Halo Suggested Covenant Races and Flood Return (Halo 5)

[FloydRTC95]

I recently uploaded a list of weapons and upgrades to add to Halo 5, which has been met with mixed to negative results (seeing as most Halo fans are traditionalists and didn't like my ideas on expanding the loadouts).
But I recently started thinking more about how we could expand the Covenant to be as big as it was in Halo 2, with 7 races. So here are some of my thoughts on that.

The new Storm Covenant would contain:
The Elites - kind of a no-brainer, seeing as they lead the Storm Covenant
The Grunts - again, a no-brainer
The Jackals - Kig-Yar mercenaries and separatists from the main government who hope to use Forerunner tech for their own gain
The Skirmishers - an extension of the main Kig-Yar forces, the Skirmishers return as tougher Jackal enemies
The Hunters - working for the Storm Covenant under the same agreement they had with the original Covenant; use of trade routes and expansion
The Brutes - after warring with each other, Jul would reach out to aid the Brutes. Seeing as these Elites are still loyal to the original Covenant ideals and promise expansion and Forerunner technology to the Brutes, a number of Brute tribes would join the Covenant again
The Drones - promising expansion, wealth, and technology, the Drones join back up with the Covenant for convenience
The Sharquoi - a race that was barely mentioned in Conversations from the Universe, the original design for the "Alien Trooper" would be expanded, and these would be the Sharquoi, a sentient race that developed on a world covered in Forerunner artifacts. They are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to Forerunner technology, skilled warriors (operating in squads and using various weapons in conjunction with each other), and would join the Storm Covenant in the hope that they would find more Forerunner Technology to use and re-purpose.
The Drinol - the original design for a massive melee-hunter type Covenant race was the "Drinol," but it was cut from the final games. The Drinol would be a new form of Hunter, with the Lekgolo worms joining together inside a heavy shell of armor, with a plasma turret on it's back and heavy forward fists for pounding infantry and vehicles, as well as strong legs for a surprisingly fast rushing attack.
The Special Purpose Snipers - these would be a new form of the Drones, revealed to be a mutation of the original, that lack wings but have incredible muscular strength and a strong grip. They would hang down from trees and camouflage themselves with different colorations.
The Stalkers - another re-worked Drone type that mutated to counter the weaknesses of normal airborne Drones. While these are mostly ground-bound, they do have wings for short flights, but they also have two strong front arms to carry standard weaponry like Carbines and Storm Rifles, as well as being able to carry a modified version of the Kig-Yar Shield Gauntlet on one arm and a Needler or Plasma Pistol on the other. They would all have light shielding, come in a few variants, and would be encountered with other forms of Drones.

See, the new Storm Covenant would feature most of the same combat at first: Grunts, Jackals, Elites, etc. But they are strengthened by races we didn't see before and new mutations that have occurred since the Human-Covenant War. The Drones are a much stronger force now, and the Hunter Drinol form has been developed. The Sharquoi were apprehensive of the original Covenant, not trusting their fanatical beliefs in the Forerunners as Gods and seeing the Halos as salvation, as their research already pointed to the Halos being weapons, and saw the San'Shyuum as perpetuating false beliefs for their own purposes. With the San'Shyuum gone and the veil removed from the Covenant's eyes, they join the Storm Covenant because it's only purpose is to find and use Forerunner technology, which happens to fall in line with their current goals. The Sharquoi are allies of opportunity, and only joined up because their goals are similar.

The Flood:
The flood would return, as they weren't exterminated on the Ark, just one hive and Gravemind were eliminated. The remaining Flood specimens, contained on other Halo installations and Forerunner sites, escape, showing new evolutions and a renewed ferocity.
Infection Form
Carrier Form
Combat Form (Human, Elite, Brute, Sharquoi)
Pure Form (Stalker, Ranged, Tank, Airborne[Swarm]) - The new Airborne Form looks similar to the Swarm Form from Halo:Wars, and will cling to surfaces and dive down on enemies
Thrasher Form - from Halo:Wars, these massive beasts charge and swipe at enemies
Bomber Form - Much larger, rains Flood dispersal pods down on the battlefield, fills a role similar to a Pelican or Phantom
Transport Form - like a Flood version of a tank, these huge beasts carry other Flood to the battle and has a much larger, explosive version of the Flood Ranged Form's weapon.
Juggernaut Form - A huge, tentacled monster that was cut from Halo 2, these slow-moving monsters can grab nearby objects (and enemies) and toss them at enemies at range, as well as bash and whip whatever gets within their large range. (mutated form of a Drinol, seeing as these are mutated by capture and then general biomass covering)
Infector Form - a short flood variant that fires flood spores at the enemy, and can cling to surfaces. (Mutated form of a Stalker Drone)
Stealth Form - a flood variant that incorporates active camouflage modules into itself, allowing it to stay cloaked at most times, but can be seen with a VISR. (Mutated form of a Special Purpose Sniper Drone)

Some of these are definitely too much, but like my previous thread, they're just ideas. Thoughts, anyone?

 

[Forgebook]

I really like the idea of a transport flood, but can't see the flood actually getting organized, the thought of it just gives me shivers. I also like the flying jackal type thing you suggested, it would bring a whole new sense of direction for the player and force them to look to the skies. I like the ideas man

 

[a ninja samuri]

I really like the idea of a transport flood, but can't see the flood actually getting organized, the thought of it just gives me shivers. I also like the flying jackal type thing you suggested, it would bring a whole new sense of direction for the player and force them to look to the skies. I like the ideas man

yes it is a really good idea

 

[The7thSeal]

The Drinol - the original design for a massive melee-hunter type Covenant race was the "Drinol," but it was cut from the final games. The Drinol would be a new form of Hunter, with the Lekgolo worms joining together inside a heavy shell of armor, with a plasma turret on it's back and heavy forward fists for pounding infantry and vehicles, as well as strong legs for a surprisingly fast rushing attack.
The Special Purpose Snipers - these would be a new form of the Drones, revealed to be a mutation of the original, that lack wings but have incredible muscular strength and a strong grip. They would hang down from trees and camouflage themselves with different colorations.
The Stalkers - another re-worked Drone type that mutated to counter the weaknesses of normal airborne Drones. While these are mostly ground-bound, they do have wings for short flights, but they also have two strong front arms to carry standard weaponry like Carbines and Storm Rifles, as well as being able to carry a modified version of the Kig-Yar Shield Gauntlet on one arm and a Needler or Plasma Pistol on the other. They would all have light shielding, come in a few variants, and would be encountered with other forms of Drones.
Bomber Form - Much larger, rains Flood dispersal pods down on the battlefield, fills a role similar to a Pelican or Phantom
Juggernaut Form - A huge, tentacled monster that was cut from Halo 2, these slow-moving monsters can grab nearby objects (and enemies) and toss them at enemies at range, as well as bash and whip whatever gets within their large range. (mutated form of a Drinol, seeing as these are mutated by capture and then general biomass covering)
Infector Form - a short flood variant that fires flood spores at the enemy, and can cling to surfaces. (Mutated form of a Stalker Drone)
Stealth Form - a flood variant that incorporates active camouflage modules into itself, allowing it to stay cloaked at most times, but can be seen with a VISR. (Mutated form of a Special Purpose Sniper Drone)

All the others I liked the idea of, but I'm skeptical of these ones.
The Drinol sounds slightly beefier than the Hunter, the problem is that Hunters are ridiculously strong as it is, and the fact that they come in twos just adds to the difficulty. Adding the Drinol would be a bit overkill.
The SPS sound like a more annoying version of the Jackal Snipers, so I doubt that they would be well received.
The Stalkers kind of defeat the whole point of the Drones. Drones are fast, agile, and fact they appear in swarms means that you'll have some trouble on your hands. The Stalker would feel like another generic enemy type compared to Drones.
The Bomber and Infector would feel redundant when compared to the Tank's abilities.
Stealth wouldn't really work because the Flood aren't known for slow and methodical movements, which would necessary for Active Camo to work effectively.
The Juggernaut, from what I've read of it, is extremely overpowered. Insta-killing most things, as well as having the large range of attack would make the thing near impossible to kill.

 

[FloydRTC95]

All the others I liked the idea of, but I'm skeptical of these ones.
The Drinol sounds slightly beefier than the Hunter, the problem is that Hunters are ridiculously strong as it is, and the fact that they come in twos just adds to the difficulty. Adding the Drinol would be a bit overkill.
The SPS sound like a more annoying version of the Jackal Snipers, so I doubt that they would be well received.
The Stalkers kind of defeat the whole point of the Drones. Drones are fast, agile, and fact they appear in swarms means that you'll have some trouble on your hands. The Stalker would feel like another generic enemy type compared to Drones.
The Bomber and Infector would feel redundant when compared to the Tank's abilities.
Stealth wouldn't really work because the Flood aren't known for slow and methodical movements, which would necessary for Active Camo to work effectively.
The Juggernaut, from what I've read of it, is extremely overpowered. Insta-killing most things, as well as having the large range of attack would make the thing near impossible to kill.

The Drinol wouldn't come in pairs and would only be slightly tougher than the standard hunters, it would just be more melee focused.
The SPS is there to take the place of always having to kill Jackal Snipers. This would be another sniper unit for the Covenant, and would give variety to the enemies, because I'm sure we all get bored with Jackal Snipers after a while, they're pretty easy to kill, even on Legendary.
The Stalkers come in small numbers, supported by other Drones, and complicate the fight by forcing you to not only observe the sky around you at all time, but also require you to watch out for ground forces that aren't as annoying as standard Drones, they're tougher and have stronger weapons. Plus, my suggestion of returning the Plasma Repeater from Reach fits right in as a weapon they would carry.
The Bomber is practically a flood dropship, propelled on gas sacs and spore vents to maintain altitude and velocity, while dropping more Flood into the fray and then retreating. They would be weaker than a Pelican or Phantom, however, seeing as they are a biological construct. Infectors would fill the role of plague carrier, coming in groups with other Flood and complicating the engagement with their mobility and spores, which not only hit you and damage you (pretty weakly) but cling to you and do a short amount of DoT. Also, they'd look pretty terrifying. Kind of reminds me of a messed up version of the Vaapad from Star Wars.
Stealth shows an intellectual evolution with the new Flood. These Flood aren't exactly any smarter than before, but they've mutated, assimilated, and evolved new forms to do their jobs even better than ever before. Stealth Forms allow the Flood to consume targets pretty much in the middle of a group of other infect-able species, creating panic and using it as a weapon.
The Juggernaut would be one OP son of a bitch, but it's range isn't all that long. You'd have to use vehicles to pound it from afar, use a sniper weapon at the tentacle joints to take them off, or use heavy ordnance at medium range to bring them down. They're almost like a mini boss fight every time you cross one, like how the new Transport Form would be in combat.

 

[The7thSeal]

The Drinol wouldn't come in pairs and would only be slightly tougher than the standard hunters, it would just be more melee focused.

Even in melee combat, the Hunters hit pretty damn hard. And the fact that they can use a ranged weapons makes the formidable opponents. The Drinol could easily be killed from afar.

The SPS is there to take the place of always having to kill Jackal Snipers. This would be another sniper unit for the Covenant, and would give variety to the enemies, because I'm sure we all get bored with Jackal Snipers after a while, they're pretty easy to kill, even on Legendary.

We didn't get bored of the Sniper Jackals, we were pissed off by them. At the higher difficulties, they could easily kill you without even knowing that they were there. What you're suggesting is a Sniper with boosted stealth capabilities, which sounds more aggravating than the Sniper Jackal ever could.

The Stalkers come in small numbers, supported by other Drones, and complicate the fight by forcing you to not only observe the sky around you at all time, but also require you to watch out for ground forces that aren't as annoying as standard Drones, they're tougher and have stronger weapons. Plus, my suggestion of returning the Plasma Repeater from Reach fits right in as a weapon they would carry.

You already have to watch the ground forces along with the Drones. The drones are basically there to swarm the player and be a nuisance. Dying to the swarm is very possible anyway, as you can easily be surrounded and peppered with tonnes of weak weapons fire, which adds up.

The Bomber is practically a flood dropship, propelled on gas sacs and spore vents to maintain altitude and velocity, while dropping more Flood into the fray and then retreating. They would be weaker than a Pelican or Phantom, however, seeing as they are a biological construct. Infectors would fill the role of plague carrier, coming in groups with other Flood and complicating the engagement with their mobility and spores, which not only hit you and damage you (pretty weakly) but cling to you and do a short amount of DoT. Also, they'd look pretty terrifying. Kind of reminds me of a messed up version of the Vaapad from Star Wars.

The Flood enter into combat via pieces of infected debris or Dispersal Pods, so adding a dropship with feel kind of redundant.

Stealth shows an intellectual evolution with the new Flood. These Flood aren't exactly any smarter than before, but they've mutated, assimilated, and evolved new forms to do their jobs even better than ever before. Stealth Forms allow the Flood to consume targets pretty much in the middle of a group of other infect-able species, creating panic and using it as a weapon.

First off, the Flood don't need to use fancy tactics. They are a giant zombie horde. Human Wave Tactics is all they need to get the job done. Also, the sight of the heavily mutated remains of your friends shambling towards you is all that is needed for the Flood to create panic.

The Juggernaut would be one OP son of a bitch, but it's range isn't all that long. You'd have to use vehicles to pound it from afar, use a sniper weapon at the tentacle joints to take them off, or use heavy ordnance at medium range to bring them down. They're almost like a mini boss fight every time you cross one, like how the new Transport Form would be in combat.

From the images I have seen of it, the Juggernaut has a huge range of attack. Also, even if it's supposed to be a mini boss, it should be killable with regular weapons, just at a much slower rate. Finally, the Juggernaut was originally cut from Halo 2. Now, there was probably a major reason for that, wouldn't you think?

 

[RogerDodger]

As Halos 5 and 6 seem to have a predictable Forerunner theme, it doesn't seem likely that the Flood would return. Instead, we are looking towards a new race of Forerunner since the Promethean have passed on.

 

[RogerDodger]

No Flood? What is this blasphemy?

They call it...
343 Industries.

 

[FloydRTC95]

Oi vay, the7thseal, I am getting seriously tired of seeing your gripes and complaints on every thread I post about this stuff. This is just ideas, spitballing and brainstorming. You've complained on both of my threads about ideas so far. There's a difference between complaining and constructive criticism, and you're complaining now. I don't want to waste time explaining every detail to you again, but I'll address your concerns one more time.

Hunters are predictable obstacles, not even a challenge on legendary difficulty to an experienced player. Their ranged attacks can easily be avoided, they have obvious weak spots, you quite usually get heavy weapons to deal with them, and grenades and standard weapons can even do the trick. I killed the two on "Requiem" on Legendary difficulty with my assault rifle and some grenades. The Drinol would have an inherent resistance to standard weapons (being armor-plated like a mother) with a few weak spots, but would mostly require heavy weapons to kill, and there would only be one at a time. Also, the Drinol's mounted plasma turret would harass you and allies, giving it a defense besides heavy armor.

Yes, Sniper Jackals can be a bitch. But any experienced player will know where they're likely to be, take cover, and deliver 1 shot to the face and then they're dead. Not a challenge. Not even close. The SPS would basically be a tougher version, with colorations that fit their surroundings, and they'd be able to say, hang off of ceilings and trees. A new challenge, I would say.

You do usually have to watch the ground at the same time, but this would require much more divided attention and strategic play to eliminate the stalkers and drones combined. I've been toying with the idea of a level where you invade a drone hive, and these would be the hive protectors, hence why we haven't seen them before. Since other species pretty much aren't allowed in the hive, stalkers would fill their role.

The Flood aren't always above you, dropping in to mess with you. They can't always enter battle through dispersal pods, which is why they developed a bomber, to deliver the flood faster instead of just ground rushing.

We saw in Halo 2 and 3, as well as in the lore, that the flood aren't just some zombie horde. They're coordinated, smart, and lethal. The Flood in Halo 1 didn't have a controlling Gravemind, hence the zombie horde tactics, but after that we saw them using large numbers at the right time, commandeering vehicles, using more weapons, and in Halo 3, they evolved the Pure Form to take on more battlefield roles. Your mistake is seeing the Flood as zombies...think of them more like the Zerg from Starcraft or the Tyranids from Warhammer 40K. Yes, they can reanimate your buddies and freak you the hell out, but their strength isn't in pure numbers, it's in proper coordination.

First off, the Juggernaut has a workable model in the code of Halo 2, it was cut due to time constraints. Go look it up. Like the Engineer has a model in Halo:CE, but it was cut due to time constraints. Secondly, this Juggernaut would feature in vehicular combat, being a massive obstacle that you have to avoid and kill to get past. They aren't supposed to be easy, they're huge monstrous amalgamations of biomass with only one purpose: kill and consume lifeforms. Yes, it would be hard. It would be similar to fighting a battle with a Scarab (albeit on a smaller scale).

 

[FloydRTC95]

And the Prometheans aren't gone, we saw in Spartan Ops that the humans composed in New Phoenix were converted into new Prometheans. I think we'll see more Promethean variants, but I suspect we'll see the Flood return.

 

[The7thSeal]

Oi vay, the7thseal, I am getting seriously tired of seeing your gripes and complaints on every thread I post about this stuff. This is just ideas, spitballing and brainstorming. You've complained on both of my threads about ideas so far. There's a difference between complaining and constructive criticism, and you're complaining now. I don't want to waste time explaining every detail to you again, but I'll address your concerns one more time.

Hunters are predictable obstacles, not even a challenge on legendary difficulty to an experienced player. Their ranged attacks can easily be avoided, they have obvious weak spots, you quite usually get heavy weapons to deal with them, and grenades and standard weapons can even do the trick. I killed the two on "Requiem" on Legendary difficulty with my assault rifle and some grenades. The Drinol would have an inherent resistance to standard weapons (being armor-plated like a mother) with a few weak spots, but would mostly require heavy weapons to kill, and there would only be one at a time. Also, the Drinol's mounted plasma turret would harass you and allies, giving it a defense besides heavy armor.

What they would be is larger version of a Hunter, no matter which way you slice it. Also, since it would only be one enemy that you're fighting you would only be focused on one target, essentially making it easier to take it out.

Yes, Sniper Jackals can be a bitch. But any experienced player will know where they're likely to be, take cover, and deliver 1 shot to the face and then they're dead. Not a challenge. Not even close. The SPS would basically be a tougher version, with colorations that fit their surroundings, and they'd be able to say, hang off of ceilings and trees. A new challenge, I would say.

A new challenge, yes, but you'll be effectively fighting an nigh on invisible enemy.

You do usually have to watch the ground at the same time, but this would require much more divided attention and strategic play to eliminate the stalkers and drones combined. I've been toying with the idea of a level where you invade a drone hive, and these would be the hive protectors, hence why we haven't seen them before. Since other species pretty much aren't allowed in the hive, stalkers would fill their role.

The Drones already cause you to divide your attention enough. They rarely stay in the same place and are constantly shooting you. Now, I'm not saying that the Stalkers is a bad idea, I just don't think they have much of a place in the game.

We saw in Halo 2 and 3, as well as in the lore, that the flood aren't just some zombie horde. They're coordinated, smart, and lethal. The Flood in Halo 1 didn't have a controlling Gravemind, hence the zombie horde tactics, but after that we saw them using large numbers at the right time, commandeering vehicles, using more weapons, and in Halo 3, they evolved the Pure Form to take on more battlefield roles. Your mistake is seeing the Flood as zombies...think of them more like the Zerg from Starcraft or the Tyranids from Warhammer 40K. Yes, they can reanimate your buddies and freak you the hell out, but their strength isn't in pure numbers, it's in proper coordination.

The Flood may have a Gravemind, but there style of combat is charge and/or shamble at the enemy and just maul/shoot them. They basically just Zerg Rush the enemy which, incidentally, is what the Zerg are known for. They have a central command unit, yes, but the Flood in the main games don't demonstrate any strategy. They are merely mindless drones following simple orders.

First off, the Juggernaut has a workable model in the code of Halo 2, it was cut due to time constraints. Go look it up. Like the Engineer has a model in Halo:CE, but it was cut due to time constraints. Secondly, this Juggernaut would feature in vehicular combat, being a massive obstacle that you have to avoid and kill to get past. They aren't supposed to be easy, they're huge monstrous amalgamations of biomass with only one purpose: kill and consume lifeforms. Yes, it would be hard. It would be similar to fighting a battle with a Scarab (albeit on a smaller scale).

My intention is never complain. I was merely pointing out possible flaws and imbalances in the ideas. I apologise if it seemed as though I was complaining. I think these ideas are good for the most part, just that they require more thought.

Also, you continually say, 'an experienced player'. Think about the impact it would have on the less skilled player, not just the experienced ones.

 

[FloydRTC95]

Dude, I'm really sick of this.

The Drinol would not come in pairs, but it definitely wouldn't be the only thing in the engagement.

The SPS wouldn't be invisible, they would just be in more challenging locations. Coloration doesn't necessarily mean camouflage.

I think the Stalkers would fit perfectly, so we'll have to agree to disagree.

The Zerg Rush was a term coined in only Starcraft play in which the Zerg player would spam the Zerglings, which are cheap, spawn in twos, and are a mega-bitch in huge numbers. The Zerg are known for that, true, but that's not their only tactic. Have you played Starcraft II: Brood War? The Zerg are intelligent bastards, who use their numbers at the right time, as well as special evolutions. That's what the Flood do, they use massive numbers in conjunction with evolved forms to kill and consume as much as they can. The Flood do use strategy, such as setting up the ranged Pure Forms at the right spots, just out of reach, to keep you pinned so the numbers can rush you, or using Tank Pure Forms to make you focus on one target while the numbers swarm you. Again, you're seeing them as a mindless horde. Try playing Halo 3 on Legendary and watch the Flood tactics before and during combat, you'll find them smarter then you're giving them credit for.

For the less skilled player, these will simply be challenges to overcome and become better at the game. It's gunna be hard, we NEED a hard Halo game because Halo 4 was unbelievably easy. I could solo the campaign on Legendary and not even flinch (besides Infinity...fucking Prometheans every time my shields are down). The point is, we don't need the same thing over and over again, that's why Halo got stale and I stopped playing for a while. That's why I like the shift to things like loadouts and tactical packages and new enemies like the Prometheans, it changed Halo from this repetitive shooter (that admittedly was a lot of fun for a while) to something new and different, which is why I'll still play Halo 4. It has a LOT of issues, but it's finally showing progress.

 

[Cap2llo]

No Flood? What is this blasphemy?

Please do not bring back the flood again! In my opinion they ruined every Halo game except Halo CE

 

[The7thSeal]

Dude, I'm really sick of this.

I think I'm just going to stop making criticisms. Every time I bring a point up, or an imbalance, or anything, you don't take it in to consideration, you just continue on the same lines and disregard everything I've said as complaints or gripes.
If you want opinions, you have to willing to actually accept opposing ones, not just the 'oh, these are great ideas!' comments. Otherwise there isn't any point.

 

[FloydRTC95]

I think I'm just going to stop making criticisms. Every time I bring a point up, or an imbalance, or anything, you don't take it in to consideration, you just continue on the same lines and disregard everything I've said as complaints or gripes.
If you want opinions, you have to willing to actually accept opposing ones, not just the 'oh, these are great ideas!' comments. Otherwise there isn't any point.

You aren't making criticisms, you are complaining about every idea I put up. I take what you say into consideration, if you looked at the updated Halo 5 thread I actually removed a few things after talking with you, but I am sick and tired of you constantly griping about every idea I have. I always listen to constructive criticism, but there is no constructive backing to what you're saying. None.

 

[The7thSeal]

I apologise. My intention was, and never is, to stomp on yours or anyone's ideas. I may just be me being too stubborn.
If I'm truly honest, I rarely see the good points in any suggestion. I'm sorry.

 

[FloydRTC95]

It's alright, bro. These are just ideas anyway, completely unlikely to make it into an actual game, I just like brainstorming and sharing.

 

[The7thSeal]

It's alright, bro. These are just ideas anyway, completely unlikely to make it into an actual game, I just like brainstorming and sharing.

I just posted in the updated Halo 5 list. I have made some criticisms, but I've also stated the ideas that I like.