Just a few thoughts in Invasion now I have played a bit more. I will preface this by saying that these issues might be sorted in the final version, so this is just a current beta thing.
1) The map is a little under-used. Spawning as Elite, I spotted a nice far spawn which lets you sneak to the base almost unhindered. After Bungie bigging up Boneyard, it seems that despite the map being big, its not really being used to its fullest.
2) Objectives should take longer to capture. The fun of Attack and Defence should be the tug of war that happens. The time limit is so short, you often just get tug. If playing the Battlefield games has taught me anything, its that if you prolong the capture, if feels more like a battle and that you achieve something by capturing/defending it. Maybe give the option for Spartans to retake it but at a slower rate. Once both drop, then move on.
3) Objective 1 has 2 possible objectives to capture, yet it only takes 1 to advance. Also, the Elites can slowly diminish the objective which means as long as they keep pushing, they will take the first one. For Invasion they really should have to take both objectives and then move forward. See Bad Company 2's M-Com placement, where 2 are placed fairly close in order to have a frontline advancing forward.
4) Objective 2 is by far the most stupid idea ever. A small area, out in the open is just begging for vast amounts of grenades thrown in there. There are a few buildings on the approach to this point, why not use them for a sub-objective? Again this is the BC2 stuff, where you have 2 objectives, so all does not utterly fail just by loosing 1.
5) Objective 3. Now I actually like this because if the Elites manage to get the core outside, it can be hell for the Spartans. The Elites can slowly shuffle it towards the extraction point if the Spartans don't kill most of the team together.
Vehicles seem to be utterly under-used, mainly due to so many Anti Vehicle options out there. They either need to buff them or remove them. By the time the 3rd section starts and you hop into a vehicle, it can already be too late. Many times I have spawned by un-used tanks/warthogs because the wind up time for them is so long that you're better off just fighting on foot.
I actually think that they should have to extract the core to where they actually started.
A much longer run and extended the time limit. Again, this last bit either turns into a grenade spam/re-spawn fight.
*****
So Far I actually like Invasion, despite the odd annoyances like someone quitting in the third phase and it resets the entire match to the beginning. That was odd. :lol
I hope Forge has a massive options upgrade because it will lead to some of the best Invasion ideas.
Sorry for the wall o text.
