NPC characters in Spartan Ops?

Games Other Halo
1

Anyone else think this’d be a great way to add to the ‘story’ element of SpOps (not to mention tie it all in better with the CG cinematic episodes)?

Couple of things got me thinking about this:

  • Firstly, and most obviously, Lasky’s brief in-game appearance at the start of Mission 5 (Reclaimer). He’s therefore got an in-game model, not just the version from the CG cinematics - that means a similar appearance in SpOps is also possible.

  • Secondly, it wouldn’t be too hard to also have Fireteam Majestic fight alongside Crimson for a mission, since they’ve all appeared fully-armored in the cinematics. That means 343 wouldn’t need to make new models/renders - all they’d have to do is use the base Spartan-IV NPCs we’ve already seen in Ops missions (see Episode 3, Chapter 3), but deck them out in blue Soldier/Operator/Recon/Recruit/Pathfinder armor with Gold/Legendary visors and the Majestic team emblem.

  • Similarly, Sarah Palmer’s another easy one to add. I don’t know if the Halo 4 gameplay cutscenes model (NOT the version from the SpOps cinematics) is useable in gameplay itself, but if not, all that’s required is a female Spartan NPC in Scout armor (with appropriate colours/emblems).

Granted, NPCs vital to the story would have to be invincible in-game (similar to Noble Team in Reach missions), or otherwise be mainly present for story purposes, and not serve as an NPC ally in combat. But certainly, I reckon it’d be another way of elevating SpOps from just being another ‘horde mode’, and help it feel more like an extension of the main Halo 4 campaign.

Thoughts?

2

But arent there marines and scientists and such?

3
  • I liked escorting the “Lab-coats”, as I like to call them to their safe room.
  • Marines need to follow my orders and stay behind cover while I heroically rescue them from danger.
  • I want my spartan to appear in a cutscene.
4

> Couple of things got me thinking about this:
>
> - Firstly, and most obviously, Lasky’s brief in-game appearance at the start of Mission 5 (Reclaimer). He’s therefore got an in-game model, not just the version from the CG cinematics - that means a similar appearance in SpOps is also possible.
>
> - Secondly, it wouldn’t be too hard to also have Fireteam Majestic fight alongside Crimson for a mission, since they’ve all appeared fully-armored in the cinematics. That means 343 wouldn’t need to make new models/renders - all they’d have to do is use the base Spartan-IV NPCs we’ve already seen in Ops missions (see Episode 3, Chapter 3), but deck them out in blue Soldier/Operator/Recon/Recruit/Pathfinder armor with Gold/Legendary visors and the Majestic team emblem.
>
> - Similarly, Sarah Palmer’s another easy one to add. I don’t know if the Halo 4 gameplay cutscenes model (NOT the version from the SpOps cinematics) is useable in gameplay itself, but if not, all that’s required is a female Spartan NPC in Scout armor (with appropriate colours/emblems).

-Hopefully. His brief appearance was ridiculous. He only stays on the Mammoth for a few minutes! Before he disappears for no reason.

-Agreed. I’ve been missing fighting with a team (even though the ODSTs weren’t very memorable and Noble Team was horrible).

-yes, the cutscene bipeds are physical. So it’s possible to add her in. The problem is that one can’t just insert AI from another map afaik. Campaign and SO AI coding likely differs.

> Granted, NPCs vital to the story would have to be <mark>invincible in-game (similar to Noble Team in Reach missions)</mark>, or otherwise be mainly present for story purposes, and not serve as an NPC ally in combat. But certainly, I reckon it’d be another way of elevating SpOps from just being another ‘horde mode’, and help it feel more like an extension of the main Halo 4 campaign.
>
>
> Thoughts?

I want a mix of Halo 2/ODST’s and Halo 3’s NPC systems, where in the former, you could swap guns with them and in the latter, they could die but they’d get back up if there were no enemies nearby.

Permanently invincible NPCs are lame (unless they’re Elites) and tend to steal kills. When I want to fight alone, I want to be able to control them so they stop interfering. Also, I had other uses for them: in Halo 3, I gave Arby a brute shot and used him to move a Phantom into the cutscene.

Also, permanent invincibility is very lazy at this point. The marines on Hacksaw are initially invincible and do well but once they lose it, they get slaughtered. And Noble Team wouldn’t last 5 minutes without their invincibility and armor lock.

5

> - Marines need to follow my orders and stay behind cover while I heroically rescue them from danger.

Yes this!

The Spartan IVs on Infinity have been -Yoink!- me off quite a lot recently.

It’s freaking difficult to manage them. They get in vehicles and stay by them passionately. They like to hog the seats and drive off with vehicles until they end up driving off the cliffs, stuck, flipping out, etc. The trilogy friendly AI were much more easier to control.

Also, in SO Ep 5 Ch 2, there are 2 marines and when you go to them (their position is the objective), Watcher spam happens. They get slaughtered. Pitiful.