The Future of Firefight in Halo 4

Games Other Halo
#1

I’m not going to lie.

Not only did Epic make survival type modes popular again but they took what they had and made it better. They pulled off a Halo CE with survival modes. They managed to splice in tower defense aspects that not only made sense but made the experience new and fun.

So H4 can’t just copy and paste the current Firefight experience that we have into H4 and call it a day. It would be a disservice to us and basically a cop out. Of course I’m not to suggest that H4 simple copy and paste from Epic instead. That would be an even worse offense.

Instead let’s use what the Halo universe can provide.

Players Vs Infantry and Vehicles
Anyone who is the least bit interested in their commendations can tell you how aggravating it is to try and earn the vehicle kills and kills with vehicle commendations simple because vehicles are not integrated into Firefight very often at all. Under the in game options vehicles are just considered a Hazard and spawn randomly and in few numbers just to harass the player. And maps featuring vehicles for use are very few in number (Beachhead, Unearthed, Installation 04)

Yet vehicles have always been an integral part of Halo. They shouldn’t be cut from the Firefight experience. We need more player versus vehicles and player vehicles versus troop engagements.

Let’s get a Scorpion and go big game hunting. Or take to the skies in a Falcon and make it rain lead. Or even introduce Grunts to the grill of the Warthog.

Calling For Reinforcements
This is the motus operandi of how most if not all of the new features I’m suggesting be added and it does bear a resembalance to Horde 2.0 in that you earn points by killing and use those points to shore up your defenses.

But I’m not talking about laying down razor wire or anything of the sort. Instead look at what Reach added to Firefight: Start of the game, some Longswords do a fly over and drop some weapon pods. Instead of just giving us the one at the start of the set and calling it good, why not let us call for them between waves, or even in the middle of the action?

And it doesn’t have to be limited to just whatever weapons they can stuff into a drop pod. Let us call in for reinforcements via Pelican. With this addition the possibilities are greatly expanded.

-We could call in for a supply of turrets (the rippable kind) that we can pick up and setup in a position we determine as suitable.
-Or we could call in for some permanent LAAG and Gauss Turrets (as seen in ODST) or even some of the Wolf Spider Turrets we’ve seen in Reach.
-Or we could call in for a Pelican to drop off a Warthog or Scorpion for us.
-Or call in that same Pelican to drop off some Marines to aide us.
-Or for some ODSTs to drop right in the middle of the action, smashing a few enemies when they land.
-Or we could call in for a Sniper or Rocket team to set up on a high position and call them to attack key targets we mark.
-Or call in for support fire from a Faclon.
-Or call in an airstrike just like they used to kill the Elites when they got stonewalled in Invasion during the Beta.

The possibilities are there for a vastly more engaging and entertaining experience.

#2

I honestly don’t like firefight. Firefight maps take up multiplayer map space. Hence the reason why Reach had very little stock maps.

#3

> I honestly don’t like firefight. Firefight maps take up multiplayer map space. Hence the reason why Reach had very little stock maps.

Reach launched with like 3 less maps than H3 did. Not including the FF maps.

#4

Firefight needs the “survival” feeling that was absent in reach. It also needs substance. Pure survival all the time is pretty dull, even when you can mix and match the enemies. We need CTF, VIP, KOTH and assault variants in firefight, among others. It would definitely be interesting to play, especially in the style of killzone, where objectives have set times, and they swap dynamically.

#5

Don’t count different Forge World variants as different maps. Firefight and single player should be on a separate disc from multiplayer. That way they could utilize as much space as possible for as many multiplayer maps as possible along with firefight maps.

#6

> Don’t count different Forge World variants as different maps. Firefight and single player should be on a separate disc from multiplayer. That way they could utilize as much space as possible for as many multiplayer maps as possible along with firefight maps.

I doubt disc space was the issue.

And while you may want to not count Forge World maps, the fact that Forge World still had to be made renders your point moot.

#7

inb4 dontbringbackfirefight

Worst move you could ever do, fans would be upset, critics would note is as bad, in fact if any mode is not available it will be bad.

More custom options in FF my vote. Let us do anything, create out own scenarios.

#8

> Worst move you could ever do, fans would be upset, critics would note is as bad, in fact if any mode is not available it will be bad.

Worst move you could ever do? Letting you do other cool things for doing other cool things?

If we are just going to keep copying and pasting we might as well start calling it Call of Halo and prepare ourselves for the flood of 0s on Metacritic.

#9

> Don’t count different Forge World variants as different maps. Firefight and single player should be on a separate disc from multiplayer. That way they could utilize as much space as possible for as many multiplayer maps as possible along with firefight maps.

Not gonna happen.

#10

> > Worst move you could ever do, fans would be upset, critics would note is as bad, in fact if any mode is not available it will be bad.
>
> Worst move you could ever do? Letting you do other cool things for doing other cool things?
>
> If we are just going to keep copying and pasting we might as well start calling it Call of Halo and prepare ourselves for the flood of 0s on Metacritic.

The thing is sadly, people want Halo 3.5. Halo 4 should be Halo 4.

And in reply to your comment, copy pasting is better than not having Firefight at all, suggested by some people.

#11

> The thing is sadly, people want Halo 3.5. Halo 4 should be Halo 4.

And this is how we get Halo 4 to be Halo 4.

> And in reply to your comment, copy pasting is better than not having Firefight at all, suggested by some people.

I would rather have a fun new experience rather than copying and pasting.

Epic, in no simple terms, raised the bar for survival modes. Just throwing in a mode where limited numbers of players gun down endless waves of AI isn’t going to cut it anymore.

To cowtow to the wishes of the ‘purists’ so they can have the same gameplay from two games ago or forgo the mode altogether because some people don’t like it and are operating under the delusion that by cutting everyone out of all their fun they can get their picture perfect MP experience is asinine.

#12

If there were all different modes on firefight LIKE Special Ops from CoD, Horde from Gears, Original Halo Firefight and some new mode. Then it would be much more popular, I’d always want to play firefight. I’d like if you could use every map on the game and possibly use some sort of forge that like you can only place weapons, vehicles and small crates if possible.

This combined with a new forge = Great custom games.

Oh, forgot to mention that your idea is brilliant and should be put in the game.

#13

They should definately take a que or two from Horde 2.0 and Spec Ops Survivial.

Mid-Wave Challenges, boss fights, buyable defenses, killsteak bonuses would all make Halo 4 Firefight awesome, especially if it had the same degree of customisation as Reach’s had.

#14

> > The thing is sadly, people want Halo 3.5. Halo 4 should be Halo 4.
>
> And this is how we get Halo 4 to be Halo 4.
>
>
>
> > And in reply to your comment, copy pasting is better than not having Firefight at all, suggested by some people.
>
> I would rather have a fun new experience rather than copying and pasting.
>
> Epic, in no simple terms, raised the bar for survival modes. Just throwing in a mode where limited numbers of players gun down endless waves of AI isn’t going to cut it anymore.
>
> To cowtow to the wishes of the ‘purists’ so they can have the same gameplay from two games ago or forgo the mode altogether because some people don’t like it and are operating under the delusion that by cutting everyone out of all their fun they can get their picture perfect MP experience is asinine.

I understand, but why would you say no to Firefight, if it is copy paste?

Something is better than nothing.

Let us hope that they improve it.

#15

well to be honest, Xbox discs and the console in general are so powerful compared to the old games, crisis 2 and battlefield 3 prove this, I wouldn’t be surprised to see firefight and all other things be on H4.

#16

> I understand, but why would you say no to Firefight, if it is copy paste?
>
> Something is better than nothing.

I would rather have nothing than the same something I already paid because they irrationally hate change.

#17

> They should definately take a que or two from Horde 2.0 and Spec Ops Survivial.
>
> Mid-Wave Challenges, boss fights, buyable defenses, killsteak bonuses would all make Halo 4 Firefight awesome, especially if it had the same degree of customisation as Reach’s had.

What’s different about Spec Ops?

#18

> > They should definately take a que or two from Horde 2.0 and Spec Ops Survivial.
> >
> > Mid-Wave Challenges, boss fights, buyable defenses, killsteak bonuses would all make Halo 4 Firefight awesome, especially if it had the same degree of customisation as Reach’s had.
>
> What’s different about Spec Ops?

Spec ops is too linear, survival lacks customization.

The best thing is can do is create and effectively add many custom game options.

Like ODST style Firefight?
Tweak a few settings!
Reach Firefight?
Same rule applies!
Halo 4 Firefight?
Go default :stuck_out_tongue:

#19

I wonder if 343i could use the multiplayer maps for Halo 4 for the new firefight. Couldn’t that save them a bit of time? Gears of War has done it.

Then again I don’t know anything about making a game engine I just play the game, just a simple thought is all…

#20

> The best thing is can do is create and effectively add many custom game options.
>
> Like ODST style Firefight?
> Tweak a few settings!
> Reach Firefight?
> Same rule applies!
> Halo 4 Firefight?
> Go default :stuck_out_tongue:

More than just that.

Let us customize which enemies appear in each “squad” as well as the weapons they hold.

That way if I was so inclined I could make a Firefight that was nothing but Needle Rifle Skirmishers. Or have nothing but Camo Elites with Energy Swords.