinth you will encounter Covenant troops from time to time that survived the impact and are now looking for an exit as well. In most scenarios you could chose how to encounter them. Either you encounter them directly, try to take them out silently or try to simply bypass them, staying unnoticed.
But you and even the Covenant have more issues than each other and finding a way out of the sinking and instable wrack.
Something came inside with the water. Something evil.
Aggressive, beastly and blood-thirsty amphibious creatures. Stay alert when you notice something ominous, like a swift shadow, ripples on the water’s surface or an unfamiliar animalistic sound.
Most of the time, the encounters and attacks of those creatures will be completely random and unpredictable. What means those creatures will not appear and encounter you in certain locations but in random ones. I.e. you play through that level the first time and such a creature attacks you in a certain location. You play through that level the second time and you reach the same location but this time a creature could possibly not encounter there.
Creatures are attacking Covenant troops as well, perhaps you can take that as your advantage from time to time.
When you finally manage it to get out, you are getting welcomed by bright daylight and get rewarded with beautiful and impressive scenery.
Take a last look on the carrier wrack, how it pokes out of the gleaming green water like a bizarre island, before you activate your COM and request a pickup.

19

> I thought I just continue where my previous mission ended and create a new one.
>
>
> Name of the mission: Immersed
>
> Location:
> The Covenant carrier’s wrack that has sunk on the ground of a lake for the most part
>
> Mission:
> You find yourself under some debris near the Covenant carrier’s bridge. The carrier’s lightning has turned out for the most part and strange fire and sparks, alarming blinking devices and the water that is slowly flowing inside turning the inside of the carrier into an unreal and menacing environment.
> You try to contact the outside via your COM but you only get a hissing as reply.
> You turn on your flashlight and try to find a way out of the wrack. Optional you can look for your squad members, perhaps some of them are still alive like yourself.
> Again there are several individual ways that are leading you to the outside but some ways are ending in a dead end as well.
> On your search to find a way out of the carrier’s labyrinth you will encounter Covenant troops from time to time that survived the impact and are now looking for an exit as well. In most scenarios you could chose how to encounter them. Either you encounter them directly, try to take them out silently or try to simply bypass them, staying unnoticed.
> But you and even the Covenant have more issues than each other and finding a way out of the sinking and instable wrack.
> Something came inside with the water. Something evil.
> Aggressive, beastly and blood-thirsty amphibious creatures. Stay alert when you notice something ominous, like a swift shadow, ripples on the water’s surface or an unfamiliar animalistic sound.
> Most of the time, the encounters and attacks of those creatures will be completely random and unpredictable. What means those creatures will not appear and encounter you in certain locations but in random ones. I.e. you play through that level the first time and such a creature attacks you in a certain location. You play through that level the second time and you reach the same location but this time a creature could possibly not encounter there.
> Creatures are attacking Covenant troops as well, perhaps you can take that as your advantage from time to time.
> When you finally manage it to get out, you are getting welcomed by bright daylight and get rewarded with beautiful and impressive scenery.
> Take a last look on the carrier wrack, how it pokes out of the gleaming green water like a bizarre island, before you activate your COM and request a pickup.

Awesome! I like the sound of this level! The water slowly creeping up, strange creatures out for your blood, creepy! I do like how there’s indigenous creatures on this level though. Reminds me of those tusked creatures from Reach. Takes no side, and only looking out for itself. Brilliant. :slight_smile:

20

> Awesome! I like the sound of this level! The water slowly creeping up, strange creatures out for your blood, creepy! I do like how there’s indigenous creatures on this level though. Reminds me of those tusked creatures from Reach. Takes no side, and only looking out for itself. Brilliant. :slight_smile:

Thank you. To create a level that is causing some spine-chilling moments was exactly my intention. :slight_smile:
That’s why I added random encounters as well, to keep the level ‘creepy’ and thrilling, no matter how often you would play through it.