So, I was reading the Infinity briefing pamphlet you get with the Limited Edition of Halo 4, and I was noticing how Palmer kept calling Spartans "over-achieving badasses", but when you think about it, you're limited to just 2 armor modules, and they all have an effect, but to be honest, sometimes I want to use my Stealth and Dexterity armor modules together. Then I thought: skill trees. So I thought, long and hard, and this is what I came up with.
You have the regular ranking system, which unlocks armor, weapons, armor abilities, grenades, visors, emblems, maybe even voices for your Spartan. That bit doesn't change. What does change are specializations, armor modules, and some aspects of weapons and armor abilities. Basically, you have 3 different categories of skill trees: standard skill trees, specialization skill trees, and skill trees for your weapons, grenades and armor abilities. As you rank up through the skill tree, you get your traits slightly boosted (not like movement speed up to 200%, but maybe 120%) and maybe some new special abilities (like ledge grabs)
The first category, standard, covers standard battlefield things like reload speed, sprint duration, maybe a combination of some things. Maybe you'll unlock new abilities that, while very small, make your Spartan as much of an over-achieving badass as you are. You only get one that progresses, but you get to choose which one does progress, and if you change your mind, you can change what skill tree is active while another one's being progressed.
Next, specializations. Similar to the standard ones, they cover more specialized aspects, like stealth, or health regeneration. Like the regular ones, you get to pick which one progresses, but you don't get to just change them when you feel like it. You've got to finish one to start another, like Halo 4. And maybe these ones are harder to get through than the regular ones.
Finally, you've got the ones that relate to weapons, armor abilities and vehicles. Each one relates to one specific weapon, armor ability, grenade type or vehicle, and all of them are active at the same time. As you get kills with a weapon, use an armor ability, or drive a vehicle (or just decimate people with the guns on board) you get better with that thing. Weapons reload faster, armor abilities last longer, vehicles go faster. Small changes that make you slightly better with experience. Eventually, if you master the skill tree of a specific loadout weapon, you could get yourself a customisable skin for said weapon, one which you get to build yourself.
It makes sense in my mind, I just hope it makes sense to you after you've read it. Obviously you don't get anything like double damage with anything, or massive jump height, but maybe as you use something, you get better with it. And, come on, you want your Spartan to be as badass as you, right?
