Halo 5: Guardians Discussion | New ViDoc

BLOG CLARIFYING REQ PACKS:

I'm seeing a lot of questions on Twitter and in forums about the new Requisition System (REQ System) in Halo 5: Guardians. The REQ System rewards players across both our multiplayer experiences. Players will earn REQ Points after each match in Arena or Warzone multiplayer, which can then be redeemed for REQ Packs. So what goodies are in REQ Packs? Each pack contains a variety of requisitions (REQs) in the form of unlockable weapons and armors, skins, assassination animations, and more.  In addition, players will receive REQ Packs as rewards when they level up their Spartan Rank (SR) and complete Commendations across multiplayer.

While players will earn REQ Packs across both Arena and Warzone, only cosmetic items can be used in our Arena experience. This is to ensure that all players start with the same weapons and abilities as part of our vision for the balanced, competitive play in Arena multiplayer.

In Warzone, our new massive-scale multiplayer experience, we wanted to give fans even more variety and choice in how they play. Within Warzone, you’ll have the ability to deploy a multitude of weapons and vehicles from your inventory of REQs throughout a match. These requisitions are governed and balanced by Warzone’s in-match REQ Level and Energy systems, which are driven by player and team performance within the mode.

The REQ System is designed to generously reward players with a steady stream of content to keep gameplay fresh. We’ll be continuing to release new REQ content, post launch, so there are always new toys to play with. All REQ content in the game can earned through the regular course of play in multiplayer. We’ll also give players the option to purchase REQ Packs as a matter of convenience, with a portion of the proceeds going toward prize pools for the Halo Championship Series. Stay tuned for more details on Halo 5 esports plans later this summer.

We're excited to be showing Warzone for the first time here at E3 and on behalf of the entire Halo 5: Guardians team I want to thank you all for your support.

/Josh

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/more-info-req-pa...

Not yet.

Walmart has some weird shit listed for theirs:

PRE-ORDER NOW & RECEIVE The Fight Chance Pack! Includes: Medical Kit, Double Barrel Shotgun, Incendiary Agony Bolt, Poison Agony Bolt, and Green Gel.

^disregard the above, they fucked up and posted the pre-order bonus from The Evil Within somehow.

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/more-info-req-packs-in-halo-5-guardians

This is pretty nice

energy bayonet

: |

BestBuy pre-order bonus:

you can ask questions about warzone here

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/6e35355aecdf4fd0acdaee3cc4156f...

-Will all the various preorder bonuses also be unlockable in game?

All of the items that have been announced as pre-order incentives can also be earned through regular play via the Requisition System in-game, as there is a random chance of receiving them in each REQ pack. When pre-ordering, you simply are guaranteed to get that particular item on day one, without having to earn it in-game.

-Where did the name Warzone come from?

This was our internal code name for the mode from very early on. In our search for a final name we brainstormed a huge list of ideas (amongst them: Jumbo, Planetary Assault, Battlegrounds, SuperSlayer, and many many more) but in the end we kept coming back to Warzone. It captures the scale and intensity of the combat experience and provides a reference to the many distinct locations that will be featured in the mode. It just fits!

 
-Do the Warzone maps have any interactive elements?

Within each of the bases located around the map in Warzone are Requisition Stations. Players can interact with these stations and use any REQ cards within their collection to deploy weapons, vehicles and power-ups. In terms of the environment itself, we have destructible elements built into the maps that allow players to open up new routes. These are carefully placed to enhance the flow of combat throughout each map. Warzone home bases also feature team affiliated shield doors that protect your home base from attack. Home base shield doors remain active unless the enemy team controls all other bases.

-Will each map have different amounts of bosses to kill or is it the same across all?

Each Warzone map features a set of bosses that enter the battle at key moments during the match. Bosses are unique to each map. For example, Escape From A.R.C. (the map that was featured in our reveal of Warzone at this year’s E3) is the only place where you’ll encounter Baron ‘Sroam and his Banshee.

-Will there be friendly AI in Warzone? I.E. Marines, fellow Spartans, etc.

As you capture each base in Warzone, you receive friendly reinforcements in the form of AI-controlled marines. The marines will help guard the base, providing a final layer of defense against enemy incursion.

-Will there be team killing?

Friendly Fire is turned off in this mode to prevent any jerkfaces from killing their teammates and stealing their REQ equipment. Who would do such a thing? Lots of people.

-What are the systems in place in Warzone to prevent team snowballing and spawn camping?

Spawn locations are carefully placed around the map to ensure that there is always a safe location for players to spawn in from. Additionally we allow players to select the base at which they spawn, choosing from all of the bases they currently control. This is one of the advantages to capturing and holding bases: it offers more control over spawn location and allows players to spawn forward in the map so they can apply pressure to the other team.

To prevent “snowballing,” we have REQ Level and Energy systems in the game that govern the deployment of REQ items. This ensures that a player can’t keep spamming REQs and providing their team with a sustained advantage. We also replenish energy at a fixed rate rather than tying it to individual or team accomplishments. So while the REQ content that a player deploys may give them a temporary advantage, it doesn’t accelerate the rate at which their energy replenishes. And of course while it is possible to deploy powerful REQs by spending energy, the opposing team always has the opportunity take it away and use it against you.

-Could you give us any interesting tricks and tips to prep us for Warzone?

The best teams find the right balance between capturing and holding bases, hunting down bosses and killing members of the opposing team. All three have a direct impact on your team’s score and knowing where and when to focus as a team is critical to victory. Another consideration is when to deploy your REQs and how you choose to spend your energy. Do you want to deploy powerful vehicles late in the game, or will you deploy lower cost REQs more frequently throughout the match? Will you coordinate deployments as a team to gain advantage at a critical juncture or focus on countering the opposing team’s requisitions? Capturing and holding the garage can provide a major advantage by allowing you to deploy ground vehicles in the center of the map. This strategic location plays a pivotal role in many matches. One of my favorite aspects of Warzone is that there is no single “best” strategy for winning. Each game plays out differently and there are many ways to gain the upper hand.

-Will players be kicked if they are AFK?

We will detect AFK players in both Warzone and Arena and kick them from the game over time. Continual AFK violations may result in temporary bans from matchmaking.

-How many cards do you get in one REQ pack?

We want players to earn a sufficient number of REQs to provide them with interesting choices in each match of Warzone.  We’re still tuning the experience at this point so the exact number of cards per pack hasn’t been nailed down.

-Will Warzone pick random maps, or veto, or a vote system?

Each playlist will rotate through a variety of maps – there won’t be a vote or veto system used.

-Are the values for killing AI bosses still being tuned? It seemed like getting 200 VP (1/5th of the score needed to win) for killing a Legendary Boss at E3 was a bit much.

We want Legendary Bosses to provide a large enough bounty that teams are incentivized to hunt them down and fight over them. That said, the scoring values are not final and we will continue tuning scoring right up until launch (and possibly beyond!)

-What difficulty level is the A.I?

It’s hard to define in traditional Halo terms because the situations in which you face the AI are so varied. You may be fighting 1:1 against a Boss (good luck!), or 6:1 against a simple Soldier or Grunt. Generally we are striving for something close to Heroic in terms of feel, but where the bosses are much tougher than the standard enemies. This is especially true of Legendary Bosses – these are formidable foes that require coordination across the team in order to take them down.

-What was the funniest glitch you've witnessed in Warzone testing?

Recently there was a bug where boarding an opponent’s Ghost would result in the driver standing on top of it like a hovering surfboard. “Ghost surfing” is funny to look at and makes for a great distraction when attacking the opposing team.

-How long do the Warzone matches usually last?

The Warzone demo that we brought to E3 was tuned to be faster and more frenetic, with an accelerated earn rate for energy to allow players to deploy more REQ content. We also limited the games to a maximum of 18 minutes. The final tuning for the mode is likely to result in matches that are 20-24 minutes long. Average length for our internal tests is right around 22 minutes.

-What countermeasures have been put in place to make sure that the REQ system isn't abused by people buying REQ packs with cash vs those who earn them naturally through the game?

Deployment of REQ items is limited by the REQ Level and Energy systems that govern the Warzone experience. Each REQ item costs a certain amount of Energy to deploy. The amount of energy available to you is limited by your REQ Level. Everybody starts at REQ Level 1 at the beginning of each match and you gain levels based on your actions in the game. Capturing bases, killing AI, taking out AI Bosses and killing enemy players will help you level up within the match. The higher your REQ Level, the more energy you can store and use to deploy REQs. The more powerful the REQ, the more energy you need to deploy it – so, for example, you can spend two energy points to deploy a Warthog or save up until you reach REQ Level 5 and spend all of your energy to deploy a more powerful Banshee. Energy replenishes at a set rate over time, and you gain a bonus energy point every time you level up. These systems are in place to prevent Warzone from becoming “pay to win.”

-What have you done to prevent an abundance of dead zones or a lack of action? In the gameplay I've seen, there are lots of zones without so much activity. What do you plan to do to keep it interesting?

Each of the maps has been carefully designed with focal points for action and opportunities for exploration and discovery. While it’s possible to explore the fringes of the map, success requires engagement with the opposing team. This tends to take place around the base objectives and at boss spawn locations that are peppered throughout the map. We’ve also designed a few areas around the map to be intentionally lower in activity to give players time to group together, plan strategies and redeem REQs without constant pressure form the other team. Home bases are an example of a space that is intentionally designed to be low activity in most circumstances.

-Will you be able to play as any type of character (ex: Elite, Forerunner, ext...)

Everyone plays as a Spartan in Halo 5 multiplayer. This includes both Warzone and Arena.

-Will we be able to set up a customs game lobby with more than the default number of players?

Warzone is exclusively available through matchmaking.

-Do the bosses spawn at the same spots or is there a RNG to where they will spawn? Ex. Hunters ALWAYS spawn closer to blue side while Red ALWAYS spawns near a Sanghelli General.

Each of the bosses have set spawn locations so that players can learn the maps and apply strategy in their approach. Boss areas are carefully crafted and positioned in locations that facilitate map movement while maintaining team balance. We also place Legendary bosses in central locations to give both teams a fair shot at taking them down.

-What are the levels of Req Packs? Premium seems to be the best you can get.

Players will be able to redeem Requisition Points for three different tiers of REQ Packs in the game: Bronze, Silver and Gold. We also offer Premium tier packs as part of the LE and LCE versions of the game. Each level of REQ Pack determines the quality of the REQs inside. For example, a Gold REQ Pack has a chance of including Legendary requisitions, while a Bronze REQ Pack does not.

-Will I be able to search with a team of 12 or is there a limit?

We allow people to enter matchmaking for Warzone with up to 12 people in a party, so it is possible to put together a 12-person squad to take on the world.

-How will the ranking system for Warzone work?

Warzone doesn’t feature a skill-based ranking system like CSR, but there we do use a hidden MMR value to track and match players according to skill so that teams remain balanced.

-How many maps will support warzone at launch?

We will have six Warzone maps at launch and will deliver another six between launch and June 2016.

-Since games are longer and have more opportunities to earn points, will this throw off the balance of XP earned over time compared to other playlists?

The XP system that drives Spartan Rank is designed to reflect time played with additional performance-related bonuses. Currently one game of Warzone is roughly equivalent to two games of Arena in terms of XP earned based on average match length. This is still being tuned and may change.

-Will 343 have Warzone community playdates with or against the community?

Absolutely! We’ll announce more details as we get to launch.

-Are the marines featured in Warzone real marines simulating combat and training alongside Spartans, or are the marines simply AI constructs like the Covenant and Prometheans?

The marines are AI constructs created within the simulation. Warzone training is only available to Spartans.

-Will there be any UNSC aircraft that we can use?

Warzone features Pelicans in intro to the mode but there will be no pilotable UNSC aircraft in the mode at launch.

-Any chance we'll see a PvE only version of Warzone?

We have no plans for a PvE-only version of Warzone, but this is something we may consider post-launch if there is enough enthusiasm from the Halo 5 community.

-In the final version of warzone, will the original announcer be present? I noticed that in the gameplay released when a player got a double kill or a killing spree nothing got announced.

Jeff Steizer returns as the voice of Halo’s classic announcer in Arena. For Warzone we feature Jennifer Hale (the voice of Commander Palmer). Throughout the game, Palmer provides real-time updates on the status of the match including events like boss spawns, boss takedowns and base conversions. This helps players to strategize on which objectives they want to go after next.

-Will players receive a starter pack of REQ cards, with a few of each base weapon and vehicle variant?

All players will receive an allotment of REQs to get them started right off the bat in Halo 5: Guardians.

-Will there be skill matching in Warzone?

We use a hidden skill-based MMR value to match players and balance teams in Warzone.

-Say a member of both red and blue team are going for the same boss, will there be extra points or medals awarded for assisting the enemy teem in the kill or vice versa for beating the enemy team to the kill?

The Victory Point bounty for taking down a boss is granted to whichever team scores the killing blow. This creates an opportunity for strategy in approaching each boss battle. Do you race to take out the boss, fight off the opposing team as they try to take it out, or will you choose to deploy your REQs in an attempt to steal the kill? The choice is yours.

-Will I be able to purchase all armor from req packs, or will some require me to be at a certain SR to unlock?

The vast majority of armor will be earned within the Requisition system as randomized rewards within the REQ packs but we may have a few exceptions that are tied to specific unlock criteria.

-How often do the bosses drop into battle in Warzone?

This varies by map and is something that we are continuing to tune. 

-Will players who don't want to purchase the packs with real-life currency have to grind for hours upon hours just to purchase one REQ pack?

Our goal for the Requisition System is to generously reward all players through the course of regular play. Players will receive REQ packs for leveling up their Spartan Rank (SR) and for completing commendations. We’ll also be granting Requisition Points for playing in Arena and Warzone, and these points can be redeemed for additional REQ packs. We are still tuning the system but rest assured, players won’t need to grind for hours to earn a single pack.

-Are you going to add a specific (starting) intro to each Warzone map?

Each Warzone engagement starts with the team deploying into the battlefield. These intros are unique to each map.

-Will we be able to use the weapon skins in arena gametypes?

Weapon skins are usable in Arena (matchmaking and customs) for starting loadout weapons.

-Will you continue to add more items into REQ packs post launch?

We will be delivering HUNDREDS of new REQs post-launch to ensure that we have a steady stream of new content and rewards to keep gameplay fresh. As with the launch content offered within the REQ system, players will be able to earn these new REQs through the course of regular play.

Huge Q&A about Warzone.

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/halo-community-u...

Was it good or was it bad? And did it help Halo at all?

I didn't follow it, but I remember hearing about how it was huge. But look where Halo 4 ended up. Sure, it was heading downhill no matter what, but to me it just seems like whatever Microsoft did at the time hasn't changed it's path even in the slightest.