Support NeoGAF

[Proelite]

I've thinking a lot about the potential sequel to ODST. Being a huge fan of the FPS genre, most of my thoughts around the design of the game. I like to think about games starting with the Aesthetics side in the MDA framework, so for ODST 2 I settled on several emotions / feeling that I wanted to feel from playing the game.

I felt the phases below should convey the emotions of what I want to experience as a human soldier, very capable but weak compared to a Spartan:

Outnumbered and outgunned
Behind Enemy Lines
Adaptability
Lone wolf
Resource Management
Immersion
Sandbox
Gritty and Tenacious
Brains over brawn

Then I thought about brief segments of gameplay that would invoke the phrases in the previous list.

Dropping into enemy territory.
Approaching a Covenant outpost under the cover of night.
Setting up traps for an enemy patrol.
Digging in and defending a location against an enemy patrol with the help of cover and traps.
Sneaking through a base and taking out enemies silently.
Digging in and defending a location against endless wave of enemies with the help of automated sentry guns and traps.
Scary parts at night time.
Scrounging up resources from enemy bodies, bases, abandoned buildings.
Upgrading weapons and leveling up to be stronger at survival and combat.

I enumerated what mechanics we needed in order to enable the previous gameplay experiences.

Upgradeable guns needs an inventory to keep all weapons.
Traps and turrets means the return of equipments. Makes sense that ODSTs will use all the tools of war.
Leveling progress will mean some shallow RPG elements.
Resource management means collecting resource that can be used in someway, i.e. upgrading weapons / equipments / etc.
Scary segments. Why not bring back the flood?
Night segments begs for day light cycles.
ODST drop pods begs for open sandbox gameplay mission where you can choose where to drop.

To save time on writing out the description of the game, I've created lists below the illustrate the type of ODST game that I would love to play.

Engine:
60 fps
>=900p
Day Night Cycle
Global Lighting
Support for 20-50 NPCs concurrently
>1 sq mile play spaces

Controls:
Right Trigger Shoot, Use Consumable
Left Trigger Aim, Toss Consumable
Right Bumper Grenade, Hold + Right Stick Click to change Grenade Mode, Hold in assassination range to plant grenade on enemy.
Left Bumper Equipment, Hold + Right Stick Click to change Equipment Mode

A Vault / Jump
B Crouch / Prone / Slide
X Reload weapon, Pickup weapons, grenades, etc, Hold to use, Hold to enter vehicles, Hold to Retrieve Equipment
Y Switch Weapons, Change Deployed Equipment Mode, Hold to Switch to Heavy Weapon

Right Stick AIM
Left Stick Walk
Right Click Melee, click to Zoom when ADS for scopes, Hold to Assassinate, Hold to repair vehicle / equipments
Left Click Hold forward to Sprint

Up Visor mode. Toggle between Thermal / Nightvision / Normal mode. Hold to use binoculars.
Down Cycle Consumable
Left Switch between 2 equipment types
Right Switch between 2 grenade types
Back Inventory Menu

Inventory Menu:
Map + Mission Page
RPG leveling + Cosmetics Page
Inventory Page: Select / Modify Loadouts / Upgrade Weapons

Loadouts:
2 x weapons
1 x heavy weapons
armor type

Equipments are not included in the persistent loadouts because the game might be monotonous if every gunfight devolved into use the same equipment strategy. Mission designers can also design encounters / missions based around equipments if players are limited to equipment choices. Likewise grenades will not be due to the fact that if grenade types are depleted it'll be awkward to have the player to switch loadouts to use other grenade types.

Equipments (Only 2 types can be carried at once, toggle between modes for variety):
Auto Turret / Sniper Turret, 2 can be carried, 4 with leveling
Grenade Launcher / Stun Launcher, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling
Laser Turret / Charged Shot Turret, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling
Assault / Support Drone, 2 can be carried, 1 can carried, 2 with leveling
Emp Turret, Emp Field generator, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling
Replenishing Explosive Trip Mine, Emp Mine, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling
Bubble Shield / Chest High Cover, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling
Passive Motion Detector/ Active (noisy) Pulse Sonar, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling
Regenerator / Damage Reducer, 1 can be carried, 2 with leveling

Support drone has grenade return, hardlight shield, and stun. Both drones can revive player.

Grenades (only 2 types can be carried, toggle between modes)
Frag / Proximity Grenade
Plasma / Emp Grenade
Stun / Flash Grenades
Thermal / Fuel Air Grenade
Smart Mode 1 / Mode 2 Grenade

Consumables
5 x Medic Packs
3 x Overshield
2 x Speed Boost
2 x Damage Boost
1 x 30 sec Invincibility

Armor Types
Plasma Shield, 100% of base health (Stop & Pop)
Cloak Armor (Hide & Smite).
Kinectic Armor, reduces all damage by 50%, doubles healing rate (Run & Gun)

SP/Coop Survival Stat Unlocks:
Carry more Medipacs
Medipacs Overheal if close to full HP
Medic Packs Heals for More % of health
Resistance to Stun / Flash
Resistance to Explosive Damage
Slow Health Regen
Meta Unlock: Gain %of life upon killing an enemy

SP/Coop Combat Stat Unlocks:
Faster Reload
Faster Melee
Infinite Sprint
Faster Movement hipfire
Faster Movement ADS
Ammo Trickle
Meta Unlock: Elites / Brutes always drop consumables / grenades upon death

SP/Coop Infiltration Stat Unlocks:
Faster Assassination
Reduced Cloak Shimmer when moving
Bigger Radar
Silent Grenade Throw
Faster Cloak Recovery after firing a weapon
Quiter movements
Meta Unlock: Assisination while facing the enemy if cloaked

SP/Coop Engineering stat Unlocks:
Carry more Equipments
Carry more Grenades
Carry more Ammo
Faster Repair
Vehicle self heal slowly
Equipments self heal slowly
Meta Unlock: Vehicles / Equipments are immune to EMP

Human Weapons + Upgrades:
Pistol, Silencer, Reflex Sight, Laser Pointer, Extended Clip, Fire Rate, Delayed Explosive Bullets
SMG, Silencer, Reflex Sight, Laser Pointer, Extended Clip, Range
AR, Reflex Sight, Laser Pointer, Extended Clip, Special Sight, Recoil Reducer, Incendiary Rounds
BR, Reflex Sight, Thermal Sight, Scope, Extended Clip, Fire Rate, 4 shot bursts
DMR, Reflex Sight, Thermal Sight, Scope, Extended Clip, Fire Rate, Bleed Through Damage
Shotgun, Reflex Sight, Extended Clip, Range, Fire Rate, Extra Pellets
Sniper, Thermal Sight, Extended Clip, Recoil Reducer, Penetration through materials
Explosive Crossbow, Reflex Sight, Scope, Range, Blast Radius, Emp Effect

Human Heavy Weapons + Upgrades:
Railgun, Explosive Shot, Faster Charging, Sight, Scope
Infinity Rifle, Sight, Scope, Recharge Speed, Fire Rate
Rocket Launcher, Blast Radius, Rocket Speed, Faster Lock On, "Aftershock" Explosions
Heavy Machine Gun, Recoil Reducer, Extended Clip, Reflex Sight, Fire Rate, Penetration

Convenant Weapons + upgrades
PP, Battery Efficiency, Quicker Lockon, Overheat Less, Faster Cool Down, Freeze Effect, Emp Blast Radius increase
Brute Spiker, Extended Clip, Reflex Sight, Projectile Speed, Poisoned Spikes
Plasma Rifle, Battery Efficiency, Fire Rate, Projectile Speed, Overheat Less, Faster Cool Down, Freeze Effect
Carbine, Extended Clip, Special Reflex Sight, Fire Rate, Shield Bleed Through Damage
Needler, Extended Clip, Projectile Speed, Improved homing, Less Needles to Cause Explosions
Plasma Sword, More Efficient batteries, Faster unsheathing, Further Lunge
Beam Rifle, Special Sight, More Efficient batteries, Faster Cool Down, More Shots before Cooling, Beam bounce to nearest shielded target

Human Vehicles
ATV
Warthog
Armor Personal Carrier
Scorpian
Small Exo Mech, like the APU from Matrix
Hornet (Little bird of the Haloverse)
Attack Chopper (Pelican Replacement)
Mobile Command Center

Convenant Vehicles
Ghost
Chopper
Prowler
Wraith
Locust
Bashee
Phantom
Scarab
Air Fortress

Allies:
ODSTs
Marines
Planetary Police Force
Resistance
Stragglers

Covenant:
Grunts
Grunts Variants
Jackal
Jackal Snipers
Heavy Armored Assault Jackals
Drones
Elites
Elite Captain
Elite Commander
Elite Zealots
Elite Spec Ops
Hunters
Engineers
Brutes
Brute Captain
Brute Chieftain
Prophets

Flood:
Infection Form
Carrier
Zombie Flood
Elite Variant
Brute Variant
Flood Pure Form
Flood Tank Form

Game Modes:
SP: 4 player co-op mode. Linear + sandbox missions. Day Light Cycle. Premise: Group of ODSTs are sent to help liberate a human world that has being taken over by a Covenant Splinter Faction, before the main UNSC fleet arives. Things get nastier when a weaponized version of the Flood is released by the Covenant.
Firefight: 4 players. Players start "naked" and gain levels + weapon upgrades. Etc.
Missions of the week: 4-16 players. Use campaign Loadouts.
Skirmish Mode: 8-16 players. Load outs. Weapon upgrades earned per game. No heavy weapons in loadouts. Limited starting equipment options. 2 x specializations
War Mode: 16-32 players. Class based. Weapons, equipments, grenade, armor type, consumbles, and specializations define the class. Classes are Infiltration Specialist, Engineering Specialist, Combat Specialist
Theater:
Forge: Includes firefight forge and mission designer (might be too much work).

 

[veloxStrix]

RPG Maker this shit up.

 

[KnightHero117]

Great ideas you got there now if only stinkles would take a look

We also NEED Buck and his crew back if they haven't turned to spartan 4s already

 

[Wounded]

I would like to see and ODST 2 but I have to say I would rather the game move away from being based on a Human planet. Although it might make sense story-wise I've always thought the human-based locations of the Halo series were not nearly as exciting to explore as the more alien like locations. It's particularly noticeable on Halo 2, moving from New Mombasa, some of the level is a decent, yet fairly typically futuristic human city.

Compare that with the levels set on the Halo ring, where there's unique and interesting structures and landscapes to be explored and understood. I think you could really emphasise that feeling as an ODST. It's not somewhere you can just blast through, but somewhere you need to adapt to and understand.

 

[Toxi]

Is there a daddy-long-legs in this one?

 

[Proelite]

I would like to see and ODST 2 but I have to say I would rather the game move away from being based on a Human planet. Although it might make sense story-wise I've always thought the human-based locations of the Halo series were not nearly as exciting to explore as the more alien like locations. It's particularly noticeable on Halo 2, moving from New Mombasa, some of the level is a decent, yet fairly typically futuristic human city.

Compare that with the levels set on the Halo ring, where there's unique and interesting structures and landscapes to be explored and understood. I think you could really emphasise that feeling as an ODST. It's not somewhere you can just blast through, but somewhere you need to adapt to and understand.

That's the fault of the Halo games. The world of Metro 2033 were amazing to explore, and yet the majority of it was train tunnels. The environments in Halo games are never detailed nor fleshed out with the exception of ODST and Reach. ODST's environments were the best in the series.

 

[User 73706]

I'm expecting Halo 3 ODST to take place immediately after most of the UNSC-Elite forces left for the Ark, while Buck's squad is stuck with Hood fighting for Earth as the Flood invade. Similar to the original, it could take place over the course of a single night of Rashomon-style missions or so, climaxing in the squad trying to escape before their sector is glassed.

 

[Proelite]

Great ideas you got there now if only stinkles would take a look

Stinkles probably dreams up new Halo game every night in his sleep.

 

[SwiftDeath]

As long as it still has that sweet sweet smooth Jazz

 

[LastChance2Frag]

Ideas look good, would be really cool to add some more RPG/Strategy mechanics into the series, like having a commander mode choosing where reinforcements would drop in/ call in air support.

Even though the sandbox areas were great in the original, if there were Day/Night cycles it would be great to establish multiple base of operations/hubs through out the campaign where you could go back get resupplied and maybe have to head back to help defend aka firefight...

 

[metareferential]

Great list.

20-50 npc? ODST on the 360 already has something like 30.

Step up your game xD

 

[KrM DeLorean]

You had me with you until flood.

 

[Proelite]

You had me with you until flood.

I think it'll be great to have defense sections where you defend an objective against the flood with coop allies, npcs and automated sentry guns. Mission designers would probably want to limit the flood to only those type of encounters.

In addition, flood only waves would work awesome in firefight mode.

 

[Masquerader]

Complicated! Sounds better than Halo 4, mind.

 

[KaiserBecks]

Firefight. Just give me Firefight. Call it "Halo: Firefight", I don't care. ODST Firefight is the best horde-mode ever.

 

[Proelite]

Firefight. Just give me Firefight. Call it "Halo: Firefight", I don't care. ODST Firefight is the best horde-mode ever.

Extremely long horde modes like Gears /COD, but where you can level up inside a single game, would be the best thing ever.

 

[akira28]

Since I loved ODST, sign me up. Just as long as I can stalk aliens in the thunderstormy night vision darkness with a jazz soundtrack.That's all I really want in life really.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Sounds good to me since it seems to wrap up all my issues with ODST. Loved the idea of ODST but it never felt like it was fully realized.

 

[Archpath1]

Firefight. It was fun and brutal.

 

[HitokiriNate85]

I replayed ODST sometime around November last year and I'd love a sequel, but I fear it just wouldn't be the same without O'Donnell and Salvatori. I'm a bit biased since it's been my soundtrack of the last couple months and is now probably my favorite Halo soundtrack.

There's definitely great potential for the idea, though. Team-based combat was all over E3 and this would be a natural fit, but I think the game that would come out of it would completely miss out on what helped separate ODST for me, which was an almost reversed, more human perspective on the Halo story. I really liked jumping from one character to another in ODST because it made for good pacing. That said, I'd want more more exploration in a sequel, with combat being even more limited to small encounters with an emphasis on conserving ammo.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Since I loved ODST, sign me up. Just as long as I can stalk aliens in the thunderstormy night vision darkness with a jazz soundtrack. That's all I really want in life really.

Best Halo music ever

 

[Proelite]

Since I loved ODST, sign me up. Just as long as I can stalk aliens in the thunderstormy night vision darkness with a jazz soundtrack.That's all I really want in life really.

Hmm. I totally forgot about the night vision. Getting rid of binoculars then.

 

[GamerJM]

I'm with you. ODST is best Halo.

 

[BlazeBreak]

Best Halo music ever

That it is.

I highly doubt we'll ever see a second ODST game, for a variety of reasons. Any sidegames/expansions would probably be centered on new, more "relevant" characters. ODSTs are also kinda pointless in the new order with Spartan IVs.

And no blatant offense to 343, but at least with what we've seen so far, I unfortunately doubt they'll ever make a game as artistic as ODST. Their focus has only seemed to be the mass market first and foremost.

 

[Danthrax]

I will not come at you, OP. ODST is my favorite Halo.

 

[jem0208]

I love the themes behind your ideas but I really don't like one thing you said.

You shouldn't be able to hold all the weapons at once. Also Lt needs to be grenade and clicking in the right stick needs to be scope.

Other than that they're done cool ideas.

I love the thought of a stealthy Halo. That could be awesome.

 

[naeS]

Best Halo music ever

Thank you. Playing this when I get home now.

OT: Love the list. Night time stealth missions would be sweet.

 

[akira28]

I love the themes behind your ideas but I really don't like one thing you said.

You shouldn't be able to hold all the weapons at once. Also Lt needs to be grenade and clicking in the right stick needs to be scope.

Other than that they're done cool ideas.

I love the thought of a stealthy Halo. That could be awesome.

Yeah and since I can only play Halo on the hardest mode, I would be a puny human emptying my little 10mm SMG clip into a brute, and then giving a war cry while I charge him to rip his head off and shit down his neck...in the dark. Running through alleyways and into alien patrols, finding squaddies and trying to keep them alive.

While a sexy saxophone played in the background. That's the shit I like. Avenging those poor families like some open world Dark Knight of Mombasa.

Make the human defence forces smarter so they can actually help you, make it even more of an open world with procedural skirmishes and hazardous traversals on the way to the mission, etc. Bonuses and secrets and more. A new ODST might...might win me over.

Hmm. I totally forgot about the night vision. Getting rid of binoculars then.

No remember we're just humans in suits. We need 4x vision goggles, night vision, and even enemy acquisition tagging HUD. (Like how they would have a little color coded aura around the enemies? That shit was nice.)

edit:
Lets get crazy. In SP Lets have upgrade and power up crafting. Lets have sleep and rest cycles. I really want the ODST mechanic to be distinguishable from the SPARTANs. I remember the feeling of having to climb up some of these enemies because I'm not an 8 foot tall superhuman in a powersuit. It was slower, but somehow lighter, and you needed like 5 or 6 melees to do the job.

 

[Willectro]

ODST2 would make me buy an Xbox One.

 

[Proelite]

I love the themes behind your ideas but I really don't like one thing you said.

You shouldn't be able to hold all the weapons at once. Also Lt needs to be grenade and clicking in the right stick needs to be scope.

Other than that they're done cool ideas.

I love the thought of a stealthy Halo. That could be awesome.

You only can use two weapon and one heavy weapon at a time. Your inventory has all your weapons, but you'll have to spent 2-3 seconds selecting another loadout. Not recommended during a heavy firefight.

MP wouldn't have inventory or course.

The inventory as more of necessity due to upgradeable weapons. Without upgradeable weapons, there would be no need for an inventory.

Yeah and since I can only play Halo on the hardest mode, I would be a puny human emptying my little 10mm SMG clip into a brute, and then giving a war cry while I charge him to rip his head off and shit down his neck...in the dark. Running through alleyways and into alien patrols, finding squaddies and trying to keep them alive.

While a sexy saxophone played in the background. That's the shit I like. Avenging those poor families like some open world Dark Knight of Mombasa.

Make the human defence forces smarter so they can actually help you, make it even more of an open world with procedural skirmishes and hazardous traversals on the way to the mission, etc. Bonuses and secrets and more. A new ODST might...might win me over.



No remember we're just humans in suits. We need 4x vision goggles, night vision, and even enemy acquisition tagging HUD. (Like how they would have a little color coded aura around the enemies? That shit was nice.)

edit:
Lets get crazy. In SP Lets have upgrade and power up crafting. Lets have sleep and rest cycles. I really want the ODST mechanic to be distinguishable from the SPARTANs. I remember the feeling of having to climb up some of these enemies because I'm not an 8 foot tall superhuman in a powersuit. It was slower, but somehow lighter, and you needed like 5 or 6 melees to do the job.

enemy acquisition HUD would definitely be in. Maybe long pressing on UP pad would bring up the binoculars? Regular pressing would be toggling between regular vision, thermal vision, and night vision.

As for sleep and rest cycles, that would be crazily complicated. I think there is needs to be line drawn between complexity and simplicity. Finding that line would be the job of the designers.

 

[akira28]

ODST2 would make me buy an Xbox One.

Best Halo music ever

waking up and finding the sun had gone.
hrnn...the pain was real. to realize I had been cast aside like a boring dream...I wasn't ready to forgive or forget. But something kept calling me back. Maybe it was the way the lights reflected off of the haze of those hot Mombasa nights. The heat lightning, flashing on and off in the distance. That constant hum, the echos of echos, thronging pulse of the city, millions of other people, thousands of meters below in the concrete maze. This was home, or it had been for so long. But could I return? Could I stay? Checking the weather-com schedule..light t-storms throughout the night. Typical New Mombasa summer. What did the future have to offer the present? Hope? Shady promises? I grabbed my sense-lenses, static knife, and flash gun, and took the lift to the foggy streets below, determined to find out.

 

[AlStrong]

Are the ODSTs still going to be around what with the Spartan IV program?

 

[Stinkles]

Gritty and Tenacious
.

Done.

 

[Proelite]

Done.

Hmmm.

 

[jem0208]

You only can use two weapon and one heavy weapon at a time. Your inventory has all your weapons, but you'll have to spent 2-3 seconds selecting another loadout. Not recommended during a heavy firefight.

MP wouldn't have inventory or course.

The inventory as more of necessity due to upgradeable weapons. Without upgradeable weapons, there would be no need for an inventory.

Hmm, maybe. I think a better method would be similar to how the original Crysis did it. If you find an upgrade you keep that in your "inventory" rather than the upgraded weapons. Then if you have an upgrade which xna be applied to a weapon you find a upgrade spot and can apply it to any weapon you have.

 

[Proelite]

Hmm, maybe. I think a better method would be similar to how the original Crysis did it. If you find an upgrade you keep that in your "inventory" rather than the upgraded weapons. Then if you have an upgrade which xna be applied to a weapon you find a upgrade spot and can apply it to any weapon you have.

That works too. Whatever works the best after play testing.

 

[akira28]

Hmmm.

i know right?

what about all that other stuff?
I've had enough grit in my eye. And tenacity, if the alien guardian cyborg turtles from Halo 4 weren't tenacious, I dunno what else could describe them.

 

[i-Lo]

While I am not sure if it would now work well (then again, if there's money to be made, I am sure they'll find a way) and I don't care much for 60 or 30 fps or the resolution (900p sounds fine), I do care about the characters, atmosphere and music. To date, ODST, imHo, has the best soundtrack, one of the best atmosphere and the cast of Firefly could not go wrong. Can they an equivalent pedigree for a subsequent project?

 

[Proelite]

i know right?

what about all that other stuff?
I've had enough grit in my eye. And tenacity, if the alien guardian cyborg turtles from Halo 4 weren't tenacious, I dunno what else could describe them.

Gritty: showing courage and resolve
Tenacious: not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined.

An ODST is at least both, amongst other qualities.

 

[akira28]

Gritty: showing courage and resolve
Tenacious: not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined.

An ODST is at least both, amongst other qualities.

Oh I agree, those are qualities of the ODST, but I want more than grit and tenacity in my ODST2, so if anyone is taking notes, I hope they take note of the rest. I'm sure some folks at 343 thought that Halo4 had plenty of grit...and that they had hit the bullseye on tenacity..

If they're going to do a sequel, don't touch anything until you figure out how to recapture the magic that made the original ODST such a sleeper hit. No one wants another back patting session where everyone but the people on the stage know that no one is really satisfied with the game.