Hey everyone,
This feedback video wasn’t done by me, but I feel it explains a lot of good points about the Halo Wars 2 beta and goes into detail about what is good and what needs changing.
Anyways, here’s the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny-hnGoqjI0
I don’t agree with all of the points, though, as I’ve said in the video. Here’s my opinion:
> I agree with the controller/controls and interface/UI stuff, but I disagree with a few things…
> - The Reaver is a mix of Brute, Covenant and Human tech, so it makes sense. Brutes have designs that are closer to human designs and they also stole many human designs.
> - The Marauder is replacing the Prowler? It’s cool, but they literally had the Prowler that they could’ve used for the same role…Oh well, I like the design of the Marauder, anyways.
> - It makes sense to have Snipers in the game
> - The Shroud is not totally useless, but it could use something to make it more interesting. The cloaking thing it does is nice, though, so maybe something on top of that? Like, buff it’s laser weapon or give it a second weapon that fires at air or land units and debuffs them, but it can only use it when not in “cloaking mode”?
> - The initial turrets are only there in Domination mode (and not in Deatmatch) to prevent people from rushing bases and destroying one player. It’s to force the players to focus on domination points instead of players ignoring the domination points to kill each other, since that would essentially end the game anyways. It’s not the perfect solution, but it works.
> - The Snipers being invisible makes sense. It’s 2558, I’m sure we can have invisible infantry and it works so well with the fantasy of what a futuristic sniper is. Kind of like Crysis. I think it works. Halo can always use new stuff and burrow from others to be modern. Let’s not be like certain Star Wars fans.
> - The Jackrabbit can be buffed and with the upgrades, it’s pretty much the equivalent of a Halo Wars 1 Warthog.
> - The Warthog was moved to the Garage because its Gauss/Railgun weapon was too OP. That’s why it can’t harvest resources. The Jackrabbit is its replacement, so I think it’s all good. It works fine. Jackrabbit can always be buffed.
> - The Banished bases look fantastic and fit with their vehicles, as well as the faction’s lore. They’re mercs, like you said, so it works. Not only do Brutes have a more “brutish” aesthetic compared to the Covenant, they also scavenge Forerunner and Human tech and adapt it to their flimsy, brutish ways. The way their stuff looks (both the buildings and the units) communicates that perfectly. They look nothing like something out of Borderlands.
> - The Banished bases DO have teleporters. The mini-base has a very visible one, whereas the large base also has one, but instead of it being outside the base, it’s inside the Stronghold structure. You can even see the light come down when a unit has finished being built in the base. It looks great and it unifies the way the structures function for easier-to-understand multiplayer gameplay and it increases readability for bases.
> - I like having 2 resources, works well and makes the game fun to play, however, there’s a downside to it (that you’ve said) that I agree with.
> - The Covenant hero having a controllable ability was cool, but controlling the Arbiter like you were controlling a character in Diablo was a bit too awkward and unbalanced vs how the UNSC leaders played. It distracts the player too much from doing other more important micro stuff.
> I agree with:
> - Some of the vehicles need a buff, notably AA vehicles and Scorpions.
> - The graphics are good (well, with the exception of the desert maps)
> - Factions too similar
> - Skill tree for each commander too complex and also too similar between factions.
> - ODSTs need to be like in HW1.
> - I’d like to see the Cobra return as well, maybe not by having the Kodiak removed, but still somehow, maybe as a unit for a specific leader.
> - Infantry are a little too good vs everything. But not by THAT much.
> - Jackals should make a return somehow.
> - Nightingales are cool and the healing Cyclops from the 1st game was horrible. Cyclops MK2 are better, plus that’s what they were intended to be in the first place - Anti-tank powered armor infantry.
> - Kodiaks should become visible when firing. Maybe give them an upgrade that causes them to be cloaked while stationary or while not deployed or while not firing…something like that.
> - Blisterback is cool but underpowered
> - Bases look awkward with 2 resources now.
> - The UNSC Power Generator looks a bit too low-tech. They should have fusion-based or antimatter-based energy generators IMO. It’s 2558 after all.
> - The Brute hero is underpowered and feels a bit like he’s missing some stuff. The black hole thing the Brute Chieftain from the 1st did was cooler. Maybe an upgrade that changes his primary attack to the black hole thing from the 1st game?
> - The Covenant hero having a controllable ability was cool.
> - MAC blast and the Covenant space beam are both too weak. Also, where’s all my 5 MAC blasts? 
> - Army sizes a little too small
> - Pop cap a little small, could use another +10 or +20 upgrade.
> - Population amount doesn’t make sense for all of the units. Warthogs use 5? Infantry that use 3?
> - Needs more Spartans.
> For the 2nd resource, they could always buff how much energy you get from them and/or nerf how much energy each thing costs. Perhaps they could make it scale better, where 1 generator gives as much as 1 does now, but the upgrade buffs that much more, and a second generator gives you even more energy per second. Perhaps early units don’t require that much energy anymore, either.
