Digital Limit
Member
Re: Jetpacks.
From what I'm seeing here both groups are saying two different things that can be equally correct. Group 1 (majority) notes that jetpacks break map flow and design, which is 100% correct for maps before Reach (maps weren't designed for jetpack) and could be correct for newer maps.
Group 2 is saying you CAN design maps with jetpacks in mind. I don't think he's trying to say Halo 3/2/1 maps work fine with jetpacks, I think he's saying it's possible for the designers to make maps that work with jetpacks.
The issue seems to be that people disagree that Reach and 4 maps were designed with jetpack in mind. It almost seems like they designed the Halo 4 and Reach maps, then added jetpacks to the mix, not vice-versa. This seems to be the problem. The other problem is actually trying to design a map that works with jetpacks. To do so, generally it has to be an indoor map (so you can use floor to ceiling walls to limit jetpack movement). Any kind of outdoor map is broken by the height at which a person can fly and where they can land.
As Duncan noted the jetpack works exactly as it should, the issue is more the gameplay and design around it. Overall jetpack just introduces too many map design challenges and not enough benefits to outweigh the drastic change in flow. My two cents.
As someone who worked on a Forge remake of Avalanche, I completely agree. If it weren't for the jetpack, map design would be a lot less expensive both in mind and actual in-game resources.