Dominion - How it works and how to play

Games Other Halo
1

Hey Waypoint!

Today I’m going to analyze the new “Dominion” game mode in Halo 4 and attempt to formulate a rough foundation showing how to both play and forge Dominion when Halo 4 launches. This thread will contain speculation based on what we know about the game mode so far, thus the content herein is subject to change in the future. If you have anything to add or correct, please let me know.

What is Dominion and how does it work?
Source: Josh Holmes explains Dominion

Dominion was introduced in Halo 4 to scratch the itch of the retired Invasion gametype from Halo Reach. It is a new objective gametype where players fight to capture and hold bases. Dominion uses Land Grab’s ‘tug-of-war’ dynamic where players need to both capture the enemy’s base and keep control of their own. However, the similarity ends there, as Dominion introduces “Base Fortifying”, which means that the captured base is stocked with automated turrets, vehicles, weapon drops, and shield doors overtime.

When all of the bases are captured by one team, players on the other team are given overshields to help them recapture a base. However, they are also afforded one last life at this time, so they must use it wisely. Lastly, they have a waypoint over their head, which means the other team is going to be hunting them down. This period in Dominion is known as the “Last Stand.” A match of Dominion is won when a team captures all available bases and then kills all of the players during Last Stand, or when the timer runs out, which then awards it to the team with the most points.

Events: | 12 minutes; 12 players .
Source: Dominion Gameplay

Capture: Players will need to approach a terminal inside a base in order to initiate the capture, seen here. A player remains stationary for ~2 seconds to initiate a base capture for 15 seconds. The opposing team can halt this process at any time by approaching the terminal. Once this phase is complete, a team is rewarded 10 points towards their total score.

Fortify: After a base is captured, it takes 30 seconds to fortify with turrets and shield doors, as you will see here. The opposing team can halt this process at any time by approaching the terminal. Once this phase is complete, a team is rewarded 20 points towards their total score.

Resupply: Once a base is fortified, it resupplies itself with ordnance drops every 45 seconds. The opposing team can halt this process at any time by approaching the terminal. Once this phase is complete, a team is rewarded 30 points towards their total score.

Recapture: The opposing team can halt any of the phases at any time by approaching a terminal in the base. If you capture their base, you are awarded 10 points towards your total score. However, if you recapture your base while they are capturing it, you are not awarded any points. This instead counts as Base Defense.

Last Stand: When a team has lost control over all 3 bases, they are given overshields, one last life, and a waypoint over their heads. This forces them to push towards the nearest base to recapture it so the match can continue. White Shield Doors prevent vehicles from entering or exiting the base at this time, seen here.

Victory: Dominion is won by the team who either holds the most points after 12 minutes, or the one who captures all 3 bases and then kills all members of the opposing team.

Unique Features:

Ordnance Drops: The most prominent feature in Dominion are Ordnance Drops, which are weapons that are dropped for a team from The Infinity. These happen every 45 seconds for a base that has been fortified.

Kill Cam and Final Kill Cam: Kill cams show the perspective of the player that killed you in place of your own personal death cam. Dominion features a kill cam after a player dies, as well as a kill cam for the last kill of the match. The Dominion kill cam.

Player-Specific Vehicle Terminals: To address concerns with Invasion, vehicles in Dominion can only be accessed initially by the team who controlled the base when they were dropped. They appear as red or blue holographic images on vehicle terminals and must be approached by a member of its respective team to ‘activate’ it. Once it is on the field, it operates like a normal vehicle in that it may be boarded or used by the opposing team.

Automated Turrets: Fortified bases spawn automated turrets which suppress enemies and help players defending the exterior of their bases. These turrets can be destroyed, but are deadly up close to an unsuspecting player. Similar to vehicles, these appear as holographic images and must be ‘constructed’ for 2 seconds by a player before they become operational.

Overall, Dominion is a very team-oriented game mode and will require unique strategies and coordination in order to succeed. In the next post, I will illustrate for you how Dominion appears to play out based on the footage and information we have.

2

How do I play Dominion?
Source: Bravo’s Dominion Strategy

For this section, I will be using the Halo 4 map “Longbow” as an example, as this is a map designed specifically for Dominion. Some of the following information will be provided courtesy of Bravo’s video linked above.

Setup:
There are 5 buildings on the map Longbow, and players spawn at the 2 furthest away from eachother in the back corners of the map. There are 3 bases in the center of the map known as Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. These are the bases players will be contesting. However, it’s easier said than done, as there are many potential strategies to go about capturing these bases.

Initial Rush:
The beginning of a match on Longbow is the most critical, as it decides which team may pull an early lead and earn ordnance. There are several potential strategies that may be used here, so I will break down each below:

3-2-1 play | Diagram
In this strategy, 3 players will run to the base closest to them to secure at least one base. This would be Alpha for the Blue Team and Charlie for the Red Team. The remaining 3 players will then push for the neutral Bravo base and clash with the opposing team. Once the first 3 have captured their base, 2 players will push towards the lower portion of the map to secure ordnance and stall the other team at their base. The other player will go where he is needed, whether that be at Bravo or with the other 2 on the opposite end of the map.

If you are playing with a regular team, this single player should be the best out of your team, as he will have to support either base as needed. He is the player who will be picking up ordnance or stalling the enemy team while the rest of his teammates respawn.

4-2 play | Diagram
This strategy is similar to the 3-2-1 strategy, except 4 players will run to Bravo initially and only 2 will run to Alpha or Charlie. This ensures that Bravo is captured right at the beginning, and the remaining 2 players then grab the neutral ordnance and pull back to their base or stall the enemy. They do not attempt to take the other team’s base until they have backup, as securing the ordnance and defending their base is of higher priority.

5-1 play | Diagram
This is a full-out assault on Bravo base which sends 5 players to Bravo and only 1 to Alpha or Charlie. This should ensure that Bravo is secured, and the remaining player should at least capture his respective base. However, he has a slim chance at stalling the enemy or securing neutral ordnance, so it is best if he remains at his base on defense for 2 players from Bravo to come and assist him.

An important thing to remember for all of the above strategies is to push from your side so you are not in immediate line of sight from the enemy team’s spawns.

These are strategies that I foresee being used on Longbow and being adapted for similar setups on other maps. They are just speculation at this point and different strategies may evolve when the game comes out.

After Initial Rush:
As the match progresses, players will fight to defend their bases and capture the opposing team’s base. However, a team must decide whether they want to capture all 3 bases or only keep 2.

Aggressive: The aggressive strategy requires a team to push to control all 3 bases on the map, and then eliminate the remaining players in “Last Stand”. This is a good strategy if your team is more skilled and coordinated than the other, as it ensures the match ends and you accumulate more points for holding all 3.

Passive: The passive strategy requires a team to only hold 2 of the 3 bases, which can be Alpha/Charlie and Bravo, or even Alpha and Charlie. This strategy has the team wait out the timer so that they accumulate the most points at the end of the match. This may end up being the ideal strategy for even teams, as players are more likely to regain control of the base on their side.

In either of these strategies, Bravo may end up being the most critical base to capture.

How do I build Dominion?

According to this image, we will be able to build Dominion maps in Forge on one of the 3 maps. The exact specifics of how Dominion is forged are unknown; however, we can formulate a basic idea based on the above information and the thought process we used for Invasion in Halo Reach.

Setup: The general setup of maps seems to have 5 main areas - 2 areas for initial spawns and 3 objectives for players to capture. 2 of the bases provided are closer to their respective teams, which ensures that a team may capture at least 1 base. The neutral base should also have good sight lines to both bases, which forces players to control it for this advantage. This setup should become the standard for Dominion maps.

Base Design: A base should allow players inside safe spawning and opportunity to defend, but it should also provide the opposing team with ways to capture it. 2-3 tiered structures are standard practice, as they allow height variation and give players multiple routes inside.

A base should have no fewer than 3 entrances and no more than 6, as anything more or less becomes difficult to defend or penetrate. It’s generally a good idea to allow players to access a roof section in addition to ground entrances, but it depends on the structure you create.

Map Layout: While we don’t know the exact sizes of the Forge maps yet (though they are not as large individually as Forge World), we know that Exile and Longbow are large maps. We don’t necessarily need to build huge maps, but there should be enough space to accomodate vehicular play as well as afford teams safe backend spawn locations away from the action.

And that concludes my analysis of the new Dominion gametype in Halo 4. It was fun to speculate even though I imagine this information may change in the coming months. However, I am confident in my breakdown, and I hope you have found this useful. If you have anything to add or correct, please let me know. Thanks for reading!

-A3LG

3

2 things:

  1. i thought you had to mannualy spawn a turret like you do with vehicles?

  2. can’t enemies take the ordnance that drops unto a base? not saying it’s a bad thing, but if they can get inside to capture the base, can’t they steal weapons as well?

4

> 2 things:
>
> 1) i thought you had to mannualy spawn a turret like you do with vehicles?
>
> 2) can’t enemies take the ordnance that drops unto a base? not saying it’s a bad thing, but if they can get inside to capture the base, can’t they steal weapons as well?

I didn’t find any information on turrets, but if they have to be manually activated I will correct the OP when a source is provided.

I don’t think enemies can take a team’s vehicles, but power weapons may not be team-specific.

5

> > 2 things:
> >
> > 1) i thought you had to mannualy spawn a turret like you do with vehicles?
> >
> > 2) can’t enemies take the ordnance that drops unto a base? not saying it’s a bad thing, but if they can get inside to capture the base, can’t they steal weapons as well?
>
> I didn’t find any information on turrets, but if they have to be manually activated I will correct the OP when a source is provided.

i saw in a gameplay video where turret spots were fitted with team-colored holograms, and you had to activate them, which took a few seconds

i’ll try to find said video

6

I wonder if we’ll be able to use dominion objects like auto turrets and vehicle spawn holograms in other modes… I like to build bases and have battles with friends in Forge, so if we could add turrets and stuff it would be more interesting.

7

It’s a good thing that during Last Stand the losing team has Waypoints above their heads, otherwise that phase would become a game of Hide-n-Seek.

8

I hope there are resupply to your primary and secondary weapons or Dominion turns into power weapon and vehicle -Yoink!-.

9

> I hope there are resupply to your primary and secondary weapons or Dominion turns into power weapon and vehicle -Yoink!-.

I don’t think loadout weapons have spawns on the map anymore. There’s an armor mod to spawn with extra ammo, and you can pick up additional ammunition from fallen teammates or enemies.

10

Here is the video where i saw the turret hologram

you can catch it at :29 in at the left of the screen

11

> Here is the video where i say the turret hologram
>
> you can catch it at :29 in at the left of the screen

Interesting. It could mean that it was spawning in, but it would also be consistent with the activation from the vehicles.

I’ll add it to the OP, thanks!

12

> > I hope there are resupply to your primary and secondary weapons or Dominion turns into power weapon and vehicle -Yoink!-.
>
> I don’t think loadout weapons have spawns on the map anymore. <mark>There’s an armor mod to spawn with extra ammo</mark>, and you can pick up additional ammunition from fallen teammates or enemies.

Haha! It’s funny how 343 manages to make almost completely useless/worthless upgrade usefull. Thx for reminding! :smiley:

13

> How do I play Dominion?
> Source: Bravo’s Dominion Strategy
>
> For this section, I will be using the Halo 4 map “Longbow” as an example, as this is a map designed specifically for Dominion. Some of the following information will be provided courtesy of Bravo’s video linked above.
>
> Setup:
> There are 5 buildings on the map Longbow, and players spawn at the 2 furthest away from eachother in the back corners of the map. There are 3 bases in the center of the map known as Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. These are the bases players will be capturing. However, it’s easier said than done, as there are many potential strategies to go about capturing these bases.
>
> Initial Rush:
> Let’s assume Dominion is a 6v6 gametype similar to Invasion. The beginning of a match on Longbow is the most critical, as it decides which team may pull an early lead and earn ordnance. There are several potential strategies that may be used here, so I will break down each below:
>
> 3-2-1 play | Diagram
> In this strategy, 3 players will run to the base closest to them to secure at least one base. This would be Alpha for the Blue Team and Charlie for the Red Team. The remaining 3 players will then push for the neutral Bravo base and clash with the opposing team. Once the first 3 have captured their base, 2 players will push towards the lower portion of the map to secure ordnance and stall the other team at their base. The other player will go where he is needed, whether that be at Bravo or with the other 2 on the opposite end of the match.
>
> If you are playing with a regular team, this single player should be the best out of your team, as he will have to support either base as needed. He is the player who will be picking up ordnance or stalling the enemy team while the rest of his teammates respawn.
>
> 4-2 play | Diagram
> This strategy is similar to the 3-2-1 strategy, except 4 players will run to Bravo initially and only 2 will run to Alpha or Charlie. This ensures that Bravo is captured right at the beginning, and the remaining 2 players then grab the neutral ordnance and pull back to their base or stall the enemy. They do not attempt to take the other team’s base until they have backup, as securing the ordnance and defending their base is of higher priority.
>
> 5-1 play | Diagram
> This is a full-out assault on Bravo base which sends 5 players to Bravo and only 1 to Alpha or Charlie. This should ensure that Bravo is secured, and the remaining player should at least capture his respective base. However, he has a slim chance at stalling the enemy or securing neutral ordnance, so it is best if he remains at his base on defense for 2 players from Bravo to come and assist him.
>
> An important thing to remember for all of the above strategies is to push from your side so you are not in immediate line of sight from the enemy team’s spawns.
> These are strategies that I foresee being used on Longbow and being adapted for similar setups on other maps. They are just speculation at this point and different strategies may evolve when the game comes out.
>
> After Initial Rush:
> As the match progresses, players will fight to defend their bases and capture the opposing team’s base. However, a team must decide whether they want to capture all 3 bases or only keep 2.
>
> Aggressive: The aggressive strategy requires a team to push to control all 3 bases on the map, and then eliminate the remaining players in “Last Stand”. This is a good strategy if your team is more skilled and coordinated than the other, as it ensures the match ends and you accumulate more points for holding all 3.
>
> Passive: The passive strategy requires a team to only hold 2 of the 3 bases, which can be Alpha/Charlie and Bravo, or even Alpha and Charlie. This strategy has the team wait out the timer so that they accumulate the most points at the end of the match. This may end up being the ideal strategy for even teams, as players are more likely to regain control of the base on their side.
>
> In either of these strategies, Bravo may end up being the most critical base to capture.
>
>
> How do I build Dominion?
>
> According to this image, we will be able to build Dominion maps in Forge on one of the 3 maps. The exact specifics of how Dominion is forged are unknown; however, we can formulate a basic idea based on the above information and the thought process we used for Invasion in Halo Reach.
>
> Setup: The general setup of maps seems to have 5 main areas - 2 areas for initial spawns and 3 objectives for players to capture. 2 of the bases provided are closer to their respective teams, which ensures that a team may capture at least 1 base. The neutral base should also have good sight lines to both bases, which forces players to control it for this advantage. This setup should become the standard for Dominion maps.
>
> Base Design: A base should allow players inside safe spawning and opportunity to defend, but it should also provide the opposing team with ways to capture it. 2-3 tiered structures are standard practice, as they allow height variation and give players multiple routes inside.
>
> A base should have no fewer than 3 entrances and no more than 6, as anything more or less becomes difficult to defend or penetrate. It’s generally a good idea to allow players to access a roof section in addition to ground entrances, but it depends on the structure you create.
>
> Map Layout: While we don’t know the exact sizes of the Forge maps yet (though they are not as large individually as Forge World), we know that Exile and Longbow are large maps. We don’t necessarily need to build huge maps, but there should be enough space to accomodate vehicular play as well as afford teams safe backend spawn locations away from the action.
>
> ______________________________
>
>
> And that concludes my analysis of the new Dominion gametype in Halo 4. It was fun to speculate and I imagine this information may change in the coming months. However, I am confident in my breakdown, and I hope you have found this useful. If you have anything to add or correct, please let me know. Thanks for reading!
>
> -A3LG

Anwser to your first question . How do you play dominion . Exactly the same way you play domination from(gasp)CoD. It’s not hard . Grab a base /flag when you can .

14

> Anwser to your first question . How do you play dominion . Exactly the same way you play domination from(gasp)CoD. It’s not hard . Grab a base /flag when you can .

Please don’t quote the entire post, as it takes up space in the thread and the information may be changed in the future, which will cause confusion.

And there are people who do not play CoD or Domination, so they may not know what that entails. Besides, Dominion has certain aspects unique to Halo and it’s a bit ridiculous to assume they will play the exact same way.

15

I wonder if we’ll be able to play Dominion with Mammoths. That seems like it would be very interesting.

16

> I wonder if we’ll be able to play Dominion with Mammoths. That seems like it would be very interesting.

t’d be interesting actually
a moving base…
with all the dominion stuff unto it

17

> I wonder if we’ll be able to play Dominion with Mammoths. That seems like it would be very interesting.

Probably not at launch, but it does sound like something we could potentially see in DLC.

18

I thought this was for a Domination game type when I saw the title, then I read it again. :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: :frowning:

19

> I wonder if we’ll be able to play Dominion with Mammoths. That seems like it would be very interesting.

343, please hire this man!

Hopefully, we’ll see something like that in DLC.

20

> > I wonder if we’ll be able to play Dominion with Mammoths. That seems like it would be very interesting.
>
> t’d be interesting actually
> a moving base…
> with all the dominion stuff unto it

I’ve wanted something like that since Sandtrap had elephants. It would be neat, but the map would have to be huge since Mammoths are way larger than Elephants.