Less Twitch and More Strategy.
This can be achieved through numerous changes:
1. Increased Time to Kill On All Weapons (especially BR)
-Battle Rifle: Lower fire rate, more spread, less bullet magnetism (to mimic Halo 2/3)
-Assault Rifle: Effective range to be nerfed to encourage more CQC. This can be done through nerfing smart-scope on the AR to uselessness, and increasing AR spread. An AR with a higher TTK would encourage more close-mid range grenade usage, and benefit the Plasma Grenade. (in which sticking enemies have become more difficult than ever)
Kills might become incredibly difficult given the Spartan’s new evasive abilities. Thus, it would be necessary to nerf Thruster Pack to about an 8 second cooldown. This would encourage tactical, strategic use of the Thruster Pack, since you would on average be only able to use it once per encounter. You would have to decide whether to use it offensively or defensively; or whether to save your evade for an encounter, or to use it as a quick way to traverse the map. Such a design would encourage strategy and thinking.
Additionally, Spartan Abilities such as Hover and Ground Pound should include some form of cooldown.
One suggestion is for Ground Pound to share a cooldown with Thruster.
(nerfed thruster /might/ benefit big-team-battle)
2. Smaller Maps
To compensate for higher kill times, map size should be reduced and sight-lines shortened so that encounters can occur more frequently.
Frequent encounters on smaller maps, and tighter spaces would also discourage sprinting, (as it would be more difficult to get away/return fire) as a bonus for those who dislike that mechanic. Sprint can then be designed as a tactical option for players, rather than a mechanic which they are obliged to use to traverse efficiently across a large map.
Large maps have also reduced the effectiveness of certain power weapons, such as the Energy Sword and the Rocket Launcher.
3. Gameplay Variety
This is stated to be a beta for Arena Multiplayer, which I take to mean a watered-down, ‘MLG’ like vanilla Halo experience.
Personally, however, I feel that gameplay at the moment lacks sandbox variety as per previous Halos which had made Halo so thoroughly enjoyable and unique.
For instance, the existence of mid-tier and utility weapons. The current metagame largely involves BR and DMR duels, which is only one element of the Halo game. We need our Plasma Pistols, Needlers and Brute-Shots back into the game. Inclusion of such ‘mid-tier/utility’ weapons would be an added dimension to map-control, now made obvious with Power Weapon indicators. We need moments where players encounter each other in tight corners in a fight over a…plasma pistol, while the rest of their team fights over the Prophet’s Bane in the distance.
The SMG and Light-Rifle are currently two weapons which sort of fill the role of mid-tier weapons. If the AR is nerfed, (as mentioned above), the SMG’s role would be elevated in comparison, being able to be versatile in range through smart-scope.
Light-Rifle could be stronger to make it more distinct from the other precision weapons, but ammo count should be reduced.
Fusion Coils. Road Cones. Camping Stools. Energy Shields like those in Snowbound where players can camp behind. Overshield spawn as a place for dominion. The Banshee on Ascension which was designed as a way to fit vehicles into small-maps…the gate on High Ground.
Halo is so much more than 4v4 Arena Multiplayer, and as of now there are many of these elements missing from the game, which I hope to see in future gameplay.
Our experience of the game is far from complete, and I think if 343 could implement traditional elements well-enough, in the vein and philosophy of traditional Halo, Halo 5: Guardians could be a pretty great game.
The point is to blow our minds. Evolve the game, but please the fans at the same time. Evolve it right.