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Subject: Drones and Halo Reach
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Drones are one of the Halo series been the most let down of an enemy if you ask me. While it's fun to take a turret shoot them all down with one turret shot, there's really no strategy involved. Drones are seen usually without other enemy units. You usually just fight ONLY Drones. Well what fun do you get from fighting 7-10 bugs with a BR or 20 with teammates and a turret? Now we all know brutes were not supposed to be on Reach. However, no one has said anything about drones. Plus Brutes were in Halo Wars. Therefore, it would make some sense to see Drones appear on Reach.

What I am getting at is the combat mechanic for drones in Halo: Reach should be changed in order to make the drones a worthy oponent. For starters, in the Halo universe you only see Drones with plasma pistols (most commonly) and needlers. Well for Halo Reach, how about we see them dual wield some weapons? Drones like other covenant units should be able to dual wield weapons such as the plasma rifle. Drones are a little more ominous than let's say elites. Thus, they should scare people. Have them pop out of the dark and strike. Maybe have like 15 pop out of a city sewage hole or something. However, there's more.

Since drones are insects, shouldn't they have a queen (such as sentinals have enforcers in Halo 2)? Another fun mechanic in which could be added to the drone aspect is the development of a drone queen which could come out to the battle field and show no mercy. The queen could be a lot tougher, maybe it releases other drones. Overall, if Drones are present in Halo Reach, the way you fight them should be revamped.

[Edited on 06.09.2009 5:31 PM PDT]

  • 06.09.2009 5:28 PM PDT
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i think drones are the WORST enemy ever created. there's literally nothing worse than a butt load of those things flying down outta nowhere and annihalating (sp?) you with plasma pistols

  • 06.09.2009 5:30 PM PDT

Oh yeah It's Rayzed.

I like the idea but you can't count Halo Wars as canon. But Drones have been a Covenant force since the beginning, soooo. I would expect to see a few.

  • 06.09.2009 5:31 PM PDT

Without me, it's just "Aweso".

I really like that "Queen" idea.

And perhaps the Drones should make use of explosives (ie: grenades). THat would make them much more challenging.

  • 06.09.2009 5:31 PM PDT
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I'd like to see them use tactics instead of flying in circles. Maybe have them attack with razor sharp claws and teeth if you get close. Not sure what kind of actual strategies could be incorporated for defeating them but I agree their should be a strategy besides spray.

  • 06.09.2009 5:34 PM PDT
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Posted by: Raylette
I like the idea but you can't count Halo Wars as canon. But Drones have been a Covenant force since the beginning, soooo. I would expect to see a few.
Actually Bungie said they may use many things from Halo Wars as canon for future games.

  • 06.09.2009 5:35 PM PDT
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Posted by: Tulsk
i think drones are the WORST enemy ever created. there's literally nothing worse than a butt load of those things flying down outta nowhere and annihalating (sp?) you with plasma pistols
The thing is drones have a LOT of potential. They are the only flying units in the Halo universe that can strafe in combat. I think making them more agile would make them a harder target making them more of a challenge.

  • 06.09.2009 5:36 PM PDT

Underwater Eagle.

the way drones have traditionally been used is misdirection. The drones flying in distract the humans, and let staandard infantry sweep in unnoticed and kill them while they are still looking at the sky.

  • 06.09.2009 5:41 PM PDT

Halo's a hell of a drug.

I wouldn't mind seeing the drones be an enemy that drops plasma grenades from above, while you fight ground enemies. I liked them in Halo 2 (because it was new), but in Halo 3 it felt like the same old same old.

  • 06.09.2009 5:43 PM PDT

Posted by: odmichael
Posted by: Tulsk
i think drones are the WORST enemy ever created. there's literally nothing worse than a butt load of those things flying down outta nowhere and annihalating (sp?) you with plasma pistols
The thing is drones have a LOT of potential. They are the only flying units in the Halo universe that can strafe in combat. I think making them more agile would make them a harder target making them more of a challenge.
While they would be more of a challenge, they were never once mentioned in the novels, before or after REACH fell. It's fairly safe to say that you'll be fighting only Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters.

  • 06.09.2009 5:46 PM PDT

Halo's a hell of a drug.

It would be cool to have drones do things like pick up your allies and drop them into enemy lines or pick up enemies and move them to higher or safer locations.

  • 06.09.2009 5:47 PM PDT

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Quite honestly there's not much that you can do with them. A queen variant would be interesting, but i don't really see anything beyond that. For example with your dual wielding idea, sure it would be slightly different but it's not anything that would change gameplay ("OMG TWO PLASMA PISTOLS!?"). Although it would add some interesting scenarios if we were to fight them whilst fighting others.

  • 06.09.2009 6:26 PM PDT
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Drones have actually a pretty interesting mechanic that is underutilized; they can hijack vehicles 'tank style'

They'll ride on the side of your hog and bash you to death like when you jack a tank. Its interesting because you really can't do anything (like get out) while that happens. Makes it pretty hard on that 1 part on Tsavo Highway on Legendary

  • 06.09.2009 7:25 PM PDT

I wouldn't mind seeing some wingless drones that could move really fast and jump around and grab onto surfaces, something like those geth lurker things from Mass Effect, but more insect like. Not saying they should copy, but if you look at it, a lot of Halo's enemies are pretty slow and predictable. Grunts either charge you with a death wish or are running the hell away, Jackals stay far away with marksmen weapons or cower behind their shields as they advance, Elites take cover and (at least in halo 2) had an affinity for climbing up on boxes for the strangest of reasons, and Brutes take cover, act as a pack, but often just slowly move around and absorb bullets (with the exception of the chieftan).

What Halo needs I think is a strong but fast enemy. The flood are okay, but they are more "charge then leap", and especially if there are no flood in Halo Reach, something needs to take their place.

And to those of you who think that even a drone with two plasma pistols isn't scary enough, invent some weapons for them. The canon will have to be partially ignored anyways for this game to work out well, mine as well make the most of it. The brutes got their own pre-covenant weaponry, now its the Drone's turn to get their own sandbox.

And Halopedia say that a queen unit is a tiny bit out of the question, they are massive and can only be moved by male drones, which seems a bit weird. The Male drones however are apparently wingless, and not much is known about them, so perhaps something could be done with them?

[Edited on 06.09.2009 7:40 PM PDT]

  • 06.09.2009 7:29 PM PDT
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The problem here is that while Bungie did an unbelievably good job with tactically setting up different types of infantry, armor and air forces, drones fall into a completely separate kind of situation.

In combat, air forces are meant to be quick strike forces that deal a lot of damage to the ground forces. Armor is meant to bust up hard points, while infantry is meant for taking and holding ground. That's how combat works in real life.

Looking at Bungie's set up with human and covenant forces in Halo 3, they did a spot on job of balancing those forces out and making them work together. Now we come to the drones.

Drones are aerial infantry. In modern combat, there's literally no place for aerial infantry in combat tactics. What Bungie did was set drones into separate combat scenarios where they fought alone, with no armor or air support. That's the quick, easy, and lazy approach imho.

Here's some ideas:
*Make drones into quick aerial sniper teams. Jackal snipers are too slow and camp too much. Much more can be done with an aerial sniper AI that finds spots to snipe from instead of being placed in designated spots on a campaign.
*Make drones into aerial support units. Their air to air capabilities have been seriously under-rated. Since Reach is about a full scale world-wide assault, there should be a lot more air to air combat.. at least in the background. Think about the last time you took control of a Hornet. It would be incredibly frustrating to try and fight a bunch of drones in that Hornet.
*Make drones into bunker busters. Give them heavy weapons and let them get behind enemy lines. Remember every time you took cover to get your shields back? Imagine a few drones getting back there- not with plasma pistols either! Either give them spikers, plasma rifles, or a carbine. SOMETHING to give them the ability to finish the kill. Drones were always meant to harrass, let them do that to the best of their ability. This would REALLY work well in an urban combat zone where humans/spartans use cover a lot.

  • 06.09.2009 8:02 PM PDT

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." - Luke


-RIP~B.B.

I think that they may have too low of damage but maby aginst an odst they may be a challange.

  • 06.11.2009 12:20 AM PDT

i'm awesome

Let them (and maybe Grunts) be able to charge up their Plasma Pistols. Work together with Elites to noob combo the Spartan-II's.

  • 06.11.2009 12:38 AM PDT
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Posted by: Xaelra
Here's some ideas:
*Make drones into quick aerial sniper teams. Jackal snipers are too slow and camp too much. Much more can be done with an aerial sniper AI that finds spots to snipe from instead of being placed in designated spots on a campaign.
*Make drones into aerial support units. Their air to air capabilities have been seriously under-rated. Since Reach is about a full scale world-wide assault, there should be a lot more air to air combat.. at least in the background. Think about the last time you took control of a Hornet. It would be incredibly frustrating to try and fight a bunch of drones in that Hornet.
*Make drones into bunker busters. Give them heavy weapons and let them get behind enemy lines. Remember every time you took cover to get your shields back? Imagine a few drones getting back there- not with plasma pistols either! Either give them spikers, plasma rifles, or a carbine. SOMETHING to give them the ability to finish the kill. Drones were always meant to harrass, let them do that to the best of their ability. This would REALLY work well in an urban combat zone where humans/spartans use cover a lot.
I'm not sure if drones can hold a sniper. But it would be a good idea. And I definitely think drones are not built to carry heavy weapons.

  • 06.11.2009 12:18 PM PDT

Five years older and wiser
The fires are burning, I'm fire, never tire
Slay warriors in the forests, and on hire

Maybe letting like two drones pick up a marine and fly off with him screaming and you can shoot them off him too save him?

[Edited on 06.11.2009 12:27 PM PDT]

  • 06.11.2009 12:23 PM PDT

Posted by: ApocalypeX
Maybe letting like two drones pick up a marine and fly off with him screaming and you can shoot them off him too save him?


Achievment! It would happen once, and like, in a hard battle, so you would have to pay alot of attention and be quick about it, seems achievment worthy to me.

  • 06.11.2009 12:31 PM PDT

Perception is everything.

Lol, can you imagine 30 drones trying to lift a wraith?

  • 06.11.2009 12:44 PM PDT

Five years older and wiser
The fires are burning, I'm fire, never tire
Slay warriors in the forests, and on hire

Achievement: Saving Private Ryan lol

  • 06.11.2009 12:46 PM PDT

I hunt for the Prophet of Contentment, the San 'Shyumm that murdered my son, and stole his birthright, his Energy Sword. They call our species Heretics. They claim to all that our tongues sting, our words a vile poison that feeds on the unworthy. I have seen the true face of Heresy. The head of a gallant warrior lay on the ground. His neck scorched and blistered, scarred by his own blade. I shall retrieve the weapon, and drive it through that bastard's heart! Punishment for his sins is nigh.

I remember Halo 2, if you saw Drones, you knew you would be beaten bad on Legendary. In Halo 3 they are a pushover though.

  • 06.11.2009 12:49 PM PDT
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Posted by: ApocalypeX
Achievement: Saving Private Ryan lol
That's a great idea. However, that's not really changing the gameplay when fighting them.

  • 06.11.2009 3:02 PM PDT
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Anyone here ever sen Starship Troopers? I want Drones to be more like the flying things in that movie.

  • 06.11.2009 3:14 PM PDT

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