The armor core system is to restrictive and disjointed in its current state. The problem I see is that you are earning items in the Battlepass for a specific core which means you will be swapping cores based on your unlocks instead of building your own Spartan. I see what 343 was trying to do, but I do not think it will work out very well in the long run since you are forcing players to use specific cores based on restrictive unlocks. For instance I unlock an armor coating, but it can only be used on the VII core so I use that core. However, as I progress up the Battlepass I unlock items for the V core, but if I use that core I cannot use the previously unlocked armor coating any longer. Seems very convoluted considering past history of Halo armor unlocks and makes the rewards fell like less of a reward.
I have two ideas that could be more rewarding and fun.
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Go back to the traditional setup of unlocking armor with no restrictions and allow us to choose what pieces we want to equip on our Spartan to create a unique build. This worked for so many years and it was a cool system, so make it better not abandon it for a restrictive system.
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Keep a base core system, but allow players to choose a specialization or armor path within the Battlepass that unlocks armor and items unique to that path. For instance once you reach rank 5 of the Battlepass two paths open up for you to choose from like a CQB path and an Operator path. Once you select that path the base Battlepass still rewards things like nameplates, emblems, weapons skins, weapon ornaments, XP boosts, swaps and generic base armor pieces for the season. However, the armor/specialization path unlocks unique items for that path that include all armor pieces, attachment variants, visors, specific emblems and nameplates unique to completing that path and armor coatings that are only unique to that path as a reward and can be used on other armor pieces once unlocked. Once you complete the path you can then select the second season path if you want to unlock all of those items as well since the pass does not expire. I feel this would allow players to choose a specific path of rewards and armor instead of swapping cores based on an item that you unlocked because it can only be used on that core. Each season can have two specific armor category paths to level up instead of random items for random cores.
I am fine with 343 having unique cores as rewards like the Samurai armor and making them be its own core, but making a restrictive customization system is just not rewarding or fun. If you unlock an armor coating it should be unlocked for all cores or armor pieces. Cores makes the system more of a chore than rewarding.