Hello hubbers, I wanted to spark some discussion about Halo 5 Infection. What do we want for a gametype? What were some fundamental problems you found with previous iterations of infection? What did you like about previous iterations of infection? What should the infected look like? Should there be different kinds of enemies? What weapon do we see fit as a primary/secondary? Do we want one base gametype with several options for sub-gametypes? Should humans and infected have all spartan abilities? Leave any and all Infection ideas here.
If it hasn't been on the list at 343 already, I would suggest trait zones. This way when a player enters an area we can change certain options, most importantly "On Spartan Enter" so we can have zombie/infection spawns only spawn when a player is in that area. There are ways to do it currently with scripting workarounds, but trait zones would help a ton. Trait zones extra features that we don't have now that should be able to change things like Map effects (color filters of the map) Spawns and Respawns - Despawn and respawn Player Force Color (not necessary, but who knows what cools stuff comes from it) A Weapon drop pad with a random selection scripting and assignable variables (this would allow for a player to goto the weapon drop hit a switch and it would drop one weapon of our choice out of the 10 different weapons labelled under the scripting) Movement speed Jump Height Melee Spartan Ability toggle gravity adjustments Send power on/ message on scripting and channel to send to Possibly it's own scripting options Not infection related only, but a texture overlay option for primitive blocks (honeycomb, rust, hexagons, grate mesh looking, dirt, pavement a carpet pattern maybe, woodgrain, brick and a few forerunner / covenant other textures. These textures would just overlay a grayscale overlay over the existing block as that should help to minimize processor usage and it would be an added label to the block, not as a whole category in itself. For the Brain, it would be nice to put the scripting under it and then have a send info option to the objects that way, so that the brain has the scripting and once it sent info to be performed the object can complete it, perform any additional scripting once that action was met and then send a return signal to the brain to state completed. This would allow for more complex and consistent scripting to occur and also to reset positions for items more consistently as well. It would also allow for an object to possibly have a random option assignment under the brain scripting, so it could choose a variable script implemented.
I would like it if the Humans and Zombie were classed as belong to "Teams". In previous iterations, the gametype has been fundamentally classed as an "FFA" gametype in its behaviour. Let's just, for argument's sake, have the Humans be classed as Red Team/Defenders, and the Zombies as Blue Team/Attackers (the same as their Spawn Points worked in previous iterations). One obvious example as to why this would be a beneficial change: You would have the ability to make Scripting Switches accessible for one side only.
I've been wondering the same and restrained myself from beginning any infection maps simply because... we don't know what Infection will look like in H5. What makes it even more difficult to begin planning any sort of infection map is that fact that typically whenever the 343 version of infection comes out, we as a community flip it off (rightfully so <flood>) and create our own go-to versions (Last Stand, Hivemind). Personally, I like the idea of humans being able to do anything a human could do (Sprint, jump (unless it's last stand), clamber.) Those are basic human abilities that we can all do, whereas technically a decaying corpse wouldn't be able to jump, sprint, or clamber. Obviously though, this cannot be directly followed, for playing as a zombie would become pretty boring. So, in the spirit of distributing the abilities between the players and zombies, I kind of like this idea: Humans: Base Speed: 80 Sprint Speed: 120 Jump: 100 (Normal) Clamber: Off Thruster: Off Stabilizers: Off Ground Pound: Off Zombies: Base Speed: 100 Sprint Speed: Off Jump: 100 (Normal) Clamber: On Thrusters: Off Stabilizers: On Ground Pound: Off These settings put the humans and zombies on a very level playing field with just enough subtle differences to balance and differentiate the gameplay between each. Human's CANNOT out run zombies at the human base speed, but they can fight back with their guns. Humans CAN outrun zombies with their sprint speed, however they sacrifice their ability to fight back (you cannot use your gun while sprinting). Human's can get around faster by sprinting. Zombies can get around faster by clambering over objects. Also, giving Zombies stabilizers would allow them to jump up to a certain level to 'see' how many humans they may be up against before drifting back down and planning their attack. I don't think Thruster or Ground Pound has any place in Infection. They're too technologically advanced for what I believe should be a very primal like gamemode. I could possibly see the Infected being given the ability to thrust however Ground Pound is a giant no, as it would take away from the 'zombie lunging in your face up close and personal' engagements that infection has always been about and allow one zombie the chance of taking out like 5 humans at once. As for damage ratio's, all I know is that I'd like humans to be two hit, especially in an amped up sandbox like Halo 5's. Paints, do you plan on bringing back Last Stand, or are you afraid it would be way to grounded due to all the extra mobility involved in Halo 5's sandbox?
And hey, here's a little idea that could be interesting but could also be seriously flawed and need a lot of testing. Plus 343 would need to give us specific settings since what I'm about to propose has yet to be possible with past infection settings. A Free For All Slayer Match. No Zombies. No Teams. Just average, ordinary, free for all slayer. However you only have one life. As soon as you die, you become a zombie. You would be faced with a gametype in which you would have to go up against other humans and Zombies. Zombies would all be on the 'same team' like normal, but instead of the humans being on the same side, you'd be all on your own, scavenging for weapons. I feel like that could lead to some epic engagements, such as being in a fire fight with someone cross map, when all of a sudden you see 3 zombies come out of no where and assault him. I played with this idea in 'Deliverance' (which I plan on bringing back at some point in Halo 5) but this would be a more match making friendly version.
I've started forging for infection already, lost a bit of motivation recently cos we haven't heard anything from 343 about infection though. The main thing I really hope gets implemented are go to type points for linear infection games.. like you get points for moving further and further into the map. This also helps with giving new players direction. idk if this was ever a thing that worked in H2A or H4 but it definitely didn't work proper in Reach. I hope they give more thematic infection style forge pieces too.
I don't know about you, but a revive option, the ability to "buy" the abilities from a scripted event during in game. Or start off as UNSC marines then get the Spartan armor again from "buying" from a currency, how annout the infected have a squad of ai and the player is the "hive mind of the squad and they are about the stats of a marine from war zone but look like the combat form, and a possibility of a weapon like a Pistiol (witch you could edit in the setting of weapons they could have and the possibilities of how likely get the weapon plus there accuracy). Objectives that can be ether optional or required. An upgrade machine to get the "ultra rare" version of that gun while the base guns are in a random weapons box that could have multipul locations that it could go to, possible power ups/drops that the infected could drop. I'm not saying these need to be in the base infection mode, but these are options ya know? But I think that they might actually not add infection due to it adding horror elements, witch would change the ESRB ratings (the resin why the original 3 halos had M was cuz of the flood, and they are trying for mass market. So that scares me on the infection mode might actually not be in halo 5... Sorry for the spelling mistakes, I'm really tired.
So basically how infection was for me back in reach (everyone just killed each other for ammo from my experiences)
i'm not a veteran or anything but i've noticed that most of the infection gametypes being created are using SMGs. Is there a particular reason for this? i used to play with shottys and found that the range reduction sort of added to the 'stress' of a swordbro rushing in, but SMG works fairly well too, just more spray-and-pray application.
I think the main reason for this is to promote movement and round progression. This absolutely includes the weapon sandbox. Spawning with a shotgun promotes immediate camping. Furthermore, the SMG starts adds a bit of a need for teamwork in the beginning of the round. As much as I love the shotgun, it has it's place. I don't think that place is at the beginning of the round.
Well, I never play matchmaking so I'm not interested in having it built around it. I just want loads of custom options. I can't list them all in one go. That's all, just the tools to make it how we want for each map.