Halo 4 Would Be Awesome If It Included Bots

Posted on Monday, September 24 @ 07:18:43 Eastern by Pierre_Bienaime

Earlier this year, and well before we’d gotten a first peep at Halo 4, there floated an underhanded rumor that the game might include bots. To that I say, "Yes, please." Since then, though, there have been doubts about their inclusion, which would be a shame. Somehow this feature has been largely dropped this generation, and now’s a good a time as any to bring it back.

I don’t know why they ever left. Games suffer and cut their own potential short by omitting bots. Take the recent Hybrid, for example, a shooter that avoided the cookie-cutter nature of many games in the genre by introducing a fresh gameplay mechanic. It’s equal parts rail shooter and free form (if you’re confused, watch some of this). To play Hybrid, though, you have to be online and, the game’s tutorial aside, you’ll never be squaring off against AI.

There are many games out there relying on internet play exclusively, but they usually carry a little more clout than 5th Cell’s downloadable title. The result is that in a few years’ time—and especially if Microsoft’s next console closes the book on the current version of Xbox Live)—Hybrid will probably have near-empty lobbies populated solely by aloof newcomers on one end and perfectionist head-shotters on the other.

Unless, of course, bots become part of the formula.

The original Perfect Dark for N64 saw its replay value skyrocket with their introduction. Lone players or couch colleagues could take on a pair of disciplined agents or a horde of bumbling incompetents (the lowest level of bot-skill was affably called “meat”). Personality types from cowardly to revenging only ramped up the number of permutations. While many of these combinations might make for lackluster gameplay, a community as burgeoning as Halo’s would find those that don’t.

The virtues for including bots are many. They allow for story-less bouts on multiplayer maps, offline and without the lottery of human opposition. Even for those who do have an eye for the online octagon, bots unlock the possibility of learning the ins and outs of each map, and low pressure experimentation with weapons and strategies. In short, they help address this point below illustrated by Penny Arcade:

And that’s only if a game offers bots in the most basic sense as lobby-filling dummies. Bots can excel well beyond that function; specifically, they can be made to replace dropout players. Jumping into a four-on-four game of Halo: Reach only to see your team immediately drop to three Spartans is an avoidable inconvenience. Bots should replace truants, their prowess determined by a team’s or that player's average kill/death spread. If a brother in arms loses connection in a hotly contended endgame, defeat need not be spelled for those staying the fight. Give us an AI on par with our proven merit, and play on.

The Forge first introduced in Halo 3 empowered fans to create all sorts of novelties, from home-brewed game types to more manipulable machinima (and even a few Rube Goldberg projects). The result kept the game relevant years beyond its release. Surely, the inclusion of bots in 343 Industries' first original opus would do something similar, and Halo 4 would definitely be more awesome for having them.

Related Games: Halo 4

Tags: Halo 4, 343 Industries

Comments

napsterxxl
Joined: Mar 2006

Posted: Sep 24th, 2012 at 8:38 am
bots would be nice to have. i think the only series that still has them is UT

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Chunibrow
Joined: Mar 2010

Posted: Sep 24th, 2012 at 9:26 am
The customizable bots in UT were almost as fun to play with as real people. I echo the sentiment of this article.

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MootCoffee
Joined: Jan 2007

Posted: Sep 24th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Ahh... Perfect Dark. Me versus an effload of FistSims. Call of Duty's zombie mode didn't have **** on that. While we're (kinda) on the subject, why the hell can't I map my own buttons anymore?

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sandineyes
Joined: May 2008

Posted: Sep 24th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Tangential question: what does GD stand for in "GD teenage cyborgs"?

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ADX182
Joined: Aug 2012

Posted: Sep 24th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
I fu#$ing hate when I play reach and every one on my team leaves, and I cant do anything but do my best on my own. Ive finished a ton of matches like this just so my ratimg wont go down.

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Lok-Nar
Joined: Feb 2012

Posted: Sep 24th, 2012 at 10:31 pm
That happened to me once on Reach and I still managed to beat the other team. That felt great. Most times that happens I just get murdered. But I do miss bots like from UT and Quake III.

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BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Sep 25th, 2012 at 4:14 am
BOTS HAVE BEEN DROPPED because the game makers want to FORCE you to play online with other people. This way, they get you to spend money on Xbox Live and DLC maps.

HALO has been an underwhelming series since the first title. After that, it's gotten more and more derivative. Halo 2 was Halo1 with multiplayer. Halo 3 was Halo 2 with full HD graphics. Halo 4 is going to be WHAT EXACTLY???

The same goes for Crysis3, Borderlands 2 and whatever the next crappy sequel is. The Xbox 360 has shown it's age. The PS3 has shown it's age. Unfortunately, the game console makers are all working together to control, overhype and ensure profit off each and every release - rather than actually competing to make better systems, better add-ons and better games. In the end, the gamer LOSES and the corporate jackoff wins.

1 0

BigTruckSeries
Joined: May 2006

Posted: Sep 25th, 2012 at 4:14 am
BOTS HAVE BEEN DROPPED because the game makers want to FORCE you to play online with other people. This way, they get you to spend money on Xbox Live and DLC maps.

HALO has been an underwhelming series since the first title. After that, it's gotten more and more derivative. Halo 2 was Halo1 with multiplayer. Halo 3 was Halo 2 with full HD graphics. Halo 4 is going to be WHAT EXACTLY???

The same goes for Crysis3, Borderlands 2 and whatever the next crappy sequel is. The Xbox 360 has shown it's age. The PS3 has shown it's age. Unfortunately, the game console makers are all working together to control, overhype and ensure profit off each and every release - rather than actually competing to make better systems, better add-ons and better games. In the end, the gamer LOSES and the corporate jackoff wins.

1 0

drathbone
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Sep 25th, 2012 at 4:32 am
Goddamn?

Not spam.

0 0

drathbone
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Sep 25th, 2012 at 4:39 am
^^^ Was reply to Sandineyes. Replying seems to be broken on this page for some reason.

0 0