Progression Systems in Modern Games

Community General Discussion
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Greetings everyone,

As I’m sure everyone has heard around the internet-water-cooler, the discussion of progression systems and “loot boxes” are back in the limelight. With the recent reactions to both Star Wars: Battlefront II and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, it seems that conversation of this topic has greatly intensified in the recent days. As this model is becoming all the more common in the modern gaming landscape, I’m curious if we could have a healthy, intelligent discussion in what that looks like now and how it can look in the future, as well as examining how Halo fits into the conversation.

First and foremost, it’s been really interesting to see how this model has been developing in the AAA gaming space, with Halo 5: Guardians offering one of the first examples of how this can be done in a multiplayer shooter-space. One of the things that I commend 343i for is how well-designed the game systems fit into place with each other, while distinctly preserving the core Halo roots of balanced multiplayer components. Throughout the course of it’s lifespan, my experience with the requisition reward system as it currently stands I find to be wholly unobtrusive to the core game-play experience. It’s why I constantly find myself continuously coming back to the game, night after night. It’s distinctly Halo.

While certainly debate has been waged throughout these forums on Warzone Balancing, a core area of the game where the requisition packs do have impact on game-play, I think having each item be one-time use and only attainable at a certain requisition level has proven to be an incredibly smart design move to ensure that each match starts fairly evenly in the long run. Of course the larger issue becomes the snowballing effect of systems that reward players who are already doing well, which can get out of hand quickly, but there might be some clever ways that this can be mitigated if the game-mode has a life in Halo 6. That’s a whole separate discussion, but there are certain options that may allow for greater balance and more engaging matches through dynamic systems within the match.

I think perhaps maybe the biggest question where requisitions come into play is the means of progression, where in previous games progression offered you further aesthetic rewards (armor, helmets, assassinations, etc), Halo 5 has it tied to the Requisition Packs, which admittedly it can be frustrating when there is a helmet that you have been looking at longingly from afar only to never actually get it because of the CCG system in place. I think as a whole though, it works fine enough if you have the patience (full disclosure; I’ve only purchased two packs with real-world money: the Voices of War Req Pack and the Relief & Recovery Req Pack). But as improvements for customization, I wonder if we would be better served with a hybrid model of both Req Packs offering you random rewards and commendations/weekly challenges offering you specific rewards, all being tied to aesthetic customization. I think the weapons, vehicles, etcetera for Warzone being accessed only by the random packs is the best way for it. Just a thought.

Yes, I realize I have written a tome, but I think I have everything covered that I wanted to speak about. All in all, though, what’s your take on it? What progression system would you like to see in Halo and why? I would love to hear all of your thoughts, from all levels of the community!

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> 2533274859220405;1:
> I think having each item be one-time use and only attainable at a certain requisition level has proven to be an incredibly smart design move to ensure that each match starts fairly evenly in the long run.

“Fairly evenly” compared to what? Items being attainable immediately? Because if you take away the req leveling aspect and let everybody use everything they have at any point in the match (like in Warzone Turbo), then the only thing making it uneven is the disparity between each team’s req collection.

And that is precisely why I think the very idea of one-time-use items is uneven and unfair, in principle. It makes it so people who have put more time into playing Halo 5 can outgun newer players who haven’t played it as much, which is just another form of “the rich get richer” much like the snowball effect that occurs within matches, that you point out in the next part of your post:

> 2533274859220405;1:
> Of course the larger issue becomes the snowballing effect of systems that reward players who are already doing well, which can get out of hand quickly, but there might be some clever ways that this can be mitigated if the game-mode has a life in Halo 6. That’s a whole separate discussion, but there are certain options that may allow for greater balance and more engaging matches through dynamic systems within the match.

I can only think of one “clever way that this can be mitigated”, and that is the aforementioned Warzone Turbo. As long as there is req leveling within matches, there will be a snowball effect, and I don’t think there is any way to get around that. If 343 wants to bring back Warzone in Halo 6, then it should not come at the expense of BTB Heavies, so that we can have a similar experience but with the power weapons and vehicles on the map as pickups, to ensure equal starts for old and new players alike (which is a core aspect of Halo).

> 2533274859220405;1:
> But as improvements for customization, I wonder if we would be better served with a hybrid model of both Req Packs offering you random rewards and commendations/weekly challenges offering you specific rewards, all being tied to aesthetic customization.

Yeah, that would be much better. Also the credits system from Reach was fine. If 343 wants to add microtransactions, they could just make each armor purchaseable for either in-game credits or real money. This would also de-incentivize making sloppy, aesthetically unpleasant armor such as Seeker, because people will be more likely to buy it if it isn’t ugly. Edit: but NOT the armors that are earned from commendations/achievements

But…like I said earlier, I’m very much against the idea of anything affecting in-game performance being tied to a progression system, including single-use reqs and especially loadouts.

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Unfortunately as long as people spend real money on things like loot boxes req packs whatever stuff like that is going to be in more and more games. People need to vote with their wallet. You either don’t buy the game at all or you buy the game and don’t ever spend any money on the microtransactions.

Warzone is terrible. Interesting idea I’ll give 343I that, but It’s not even Halo in the slightest. The whole mode was created and based around microtransactions. I hate
modes of play and even more, games that people who play more get and have access to better stuff. I don’t care if it’s cosmetic stuff as that doesn’t affect gameplay. It’s one of my top reasons why I don’t play games like COD, Battlefield Destiny, Titanfall etc. Because those games are a pure “I’ve played more than you, so I have access to better stuff” No thanks!

Getting back on topic, I’ve always thought a system like Halo reach’s, mixed in with a progression system like Halo 3 where you unlock items at certain levels (cosmetic items only) was a pretty good system and that’d be my vote… but again, companies can make more money on loot box style system because people are impatient and they want everything now, now, now!! People can Bash loot box systems all they want but if companies keep putting them in their games, it’s because in today’s world that system has proved that it can make money.

I don’t love Halo 5 req system but there are worse systems out there. As long as I can get stuff with in-game currency I don’t really care what it is because I’ll never support any form of microtransactions. The day Halo becomes a game where you can’t unlock items by just playing the game (I understand why HCS team weapon skins cost real money) is the day I stop playing Halo.

I hope that day never comes.

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The REQ pack system is not “distinctly Halo” in my opinion because this is pretty much the first time we have seen it in a Halo title. It is understandable that it is somewhat useful for Warzone, but it SHOULD NOT have been used for permanent unlocks such as armor, weapon skins, and nameplates. These things work better as incentives for level progression or as items that can be purchased using in-game currency (such as Halo Reach’s system). I also understand that money gained from the REQ system helps gain revenue for 343, but if people know that they can just buy the game and won’t be forced by other players into a pay-to-win scenario, they will naturally be more likely to spend their money on the game.

Some things about the REQ system were good in theory but ultimately proved to be a bad design choice. I can see the REQ system being implemented differently into the game with successful results, but I’m afraid that the negative impact it has had on the players of Halo 5 would create a sort of negative feel if they find it would be in a future Halo game. Overall, I fear for the future of Halo multiplayer and multiplayer in general if this lootbox system continues. We might be able to compare this to the no splitscreen period a few years ago when many games stopped offering splitscreen co-op in favor of higher resolution. I just hope that this idea will die off, because I don’t want to be paying for my game even after I’ve gotten it.