14 DAY TRIAL // The coming Halo 5: Guardians aims to have a long-term appeal via its multiplayer experience, and the developers at 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft are now offering more details about the Capture the Flag incarnation that will be part of the Arena side of the game.
Max Grossman, the leading designer for the mode, explains in a new update on Halo Waypoint that the team looked at the mechanics underpinning the experience in previous titles and aimed to create new mechanics that can be both fun and skillful.
Capture the Flag will be focused on solid collaboration between teammates and careful use of the best abilities of each.
Grossman states, "The number one way to work together is by protecting your flag carrier. In Halo 5, when your teammate grabs the flag, they can no longer sprint, and they move at 80% of the base movement speed. While not totally defenseless, they will require support to be able to survive the long run back to the base."
343 Industries will not give defending teams a marker for the enemy flag carrier but he will be visible when one player manages to deal damage to him, making spotting more important than ever before.
Players who have the flag can fight and support teammates but they are better off focusing on movement as their squadmates protect them.
Halo 5: Guardians will feature flag dropping and juggling
The developer explains that movement for the flag carrier will be reduced and juggling can be used to cover more ground or to use a better weapon when encountering an enemy.
Eric Hewitt, another 343 Industries game maker, explains the way his favorite Capture the Flag map, called Coliseum, was created.
He says that the new movement abilities that Spartans can use in Halo 5: Guardians mean that gamers will have to carefully explore environments and find the best routes, trying to combine short treks with the ability to surprise enemies.
The development team has not yet said exactly how many maps will be offered for the Capture the Flag mode.
Multiplayer in Halo 5: Guardians will also involve Warzone, a new mode that mixes Player versus Player and Player versus Environment elements, and the more competitive Arena.
The new Master Chief powered shooter will be out on the Xbox One on October 27.