Hello 343i and my fellow community,
Everyone’s got an opinion, and every opinion has at least some merit… a theme to this letter-thing today is diplomacy. Call them impassioned or call them annoying, but every Halo fan has many many opinions on the direction Halo has taken since 343i took over. To follow are simply my opinions, based on truly a ton of play time, passion, and admittedly now somewhat antiquated notions of what makes a great game since Halo CE.
That being said, I just graduated a top US school (please excuse my obvious ego while I hopefully establish some credibility as a hardworking person) and seriously (maybe just for a bit) considered joining the 343i team. I don’t know when I may even have the chance to play Halo 6 in my future, but I have always loved the story Halo has told, and I just want Halo to be the best it can be. SO without further ado…
A. Unlockable Customization
B. Split Screen
C. Progressive Skill-Based Ranking System
D. Slayer Maps that Allow for Better Territory Control (DIFFERENT FROM CAMPING)
E. Sword Fighting with Guns
Each of these suggestions could be implemented in a ton of ways by the intelligent, creative people working at 343i. I will only include one possible solution after each point.
A. Unlockable Customization. It is one of the greatest aspects of a videogame. Micro-transactions are here to stay. However, objective-based unlockables are a truly memorable aspect of a game that brings life and personality to your journey through the game. That kind of substance cannot be replaced. I still remember how I unlocked each of my armors in Halo 3.
Solution: include base armor unlockables and some really awesome variants only acquired through micro-transactions.
B. Split Screen. For me this one is a no-brainer. 343i has done a fantastic job listening to the community and making the hard, important changes. The problem is, the community that speaks out is not representative of that larger community that has made Halo the phenomenon it is today. These gamers are a quirky midpoint between casual players and pros. Then again, I don’t have the stats to back up this claim, but I challenge 343i to supply any in the contrary.
Solution: Of course I have no solution to support the higher frame rate. What did you think you were going to see here I’m not magic??? Unless the tech gets better, the only option is to down-grade, which to a video game designer is not an option. Have two qualities options to play on maybe?? Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but this suggestion could not be left out.
C. Progressive Skill-Based Ranking System. I hate to sound like I’m stuck in the past, but for this one, really look to Halo 3. Experience (basically plain gameplay time) needs to be balanced with skill matching. And then this needs to be reflected in permanent ranks (and leave social playlists for the casual play). Ranks should be permanent because they make the game more real, personal, and enticing. Sparing the philosophy, ranking adds a critical social structure to the game, and the more social the better. Additionally, our matchmaking experience in like a narrative, and the more the average halo player can progresses through that narrative, the more they feel their time is worth something meaningful (pros may claim I am drawing a false dichotomy, but I say in such case they are not likely considering how much more time and thought that they put into the details of the game, which creates a narrative of skill progression for them, which is much less vigorous for the majority of the community).
Solution: See above, see Halo 3, or hey try something new. I understand the demand coming from advanced gamers, and I understand (and in many cases appreciate) 343i’s vision for a more real-time, integrated, cloud-based, online video game experience, but in this case I believe it is the wrong direction.
D. Slayer Maps with More Territory Control. Halo is a team game at its core, and territory negotiation is where great teamwork starts. A great step in the right direction was from Halo 4 to Halo 5, but it wasn’t until watching MLG Youtube videos that I really saw map control come to life in Halo 5. That should not be the standard. Anyone with 25 hours of gameplay time should be able to join a random matchmaking game and be on the same page with their team on how to play the map, even without mics. Just keep it a little more simple. (The sight-lines don’t have to be perfect guys, let the gamers do some of the work)
Solution - I love forge and I love architecture but I’m no map designer. You know what to do here. But I don’t think it’d hurt to see something like Guardian again.
E. “It’s Sword Fighting With Guns.” After a few years of dedicated matchmaking play in Halo 2 and (mostly) Halo 3, this phrase became my go-to way for explaining to my gamer friends and acquaintances why Halo was unlike any other game in skill, fun, and creative spirit. Every encounter is different. Like a scene from Kill Bill, the finesse with which you pull off a kill (or overkill) can be so unique, and so skillful in your own individual way, that we often find ourselves discussing our “kills” even days after they occurred, in a manner that would make even most other gamers a little confused. Halo is great for many reasons, but I believe this may be the foundation upon which most everything else rests. Again, Halo 5 was a move in the right direction from Halo 4, but in my opinion, its still not there yet.
Solution: The new FPS clearly had a big impact on this. Slightly stronger shields would compensate for this, but then must we consider losing the BR 4 shot (or do we overpower the BR like was done in past Halos)? It’s a hard question, and I know this last point is more of a personal preference of degree, but I feel it truly is a crucial aspect to safeguard, and make sacrifices for in Halo.
Lastly, on more of a selfish note… can we please spawn with a weapon thats more fun to use than the pistol??
I hope you will see the points I have discussed above as connected rather than separate thoughts, and as part of a vision for Halo that makes the best parts of Halo shine, and strengthens the core of its community.
Sincerest Regards,