Prone shouldn't be in Halo.
The last thing we need is a carbon copy shooter. (I.E. just another CoD)
I wasn't in the first game, it hasn't been in any of the games, and you're the ONLY person I've ever heard mention it. Adding prone would invite campers, something that's already an issue. Not to mention, the lack of prone, as simple of a thing as it is, allows for the game to take on a different feel from other shooters, giving it a good pacing.
Call of Duty? All over the place. it's fast, it's slow, it's the same game as the last six....
ADS.
I could take it or leave it. The fact of the matter is, one of the things about the Spartans, is they have an actual HUD, not just one that's super imposed in other games. Spartans ACTUALLY have that. Like, IN story. so they automatically have an aiming reticule, same as Marines and ODSTs.
So, I'd be fine with it, but there isn't much of a reason to aim down anything but a long range scope.
Cooking grenades
No.
You get enough deaths by frag / plasma / whatever crazy grenade they cook up without it. Cooking grenades is just pointless, as it's not something any sane person does.
Military shooters would have you believe soldiers actually hold on to a LIVE EXPLOSIVE to wait for a timed blast.
They don't.
Pull pin, throw, hope it doesn't hit you.
Besides, the different types of grenades would make cooking them complex, as they all behave differently.
Randomness.
I need to clarify on this. What exactly do you need randomness for? Where should it come from? That's not really something a developer can program, unless they're programming damage rolls.
Randomness in and of itself goes against the other things you've been saying need to be added, most of which originate from CoD, which is, in it's very nature, a predictable game; You run around, shoot a guy, get killed by a camper, then buy the re-skin they come out with in a few months.
Truthfully, randomness isn't something you can program, nor is it something that can be added with a patch. it comes from the people playing.
And I like Halo 4, so.... I don't really care what people say about it, because I'll still like it.
Great discussion though.