More space in BTB maps.

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

One of the issues I found with the maps in BTB in Halo 4, is that they were noticeably a lot more cluttered than previous Halo games. There was an obvious feeling of less open space between obstacles, and less room for vehicles to play around.

Take any BTB map in Halo 4, and compare it to the average BTB map in Halo CE, 2, 3, or Reach and you can probably tell what I mean right away. There was none of the ‘vastness’ we got out of maps like Sandtrap, Containment, Blood Gulch, Standoff, Paradiso, or Sidewinder, I feel like this hurt the experience as a whole and was one of the killing factors in vehicle play.

When I think about some of the best suited vehicular maps in Halo 4, the only maps that come to mind are Complex’s Ghost Play, and Mantises on Valhalla or Meltdown, but it really didn’t feel like any map left enough airspace for Banshees, or driving space for the speedy, but larger sized Warthog. And this led to most games being played heavily on foot, with most vehicles dying very quickly, and any vehicle-on-vehicle combat feeling close up in tight places with little manoeuvring space.

I’d like to see more vastness in Halo 5’s maps. I want a few good Warthog maps, and a map where the Scorpion and Wraith aren’t easily ambushed by close quarters boarders, allowing them to play more powerhouse related roles, where controlling them and keeping yours alive has a larger impact on the game, and less be there just to be there for a few kills before you die.

That said, I don’t exactly want to see vehicles be completely overpowered, such as the Warthogs on Standoff or the Scorpions on Hemmorhage before they swapped it for the far more appropriate Wraith. But like the Wraith played on Hemmorhage, the Banshees in Sandtrap/Vahlhalla, and the Warthogs on Sidewinder and Blood Gulch it would be nice to see maps that allow vehicles the space and options they need to act as significantly more valuable assets in a game.

As well, I don’t want to see ALL the vehicle maps concentrate so heavily on vehicle play. Rat’s Nest, Relic, and Perdition are examples of great infantry-heavy BTB maps that give us a little variety.

2

I agree. But how will players take down vehicles if they’re not always close enough for charged Plasma Pistol shots? :frowning:

3

> I agree. But how will players take down vehicles if they’re not always close enough for charged Plasma Pistol shots? :frowning:

The traditional way, they will pick up weapons better suited to killing vehicles off the map. Rocket Launchers, Lasers, Incineration Cannons, other Vehicles etc. :stuck_out_tongue:

4

Harvest and Shatter are both fine, but yeah I get what your saying. Halo 3’s Standoff was one of my favourite maps for its warthog gameplay.

5

Agreed. Driving the Scorpion on Longbow and the Wraith on Exile Heavy showed me that the maps have become incredibly right. Halo 4 is literally the only game where this is a problem. I see people say that open spaces would make the DMR overpowered, but I don’t recall it ever being that bad in Reach. Even Hemorrhage never really stagnated horribly unless the teams were really bad and never moved around.

The maps need to be bigger and more open in the next Halo. Add cover in through Forge if need be, but maps shouldn’t be made infantry based all the time.

6

For me personally, I loved sandtrap. The vehicles in it were actually a good fit. Also both sides had a laser that was easily obtainable at the start so getting a vehicle wasn’t the greatest idea all the time. I like more open style maps but like you guys said, close quarter maps with vehicles around the outside are also very good. I can’t remember the name of the map off the top of my head.

There are always ways to kill your opponents warthogs and what not. Especially without the use of the plasma pistol. There used to be a time were that was used mainly to hijack. Not destroy.