Hi guys, I’ve seen this done with other in development games and thought if it took off here is could be great if it took off here.
Popular suggestions could make it to 343.
May be a bit late in development for launch release of some features but with 10 year support who knows?
My wishlist:
Old art style ✓
Brutes ✓
Set on a Halo ring ✓
Classic multiplayer ( power weapon control not loadouts)
Balanced dual-weilding (accuracy penalty to act as a nerf, replaces grenade ability - but no damage penalty, retain melee, and weapons be viable on their own).
Return of the flood.
Mod support (for programs like assembly)
AI:
Real focus on fleshing out the difference between elites and brutes in combat based on their species’s strengths and cultures. Elites are sleek, intelligent, agile, utilise cover very well, and are level headed, but honour can drive them to break rank and fight you in the open at times or when shields drop (but also likely to retreat to cover to fight another day)- particularly junior ranks. Brutes are far more aggressive in their tactics, less concern for personal wellbeing, far less side to side agility (though should be able to charge faster than elites), prone to berserking when peers or leaders die, and natural team workers, attacking in groups, or attacking from flanking directions simultaneously. Of course, their armor doesn’t regenerate like elites, but they are far more durable. We don’t want complete Halo 2 bulletsponges, but being charged down by durable and tough enemies makes for some butt clenching moments. These differentiations will make them more interesting to fight, especially alongside one another.
I was one of the odd ones who liked the faster and terrifying elite melee of reach, but do agree with criticism that for the fun factor these attacks need some telegraphing and ability to be dodged. Its probably a bit late now, but I’d propose a difficulty based approach. Legendary should only give you a small window to react and dodge. Small window needs to be there, but compared to Halo 3 legendary where killing brutes was easy just by getting close enough to whack them, I think there needs to be a real fear factor going up against both elites and near Spartan equals, and brutes as these terrifying beasts who could crush you with ease.
Not up to date with H5, but grunts should be cowardly when leaders die, be somewhat CE level dodgy, and have more competent weapon bursts (assuming the new engine is still using a similar way to code firing patterns and accuracy).
Needlers and plasma pistols should be decent weapons and all AI should have more aggressive firing patterns to make movement and strafing more important, although homing projectiles need to be dodgeable with good strafing. See the campaign rebalances made by Ruby_of_blue on YouTube.
Firefight:
Firefight needs to return, needs to be customisable, and needs option for, or at least mod support for friendly AI.
Enemy AI need to be programed in some gamemodes to have alternative motives than just charging you down without fear or just shooting a generator and nothing else when close to generator.
Make them take certain strong points on the map as well as seeking you out. Make it so the player has to go to those strong points to take land back, and create options for penalties such as cutting off resupply or reinforcements when enemies hold certain power positions. FirefightMFirefight needstneeds tomto becbe morelmore dynamicidynamic thancthan simple tower defence, and AI can’t be as dumb as zombies when they can be so interesting in campaign.
In reach firefight they just charge you down en masse and don’t care about not getting shot. The self preservation and pathfinding (holding certain positions) in campaign made them more fun to fight than the simple minded ai of reach firefight.
Multiplayer
I personally didn’t mind what I saw of h5s enhanced mobility, except maybe ground pound, though for the sake of preserving halos classic game flow sprint should be nerfed so that you can be knocked out of sprint if not at full speed. Make it take a bit to get up to speed. That way it can be used to traverse long distances and get around the map properly, but won’t be the get out of jail free card it has been in some instances which I think a lot of people feel isn’t Halo.
Microtransactions.
Keep them cosmetic and separate from progression based armour unlocks.
No pay to win.
No gambling with real or in-game money on loot boxes noone wants that crap.
Forge
Forgable AI and basic pathfinding linked to the AI.
Theatre - just try and emulate the content creation community of H3 with theatre, fileshare, screenshots, etc.