Halo 4 Progression System

[Slenderman]

Halo 4 Progression System

The UNSC Infinity is your gateway to the Infinity Multiplayer experience in Halo 4 and serves as the center of your Spartan career. Here you will build your custom Spartan-IV super-soldier, and progress your multiplayer career across both Spartan Ops and War Games modes. You’ll start your career as a Spartan-IV, with a limited amount of choices. As you level up, that will slowly unfold into a large amount of choices. The pace with unlocks will be regular, but not so fast that it causes confusion.

 

When designing the progression system for Halo 4, our primary goal was to give progress more meaning, and in order to do that, the player’s progress has to impact gameplay. In Halo 4, we primarily do this by allowing the progression system to modify the weapons and abilities the player can take into battle, empowering player choice, and exposing more elements of the sandbox to more players.

 

As you progress through your multiplayer career, you unlock items that allow you to build the character and experience you want. The things you really desire, such as the Battle Rifle and DMR, you’ll gain access to fairly quickly. Some of the more difficult choices you’ll face, such as which Specialization to tackle first, come later. All of these things give you the ability to tailor your experience and focus on your favorite parts of the sandbox more than ever before.

 

How quickly you progress through your career will partly depend on your skill. Skilled players will rank up faster, as you get more XP for winning matches. It’s also worth noting that quitters do not get game completion XP. They can progress commendations and challenges, but they will not get partial XP at the end of the game (AHEM).

 

Below is a breakdown of the Halo 4 progression system.

FROM: CODENAME SURGEON

TO: CODENAME COALMINER

Spartan-IV Career

When you first enter Infinity Multiplayer, you automatically enlist into the SPARTAN-IV program and begin your Spartan career. This career spans all of your gameplay in War Games, Spartan Ops, Forge and Theater.

 

New SPARTAN-IV recruits are issued the following gear:

• Assault Rifle

• Magnum

• Frag Grenade

• Recruit Armor, Emblem, Visor and Stance

Stances are a new customization option that let you select a pose for your Spartan on your Player Card. This card is seen in every multiplayer lobby in the game and is how your Spartan is identified outside of gameplay.

 

You will have to rise up through the Spartan ranks to unlock more gear and make your way through the SPARTAN-IV program.

CLASSIFICATION: ELEVENTH HOUR [1/5]

SUBJECT: AFTERMATH

Spartan-IV Ranks

Spartans begin their career in the base SPARTAN-IV ranks. There are 50 ranks to work your way through, from SR-1 to SR-50, unlocking gameplay and visual customization items as you rank up.

 

To rank up, you need to earn XP. You earn XP by:

• Playing War Games (earn more for winning and high personal score)

• Playing Spartan Ops (earn more for higher difficulties)

• Completing each level of a Commendation

• Completing Challenges

• Using Forge

At each rank, you will earn one or more Spartan Points (SP). SP are used to purchase gameplay items for your personal loadouts. Once you purchase an item, it can be used in any of your loadouts.

 

The Spartan Point system is based around offering choice at each rank. The full suite of gameplay items is available for purchase by SR-26 but you won’t have enough SP to buy everything until SR-50. It’s up to you to decide the order in which you want to build up the arsenal for your Spartan-IV.

/FILE EXTRACTION-RECONSTITUTION COMPLETE/

/START FILE/

Loadouts

Each loadout contains a Primary Weapon, Secondary Weapon, Grenade, Armor Ability, Tactical Package and Support Upgrade. As you rank up, you will gain access to the Armor Ability slot (SR-3), the Tactical Package slot (SR-7), and the Support Upgrade slot (SR-12).

 

We have default loadouts in our War Games playlists to give you a preview of these items before you reach those ranks, and to offer an alternative to your own custom loadouts.

 

Over the course of the SPARTAN-IV ranks, you also unlock four extra loadouts (at SR-6, SR-14, SR-26 and SR-41) for a total of five loadouts. You can rename these loadouts, so pick names that match the role or gear for that particular loadout.

Decades from now, when historians evaluate the war, what will they say about us? Will they claim that our victory was ultimately fruitless? That it failed to secure a lasting peace, or worse, that it was only a prelude to far greater horrors that now lay ahead?

Visual Customization

All Spartan-IVs start out with the same Recruit look. As you rank up, this is reflected in the look of your Spartan, which is visible to other players in gameplay and every Multiplayer lobby.

 

Visual customization items such as Armor, Armor Skins, Weapon Skins, Visors, Emblems and Stances are unlocked through several means:

• Earning a specific SR rank

• Earning a specific rank in a Specialization

• Mastering a Commendation

• Completing a Waypoint goal

When you meet the prerequisite, you will gain access to the items automatically; you do not need to spend Spartan Points.

My hope – OUR HOPE – is that history would instead view this war as a catalyst. That the last thirty years were a crucible, a threshing floor for our species, sifting out our fears and frailties. And that ultimately it made us stronger and more vigilant in the end, fully prepared for whatever will come next. After all, what good is struggle if there is no change? What good is a fire if the sword is not made stronger?

Specializations

Once you hit SR-50, you have the option to enlist in a new Specialization. You can choose which of the available Specializations to enlist in.

 

Specializations are composed of ten levels each. As you rank up in Specializations, you will unlock new armor sets, emblems, visor colors, armor and weapon skins and armor mods – which provide even more options to customize your Spartan-IV to fit your preferred role on the battlefield.

 

Once you commit to a Specialization, you have to complete it before switching to a new one. It will take roughly as long to complete a Specialization as it does to go from SR-40 to SR-50.

 

All players have access to two Specializations at launch:

• Wetwork: WK-1 to WK-10

• Operator: OP-1 to OP-10

The rest, which are listed below, will gradually be made available in the months following launch. We will be keeping a close watch on player participation post-launch and will roll out the additional six Specializations when the player base reaches certain milestones. Purchasers of the Limited Edition and pre-orders in certain territories have launch day access to the remaining six Specializations – although you still need to complete the initial 50 Ranks before you can enlist in one.

• Pioneer: PR-1 to PR-10

• Pathfinder: PT-1 to PT-10

• Engineer: EN-1 to EN-10

• Stalker: SK-1 to SK-10

• Rogue: RG-1 to RG-10

• Tracker: TK-1 to TK-10

Other players will be able to see your overall progress through the Specializations by your SR rank. This keeps going up by one each time you earn a Specialization rank, all the way up to SR-130. There might be a reward or two waiting for those who hit SR-130!

Attached are four reports accounting the major contingency structures our species currently faces in the wake of the war. Please evaluate them closely. Their outcomes will dictate how history views us, or if history even views us at all.

Commendations

Halo 4 features over 120 commendations covering a wide variety of activities (per weapon, per enemy type and per game type, for example). There are commendations based around earning specific medals, and we also have aggregators that require you to master multiple commendations to complete them. Commendations also have a variable number of levels.

 

Certain Commendations can award visual customization items when you master them. To master a Commendation, you need to have earned its highest level.

 

We see the Commendation system as the long-term progression with the most exclusive items. Most players will still be mastering Commendations well after completing the Specializations.

Xenomorphic element [2/5]

Martial element [3/5]

Provenancial element [4/5]

Primogeniture element [5/5]

Challenges

Like Commendations, Challenges have been expanded in Halo 4. We not only have daily content, but also a weekly and monthly cadence as well, giving players ample time to complete different challenges with varying levels of difficulty.

 

Challenges are divided into four categories:

• Campaign

- 2 Weekly Challenges

• War Games

- 2 Daily Challenges

- 2 Weekly Challenges

- 1 Monthly Challenge

• Spartan Ops

- 6 Challenges

• Waypoint

- Exclusive daily challenges for War Games

If you’re looking to get a jump start on your career, you’ll definitely want to stick around for the next segment of the Bulletin, because it’s about to get all double XP up in here.

 

Source:

http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-101012-.aspx

 

This post has been promoted to an article

[DerpWithAGun]

I'm pissed.

 

343I! WHERE IS THE SKILL RANK SYSTEM? WHAT IS THIS SR BULLCRAP THAT IS JUST A REACH RANK SYSTEM.

 

This game so much awesome stuff that the other stuff they leave out can impact everything.

 

Thanks 343i for giving us a system that tells us how much we play, instead of how skillful we are.

[Sova]

Well, they better make some concessions on skill...i want to be placed not progressing, i dont care about unlocks, i want to show how good i am.

[upton889]

Well, they better make some concessions on skill...i want to be placed not progressing, i dont care about unlocks, i want to show how good i am.

 

Sova you know I agree with you. I need to see how much emphasis is put on winning and performance/skill bonuses, because any new system that doesn't reward players more for their performance/skills, and winning, you might as well call it Halo Reach Matchmaking 2.0.

[Tallgeese]

Sova you know I agree with you. I need to see how much emphasis is put on winning and performance/skill bonuses, because any new system that doesn't reward players more for their performance/skills, and winning, you might as well call it Halo Reach Matchmaking 2.0.

 

There is a reward for being skilled. Now it is not at all like it was in Halo 3, but it is somewhat there. Essentially, when you play a match, if you played really well and won, than you earn a lot more xp and Spartan Points than someone who didnt play well and still won. If you played well and lost, you will also get a good amount of xp, but still not as much as the person who played really well and won. Does that make sense? They tried to incorportate skill into the overall progression system they have. I agree, this is essentially still the Reach progression system with different titiles.

[Kodman Eats]

Everything is good except the ranking system. We want Halo 3 skill rating back!

[Loser]

Yay challanges are back and commendations i always loved doing them. But still the new ranking system looks iffy

[Mr Biggles]

I really want the ranking system back. :/

 

 

Sorry, but, this isn't what we were all hyped for, at all.

[Chase-S201]

Stop complaining about the Ranking system.. Just be happy this game is even coming out. You know how good you are, and that's what matters. So what if it's Reach's ranking system? Granted it sucked, but still. Just have fun, that's what games are for.

[Hᴜᴍᴘsᴛʏʟᴇs]

So happy that Commendations are returning...I have 92% in Reach, about to be 93%.

 

I am a little pissed that the Ranking System doesn't implement true skill rankings though...

[Durandal v2]

I miss having the halo 3 ranking system, i have to say that reach has the worst ranking system of any game Halo or not

[Carter 764]

You guys need to calm down. So what you didn't get what you want. Does it honestly matter that the rank system isnt the same as halo 3's? You know how good you are. Be grateful the game is even coming out

[pwny27]

Wait, so its Wetworks and Operator now? Pioneer comes later on?

[Robius5991]

Thanks for posting this. it is extremly informative and helpful for anyone like myself who didn't have the time to look up all the information individually elsewhere in a multitude of various sites.

[Flippant Sol]

Cool

[Force 410]

There is a reward for being skilled. Now it is not at all like it was in Halo 3, but it is somewhat there. Essentially, when you play a match, if you played really well and won, than you earn a lot more xp and Spartan Points than someone who didnt play well and still won. If you played well and lost, you will also get a good amount of xp, but still not as much as the person who played really well and won. Does that make sense? They tried to incorportate skill into the overall progression system they have. I agree, this is essentially still the Reach progression system with different titiles.

 

Yeah, but the problem is that you don't have a trackable skill that is visible and constant - not just game to game (and it really isn't even that because the points you get reflect how well you did in the game and they really don't mean anything anyway). Again, we need a ranking system to highlights a player's skill COUPLED with whether they won or lost the game - but nonetheless, highlighting the individual player's skill. Let's hope and pray for an update or patch or something or keep on saying, "There's always the next game... [for the desired ranking system]"

[igobyfrank]

This system won't be manipulated/boosted nearly as much as Halo 3's.

[dinodares]

Wait, so its Wetworks and Operator now? Pioneer comes later on?

nice catch. I hadn't caught that. maybe bs angel is going to post a correction or that is how it is. happy they didn't take wetworks instead of pioneer.

[Zuko 'Zarhamee]

This isn't the ranking system. This is the progression system. They are two separate things.

[Ventus]

Why are you so obsessed with showing off your skill? It's not like anyone cares about other peoples skill. It seems like you only want the Halo 3 ranking system for bragging rights, which I find pretty childish.

 

Just play the game and have fun, you can still show off your skill by dominating people in a match.

[upton889]

I also agree with you Force 410.To all people who have the argument of "you know how good you are, what does a ranking system matter?," I'm not going to explain my my positioning but if you would like legitimate reasons in regards to why a ranking system matters, look at the previous posts of ranking systems from myself, Sova, or Force 410 on our profiles. I'll only say that the Halo 2 and 3 ranking systems gave massive long-term motivation as indicated by the numbers of people who returned to to play those 2 games in comparison to the numbers of people who kept playing Halo Reach.

 

With that being said, does anyone know if you can lose XP through this progression system by losing, performing badly, etc.? That might make things a little better. Also, what about this supposed skill ranking that's only visible to the user? I agree with Mr. Biggles in that this isn't what it was brought up to be at all.

[Tallgeese]

I also agree with you Force 410.To all people who have the argument of "you know how good you are, what does a ranking system matter?," I'm not going to explain my my positioning but if you would like legitimate reasons in regards to why a ranking system matters, look at the previous posts of ranking systems from myself, Sova, or Force 410 on our profiles. I'll only say that the Halo 2 and 3 ranking systems gave massive long-term motivation as indicated by the numbers of people who returned to to play those 2 games in comparison to the numbers of people who kept playing Halo Reach.

 

With that being said, does anyone know if you can lose XP through this progression system by losing, performing badly, etc.? That might make things a little better. Also, what about this supposed skill ranking that's only visible to the user? I agree with Mr. Biggles in that this isn't what it was brought up to be at all.

 

Supposedly the only way you lose xp is by betraying repeatedly, and committing suicide repeatdely. Losing does not net you a loss of xp. Again this is all just speculation from a Euro Expo conversation with Frankie

[upton889]

Supposedly the only way you lose xp is by betraying repeatedly, and committing suicide repeatdely. Losing does not net you a loss of xp. Again this is all just speculation from a Euro Expo conversation with Frankie

 

Thank you for all your help and info. Even though we already have a booting system for betrayers, the xp loss might help with suiciders, but would not help towards good ranking system motivation, which would be disappointing. Until true specifics and questions (including if this is the only implemented system) are answered by Frank O Connor and/or one of the 343 staff, I guess we'll have to keep playing the waiting game.

[Tallgeese]

Thank you for all your help and info. Even though we have a booting system for booters that would help with suiciders, but would not help towards good ranking system motivation, which would be disappointing. Until true specifics and questions (including if this is the only implemented system) are answered by Frank O Connor and/or one of the 343 staff, I guess we'll have to keep playing the waiting game.

 

Yeah I agree man...until we play the Gold version of Halo 4, who knows...a lot has changed since my experience at SDCC even lol

[upton889]

Yeah I agree man...until we play the Gold version of Halo 4, who knows...a lot has changed since my experience at SDCC even lol

 

Agreed. I just wish 343 would go ahead and give a clear, cut and dry answer because that's one of the biggest issues, if not the biggest issue for Halo 4 matchmaking. Surely they know this.