Warzone Issues and Potential Improvements

Games Halo 5: Guardians
#1

I am creating this to give 343 constructive feedback for Warzone changes moving forward. I suspect some of this would have to wait for Halo 6, but you never know.

BACKGROUND: I love Warzone Firefight as is, but I have never enjoyed Warzone. I’ve been playing Halo since CE and while I’m no pro gamer, I’ve always found enough success to enjoy Halo multiplayer. Warzone is the exception to this.

ISSUES I SEE WITH WARZONE:

  • Matches are rarely close. One team taking the central capture point almost always seems to result in “snowballing” where the match is a total blowout. Additionally, success (kills) are rewarded with faster REQ level unlocks giving the players dominating more advantage. - Capture points are too defensible. Capture points often provide both cover and higher ground. Regardless of what REQs I use, approaching a capture point on foot is typically impossible for me. The enemy team can also respawn at the capture point. As an attacker, there is nowhere near enough cover to approach on foot. - Maps are too congested. Despite being a solid player, I find myself often just killed quickly in the open without any chance to fight or flee. I don’t think this is a map size issue, but rather an issue with spawn points and objective locations. WHAT I’D CHANGE FOR WARZONE:

  • Make the REQ level upgrade at the same time for all players, regardless of kills/objectives. You can still reward players with REQ points such that somebody with the points can loadout with multiple items within the current REQ level, but this will remove the scenario where dominant players have much more powerful REQs available to them which just allow them to dominate even more. I think many see the REQ level advancement akin to killstreaks in Call of Duty games, but killstreaks are a one time use, and REQ level is for the entire match. - Make the capture points more approachable on foot. Add more sidepaths and more cover outside of the capture points. Reduce situations where defenders of a capture point have the high ground and cover while attackers are in the open. - Spread out objectives (AI bosses to kill) farther away from the capture points and have them come more often. This will spread players out more and make capture points less heavily defended. I welcome thoughts and feedback. Thanks.

#2

> 2696128169785407;1:
> Additionally, success (kills) are rewarded with faster REQ level unlocks giving the players dominating more advantage.

This is indeed a big issue with Warzone. Your suggested solution is:

> 2696128169785407;1:
> Make the REQ level upgrade at the same time for all players, regardless of kills/objectives. You can still reward players with REQ points such that somebody with the points can loadout with multiple items within the current REQ level, but this will remove the scenario where dominant players have much more powerful REQs available to them which just allow them to dominate even more. I think many see the REQ level advancement akin to killstreaks in Call of Duty games, but killstreaks are a one time use, and REQ level is for the entire match.

When you say “for all players”, you mean on both teams? So essentially the only way to solve the problem of req leveling being like killstreaks (and it is) is to make it closer to Warzone Turbo.

However, despite being a good solution for that particular problem, it still doesn’t address a fundamental problem with Warzone, which is the fact that new players are at a disadvantage simply because they don’t have as many reqs. I expect someone to come along and say “reqs don’t matter as much as skill! You can still use a Magnum to kill someone who has a Prophet’s Bane!” Yes ok that is true but it’s beside the point. The idea of unlocking things to use in Warzone (especially loadouts!) from the game’s progression system is a bad, flawed idea in principle, because of how unfair it is to new players. It goes against the idea of equal starts which has been important to Halo since the beginning.

I’m sorry to hijack your thread with my own ideas, and I like your suggestions, but I think this is a big issue with Warzone and I don’t see a solution for it except to scrap it entirely. I would be ok with keeping Warzone Firefight, however, since that mode is for fighting AIs which means it’s ok for players to not have equal starts with each other, since they’re all on the same team (provided it’s still fun without a big req collection, and new players don’t drag down their team on higher difficulties).

Anyway, even though you make some good suggestions, my point is that Warzone (at least PvP Warzone) should ideally be scrapped instead of salvaged in Halo 6. It tries to fill the niche of BTB Heavies, which it seems to have replaced in Halo 5, but it’s just not the same thing.

#3

> 2533274904158628;2:
> > 2696128169785407;1:
> > Additionally, success (kills) are rewarded with faster REQ level unlocks giving the players dominating more advantage.
>
> This is indeed a big issue with Warzone. Your suggested solution is:
>
>
> > 2696128169785407;1:
> > Make the REQ level upgrade at the same time for all players, regardless of kills/objectives. You can still reward players with REQ points such that somebody with the points can loadout with multiple items within the current REQ level, but this will remove the scenario where dominant players have much more powerful REQs available to them which just allow them to dominate even more. I think many see the REQ level advancement akin to killstreaks in Call of Duty games, but killstreaks are a one time use, and REQ level is for the entire match.
>
> When you say “for all players”, you mean on both teams? So essentially the only way to solve the problem of req leveling being like killstreaks (and it is) is to make it closer to Warzone Turbo.
>
> However, despite being a good solution for that particular problem, it still doesn’t address a fundamental problem with Warzone, which is the fact that new players are at a disadvantage simply because they don’t have as many reqs. I expect someone to come along and say “reqs don’t matter as much as skill! You can still use a Magnum to kill someone who has a Prophet’s Bane!” Yes ok that is true but it’s beside the point. The idea of unlocking things to use in Warzone (especially loadouts!) from the game’s progression system is a bad, flawed idea in principle, because of how unfair it is to new players. It goes against the idea of equal starts which has been important to Halo since the beginning.
>
> I’m sorry to hijack your thread with my own ideas, and I like your suggestions, but I think this is a big issue with Warzone and I don’t see a solution for it except to scrap it entirely. I would be ok with keeping Warzone Firefight, however, since that mode is for fighting AIs which means it’s ok for players to not have equal starts with each other, since they’re all on the same team (provided it’s still fun without a big req collection, and new players don’t drag down their team on higher difficulties).
>
> Anyway, even though you make some good suggestions, my point is that Warzone (at least PvP Warzone) should ideally be scrapped instead of salvaged in Halo 6. It tries to fill the niche of BTB Heavies, which it seems to have replaced in Halo 5, but it’s just not the same thing.

Thanks for the reply. I think the solution for new players is simply to give them a handful of REQ packs as a new player.

Regarding the REQ leveling, I’m suggesting the REQ level is the same for all players on both teams throughout the game.

I think Warzone is a really cool concept that it shouldn’t be totally scraped, but perhaps you’re right. I would hate to see Firefight go away.

#4

> 2696128169785407;3:
> Thanks for the reply. I think the solution for new players is simply to give them a handful of REQ packs as a new player.

That might help a little. But 343 would probably charge them for it, instead of give it away. They pretty much did that when they created a $10 “starter pack” when Halo 5 was free to play for that one weekend.