Halo 4: A Post-TU Multiplayer Blueprint

Games Other Halo
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Hello all! After spending a fair bit of time playing Halo 4 Multiplayer and observing the community feedback on the Waypoint forums, I’ve created a blueprint for how I think 343i should structure Halo 4’s matchmaking over the course of several title updates, as well as some miscellaneous gameplay changes and additions. Please note that I am currently enjoying the game, but we can all agree that it could use a number of improvements. These are all MY personal opinions, but I also take into account the most prevalent complaints and topics discussed by the community. This is my attempt at a matchmaking format and alterations to the current features and gameplay that will try to address as many of the community’s faults with the game as possible, and hopefully see revitalization in the game’s popularity, longevity, and acclaim. Hopefully we will see something along this nature in the future, and maybe (with your help) 343i can take heed to this. Note that this is a long read, but your attention and maturity in this discussion is greatly appreciated. Please feel free to provide any feedback or anything you would like to add to my blueprint. Here we go.

Universal Gameplay Changes across all Playlists
There are some gameplay mechanics, changes, and miscellaneous features I think should be specific to each playlist. Some of the more drastic changes will be observed in the Ranked Playlists (more on that later). However, here I will list a few gameplay changes I think should be made across ALL playlists:

• Precision weapon balancing: I believe, as do many others, that the precision weapons could currently use a little fine-tuning. The popular opinion right now is that the DMR is the most powerful of the four, so I will present two possible scenarios centered around it: (1) the DMR remains the same and the other three are buffed to compensate, or (2) the DMR is nerfed in any number of ways.

Let’s look at Scenario 1: (1) the BR is buffed by either tightening its spread, making it a 4sk (which I don’t agree with), increasing its rate of fire, reducing its recoil, or anything else, (2) the Carbine is buffed by either making it a 7sk (which may be too powerful), increasing its zoom, or any other method, (3) I believe the Light Rifle is fine as is.

Now here’s Scenario 2: (1) Nerf the DMR by either increasing its bloom ONLY when not in scope (may decrease its dominance in CQC), reducing its rate of fire, decreasing its aim-assist, or any other method. Of course these are just ideas; nothing absolute. Feel free to provide input.

• Decrease in bullet magnetism, aim assist, etc: As showcased in this video, the current amount of bullet magnetism, auto-aim (whatever form of aim assist you want to call it) is quite excessive. It needs to be toned down to allow more skillful aiming to persevere.

• Boltshot nerf: Many, including myself, find it unsettling that players can spawn with an insta-kill weapon. First of all, the instant-reload glitch needs to be fixed. The Boltshot should be nerfed by possibly either: (1) reducing the range of its charged shot, (2) preventing players from switching to their other weapon while charging the shot, (3) charged shot depletes entire clip, (4) or by removing its ability to insta-kill altogether, but still have the ability to destroy shields.

• Thruster Pack buff: There are a wide number of complaints that the Thruster Pack’s boost distance is not enough, and rightly so. A buff should be made to increase the distance at which the player is boosted.

• Removal of flinch mechanic, return of descoping: Descoping was a mechanic that never needed fixing. It always served its purpose well and added layers of skill to the game. Firstly, it took skill to recover from a descope and retaliate against your opponent by descoping him/her. Secondly, it also took skill to tune your reaction timing for rescoping after you had been descoped. In addition, descoping was an excellent way for DMR or BR wielders to counter snipers in long-distance engagements. The inclusion of flinching, however, removed these elements for the most part. I’ve observed on several occasions that flinching is not enough to hinder a sniper from blowing your dome off anyway. That is why descoping must return IN MY OPINION, of course.

• Removal of less significant medals, return of some classic medals: Many of us would agree that a lot of the new medals are quite insignificant and sometimes redundant. We are also disappointed to see some more meaningful and classic medals disappear. That is why:

o Reload This!, Generic Kill, Specific Weapon Kill (Beam Rifle Kill, Rocket Kill, etc.) Comeback Kill, and several other medals should be removed. Most of them are rather insignificant, redundant (why have the Generic Kill medal when there’s already a personal kill count?), and just take away from that sense of accomplishment and skill. Note that many of the new medals (Hail Mary, Flag Driver, Snapshot, etc.) are fine by me as they reward skill and teamwork. Also, for the Specific Weapon Kills, the text on the HUD indicating those kills should still remain; only the medals should be removed.

o The Stick, Snipe (Headshot with a Sniper), Perfection, and progressing Weapon Spree medals (Sniper Spree, Sword Spree, Splatter Spree, Open Season, etc.) should return. Possibly newer Weapon Spree medals could be implemented, like SAW Spree, Scattershot Spree, and etc. In addition, the Multikill Medals should return to their classic color scheme.

• Return of “X” Markers on the HUD over dead teammates: No one knows 343i’s reasoning behind removing this feature. Although the X’s appear on the Motion Tracker, oftentimes you are too far out of range to detect them. That is why they must return as viewable on the HUD, a la past Halos. In addition, the color changes indicating teammates receiving damage and returning fire should return as well.

• Increase of time before dropped weapons disappear: The dropped weapons in this game disappear unusually fast for a Halo game. The time before that happens needs to be increased.

• Addition of Relay and possibly other Forge maps into lineup: All of the MLG footage I have seen of the Forge map Relay indicate that it plays exceptionally well from a competitive standpoint. I have no doubt that it will appear in the MLG playlist when it drops, but it should be included in the lineup for all of the other small-scale Slayer playlists and even objective playlists. Also, 343i could occasionally hold Forge contests to determine the best-playing and competitive community maps, or maps created by MLG, and implement them into the playlists to keep the lineup fresh. This should not be on the scale of Reach’s Forge maps, mind you.

• Addition of a UNSC Air Vehicle into Multiplayer: Many fans have been vocal in their disappointment of no UNSC air vehicles in Multiplayer. If at all possible, 343i could reintroduce the Hornet or the Falcon back into Multiplayer, or possibly introduce a nerfed version of the Pelican Gunship from the Campaign.

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Separation of Ranked and Social (non-ranked) Playlists
We know now that 343i will be implementing the CSR system early next year. After reading the announcement, one can easily see how 343i is implying that there may be a separation of Ranked and Social (non-ranked) playlists by reading this section:

Which playlists will support CSR?
All competitive playlists will support and track CSR. As the playlists will continuously change post-launch, the exact list of playlists that will support CSR will be determined when the system is ready to drop.

I find appeal in this separation as it caters to the players who crave fierce, balanced competition with an emphasis on the Classic Halo settings as well as the players who enjoy the relaxed, less serious aspects of Halo multiplayer with an emphasis on the fresh, new Infinity Settings. This will be the crux of my blueprint. As an alternate idea, a League System similar to those of recent games could be a possibility if implemented correctly. However, that is another system entirely and one that requires a greater deal of thought.

Subsequently, I will list the playlists I think should be Ranked and which I think should be Social as well as the gameplay changes and parameters associated with each individual playlist.

Note 1: I like 343i’s idea of rotational playlists. However, playlists that have been Halo matchmaking staples and continuously see healthy populations should remain permanent. In my list of playlists, I will indicate which ones may be subject to rotation or the ones that I am unsure whether they should be ranked or social by placing “debatable” next to them.

Note 2: I would like to see a change in the voting process before a match. First, the players vote for the gametype they would like to play. Second, the players vote for the map they would like to play on. This voting process should be present in the playlists that contain multiple gametypes and variants. Of course, the descriptions of these playlists that have multiple gametypes and variants should indicate this in the selection menu.

Ranked Playlists
First off, I will state that I think 343i should make CSR visible in-game, not just from Waypoint. I believe the pros outweigh the cons on this one, and many will see the CSR system as a wasted opportunity anyway if it is not visible in-game, but I digress, for this is not the focus of this topic. Now, I will list a few features that will appear or not appear in these playlists:

• Removal of instant respawning: This will do wonders to slow down the overly-frantic nature of gameplay. This should remain exclusive to the Social Playlists.

• Removal of join-in-progress: No one likes joining a match that is half-way done or being forced onto a team that is being dominated. It should be removed for Ranked playlists, but for Social playlists, players should have the option to toggle it off or on so that those who want to JIP can and those who do not will also be satisfied.

• Removal of sit-recs (killcams), return of classic deathcam: I didn’t mind this feature at first, but I soon began to wonder why anyone would want to attempt to decipher the choppy, laggy mess that is their recent humiliation when they can just instantly respawn. The feature is mostly useless and redundant. The classic, panning deathcam should return, as it allows you to relay battlefield information back to your teammates. A repaired version of the Sit-Rec should be exclusive to the Social Playlists. Note: Game-winning Sit-Recs are fine in my book, and should return for all playlists. It is always fun for your awesome game-winning kill to be flaunted for everyone to see.

• No guests: As was the case with Halo 3’s ranked playlists, guests of the same gamertag should not be allowed to enter these playlists due to the same reasons.

• No party chat (debatable): In literally every single game I’ve played of Halo 4, most of the people who have mics are in party chat. This hinders the ability of the rest of their team to communicate with them during matches. That is why an argument could be made to prevent players in party chat from entering ranked playlists because it deters the competitive nature of ranked playlists. Consequently, this could discourage many players from entering in ranked playlists, causing lower populations. Feel free to provide your opinion on this matter.

• Friendly Fire on: In all ranked playlists, friendly fire should be on. This will encourage smarter and more strategic gameplay and reduce grenade and explosive weapon spam.

• Quitting and Betrayal Deranking: Obviously, frequent quitting and betraying in ranked playlists should negatively impact your rank since join-in-progress will be absent. If you quit out of so many matches within 24 hours (I’ll suggest 3), you automatically go down a rank. Also, if you have maybe 5 or more betrayals and are booted from maybe 3 matches within 24 hours, you also go down a rank. This will increase competitiveness by encouraging players to finish their matches and promoting teamwork.

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Here is my list of Ranked Playlists:

Note: This list is no way comprehensive. It is only a rough idea for what I would like to see. A few of these playlists may be subject to removal, switching between ranked or social, or remain strictly rotational. In some entries, I will list my reasoning for why that particular playlist should be ranked, social, or just rotational.

• Infinity Slayer: I, and many others, don’t want to see 343i abandon its version of Halo gameplay completely. It offers a fresh, new experience that many currently enjoy. For this reason, I think it should be ranked. I expect to see it ranked anyway when the CSR system drops. All gameplay mechanics and features currently found in this playlist should be unchanged, save for the recently aforementioned ones above. It will contain teams of 4.

• Classic Slayer: To accompany 343i’s new take on Halo gameplay, a playlist should be integrated that closely emulates past Team Slayer playlists. This way, fans of both versions can enjoy them whenever they desire. Note that this playlist should replace Slayer Pro as it does not see substantial numbers, and how many believe it less than satisfactory for a classic Halo experience.

The following are the parameters I think should be put in place for this playlist. I will refer to them in my descriptions of the other playlists as the Classic Settings:

o No custom loadouts (removes AAs and Support Upgrades/Tactical Packages from gameplay).

o A single, default loadout (Assault Rifle, Magnum, 2 Frag Grenades, Resupply). Also, variants should be included that contain precision weapon starts (DMR, BR, Carbine, Light Rifle) but only one precision start should be present per match. This will ensure that everyone starts with the same weapon.

o No Global Ordnance or Personal Ordnance. All weapons (including primary weapons, secondary weapons, power weapons, and grenades) have static spawns and set timers. What weapons are available on-map are specific to each map. I suggest possibly having the power weapons that initially appear in Infinity Slayer as the map-specific power weapons alongside the primaries and secondaries chosen by 343i placed throughout. They do not change; the weapon that initially spawns in a particular location will be the same one when it spawns there again.

o No waypoints over any of the on-map weapons.

o Sprint is disabled, but base movement speed is increased to compensate.

o Motion Tracker IS NOT disabled.

o Classic powerups (Overshield and Active Camo) should return as map pickups. They are specific to each map and have static spawns and set timers. The Speed Boost and Damage Boost powerups could be integrated as well.

o AAs could be made as map pickups alongside the powerups. This is debatable, but I would be inclined to not include this in this playlist. It would be an interesting mechanic, nonetheless.

o Teams of 4 or 5, depending on the fate of sprint in the playlist.

• Lone Wolves: This will be a free-for-all playlist that will feature Classic Settings for Slayer, Oddball, and King of the Hill. Juggernaut could possibly make a return in this playlist. Note that Regicide SHOULD NOT appear in this playlist (my reasoning will be explained later). 6 to 8 players max for this playlist.

• Classic Team Objective: Because the playlists for Oddball and King of the Hill see low numbers, they should be combined into one playlist. In addition, Assault should return for this playlist.

• Infinity Team Objective: This playlist will contain the objective gametypes that are completely new to Halo. Extraction will make its matchmaking debut and be combined with Dominion into one playlist. This will help to reduce the total number of playlists and to reduce the clutter of a single objective playlist.

• Big Team Battle (debatable): Infinity Slayer, Classic Slayer, Classic CTF, and Assault should be options in this playlist, but of course on a larger scale with 16 players. I am currently debating on whether to make BTB a ranked or social playlist due to the problems associated with it in Halo 3. As an alternative, a Classic version of BTB could be a ranked playlist while an Infinity version could be a social playlist. A playlist similar to Halo 3’s Squad Battle may be more sufficient though. Feel free to provide your opinion on this matter

• Classic CTF: The most popular of Halo’s objective gametypes should have its own playlist as opposed to being lumped in with the rest. It is undeniable that 343i’s version of Capture the Flag is unpopular among many members of the Halo community. For that reason, a classic version should be a ranked playlist while the new version that I will call Infinity CTF should be a social playlist. In this playlist:
o Dropping of the flag is enabled.
o Auto-pickup of the flag is disabled.
o The “Flagnum” is still present. I see this as a compromise of the two versions, and I believe it is a nice addition to the gametype.

• Team Doubles: A popular, highly competitive playlist that is currently absent. It should return with Classic Settings, as I believe Infinity settings would not suit it well. However, Sprint should be enabled in this playlist due to the larger scale of the maps and the fact that there are only 4 players present in a single match.

• Multi-Team (debatable): Due to the fact there will be a good amount of ranked playlists, this playlist may be one of the rotational playlists that we may see every now and again, simply because I think it will be among the least popular. Its inclusion is welcome, but it may suspect to be rotational.

• SWAT: The playlist we all know and love. It should remain a permanent playlist and it is fine in its current setup. I’m just throwing this idea out there, be a variant could be included in this playlist that would have the Carbine and Light Rifle as map pickups that the teams would fight over. They would essentially become the power weapons of SWAT. I would never expect to see this in matchmaking, however.

• Team Snipers (debatable): Even though this playlist saw popularity in Halo 3 and Reach, it is not fairing so well in Halo 4. Currently, I do not know whether it should return as a permanent playlist or be rotational. Now that 343i has removed it, it probably won’t be a ranked playlist due to it being rotational. Some changes could be made to improve it, however. The Motion Tracker should be disabled for this playlist. With the removal of Sit-Recs and the return of descoping, this would give the playlist its classic feel back and possibly its popularity as well.

• MLG: This playlist will of course contain all gametypes, variants, maps, and gameplay settings as determined by MLG for Halo 4. We cannot speculate on what they will be, but this playlist should be ranked.

• Team Regicide (debatable): 343i just recently announced this playlist and I can’t wait to see how it plays, considering Regicide would be much better suited for team play rather than FFA. A case could be made for it to be ranked, but I expect it to be rotational so we’ll only see it every now and again UNLESS it sees good numbers. In that case, it should be permanent, and maybe a social gametype at first, but ranked later.

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Social Playlists
Now, we come to the Social Playlists in which competitive play is mostly relaxed. These playlists are mostly pick-up-and-play and designed mostly for fun as opposed to fierce competition. Obviously, rank will not be a factor and TrueSkill will be mostly relaxed in finding similar skilled teammates and opponents.

For the most part, these playlists will feature settings currently in place, including: 1) Instant Respawning, 2) Join-In-Progress, 3) Sit-Recs, 4) Party Chat, 5) Guests, and, 6) Friendly Fire off, except for the playlists that have it on like Flood.

We must face the reality that some of these features will not be removed from the game entirely because we cannot realistically expect 343i to abandon their own features. However, a compromise should be made, and these features should still remain in the Social Playlists.

Here is my list of Social Playlists:

Note: This list is no way comprehensive. It is only a rough idea for what I would like to see. A few of these playlists may be subject to removal, switching between ranked or social, or remain strictly rotational. In some entries, I will list my reasoning for why that particular playlist should be ranked, social, or just rotational.

• Social Slayer: This playlist will feature a mix of Slayer variants, such as Infinity Slayer, Slayer Pro, and any number of “single weapon only” playlists like Team Rockets. Note that Classic Slayer SHOULD NOT appear in this playlist. Unlike the ranked Slayer playlists, this one should feature teams of 5. Team Regicide could be included in this playlist, as well.

• Social Skirmish: A la Halo 3, this playlist will feature the objective gametypes and the several variants of Assault and possibly see the return of VIP and Territories.

• Big Team Battle (debatable): As stated in the BTB entry of the Ranked Playlists section, a playlist containing Infinity Slayer settings could be a social playlist while a version containing Classic Slayer settings could be a ranked playlist. An argument could be made for both. Infinity Slayer, Infinity CTF, and Assault would be options in this playlist. Feel free to provide your opinion on this matter.

• Rumble Pit: This playlist, as you know, is free-for-all. It may contain objective gametypes (Oddball, KOTH, Juggernaut, and maybe see the return of Headhunter, though doubtful) but should predominantly feature Regicide for its Slayer-esque fix, which I chose to exclude from the Lone Wolves playlist. This is because of the unsettling fact that you can have the best K/D spread of the match with the most kills and least deaths but still lose to someone just because they had more Regicides than you. That is simply detrimental to competitive play, and this gametype should remain social. This is evident in the numerous complaints I have observed on the forums and the low population it sees.

• Living Dead: This playlist will predominantly feature Flood, but may include some traditional Infection variants to mix things up. In addition, 343i should include all of the options for Custom Games for these gametypes that players are sorely missing (such as giving zombies other weapons, disabling the Flood skin, etc.) to allow them to recreate classic Infection variants.

• Action Sack (debatable): A social favorite featuring all the crazy, wild variants of Halo gametypes. At the very least, it could be rotational. This playlist should feature many of Action Sack’s favored variants of the past (such as Team Rockets, Team Fiesta, FFA Fiesta, Shotty Snipers, among various others).

• Race (debatable): The Race gametype could return, much to the delight of Halo Race enthusiasts, and be made a social playlist. At the very least it could be a rotational playlist. The playlist would feature traditional Race variants, as well as others such as Rocket Race. If not made into a matchmaking playlist, the return of the Race gametype combined with Forge will allow fans to create tracks once again and race them. It may be rotational.

• Grifball: 343i will inevitably add this playlist in due time, and I predict it to be a social playlist if they do indeed make a separation of ranked and social playlists. Not much more can be said at this time.

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Custom Games
Halo prides itself on the plethora of customization options it provides in its gameplay and numerous gametypes. There is currently a void of said options that has puzzled many fans. Next, I will list the Custom Game options that should return as suggested by many members of the community:

• If the gametypes of Assault, Juggernaut, VIP, Territories, and Race never make it into matchmaking, then 343i should at least add them into Custom Games for the fans of these gametypes.

• Infection should be a gametype alongside Flood, wherein players have the options that they have come to expect (such as changing weapons for the infected and removing the Flood skin).

• The option to disable Sprint.

• The option to disable Instant Respawn.

• The ability to recreate Classic CTF settings in Custom Games even if it never makes it into matchmaking. These options include disabling auto-pickup of the flag, enabling dropping of the flag, and disabling the “Flagnum.”

• The return of Custom Powerups.

Note: For further information on Custom Game improvements, please visit Time Glitch’s thread

Forge
Here, I will list the improvements suggested by many members of the community for Forge:

• Introduction of more unique pieces and more interesting pallets.

• The addition of more spacious Forge maps better suited for larger scale creations, if at all possible.

• The inclusion of completely flat terrain sections in future Forge dedicated maps.

• Removal of badly placed soft-kill boundaries that deter forging.

• Dynamic lighting bugs need to be fixed.

• Precision Forge controls need to return.

Note: For further information regarding possible improvements to Forge, please see this video by the Halo Council.

Theater
Here, I will list improvements and additions to the Theater as suggested by many members of the community:

• Theater for Campaign and Spartan Ops needs to be implemented. Theater for Campaign has been a staple since Halo 3, and there’s no reason why it should be removed. Additionally, even though I am not addressing Campaign in my blueprint, Campaign Scoring should return.

• The announcer’s voice in recorded clips does not play. This needs to be addressed.

• It was once believed that motion blurring in recorded clips would be featured in Theater, but it is absent. It would be nice to see this return, and also have an option to disable it for those who don’t want it.

Miscellaneous Changes and Improvements
Here, I will list the miscellaneous changes, improvements, and additions that would improve the overall Halo 4 experience:

• The bad server connections, bugs related to the SR resetting, netcode problems and the like, and all the various, general bugs and glitches need to be addressed.

• Fix the Flood glitch where if people joined mid-game they could spawn with Assault Rifles or DMRs. Also, there are some Flood that will be marked red on the radar, but if you kill them it counts as a betrayal.

• There is also a glitch when the weapons drop on-map, they are labeled incorrectly and won’t be the weapon that it says. This needs fixed.

• It has been recently discovered that you will be stuck with the title of the last Specialization you went through whenever you reach SR-130. This needs to be changed and players need to be given the option to choose their title freely.

• The “Good Connection” Search and Regional Filter need to return so that players can connect to other players in their own countries to minimize lag.

• The Sit-Recs need to be fixed in whatever gametypes they appear.

• The File Share and File Browser systems finally need to be fixed.

• More information on the whereabouts of the “Group” feature rumored way back when would be greatly appreciated. Many were hoping it to be the return of the clan system from Halo 2.

• A personal request from me to you, 343i: please ensure that you develop a healthy amount of smaller-scale, competitive, 4v4 suitable maps for your ensuing map packs, possibly a little smaller than the ones we currently have. Many fans believe that the smaller-scale maps are giving way to big team vehicular maps. A nice balance between then two would be greatly appreciated.

• Just a personal suggestion, but the addition of a Gravity Hammer Assassination animation would be amazing, if at all possible. Call it the “Hammersassination” :wink:

Note: Please read this thread on the Halo Council forums for further fixes that need to be made that I could not list here.

Conclusion
I am aware that it would be foolish to expect everything outlined in this blueprint to be added, fixed, addressed, removed, etc. with the game’s first title update, or even in a few subsequent updates. However, I hope my efforts here will not go unnoticed by you, the community, and 343i themselves. I am hoping that a matchmaking system boasting separate ranked and social playlists along the lines of what I have outlined will be implemented, along with an in-game visualization of the CSR system. Many of these topics are simply far too controversial in the community right now for 343i not to address if they wish to prolong the popularity and acclaim of their very first Halo game. Even if many of these issues are not addressed, I will still enjoy this game as much as I possibly can. Anyways, I wish 343i the best of the luck with this beloved franchise from here on out (they’ll definitely need it), and I hope that we the community can provide them with the mature, civil, and constructive criticism that both parties need to make this game the best it can possibly be for all corners of the Halo community; from the hardcore competitors to the relaxed fun-seekers; from the Custom Gamers to the Forgers; from the fans of this new experience to the fans of the old experience. Thank you for reading!!! Please provide anything you would like to add that I may have forgotten. Don’t forget to Thank or Favorite to support. 343i needs our feedback, so let’s give it to them constructively and maturely.

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EDIT!
The following is an alternate and very well thought out matchmaking setup proposed by fellow forum-goer Sir Flashbakk. Thank you again for providing this. It was very insightful and a great contribution to the blueprint.

  • Social Playlist incorporate the game as it is now, in every aspect. JIP, the DMR, Loadouts, Sit-Rec, flinch, and no True-skill ranking. This playlist if for the casuals, and the guested players.

Social Playlist:
Social Infinity Slayer (5v5)
Social Big Team Infinity Slayer (8v8)
Social Infinity Objective (5v5)
Regicide (Max at 6)
Action Sack (Max at 10)
Multi Team (2v2v2v2)
Race (Max at 10)
Infection (Max at 10)
Grifball (5v5)
-Rotational Playlist-
-Rotational Playlist-

-Ranked Playlists incorporate a more competitive version of the social playlists. No JIP, no Sit-Rec, out-scope when shot, loadouts allowed, and a visible True-Skill ranking system. (Exactly like the one you described.) This is for the players who enjoy the game as it is, but desire to compete.

Ranked Playlists:
Infinity FFA (Max at 8)
Infinity Slayer (4v4)
Big Team Infinity Slayer (7v7)
Infinity Objective (4v4)
Tag Team (2v2)
Team Slayer Pro (4v4)
Stranded (1v1)
-Rotational Playlist-
-Rotational Playlist-

-Classic Playlists incorporate the basics. Team AR, and Team BR spawns only (Unless specified otherwise) No DMR, no Forerunner weapons, no Sprint, out-scope when damaged, falling damage removed, radar size reduced, no custom loadouts, no Ordinance (Personal or map), no JIP, no . Powerweapons and power ups on a set timer, in a set location. Scoring based on kills, not points, and a visible True-Skill ranking system. (Just as you described) Specialization bonuses will be turned off.

Classic Playlists:
Lone Wolves (Max of 6-8)
Team Slayer (4v4)
Squadron Battles (6v6)
Team Objective (4v4)
Team Doubles (2v2)
SWAT (4v4)
Octagon (1v1)
MLG (4v4)
-Rotational Playlist-

(NOTE Players will still receive EXP towards their SR rank, per match to advance and unlock more armor and Specializations, but will also gain EXP towards their True-Skill rank on Playlists that offer one.)

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EDIT!
The following video by the Halo Council discusses numerous other issues with the game that need addressed that I failed to mention, as well as a few I didn’t even know existed. Linky!

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Let me begin by saying what a phenomenal post. This is what all feedback threads need to be.

1). Weapons and junk

I don’t believe that the DMR needs a nerf. What I believe it needs are more maps that make it difficult to use. No one can disagree with it’s strengths on Raganrok and other open maps, but on more tighter maps with more obstacles it’s a much weaker weapon.

The bolt pistol currently has the game breaking reload glitch. I think we should all wait for 343i to patch the glitch and then reassess it’s power.

The cov carbine is an interesting weapon. Increasing it’s damage would be dangerous. Right now it’s the fastest firing precision weapon. In addition to this is incredibly powerful at mid and close range combat. I buff to how much flinching it causes, or how accurate it is may be useful. I personally think that you can solve it’s awkwardness by increasing the amount of damage it does to vehicles since covenant weapons are known for destroying shields.

I think Thruster pack needs to be re-worked. Right now we push a button and we move in a direction. I would prefer to see it as a toggle, similar to the jet pack. This way we can buff it without it being too difficult to use and making it a very skillful AA.

I don’t believe vehicles need a health boost, but a reduction in damage they take from various weapons. A boost in health might make them too powerful, but a damage reduction doesn’t make them juggernauts.

The adding of UNSC vehicles is…debatable. I wouldn’t add them unless they had some sort purpose. If they don’t add anything more than our current vehicles give us, I wouldn’t bother adding them.

2). Medals and UI

I currently like a lot of the medals, guardian angel is my favorite. I believe the generic kill medals are there for more accurate stat tracking. I had a phenomenal game over break as a guest account at a friend’s place. Most of my kills were from the scatter shot and rockets on complex. So if you were to look at the medals you’d see that I had done well with those specific weapons.

I’m indifferent about the X. I’d like to be added in objective game modes where respawns exist, but in infinity slayer and big team infinity slayer, my UI could become a huge mess, or give me virtually no data what so ever. I’m used to watching a mini map in games like Dota 2 so couple that with the overhead UI of people’s names flashing red, I can make my own X’s.

3). Ranked play lists

I agree with idea of a split ranked, and causal setting. Though I would do it differently than what you have suggested or what has happened in previous halos. Right now the cool thing is to have in game leagues and tournaments. Games like Black ops 2, Heroes of Newerth, Dota 2, Starcraft 2, and bloodline champions all make use of in game leagues. I see no reason why halo 4 shouldn’t do the same. Create a league system, allow players to create in game clans and teams and viola competitive communities in game. It also would allow for more features on waypoint which would give them more traffic, which could lead to more sales on various things such as toys and merchandise.

I’m not sure how I feel about the removal of instant respawns. They’re only in the infinity slayer modes, and even then a good player will usually wait to respawn because it puts them closer to their team mates. If spawning gets tweeked it might not be needed, if not then it’ll come down how often it’s used at high level of play.

I think join in progress is a great feature, just needs adjusting for the competitive setting. Instead of joining games that have already strarted it’s limited to the re-joining of games due to technical errors. We’ve all seen our families and pets ruin a session of online gaming by tripping over cord, or a power cycle.

I don’t agree with the friendly fire removal. I know too many people that would take pure and utter joy in making new xbox live gold accounts just to grief players trying to work their way up in the system.

One game mode I would add is a cool customs games my friends and I figured out over break. You can actually turn on teams in regicide, I think that would be a very competitive game mode. Team snipers shouldn’t be there, neither should multi team. Big team battle objective should very much be in there.

AAs could easily be power ups as we see them in campaign.

I agree with everything else.

4). Social play lists

I think almost every playlist in the competitive should be mirrored in social. This could be essentially a training ground for new teams wanting to try game modes out and figure out their niche. Not sure how popular race modes would be. Fiesta needs to be in there.

I agree with everything else.

5). Theater, customs, forge and miscellaneous

I agree with pretty much everything. I think that 343 should be holding forge map contests to see what game modes people can make, what kind of changes they can make to maps and maybe even create some new areas for us to play in.

Well thought out post OP.

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Post reserved for reply amazing thread so far

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This list is brilliant.

However, I do have an idea for the carbine I think might work out a tad bit better than a straight damage buff.

To me, a normal damage buff would make it essentially a re-skinned BR. And thats no fun! I’m thinking it does need a buff, but in some other way. Maybe increased stopping power, or high infliction of flinch. Even a sort of hud interference would work.

I want this gun to be useful, but for a unique reason.

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Along with those things, some changes/fixes to other features already in the game should be in the update such as allowing theater in SPOPS and campaign, either fixing the kill cams or removing them all together if they are going to suck, adding custom game options, etc. Other than that, I love the list here. It basically covers most of my issues with the game and how to solve most of them.

EDIT: I hadn’t realized you were still editing those reserved posts. Assuming some of these things are actually on your list, I apologize for jumping to the reply button so quickly. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Absolutely Agree with everything^

The things that I think are needed the most are

  1. X on dead teammates bodies and also indicators of shooting and taking damage

  2. UNSC AIR VEHICLE! FALCON!

3.More Scorpion and Wraith in matchmaking, Mantis is fun but only one person can use it and its really OP

4.Option for dynamic lighting in forge so we dont have to wait 10 seconds when jumping in an out of player mode…

5.Action Sack playlist

  1. Double XP weekends? More challenges? Some sort of opportunity for more XP…

  2. Little names for each area of the map, great for callouts (Had this in reach, its probably too late to implement this now though)

  3. ZOOM FEATURE IN FORGE! Also precision editing (clicking on the LS)

9.BRING BACK ARMOR LOCK!!!

just kidding

10.Less lag when a grid is spawned in forge

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Thank you again guys for your time in reading this long blueprint. I spent days creating it. Note that it does not cover Spartan Ops or Campaign.

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This post has been edited by a moderator. Please do not purposely bypass the word filter, and please do not flame or attack other individuals or groups.

*Original post. Click at your own discretion.

What you are talking about is a massive overhaul of the game entirely.

Why nerf the DMR?

Maybe remove the boltshot reload glitch, not nerf it.

The “Dedicated Flag Carrier” WILL NOT CHANGE, I GUARANTEE IT

I’m all for more/better maps, more playlists aka. STOP ROTATING THEM. just add to it.

Get rid of JIP all together.

Get rid of Kill Cams, they’ere garbage.

I don’t see the introduction of ANY UNSC air vehicle EVER!

Dynamic lighting in Forge is a bullsh*t joke.

343 gutted forge, restore it to the way it was in reach, there were no magnets then and maps got built fine.

We need Forge World back

FILESHARE, WHY THE FCK IS THIS STILL BROKEN? 3 WEEKS AND YOU LAZY, INCOMPETENT MOTHERFCKERS CAN’T FIX THAT BY NOW?

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This post has been edited by a moderator. Please do not create alternate accounts to bypass forum bans. Alternate accounts will be permanently banned, and offending users will be subject to both temporary and permanent bans.

*Original post. Click at your own discretion.

I just realized something. With all the bugs, glitches, complaints, and issues with this game, they should just bury the game and re-release it next year and just sum this up to the most expensive Beta testing in the history of mankind.

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> What you are talking**…**

I’m aware that this would be a massive overhaul. I stated in my conclusion that this definitely will not happen after the first title update; this is simply a blueprint for what the game could eventually become. If 343i wants this game to be the most successful, popular, and acclaimed it could be, then they could follow something along this route.

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Agree mostly as its well thought out.

My main issues with it:

  1. Boltshot instant reload bug is known. So hopefully it fixed when its live.
  2. My best guess is that there won’t be a falcon because its not in any maps unless we see some bigger maps. From the looks of it it may only makes sense in Ragnarok. I don’t see it fitting in other maps then perhaps forge?
  3. I believe the DMR is balanced properly.
  4. Vehicle health is balanced. If you increase it then people will complain that they are OPed. A good %25 of the time I die quickly in a vehicle because people deal with me. Other than that I rack up a good 10-20 kills before I die or lose my vehicle.

And people please stop complaining. I would imagine we should have a patch in the next two weeks or so? It took nearly a month for Reach to see its first Title Update. Not to mention this update may be even larger?

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I agree with 99 percent of this post.

Except, I think the boltshot is fine, but I would like the instant reload glitch to be fixed.

Also personally, I think the DMR shouldn’t be nerfed, other weapons should be buffed.

Just my 2 cents.

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I love you. Oh also amazing posts!

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> I agree with 99 percent of this post.
>
> Except, I think the boltshot is fine, but I would like the instant reload glitch to be fixed.
>
> Also personally, I think the DMR shouldn’t be nerfed, other weapons should be buffed.
>
>
> Just my 2 cents.

Thank you for your opinions. It would no doubt be a tough balancing act.