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  • Subject: Halo Reach: Just another FPS? Or something more?
Subject: Halo Reach: Just another FPS? Or something more?

OutputI've been disconnected from the Halo forums for quite some time, although I used to scour the wastelands of Zanzibar and Halo 3 multiplayer forums like a shark, looking for the blood that often leaks out of the whambulances that speed by hundreds at a time, at speeds unknown to man. But with the announcement of Halo Reach, and the revelation that it's an FPS I was sort of disappointed. I thought for one that Bungie was going to create a new IP. Maybe Halo Reach falls within this parameter legally, but I doubt it; Microsoft is too smart for such a thing. With the announcement I was thinking of the Halo books, and all the battles that took place on Reach. With squads of Spartans, and towards the end, squads of Spartans each with a piece or two of specialized equipment from the new upgraded suits (while I may be extremely into the Halo franchise and story, I can't be bothered to remember every little detail, name, and number throughout; so I apologize to those of you who are more dedicated than I, for this may feel like having one of your favorite stories butchered by someone who doesn't understand it. I assure you I am not one of those people). To translate the books into a game would likely be a bad thing aside from the story told, and even then I don't see Bungie retelling a story that has already been told. I believe they will tell a new story, possibly mixed in with what's there already. But if book was translated straight into story, I'd imagine it to play out like a tactical squad based shooter, possibly third person; I know this is not the case. At least the third person part, considering all we know is that Halo Reach is a FPS.

I'm hoping, and speculating that Halo Reach will have RPG elements. I know Xbox.com has labeled Halo Reach as a shooter, but that in no way means it can't have RPG elements. Just like Mass Effect is labeled an RPG, it still has shooter elements and lots of them. What I'm suggesting is a robust system of upgrades to weaponry by putting points awarded to the player when he/she completes a task, or gains enough experience; whatever the delivery, I'm looking for some light RPG elements. Maybe as you upgrade the assault rifle skill the reticule becomes smaller, making your shots more accurate. Once again, all of this is just me hoping and speculating on what could be. This could translate well into multiplayer, so long as everyone is forced to specialize, and everyone has the same amount of points to put into their character, so no one person's character can have an unfair advantage through overall higher stats than another's. So a system where you can place a total of ten points in each skill would add interesting and refreshing RPG elements into the Halo franchise. Now I feel I need to explain this a bit better, as I feel even I could get confused reading this. Each different skill has ten empty slots, and in each slot you may place a skill point, you will only be awarded a certain number of points; and maybe every two skill points you add into a skill it will cost double to add another skill point. So for Assault Rifle level 3 it will cost 2 skill points, level 5, 4 skill points, level 7, 8 skill points; so on and so forth.

There could be a skill set for every weapon, or for different sets of weapons, vehicles, maybe upgrades for faster movement speed, shield strength, motion tracker range, accuracy, stealth systems, thermal vision (increased range with added points). I feel this would be an extremely refreshing way to revitalize the franchise into something new and exciting. And yes, I know Bungie already has a direction for their game, so either I'm close, right on the button, or so far out of the ball park that someone from Bungie is reading this and wondering how I could possibly be more wrong. But it's always fun to dream right?

As for the story I feel that the title Halo Reach can have so many implications on what exactly the story is, and the time frame it spans that it's impossible to be sure. Of course the teaser trailer revealed that in the game Reach will be invaded, it's the Fall of Reach. But because the title is not "Halo The Fall of Reach" we can speculate that Bungie might just be having us play through the Spartan II training, and maybe doing some early Spartan missions, or playing as Spartans without the armor. If you've read the books I'm sure you remember in "The Fall of Reach" the Spartans were moved into a storage facility inside of a mountain where they played CTF against trainers in an early version of the Spartans exoskeleton. Wouldn't it be cool to play what the Spartans were doing in that mountain for days? Remember how Mendez remarked at how the Spartans had found the black suits and rope, stolen it from somewhere inside the storage facility, and that no matter where the cameras were placed they always managed to either find and destroy them, or erase the saved video tapes? I personally think this would be the greatest thing ever. Giving the player an open, almost free roaming area, with tons of resources and interesting gameplay mechanics ranging from shooing, stealth, and acrobatics, all in a mini free-roam environment, with different resources you can choose to find, or not. And side missions like taking out the cameras, and drawing out a plan with your squad to make it even more immersive and interesting.

These are just my thoughts, hopes and dreams. And if anyone has any comments or points of discussion of their own to share I'd be happy to discuss them, even if you have ways to fill the voids of canon, like the exact Mark # of the upgraded armor the Spartans received in "The Fall of Reach", or the name of the mountain they trained in; I'd be happy to go back and edit my post. I love discussing the Halo story, and gameplay ideas and mechanics, so please, write back and let me know what you think, the good and the bad; just don't let it get ugly.

  • 06.13.2009 1:34 AM PDT
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Join SIP or die!

Did you copy and paste The Great Wall of China?

[Edited on 06.13.2009 2:13 AM PDT]

  • 06.13.2009 2:11 AM PDT

Posted by: i forget
Shut up you talk to much its a rpg look at my previous thread its on the first page use the search bar im going to beat you up

Don't be a jerk.
Posted by: V de vagau
Did you copy and paste the "Great Wall of China"?

That would be SPAM and SPAM is against the rules.

  • 06.13.2009 2:14 AM PDT

It sounds fantastic don't get me wrong I'd love a game like that. I don't think Bungie would go far from their FPS roots because most of their fanbase is made up of FPS fans. As for the Reach thing the way the teaser trailer is set up it makes me think that the game is going to take place during the final battles around Reach.

  • 06.13.2009 2:20 AM PDT

Posted by: halomhm214423534
It sounds fantastic don't get me wrong I'd love a game like that. I don't think Bungie would go far from their FPS roots because most of their fanbase is made up of FPS fans. As for the Reach thing the way the teaser trailer is set up it makes me think that the game is going to take place during the final battles around Reach.
Oh od course, there's no doubt about that in my mind. I just think it would be interesting if they did more with the Reach setting by basically making the game revolve around the Spartans and Reach. Almost as if the setting is the character, we follow what happens on Reach, through the Spartans that were trained and then ultimately were stranded there.

  • 06.13.2009 8:40 AM PDT
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just another FPS FTW

  • 06.13.2009 8:48 AM PDT
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Posted by: halomhm214423534
It sounds fantastic don't get me wrong I'd love a game like that. I don't think Bungie would go far from their FPS roots because most of their fanbase is made up of FPS fans. As for the Reach thing the way the teaser trailer is set up it makes me think that the game is going to take place during the final battles around Reach.


Ah...But Bungie's roots isn't FPS. It was Pong...


Anywho, Bungie has also made Myth, a really highly praised RTS series.

But, though this being a FPS, I agree with the OP. Its time for a change and Bungie can bring about the change.

Of course, if this game ends up being like any of the other Halo FPSs, then its still great. But now's the time to play with the Halo FPS formula.

  • 06.13.2009 9:14 AM PDT

I got live!

Yeah it was confirmed as an FPS. Which we should all be happy for.

  • 06.13.2009 9:22 AM PDT
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A third person shooter would be a refreshing change for the Halo series. Sometimes I pick up the missile pod just to get a glimpse at what Spartans are really famous for.

  • 06.13.2009 9:49 AM PDT

Posted by: McChiken
Yeah it was confirmed as an FPS. Which we should all be happy for.
Of course an FPS is wonderful, but all I'm saying is that the Halo series has been mostly FPS, so it would be interesting to at least see some sort of changes or dramatic additions from other kinds of genre's to liven up the series and make Halo something more.

  • 06.13.2009 12:58 PM PDT

Posted by: Sanjeev
Posted by: halomhm214423534
It sounds fantastic don't get me wrong I'd love a game like that. I don't think Bungie would go far from their FPS roots because most of their fanbase is made up of FPS fans. As for the Reach thing the way the teaser trailer is set up it makes me think that the game is going to take place during the final battles around Reach.


Ah...But Bungie's roots isn't FPS. It was Pong...


Anywho, Bungie has also made Myth, a really highly praised RTS series.

But, though this being a FPS, I agree with the OP. Its time for a change and Bungie can bring about the change.

Of course, if this game ends up being like any of the other Halo FPSs, then its still great. But now's the time to play with the Halo FPS formula.
Well if you want to get technical it wasnt Pong it was Gnop. I meant FPS in the halo universe which the game of reach takes place in. Good'ay sir ;)

  • 06.13.2009 2:27 PM PDT

No I didn't read all of it, but the bit about the AR reticle getting smaller or whatever is ridiculous and won't happen.

  • 06.13.2009 2:48 PM PDT
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Its an FPS. Its been confirmed

  • 06.13.2009 2:49 PM PDT
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i would have thought something like farcry 2 level designing would be awsome, being able to amke your own hills, roads, and othert stuf

  • 06.13.2009 2:53 PM PDT

Posted by: Sexy_Penguin
No I didn't read all of it, but the bit about the AR reticle getting smaller or whatever is ridiculous and won't happen.
I'm not saying that the Assault Rifle reticule will become comparitive to say the sniper rifles reticule. I'm saying that without some points in the skill it will be much larger than what we're used to in Halo 3, and with all points into the skill the reticule will be say between the current Assault Rifles reticule, and the curent Battle Rifle reticule.

Posted by: MasterBeef12345
Its an FPS. Its been confirmed
No really? I never would have imagined...

Did you read my post at all, or any subsequent posts? I completely understand that Halo Reach has been confirmed as a First Person Shooter, Mass Effect has been out for a long time, and on it's xbox.com page its genre is labeled as an RPG. Now anyone who knows anything about successful games would know that Mass Effect is also a Third Person Shooter, or just simply, a shooter. But that sub-genre is not represented, it's not labeled an RPG/Shooter; just an RPG. So by this logic it's possible that Halo Reach could have elements of an RPG, just nothing that anybody outside of Bungie knows about yet. Fallout is an RPG, does that immediately mean that there is no possible way that it's an FPS?

All we know about Halo Reach as of right now is its title, and that it is a First Person Shooter. Just because something is a First Person Shooter does not mean that it can't be anything but, being so closed minded would mean that you're just expecting another Halo FPS from Bungie. Now I'm hoping, and praying to Gods I don't even believe in that Bungie is going to turn the First Person Genre on its ass with something new, exciting and genre changing. Just like they changed console FPS's with Halo: Combat Evolved. Bungie has made games other than First Person Shooters before, and I'm sure that Bungie is sick of just redefining its games; I think Bungie will try to redefine a genre. And if they do, I will be the first one to say I told you so.

Posted by: MasterPain07
i would have thought something like farcry 2 level designing would be awsome, being able to amke your own hills, roads, and othert stuf
While we all wish for such a thing in our favorite games, I guarantee you that such a level designer, instead of an editor might be a little too much for most gamers. Even I'm absolutely confused and frustrated with Far Cry 2's level designer, its just too much to do, and usually ends in poorly designed maps when not being used by the most dedicated and skilled of users.

[Edited on 06.13.2009 8:49 PM PDT]

  • 06.13.2009 8:44 PM PDT
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Posted by: MasterBeef12345
Its an FPS. Its been confirmed


Provide proof please

  • 06.13.2009 9:10 PM PDT

Play to win. and remember dude just chillax its a game

that would be sick as ell but theres a problem with that. there is a multiplayer beta coming out in "march" oblivion and mass effect have no multiplayer

  • 06.13.2009 9:20 PM PDT

Play to win. and remember dude just chillax its a game

farcry 2 level creator would be sweet

  • 06.13.2009 9:21 PM PDT

Posted by: xXIronSmokeXx
that would be sick as ell but theres a problem with that. there is a multiplayer beta coming out in "march" oblivion and mass effect have no multiplayer
I really don't understand how that matters. I'm not saying that Bungie should be making a single player only game like Mass Effect or Oblivion. I even made an example in my first post has to how light RPG elements could be implemented into multiplayer in a fair and balanced way, at least without ever actually being able to test it.

  • 06.14.2009 8:52 AM PDT

Posted by: Deadly Zakk
Posted by: MasterBeef12345
Its an FPS. Its been confirmed


Provide proof please

Its in the update.

Source:Bungie Weekly Update: 06/05/09

Q. My cousin told me that Halo: Reach is a squad-based tactical MMO featuring all kinds of ridiculous stuff that I shouldn't believe. Is he a liar?

A. Halo: Reach will be a First Person Shooter. You will shoot stuff from a first person perspective. It will be awesome.


[Edited on 06.14.2009 8:59 AM PDT]

  • 06.14.2009 8:56 AM PDT

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The Halo REACH Script (post thoughts in thread)

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Look... I'm on bungiepedia!

I hope that it will feel alot like Halo 1, but with one major change... 5-Spartan squad. 4 Squad-controls on your Dpad (Concentrate fire here, Move here, Regroup, Hold fire/Weapons free).

  • 06.14.2009 9:02 AM PDT

Tank beats everything!

As interesting as most of these ideas are, you really cant change whats already been done with Halo: Reach. All we can really do is throw our hope and dreams in Bungie's face and say something like "Do it or ill hold your only copy for ransom!" Im not to found of the RPG elements you suggested, but it would be nice to see how well it played out. Asa for the level designer menchioned, i think thats a little much... But then again how else would you make such nice maps for multiplayer, this could also add more maps to the play lists over time, requiring almost (if not any) money for DLC Maps. That would be a nice addition!

  • 06.14.2009 9:15 AM PDT