Note: This may be a slightly longer read due to multiple links (thanks waypoint :(), so I apologize in advance. Even so, it’s an issue I really care about — as do many others, I’m sure. I know many bigger issues need attention, but this is just one I want to put some focus on.
Hi! First off, I’d like to say I love your game, 343! It definitely has its issues but, its on track to being a great game. That being said, the issue I wanted to discuss has to do with some of the paid rewards in the Season 1 Heroes of Reach Premium Battlepass. In this battlepass we are given five kits to represent the characters of Noble Team from the game, Halo Reach — the game this whole battlepass is based on. The kits I am referring to are the following:
- Carter - A259 Kit (premium battle pass level 20)
- Jun - A266 Kit (premium battle pass level 40)
- Catherine - B320 Kit (premium battle pass level 60)
- Jorge - 052 Kit (premium battle pass level 80)
- Emile - A239 Kit (premium battle pass level 95)
The issue with these kits is that they’re either unfinished or knowingly missing the unique markings and detail that make the members of Noble Team unique from other Spartans (I assume it’s the latter). Here is an example to start with:
https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/41Lx7SG51AtexmaK2JlsOAua2/?name=blobid0.jpg
Image source: u/vegeta121212
As we can see, the Carter - A259 Kit is missing many details (some of which aren’t even shown) when compared to his Reach counterpart. Some examples are the missing markings on his legs, feet, arms, shoulders, and helmet. In addition, his stand-out knife is completely missing from the armor. Similar issues can be seen with the other kits as well. There are numerous Reddit posts garnering thousands of upvotes and comments expressing dissatisfaction for this. Here are a few:
https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/zVzhsS8hwyKwQeggYZZB5avAM/?name=blobid1.png)
^Here we can see that, once again, Carter’s knife and numerous markings are missing Post source: u/theSaltySolo
upload://zh8hMMmGBzBmJxsXQ1jSxLYFXVA.jpeg
And here we can see the Jorge - 052 kit has numerous decals missing along with a completely untextured shoulder pad. He’s also not wearing his signature bagpack. Source: u/OOskully
https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/GEXno7ru6syllecmt40eHBito/?name=blobid0.png
This post was made recently and expresses similar gripes that were stated prior. It’s also where I got the first image. Post source: u/vegeta121212
Now here are just a few comments from Halo fans (most of which are battlepass owners) expressing dissatisfaction with these kits. I hope this can give a general idea of what other individuals think:
Example 1: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/V8VtwgZwIiHnqQR7d4Gj8uTSm/?name=blobid4.png
Example 2: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/fHkZLvMJdBPgBP7sDpi50ZYvq/?name=blobid5.png
Example 3: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/uz4i7WpemnRm8FbUxzuLchZcE/?name=blobid6.png
Example 4: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/GLtuxGleSm8rYvKnAAqh1e7iX/?name=blobid7.png
Example 5: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/7t4KuKPE7IxzDuRGwcj9rfBTL/?name=blobid8.png
Example 6: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/nhjPP2d2N1tz9yrSERq4V8vT3/?name=blobid10.png
I know this issue may seem insignificant to some, but to Halo fans, these details are what make these Spartans unique. As it stands, the only thing these kits do is assemble pre-obtained armor and a pre-obtained color. That’s right, most parts of these kits are already given earlier in the battlepass. This means that we don’t even need these kits to make this combination of armor. In a battlepass stuffed with filler content such as XP boosts and challenge swaps, these kits feel like more wasted slots.
A solution could be including these missing details exclusively to the armor kits, similar to how the HCS kits are. This would make them more unique and provide an incentive to using them, all while adding value to an already barren battlepass. Of course, I assume this is easier said than done. An example of how these kits could look if they were tweaked can be seen here, courtesy of one of our community members: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/hkAbRHmosxBZm24bWMGgcvQXl/?name=blobid13.jpg
In this before and after image, Carter’s unique decals are added to the chest, head, legs, arms, and shoulder pads. In addition, some weathering has been added to the legs to give off that gritty Halo Reach aesthetic seen in Carter’s original Reach counterpart. Source: u/OOskully
Here are examples of corrections done to the rest of the kits with before and after shots:
Emile - A239 Kit:
https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/4Nz5A7XwkkJSgccTwtCVBcL07/?name=blobid14.jpg
proper markings are added along with his missing belt.
Jun - A266 Kit: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/pjYVxh3mZHQeRPQSW2HEUHvqR/?name=blobid15.jpg
a few markings are added along with his missing shoulder knife.
Jorge - 052: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/ptsjeOYBcvzQNDWQYPqkIh3yU/?name=blobid16.jpg
a few markings are added including a textured shoulder pad.
[Catherine - B320 Kit: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/rZObIEhmggUSJ1zMu2I8byap1/?name=blobid17.jpg
a few markings and some weathering are added
Source: u/OOskully
There are many people in the community that view the current kits as lazy and rushed. Many also don’t believe these kits will actually be fixed. A few can be seen here in response to the latest post I mentioned earlier. [If some come off as rude, I apologize in advance, but its important that we view this from every perspective: https://halo343.zendesk.com/attachments/token/deASC8Dgoyi5oIkrMbvgFE7Eh/?name=blobid12.png
Are these responses justified? To an extent. But, me? I know the world isn’t so black and white. There are many struggles and setbacks that go on behind the scenes — a lot of which we’re unaware of. For that very reason, all I ask is that you guys kindly look at this and maybe consider it down the line. If it takes 1 year, 2 years, or even 3 years, so be it.
The community cares about things like this because we love Halo and all the unique characters it has blessed us with. In fact, one of my happiest memories is playing Halo Reach with my older brother when I was only 11. I’m 22 now, and being able to play as these characters in Halo Infinite means much more to me than just my Spartan looking cool (although that’s definitely a plus!) Perhaps for some, it’s about getting their money’s worth, which is certainly fair. Though to others, including myself, it’s about reliving those memories.
I hope you guys will consider this. Thanks for all that you guys do.
Sincerely,
A long-time fan.