EDIT: I’ve overhauled the OP to include new ideas and be more concise. This may make much of the following conversation not make sense, but really it didn’t make sense before either. People just weren’t reading this initial post all the way through, and critiquing it on issues already solved. Anyway, here’s the idea:
The Gametype Design:
Since Infinite is going to have an almost open world style, I had an idea for a multiplayer gametype that wouldn’t be possible in past Halo games. Basically it’s a special form of Slayer that subtly integrates other game types through new gameplay elements. The new gameplay elements are as follows:
- Each player starts the match with whatever equipment they are holding in their single player save file. - Your starting equipment never despawns unless it falls from the map, and permanently respawns again every time that happens. - After dying you respawn with a basic “equal starts” style loadout, and need to go get your better weapons back or else take new ones. - The only weapons on the map are basic lower-tier weapons like grenades, SMG, pistols, etc, so what players bring from campaign is vital. - If a player drops their starting equipment, it is marked with a waypoint that all players can see. - Several ammo crates are on the map with a countdown timer to restock the ammo of weapons that otherwise don’t spawn on the map for resupply. - The ammo crates are like territories that can be taken, and retaken by each team. - The team in control of the crate when the timer reaches 0 can each get 2 clips for each weapon they are holding. - When a team captures an enemy crate, the crate then only provides 1 clip for each weapon they are holding, even if it’s recaptured by the team that had it at 0.This gametype would be a sort of dance across the map, hunting for well equipped players rather than weapon spawn points, retrieving fallen power weapons wherever they may be, watching for the crate resupply cooldowns, capturing crates to maximize potential ammo acquired from it, and of course hunting the enemy. It’s still a Halo waltz, but it’s not the same dance steps as regular Slayer by any means.
These gametype mechanics are built around a gametype like Slayer, but incorporate subtle aspects of other gametypes. The dropped weapon waypoints are like crazy king of the hill zones. The ammo crates are like territories. And the starting equipment makes you like a juggernaut except in a team based mode. By being like these other gametypes combined, it’s unlike any gametype that has ever been in Halo.
Some of the Potential Pitfalls:
-
I realize this is almost like making your own loadout, and some players might try to min-max their campaign equipment for this gametype. But there are several reasons why this is NOT like making your own loadout. Players can try to get the weapons they want, but ammo count caries over as well. Since it’s in campaign they will have to weigh their ammo use as they make it to the next checkpoint to save off their new equipment. Also, since 343 gives points each week for campaign weekly challenges, players will be forced to mess up their special loadouts frequently, or else miss out on those season points. And really it’s only in this one gametype, and this gametype would probably be in Action Sack alongside Fiesta and Escalation. It doesn’t need to be perfectly balanced. Just fun and challenging. - Halo Infinite will have free to play multiplayer, so some players won’t have the campaign to make a save file with. I’ve come up with multiple options that would solve this with differing effectiveness, and lots of controversy in the comment section here, but I guarantee you I haven’t thought of every option. My suggested solutions for players that don’t have campaign are the following:
-
Only players with the campaign have access to this gametype. This would be an extra incentive to get the campaign, and would be a hard-stop solution to the problem. - Give them a decent medium to strong equal-starts loadout. This would mean fewer power weapons, and would set the FTP players toward hunting from the start. - Give them a copy of another player’s save game equipment from the same match. This would be an even playing field, but might feel random to the FTP player that gets it. - Randomly select from 343 curated loadouts for them to start with. This would work, but would be lame compared to the players with Campaign save files. - Allow the FTP players select from the same curated loadouts at the start of the match. They still respawn with equal starts, and starting weapons are persistent. - Randomly select their weapons like Fiesta. This would almost turn this gametype into Fiesta if not for respawning reducing you to basic equal starts gear, and the rest. - They spawn with basic gear, but there is 1 random power weapon spawned on the map for each FTP player which behaves as their persistent starting weapon. It spawns where a starting weapon would normally respawn after dropping off the map as mentioned above. - If there is a demo for the campaign, then you could pull from that save date, and encourage people to try it out for this gametype. - YukiryuFR suggested that players without campaign get to choose half of a loadout on their initial spawn by picking a power weapon as their primary, but always receive a specific standard secondary weapon such as an AR, BR, or Sidekick (I really like this one). Subsequent respawns are like everyone else.
Some other notes: -
It seems like an easy enough thing to have the match startup scripts check your single player save data in order to mine the weapon and equipment data. - I was originally explaining this idea to a few people in a YouTube comment section, and everyone seemed pretty interested in it. One of them told me to come post it here on the off change 343 is interested, so there it is. - I put a spoiler section like this on the last comment I made before updating this OP, so you should be able to skip down to there in the thread if you’re feeling like it’s too long of a back and forth with very few contributions.
I’d like everyone to let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas on how to refine the concept. I doubt 343 will see this and like the idea enough to put it in the game, but it’ll be fun to talk about. Keep in mind, though, that the whole thing seems like it’ll have to be a social kind of arcade style gametype since bringing just about any weapon you want into the fray can’t be easily balanced for competitive play. After all, if this was in Halo 2, then you’d see people bringing the Scarab Gun into Matchmaking, so definitely not competitive play ready. lol
What would you name it?:
Hot Drop? Strapped? Suitcase? BYOB? BYOG (G for gear)? Short Stock? Limited? Pocket Change? Store Bought? Cary Over? Crossover? Backpack?
