For the most part the challenges that I’ve seen so far in LSS are fine (except the melee ones). I just wanted to suggest some challenges that are better suited for and are more indicative of the new mode.
Upgrade your loadout x times
This is a natural consequence of playing the mode, plus even the worst players will at least get one upgrade per match because the first upgrade on requires one kill. Better players will be able to complete the challenge faster. I believe there are 8 total loadout upgrade possible at once.
Secure extra XP from eliminated spartans
One of the main attributes of LSS is grabbing the XP from downed spartans. It’s a dangerous thing to do since many player will be attracted to the HUD icon. But it rewarding to take them. Also if you eliminate a player (ya know, the goal of the mode) then taking the orb will likely be easier.
Eliminate Spartans
It’s the same thing as killing Spartans, but you get double the points for an Elimination. This becomes easier for players to do as the rounds go on and more players have less lives left.
Survive to the final 6
I chose “6” because there are 12 players, so you just have to be better than 50% of them which is totally reasonable. Also FFA usually considers ranking in the top 50% as “winning”. So I think that is fine here.
Accumulate survival time
Again the objective is to survive. In theory, you can win a game and only kill 1 player.
As for melee kills. I’d rather they remove those. It makes the upgrade system pointless, because people would rather punch instead. Also it goes against the main objective of the mode “Survive”. Punching tends to end in trades. Also players usually try to keep their distance.
I think “specific kill challenges” should focus on guns. Stuff like:
Kill spartans with the AR
*Kill spartans the bulldog.
Or better yet, make them ranged based.
Kill spartans in CQC (AR, Bulldog, Melee, Mangler)
Kill spartans with long range weapons (BR, Commando)
There needs to be more “Do X for progress, do Y for double progress.” Like Kill X number of people or do X/2 eliminations in LSS. Or ‘Accumulate X number of time in LSS, get double progress for winning a match’. Encourage doing well as a bonus in the challenge not just something boring like get X backsmacks which was a horrible challenge in general. ‘Get 10 melee kills in LSS, get double progress for backsmacks’ is still meh but would have worked much better.
I personally like melee and back smack challenges. I swapped out my specific weapon challenges and headshot challenges for more melee and back smack challenges. This map and mode is just way too good for assassinations.
I got roughly 2 back smacks and over 5 melee kills per match. Sometimes more. Got a Ninja or two every few matches as well. People are clueless without radar. You can tell most players don’t use their ears or check rooms they enter. People just walk tunnel visioned in a straight line to their goal, and I intercept them or jump down from above. People are also drawn to XP bonus orbs like moths, and you can use that as bait. Cloaking and Overshield make it even easier to stalk people and win 2v1 or more fights.
I swear most people have never played a stealth mission in any game in their lives. Snake would be disappointed in Spartans.
I’d like a challenge for making it to final 3, since I do get it a lot, but a win requirement would make 99% of players super angry. I just wish we got XP based on kills, and I wish event Battle Passes also ranked up with XP instead of only specific challenges. Cumulative player score should be a repeating challenge.
Why is that not a thing already? Bonus progress in challenges exists in MCC. We should have bonus progress challenges in Infinite.
• In melee challenges, Back smacks should give 2 points, while Ninja, Sneak King, and Achilles Spine should give 3.
• Cumulative score should give a bonus for winning.
• Perfects should give 1 bonus headshot point.
These are the types of bonuses that would drive players to actually try harder and finish challenges faster.
We should also introduce a challenge for cumulative medals earned, since MCC has medal challenges. I earn a lot of medals most games. Medals should be giving us XP.
Yeah, melee and back smacks are generally fine challenges, I’m just questioning their viability in LSS. Personally, I believe challenges should be conducive toward winning and also serve as “mini-tutorials” on how to play the mode. Halo still has new players that need to learn the ropes and challenges that encourage them to play the mode the in an “effective” way can help.
I find back smacks to be better for LSS because of the natural stealth element of the mode. Plus back smacks can’t end in trades. But raw melees go against the primary objectives of the mode (survive and upgrade your loadout). Melees can end in trades or leave you without shields and as you get better guns, melee becomes less and less viable (Bulldog trumps melee and BR/Commando don’t require you to get close). Also don’t forget how de-sync and no-collision can screw up fistfights.
In short, I feel the same way about this as I did about back smacks in SWAT. You’re supposed to be headshotting enemies and getting multi-kills, but instead 343 had players skulking in corners looking for melee kills. Remember when melee used to be a 3 hit kill or something back in Reach? LSS has enough systems in place to offer a good variety of challenges without forcing players into certain playstyles.
These are great points!
Going off of this, if a player maxes out their loadout, maybe they get and point toward the “Upgrade your loadout x times” challenge.