Spartan Ops Forge (SOF)
Before you begin reading, know that this is not a suggested change to Halo 4, but rather a strong suggestion for a feature in Halo 5. The basic idea behind it should be self-apparent; it is a “Forge” mode for constructing custom Spartan Ops.
I’ll start off with a quick list of things that probably wouldn’t work or fit into these custom Spartan Ops:
- voices (either pre-recorded or self-recorded)
- cutscenes
Again, the reasons why these might not mesh well should be obvious.
So how would it work? It could be amazing, in-depth and innovative or it could turn out to be a gimmicky inclusion that does nothing to significantly add to the experience. This is dependent entirely on what level typical Forge is at by Halo 5.
If we are capable of building maps from the ground up (editing textures, structures, terrain, etc.) by then, then this suggested feature would slide perfectly into Halo 5 as a key feature. If we remain at the same general level of Forge we are at now then it will feel like more of a gimmick than an in-depth exploration into unexplored territory.
To sum it up, the success of a Spartan Ops Forge looks like this:
- Forge has been upgraded to a point where maps are built from blank canvases. (SOF is a success)
- Forge has not been significantly upgraded and we have to work on premade “templates.” (SOF is not a success)
So let’s assume SOF is on a path to success. How would you go about designing your own Spartan Op with it?
- Go into Forge and build a map with a custom Spartan Op in mind.
- Once the map is complete, load it in Spartan Ops Forge.
- Use the various pallets to design your Spartan Op.
- Save, share, and play!
On to the first pallet (I apologize in advance for the unimpressive coloring options, it is only for differentiation):
- Enemies
a. Covenant
i. Grunts - Minor
- Major
- Ultra
- Heavy
- Special Operations
ii. Jackals - Minor
- Major
- Sniper
iii. Brutes - Minor
- Major
- Ultra
- Stalker
- Jump Pack
- Bodyguard
- Honor Guard
- Captain
- Captain Major
- Captain Ultra
- Chieftain
- War Chieftain
iv. Elites - Minor
- Major
- Ultra
- General
- Ranger
- Special Operations
- Honor Guard
- Zealot
- Field Marshal
v. Hunters
b. Promethean
i. Knights - Lancer
- Commander
- Battlewagon
ii. Crawlers - Standard
- Alpha
- Sniper
iii. Watchers
c. Flood
i. Infection
ii. Carrier
iii. Combat - Human
- Elite
- Brute
iv. Stalker
v. Ranged
vi. Tank
Keep in mind, various settings and alterations definitely mean that these sub-pallets could be simplified (particularly in the case of Brutes) since a player could easily alter aspects of an enemy to make it exactly like another classification, defeating the purpose of having so many.
Settings for enemies could potentially include:
- base health
- weapon endurance ( how effective certain weapons are on them based on a percentage)
- weapon damage
- held weapon (what weapon are they using? certain classifications/enemies cannot use certain weapons)
- accuracy/distance (how far away/close do they have to be from/to a player for certain accuracy settings to kick in)
- melee damage
- behavior (aggressive, neutral, defensive, fleeing, pursuing, stationary, etc.)
- set to “ally” (see below pallet)
- multiple spaces for specific commands (a “fill in the blank” style prompt that follows the “(do this) IF (this happens)”)
These are only some potential settings for enemies. I’m sure there are people who can think of more of them that I can add to the list.
Moving on to the Ally pallet:
- Allies
a. Marines
b. ODSTs
c. Spartan IV
It’s a little bit more basic than the Enemy pallet, but you get the idea. Settings are fairly similar to the above settings for the Enemy pallet, including the (set to “enemy”) setting. I believe settings that have to do with Allies/Enemies starting in vehicles or their behavior around vehicles should also be included, however I am unsure how to word it appropriately in settings at the moment.
For the Objective pallet, I am only going to talk about it. The objective pallet allows for the implementation of objectives that range from either the classic “press the button” or “destroy this object.” It also includes a Timing sub-pallet which determines how objectives relate to when enemies, vehicles, weapons, etc. are spawned or brought into the map. So you can set Timing to force you to clear out all enemies on the map after hitting a button before the next objective and next wave of enemies will spawn. Using the Objective pallet, you can also set objects placed in regular Forge as objectives themselves (such as a vehicle). By altering traits you can design parts where your objective might be to keep a certain vehicle or even a weapon or ally safe from the enemy, or a part where your objective is to eliminate one specific enemy, while leaving the others alone.
All these settings combined, Spartan Ops Forge would extend the lifespan of Halo 5 indefinitely, allowing for endless possibilities and user-made content in a brand new form.
Of the community I ask that you give suggestions on more specifics to potentially add to the list. Make the suggestions simple though. Spartan Ops Forge would be designed to put the power of a developer into the hands of the players, like Minecraft, just to give an example. As such it should allow for a more casual approach for the people who just want to mess around and an in-depth approach for the people who want to go all out.
Of 343i, I ask that you take the suggestion of Spartan Ops Forge to heart for Halo 5. It’d be one massive way to change the way gamers see and play Halo forever and in a very positive way.
I’d also like to take a quick second to address a problem that people might see.
What if not all of those enemies are in the game? What if they add new ones? It doesn’t make sense!
Obviously any custom Spartan Op would be non-canon. As for the addition of/lack of enemies, 343i would have to handle that. If they want custom Spartan Ops to be diverse and expansive, these enemies would have to be incorporated into the game even if it is only in SOF.
That is all for now and thanks for reading!
- Kalirak