I’ve seen the word innovation thrown around these forums like nothing else in so far as it’s rendered almost meaningless. It’s almost like you don’t even know what you want and falling back on statements similar to “Halo 4/gametypes/gameplay needs innovation” seems to be your way out of actually offering a solution.
So I ask the community, when you call for innovation to the Halo series (Namely Halo 5) what exactly do you want?
Innovation in the context of Halo is implementing things that are new to the franchise. That can be good innovation or bad innovation. I define good innovation as something that respects the core game play to improve the experience. Bad innovation would be anything that detracts from game play or undermines the quality of the experience.
Obviously “core” is something we can debate, but ultimately 343 would have to define that. What I think is core is a topic for another thread.
“Improving” the experience is obviously a little more subjective based on individual preference, but you obviously have to find some kind of general approbation among the community.
When I say “innovation”, I mean new or improved gameplay elements that don’t break the core mechanics. For example, equipment was added to the sandbox in Halo 3. It was a new system that fit in well in the sandbox.
I’ve heard many ways to innovate with Halo 5. I’d make a list, but all you have to do is look at the different threads.
> Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulate needs, or existing market needs.
Exactly what it means.
"Better solutions of new requirements" meaning the Xbox One hardware and technology being implemented into Halo 5, and “cloud computing”. Halo 5 needs to meet the quality standards accompanied with the better hardware the Xbox One is bringing to the next generation of Microsoft consoles. Considering what 343 did with Halo 4 and the dated hardware of the Xbox 360, this will be a piece of cake for the developers.
Microsoft will undoubtedly require 343 to meet a certain quality standard for Halo 5. Halo is their flagship title. Any less of what they require is inexcusable.
"Better solutions of inarticulate needs" mean needs that are not explicitly expressed. What this could mean? I can’t really think of any right now.
"Better solutions of existing market needs". This is pretty self-explanatory. 343 looks at the current market. What are the standards, what’s missing, etc… I doubt anyone would argue that dedicated servers should me a market standard for all competitive online titles. It takes several issues out of the equation (lag, latency, etc…). And even though it comes with it’s own issues, they aren’t as problematic as host-based issues in competitive gaming.
Sprint, loadouts, etc… are all examples of attempts for “better solutions of existing market needs”. There’s no “existing market” for “arena shooters”, so the existing market for FPS’ as a whole is looked at. What are the standards, what can be implemented, what can be improved? Those sorts of things.
Seamless open worlds, virtually non-existent loading times, and a ton of other opportunities the next generation of consoles are offering will most likely also be taken into consideration.
> > Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulate needs, or existing market needs.
>
> Exactly what it means.
Yes I was waiting for some wiseguy to give me a definition of innovation. This thread isn’t debating about what it literally means or different scenarios that force a company to innovate.
This thread is asking what people want from the game and what they want from 343 when they vaguely request innovation.
To me it’s summed up by two things: a gradual adjustment of existing features between titles, and the introduction of new features that are unrelated to the gameplay.
So, an example of my first point would be rebalancing vehicle gameplay with the addition of boarding & destructible UNSC vehicles in Halo 2 and the introduction of EMP stuns in Halo 3.
A change that doesn’t affect the core of the game, but enhances a secondary gameplay element and increases the fluidity of gameplay around that element.
As for my second point, the best examples are the Matchmaking system pioneered in Halo 2, the Forge & Theatre modes introduced in Halo 3, and the improvement of Forge in Halo: Reach, and even the expansion of player customisation in Halo 4 with the introduction of weapon & armour skins. Those are all good forms of innovation for the series in my opinion. They don’t impact the gameplay, but they do increase accessibility (Matchmaking) and longevity by giving players more to do.
Innovation is not completely redesigning the gameplay and trying to force it to be something it isn’t by breaking basic core gameplay fundamentals of the series that have been in place since day 1. Games can innovate and be successful without having to enviously attempt to adopt traits of their contemporaries - it’s just like that saying: “If everybody is special then nobody is”. If every game tries to follow the market leader then where is the individuality?
Why is it whenever this question is asked all we get are definitions and examples from previous games? We want an answer with new innovations, not definitions or previous examples!
The word innovation to me in this context implies originality, trying something pioneering that is new and has not been done before, not only within the franchise Halo, but also within the FPS market as a whole. In addition it can also include taking ideas, evolving them, and taking them to whole new levels. Innovation also implied positive progression. You can’t be calling things innovative if the concept is widely poorly received.
Halo 3s theatre was innovative, Halo 2s online multiplayer, clan support and ranking system were innovative in their day…
This being said, not all good change has to be innovative. I actually believe 343 should look into Huge Team Battles, be it 12v12 or 16v16 or whatever. It’s been done before, but not in Halo. And I would like to see how it would play out in the Halo arena.
Forge and custom games I think are a good platform and can be taken to much higher levels to what they are now.
I also think 343 should introduce a new class of weapons to Halo. Utility Auto Rifles. Semi-precision primary weapons. Take for example the Storm Rifle. I think it should have a zoom function and do bonus double headshot damage like the CE PR. It should also have a tighter bloom and faster projectile speeds. That way we can bring the Plasma Rifle back as a secondary weapon functioning pretty much exactly as the storm rifle does now. We could also have a hitscan UNSC equivalent which would work similar to a rapid fire full auto magnum… This is not exactly new in the FPS market, Most FPSs have a utility assault rifle type weapon. But Halo doesn’t.
I could have considered AAs as positive additions if they were depletable pick up items… That way I think they could have been positively received.
Halo can always add new gametypes, weapons and vehicles as well… Dominion, extraction and ricochet are actually really quite good. More of that please.
Well, innovation to me means something new and different.
To me innovation is when they take something, perhaps even something we’ve had for a while, and breath new life into it. Add some sparkle to it.
Maybe even mixing the old with the new, to come up with something really special! Make it so that you can recognise the old one in it, but its also got brand new stuff to help it along.
I think that innovation is when the game makers are able to create something new, something exiting, and have it work alongside, not overtake, the old way.
I’m not saying that the game has to be the same thing over and over again, with new stuff added all the time. Certainly not. Eventually that new thing will become the old thing, and that’s when you add to that, and make it something special again.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, that I want to be able to see that old games core, while having new and exciting things take place, and new things to do.
For Halo 5 I want to be able to see that old Halo coreplay in it, but also something new, and that really compliments Halos play style. Not something that takes over the coreplay entirely.
Well, that’s my opinion anyway…
I’m not good at explaining things… 
I actually agree with 343: Most Halo fans don’t want ‘innovation’ they want refinement.
Whenever anything gets actually changed about Halo, fans are up in arms.
I think the move to 60fps (though I think what Killzone has done is a good call - 60fps in multiplayer, but 30fps to go to town on the visuals of the campaign), will signal a massive ‘refinement’ to the way the game feels.
If they simply deliver a campaign and co op experience as polished as H4, but with a lot of next gen awesomeness… I’ll be happy!
I want them to build up from halo 3 and use halo 3 as a foundation for the game. then on that foundation build up from that. I DO NOT want them to use halo 4 as a foundation. that would be very bad.
In order for Innovation to be a step forward, it has to be good. That’s all I have to say.
Innovation with the Halo franchise means adding something new that draws on or improves upon a concept previously introduced or was present since the start. An example of innovation that we went through was refining the BR mechanics from H2-3, or adding the new vehicles we got in Reach. Heck, AA’s (while they aren’t necessarily the best example) are a type of innovation on equipment.
> Well, innovation to me means something new and different.
>
> To me innovation is when they take something, perhaps even something we’ve had for a while, and breath new life into it. Add some sparkle to it.
>
> Maybe even mixing the old with the new, to come up with something really special! Make it so that you can recognise the old one in it, but its also got brand new stuff to help it along.
>
> I think that innovation is when the game makers are able to create something new, something exiting, and have it work alongside, not overtake, the old way.
>
> I’m not saying that the game has to be the same thing over and over again, with new stuff added all the time. Certainly not. Eventually that new thing will become the old thing, and that’s when you add to that, and make it something special again.
>
> I guess what I’m trying to say is, that I want to be able to see that old games core, while having new and exciting things take place, and new things to do.
>
> For Halo 5 I want to be able to see that old Halo coreplay in it, but also something new, and that really compliments Halos play style. Not something that takes over the coreplay entirely.
>
> Well, that’s my opinion anyway…
>
> I’m not good at explaining things…
Are you kidding me? You said exactly what I wanted but better! You’re fine at explaining.
When I ask for innovation, I am asking for features which have not previously existed. I am basically asking 343 to get creative, think outside the box and give us things which we as a community would not have thought of (lets face it, the community is very close minded when it comes to new features).
As far as new features go, I would like to see (IMO not all of these are innovative but would be very welcome changes):
Interactive Environments / Evolving Maps
Dedicated Servers (confirmed)
Custom Games Browser
This is a snippet from an old post I made. Check out the linked thread for all the details.
For a 6 minute game using the above settings the following ordnances would spawn at the listed times:
@ 0s: Needler @ Pink, Rocket @ Mid (A0,B0)
@ 60s: Sticky Det @ Gold (A1)
@ 120s: Sword @ Elbow (A2)
@ 150s: Sniper @ Tower (B1)
@ 180s: Needler @ Pink (A0)
@ 240s: Sticky Det @ Gold (A1)
@ 300s: Sword @ Elbow, Rocket @ Mid (A2,B0)
This is a very simple example, but you get the idea. More spawn sequence data and channels can be added for greater complexity.
Most players (including myself) like the idea of power weapons being on the map for players to compete over, and I highly doubt 343 is going to revert back to this system as they have developed a fully functional ordnance system for infinity slayer.
My idea is to combine these two concepts to form something greater than either one ever was by taking the best parts of each one. Keep in mind I don’t think this is possible for Halo 4, but could work well in the future of Halo.
Here’s my idea:
Personal ordnance is great as it allows each player to pick a specific ‘power-up’ of their liking, but it is a grossly unfair system (especially w/ JIP). Players can simply find an easily defendable position on the map and lock it down, without giving up the advantage of power-ups. This is a huge problem as map movement is no longer emphasized and all players regardless of skill have the opportunity to make game changing plays.
These would work similar to weapon placements in previous Halo games. There would be several zones on each map that would resupply themselves on set timers. Once a zone has been resupplied and is ready for ordnance each player would be alerted with the familiar announcement ‘Ordnance Ready’ and a waypoint would be attached to the appropriate zone. Any player can then call in a personal ordnance drop once they step inside of the ordnance zone. Once the ordnance has been claimed the timer will reset.
I think this would work particularly well as it will:
Innovation in the context of Halo means not copy and pasting one game to the next. For example, many people believe Halo 4 should be exactly like Halo 3. Where’s the innovation in that? The Halo community always criticized cal of duty for being the same every time yet these people want Halo to be the same? How hypocritical of them for doing that. Innovation also means not letting the community come in the way of making a great game. I watched a video where the guy said he thought Halo shouldn’t have a Campaign mode. The Campaign is a massive aspect of Halo whether someone likes it or not and it should always be included. The Boltshot fix is an example of good community feedback but that Campaign thing was an example of horrible feedback beyond a comprehensible extent.