Do you think that they should change jetpacks, sprint, evade, etc. to a customizable player option, turned on and off for everyone in a custom games menu, instead of an Armor Ability?
To be clear, I’m advocating an option that would give all players within a certain match access to a jetpack (or sprinting, evading, etc.) ability during a gametype with that option enabled.
There’s been a lot of talk about how the movement-enhancing AAs end up messing up gameplay by skewing map dimensions, decreasing strafing and jumping effectiveness, and altering the balance of movement that Halo 2 and 3 perfected. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to do away with these features completely. As an option in the future, could the ability to use a jetpack, or sprint/evade, or even dual wield be added as an option in custom games for all players? For example, a game option would be choosing nothing/sprint/evade/jetpack. That could lead to minor gametypes like Jetpack Slayer or Sprint CTF in future games, while core gameplay would remain unaltered for the majority of matches. This could also lead back to picking up one-time use equipment and perks instead of Armor Abilities, if the next Halo revisited the traditional Halo style of multiplayer.
EDIT: Another possibility is making jetpacks a map pickup, either current way (unlimited use with cooldown time), H3 equipment style (one-time activation), or powerup style (unlimited jetpack for a certain time limit).
> It would be nice if the jetpack was removed, thus had no future.
>
> Just my two cents.
I agree. The jetpack is unbalanced, but it’s also fun. Keeping it confined as an option (turn jetpacks on or off) in custom games and specialty gametypes (which could easily be voted down in-game) would keep it from messing up game dynamics, and still allow it to be used for fun.
> > It would be nice if the jetpack was removed, thus had no future.
> >
> > Just my two cents.
>
> I agree. The jetpack is unbalanced, but it’s also fun. Keeping it confined as an option (turn jetpacks on or off) in custom games and specialty gametypes (which could easily be voted down in-game) would keep it from messing up game dynamics, and still allow it to be used for fun.
>
> But if not, take it out.
You have a point. The Jetpack was awesome for Dino Blasters in Reach, and other such silly gametypes.
However, let’s be honest here. The Jetpack won’t be put into the game solely for the same of custom games. If it’s going in, they’re going to use it in mainstream gameplay as well. Would it really be worthwhile to have such a game breaking feature just for the sake of a custom game or two?
On map pickup? Also I fail to see why they wouldn’t include for the sake of custom games only. I’m pretty sure the Golf Club never made it outside of Action Sack in Reach.
> On map pickup? Also I fail to see why they wouldn’t include for the sake of custom games only. I’m pretty sure the Golf Club never made it outside of Action Sack in Reach.
Let’s also not forget that it would be extremely useful in campaign.
There are tons and tons of awesome encounters in the campaign that used the Jetpack. Remember the nightmarish Banshee run on Exodus?
> On map pickup? Also I fail to see why they wouldn’t include for the sake of custom games only. I’m pretty sure the Golf Club never made it outside of Action Sack in Reach.
Keep in mind that the Golf Club, first introduced in Halo 3, was functionally identical to the Gravity Hammer. The effort to properly implement the Golf Club is far less than that needed to implement the Jet Pack.
If AAs were on map and could be picked up off of dead players, then yes, it should stay, but slightly nerfed. Aside from that, it doesn’t need a change. It would be nice to see TP get a bit of a boost and sprint to be an AA.
> Do you think that they should change jetpacks, sprint, evade, etc. to a customizable player option, turned on and off for everyone in a custom games menu, instead of an Armor Ability?
>
> There’s been a lot of talk about how the movement-enhancing AAs end up messing up gameplay by skewing map dimensions, decreasing strafing and jumping effectiveness, and altering the balance of movement that Halo 2 and 3 perfected…
I’m pretty sure AAs will continue to be a part of multiplayer. The game is about futuristic soldiers using high-tech equipment. Restricting these things to the campaign and custom games might delight a subset of the fan base but it would leave the rest of us hanging.
Before Halo CE released one of my favorite multiplayer games was Goldeneye, a James Bond 007 game. This game featured loadouts and what amounts to AAs (although I believe they were just referred to as equipment). There was a Jet Pack in the game, and another thing called the Claw that you could use to shoot at a wall halfway across the map and when you released the trigger it pulled you to where the claw was attached. In some ways it was like Sprint. You spawned with this stuff. All the maps in the game were 4v4 maps.
It all worked. Nothing was OP. No one complained. I would say the biggest reason was because the maps were designed with the equipment in mind. You could not Jet or Claw you way to a place on the map where you could kill your opponents with impunity. Running, Jetting or Clawing away to avoid death was usually futile as the weapons were generally not going to let that happen. The equipment was good for getting around the map, but not so good for “getting out of jail free.”
343i apparently has many more people working on the next release than they had on Reach or H4. If they’re going to up the ante with respect to weapons and equipment, they need to up the ante with map design as well. You can’t have CE,2,3 map design with stuff those games never had.
Keep it but don’t let players spawn with it and place it as a central or off center pickup.
It provides benefits for the campaign, whatever extra Co-Op mode 343 introduces, custom games, and less serious official gametypes.
The thought occurs to me to make it more like a jump pack or a double jump feature, and fold it in with Thruster Pack. Then bring back the Hover Pack from H2 for crossing horizontal gaps.
> Keep it but don’t let players spawn with it and place it as a central or off center pickup.
>
> It provides benefits for the campaign, whatever extra Co-Op mode 343 introduces, custom games, and less serious official gametypes.
>
> The thought occurs to me to make it more like a jump pack or a double jump feature, and fold it in with Thruster Pack. <mark>Then bring back the Hover Pack from H2 for crossing horizontal gaps.</mark>
Was this something that was cut from Halo 2, or are you referring to the jetpacks that the Elite Rangers used?
Having Jetpack definitely makes the game unbalanced. Maybe make a playlist for no armor abilities and have the same gametypes and one with. Both audiences benefit.
> > Keep it but don’t let players spawn with it and place it as a central or off center pickup.
> >
> > It provides benefits for the campaign, whatever extra Co-Op mode 343 introduces, custom games, and less serious official gametypes.
> >
> > The thought occurs to me to make it more like a jump pack or a double jump feature, and fold it in with Thruster Pack. <mark>Then bring back the Hover Pack from H2 for crossing horizontal gaps.</mark>
>
> Was this something that was cut from Halo 2, or are you referring to the jetpacks that <mark>the Elite Rangers used</mark>?
Jetpacks… although I rarely used them… in the end it is a strategic advantage… like the power weapons. It should therefore become a map pickup with a static spawn and time. So on maps you would have 3 - 7 Power Weapons, depending on the map… and 2 - 4 Armor Ability Pick Ups.
> The thought occurs to me to make it more like a jump pack or a double jump feature, and fold it in with Thruster Pack.
Definitely agree with double-tapping jump button for use, and making it a jump pack/hover pack could work well. Still, it would need to get the same treatment as a jetpack to make it balanced for gameplay.
> I’m pretty sure AAs will continue to be a part of multiplayer. The game is about futuristic soldiers using high-tech equipment. Restricting these things to the campaign and custom games might delight a subset of the fan base but it would leave the rest of us hanging.
>
> Before Halo CE released one of my favorite multiplayer games was Goldeneye, a James Bond 007 game. This game featured loadouts and what amounts to AAs (although I believe they were just referred to as equipment).
>
> It all worked. Nothing was OP. No one complained. I would say the biggest reason was because the maps were designed with the equipment in mind. You could not Jet or Claw you way to a place on the map where you could kill your opponents with impunity. Running, Jetting or Clawing away to avoid death was usually futile as the weapons were generally not going to let that happen. The equipment was good for getting around the map, but not so good for “getting out of jail free.”
Different games also have different styles of play. I never played Goldeneye, but I’m assuming weapons did more damage than they do in Halo, making an enemy flying across an open screen easier to kill. Also, Halo’s combat has always been more of a duel using strafing, jumping, and terrain for an advantage during the longer than usual kill times. The problem is that by making maps cater to jetpack users and sprinters along with regular movement, taking kill times into consideration, the map proportions end up skewed.
Making Jetpacks a universal loadout that everyone would have in certain gametypes and on certain maps would change the “unfair” dynamic, and promote the creation of maps or map variants designed and balanced only for players using jetpacks.
And the current AA design isn’t necessarily here to stay. The current AA ideas could become unlimited use within a time limit, or one-time use only, map pickups, like Overshield or Bubble shield in past games.
> Jetpacks… although I rarely used them… in the end it is a strategic advantage… like the power weapons. It should therefore become a map pickup with a static spawn and time. So on maps you would have 3 - 7 Power Weapons, depending on the map… and 2 - 4 Armor Ability Pick Ups.
Would you say it should be a AA map pickup (picking up the current-style ability to use a jetpack sparingly) or picking up the ability to use unlimited jetpack for a certain time limit (let’s say 30 sec or 1 min)? I’d think the second option would be a better idea as a pickup. Just curious.
If this were the early 2000’s I’d find that to be a great idea.
But Reach’s custom game system is better, where you can force people to spawn with whatever you dictate they spawn with. In other words, it accomplishes the same thing, while allowing you to do more as well (such as allowing people to choose between multiple abilities).
In Reach I can:
-Force people to spawn identical with just DMR’s and no armor ability.
-Force people to spawn identical with just DMR’s and Jetpack.
-Allow people to choose between DMR + Jetpack, DMR + Sprint, etc.