Thoughts on the next halo game having micro trans?

Community General Discussion
1

Honestly, my opinion is that 343i should return halo to its original Cosmetic customization, with free emblems, and in-game currency (from when you rank up, or complete challenges etc.) to buy armor. I do get why they added Req. Packs in halo 5 but I think they should just stick to standard dlc. Instead of adding 2+ variants of different items in the game for micro transactions, because it tears people apart who just simply want one armor piece. Ex. Like If you grinded out matchmaking or warzone for req. points and you wanted “that one helmet” but you just get something so irrelevant to the game…

If you agree or disagree feel free to comment.

2

I don’t mind the req system the way they have it, but I do see your point. I would be content either way I think though.

3

The cosmetic nature of them is okay. It’s that they’re the primary mechanic behind user customization and they bloat the game, making almost nothing feel like you achieved it (save for Achilles). I’d want them removed and a new armory built, akin to Reach and 3. Maybe there’s another way to build a really good armory and have a reasonable number of weapon variants that I’ve not thought of yet.

4

Micro transactions should not be in Halo. Armor should be unlocked through game progression.

5

> 2533275004397559;1:
> I do get why they added Req. Packs in halo 5 but I think they should just stick to standard dlc. Instead of adding 2+ variants of different items in the game for micro transactions*,* because it tears people apart who just simply want one armor piece. Ex. Like If you grinded out matchmaking or warzone for req. points and you wanted “that one helmet” but you just get something so irrelevant to the game…

Seems like you have a problem with the concept of loot boxes (items that can be purchased either with in-game or real currency and give you one or more random rewards) rather than the concept of microtransactions. Any game item that can be purchased with real money is a microtransaction, regardless of whether it gives a known reward or a random reward.

Anyway, I don’t like microtransactions, but I don’t like cosmetics which are unlocked with an in-game currency either. Grinding anything (in-game currency, kills, medals, etc.) for extended periods of time is the most boring and uninteresting, and the least engaging and rewarding way of unlocking something in a game. Unlockable items should always enrich the gameplay experience as much as possible. Any unlock is a chance to give the player an interesting challenge, or have them explore the game in a new way.

The issue with grinding is that it’s rarely an interesting challenge, because it’s always a matter of playtime. Every player, no matter how they play, no matter whether they’re even trying, will eventually get there. Nothing meaningful is accomplished by grinding for something for weeks, nothing new is learned, and no engaging experiences are created by the grind (which is not to say engaging experiences won’t happen despite the grind). You’re just playing the game, and things just get unlocked on their own.

Unlocks should primarily be based on completing interesting challenges. A classic example are the various Vidmasters from the Halo 3 era: Annual, Endure, Déjà Vu. These required you to cooperate with other players to complete an unusual challenge. Disregarding the reward, I’m willing to bet that for many players these were epic and memorable experiences by themselves. Of course, not every challenge needs to be a Vidmaster. It’s not hard to come up with all kinds of little challenges that unlocks can be based on, as shown by the long history of such challenges in form of medals and achievements from past games. Every challenge doesn’t even need to be technically difficult. Sometimes it can be just about getting the player to explore the game, like finding hidden skulls to get the player off the beaten path.

Unlocks shouldn’t be regarded just as some passive thing on the side that slowly unfolds as the player spends more time in the game. Rather, they should be an active ingredient in pushing the player to advance their skills, and explore the game.

6

Halo 6 is welcome to have lootboxes so long as it keeps it as is.
Halo 6 needs more armor to unlock outside of this though and not situated behind other products like the Master Chief collection. Sure the collection is relatively cheap, and while I’m not totally against this sort of thing, it makes the main game feel like an app for the thing you’re primarily grinding.

Halo 6 needs more in-game content than it does in the “store” as far as the vanilla game goes. Said unlocks could be done by completing levels, raising to a certain multiplayer rank, completing challenges, and a little less (but allowed) things outside of the game like the MCC. The store should not feel like the primary way for players to play with things on disk.

7

I’m not a fan of microtransactions. I think they’re unnecessary and something a game doesn’t need to thrive on. I hope Halo 6 doesn’t have em but chances are, it will. It seems to be the norm these days in the gaming industry

8

I personally wouldn’t mind microtransactions in the next Halo game, but I feel they should be downplayed when it comes to certain items.

9

Well i dont mind certain kinds of microtransactions though its mostly because how gaming industry is at the moment. And the kind of MT that i dont mind (much) are the not so cheap money milking techniques.

What i wouldnt like to see are something like lootbox or other sort of gambling MTs with luck factor in a paid product. Though hopefully these will become illegal by domino effect in coming years.

Day 1 DLC/preorder DLC. These are just something that are ready before the release but are not included in the final product, in many cases (not saying all) because of desire to promote certain stores and lure people who are new or otherwise unfamiliar with games to buy a product from what they basically dont know anything about yet, and alpha footages and trailers dont really count since those wont show whether the game will even work as intended or such. This also possibly effects how ready the upcoming titles will be since some may think why polish a game if they can just get the money before the release and they can just patch the games in few months (which will take a huge additional filesize).

Next the MTs that give some form of extra advantage (at least in competitive modes, singleplayer doesnt effect things that much) compared to the other players who dont use extra money on a product they already bought. MTs such as boosts or more powerful gear.

And the list goes on but these are some of the big ones.

Then what DLC is not that bad? Well, those are mostly cosmetics but also DLC packs that are produced after the release, maybe something like Spartan Ops as an example of additional gamemode (could work in more major titles, at least in ones that are bigger than average so player population that pays extra could hold matchmaking) and other kinds of packs. Just maybe not story DLC because continuation is important when marketing the sequel, even for those who just played what came with the game on release.

Then different kinds of editions are fine that have something more in them than the game itself like statue or other kinds of extra products.

So there are a few examples that i think are acceptable in a fully priced game at this time and date.

10

Not buying it if it does. I’m done buying any game that has them, even if I really want them. Everyone else should do the same so that we may kill this disgusting trend.

11

As long as there aren’t lootboxes/packs/assorted random garbage, then they will be certainly be more tolerable. Frankly the idea that any of these enormous franchises need these extra revenue streams whether they be map packs or microtransactions(whatever the form) just to keep the lights on and/or provide “free” new content to be nonsense in the first place.

If they can’t reign in their budgets accordingly and make enough money off of millions of copies sold in order to support their games post launch then it shouldn’t be up to the consumer to make up for their mistakes or unrealistic expectations. If they want people to accept microtransactions, etc as the cost of doing business, then the industry needs to be waaaaaaaaay more transparent about how money and resources are allocated during development. Saying “well making games are just so expensive” and moving on just doesn’t cut it anymore.

12

I’m generally against any micro-transactions in a game that isn’t free to play, even known purchase and cosmetic ones.
The majority of ‘free DLC’ added to Halo 5 ended up being the re-inclusion of gamemodes and features that had been present since day one of their debut title (BTB for CE, Forge for H3, etc.) and I don’t even think the ‘games as service’ model is justified in Halo because community features like Custom Games and Forge are more than enough to keep players invested for years after launch.
I don’t buy the ‘steady stream of post launch content is required for continued player investment’ bs when H2, 3 and Reach proved that a solid base game will retain its playerbase far longer than a mediocre title that receives updates every month.

As far as other methods of post release revenue, I’d be content with a Blueshift style expansion focusing on different characters, maybe even two of them since the cast is big enough at this point.

13

It’s absolutely despicable, 343 should not stray further down into the spiraling abyss.

14

those trans armor types in h5 have nothing to do with serious soldiers Spartans are supposed to look like.

15

I really do not like the lootbox style of micro-transactions, it in my eyes stylized gambling.
I think microtransactions should be handled the way they are in Titanfall 2 for example, when you want a paint job for your gun or a banner for your player card you go to the store and buy it, no chance element you just get what you payed for

on another note I would really like if the progression returned to the way halo reach did it, it gives the armor actual worth because it must be earned not obtained from a slot machine with a fancy paint job.

16

> 2533274877785117;10:
> Not buying it if it does. I’m done buying any game that has them, even if I really want them. Everyone else should do the same so that we may kill this disgusting trend.

Your telling me that halo could have micro transactions for purely cosmetic items and you still wouldn’t buy it?

17

I don’t think Halo should have any kind of REQ/Microtransaction system at all period because the REQ System interfered with the options to customize our spartans armor before this we could customize each part of our spartan’s armor Helmet, Torso, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder , Forearms, Legs, and Visor Color but now since they did away with a traditional reward progression system that allowed this type of customization system and favored a microtransaction lootbox system instead we are just down to Armor, Helmets, Visor, and Colors that’s not how Halo’s Armor Customization should be it should be more than just Helmet, Visor and the rest just combined into and Armor Set that’s how either both Black Ops, Titanfall, and Battlefields Customization are set up Halo is supposed to have more customization than those 3 games should have but ever since microtransactions have been put into Halo the microtransaction system has made Halo’s Customization just like those 3 games so I’ll say my peace on this if 343 wants to please there fans like Bonnie Ross said when she announced Splitscreen’s return then they should keep to that promise and get rid of any microtransaction system there thinking about doing and go back to either Reach’s Credit System or Halo 4’s Reward Progression System because if they don’t then they’re going to lose a lot more of they’re fans so I say it again there should be no Microtransaction System in Halo at all period.

18

> 2533275004397559;1:
> Honestly, my opinion is that 343i should return halo to its original Cosmetic customization, with free emblems, and in-game currency (from when you rank up, or complete challenges etc.) to buy armor. I do get why they added Req. Packs in halo 5 but I think they should just stick to standard dlc. Instead of adding 2+ variants of different items in the game for micro transactions, because it tears people apart who just simply want one armor piece. Ex. Like If you grinded out matchmaking or warzone for req. points and you wanted “that one helmet” but you just get something so irrelevant to the game…
>
> If you agree or disagree feel free to comment.

i agree, i think reach did it right with customization, which is why i still play it.

19

As long as micro transactions are kept for cosmetic items only, then I am not really fussed whether they are included or not.

It is when they start going down the route of making a game pay to win that they should be removed.

20

I absolutely despise lootboxes/micro-transactions in gaming. 343, do implement them for into Halo 6 or any upcoming Halo titles in the future