Instead of the Pelicans dropping off Tanks, why not use them [ Pelicans and Phantoms ] to Deploy Troop reinforcements like Marines or ODST’s as a game feature ?
[[ Pelicans could still deploy Warthogs/Razorbacks and Phantoms would deploy Brute Choppers and Ghosts, but Tanks, Banshees and the UNSC Wasp would Spawn at bases. The size of current BTB maps is not suitable for deploying tanks via Pelicans and the frequency at which they deploy is also an issue, so spawning of tanks should be at the bases instead ]]
– The Squad could be directable via @ squad Command selection wheel or ( Voice Commands if such a feature is ever Implemented ) such as “Use vehicle”, “move to objective”, “defend area”, “Take Power weapon”, “capture objective”, “destroy vehicle”, “eliminate player”, etc etc
– Achieving a certain amount of “Valor” for Kills/Assists/Medals/Teamwork/Objectives in a match gives you access to your personal marine Squad, rewarding Individual effort
– The Marines or ODSTs would Rappel from the sides of a modified UNSC Phantom, or from a Pelican as a “cool” way for them to enter the battlefield
Pelican/Phantom Drops in BTB could also include rewards for aquired Valor such as:
— Upgraded weapon from Campaign ( Choice via Selection wheel )
— An AI Team of Sword wielding Elites who help turn the tide of the Battle ( The addition of this is similar to a Squad of Marines and would create ‘turning points’ to bolster player morale ) This would allow high scoring players on a losing team to deploy these units creating balance by rewarding players on the losing team with a ‘power unit’ as an opportunity to prevent Steaktaculars or reverse a losing game
— Modified Gauss Warthog with a shield ( to avoid the vehicle being destroyed too quickly as it deploys ): This version of the Gauss Warthog would have a new turret that is a 2-shot kill instead of the usual One shot kill Classic Gauss hog so the vehicle isn’t overpowered
— A Forerunner “Index” Item for the team to use that can deploy faster/exclusive access to Hard light Bridges, Tunnels, Shortcuts, Passages, Doors, and other areas quicker in certain Big Team Battle Maps.
[ Holding the “Index” ( Item from Lore ) would be a map interaction based "Power Item" where the team that aquires it has a distinct advantage on maps where multiple points of interaction with Forerunner Structures are Features ( similar to hacking the door to get the weapon stash on that one map ) and is similar in function to the Keycards of games like Quake. This would open up opportunities for more points of player interaction on multiplayer maps to create a more dynamic Sandbox experience in BTB matches and encourage gameplay that isn’t just weapon or vehicle based actions but also using environmental systems ( Examples of use: Activate Water or Fuel accross a Chasm/Canal to change player pathing , Activate a Hard light bridge with defense turrets as a shortcut, activate elevator to upper map area, activate dormant Sentinels in your base to defend objectives ) to help your team win ]