I started playing with Halo 2, or Halo: CE on the original Xbox (eventually I got both). I never played on XBL for both of those games. It escalated to Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST. Still no XBL. Finally, Reach became the first game I played legitimately on XBL. The second Halo I played legitimately was Halo 4. I could never get into Halo 3's XBL. It was too slow for me.
Does that make me any less of a Halo fan for starting Live with Reach & 4? No, definitely not. The same is said for everyone else, and for people who started with Reach/4. Halo is not reserved for just the veterans of the series. Why do you think 343i constantly wants new people to experience the Franchise? So they can share the experience too.
You ask for Halo to evolve but bash Halo 5 for doing exactly what you wanted it to do in the first place (but you didn't know what you wanted from Halo 5 besides the game evolving). You ask for change, but cringe when it comes.
Can you tell me what makes a Halo game? I could. It's all a matter of opinion. My ideas would be just as valid as yours & everyone elses. Get 20 different Halo fans from around the world together to decide what should, and should not be in a Halo game, and I bet they'll make little, if any progress.
So in order for the game to evolve... there has to be change. And that change will always turn people away. 343i has to reach a sweet spot of not too little, but not too much change: a daunting task with such a large franchise such as Halo. I realize the fiasco that was Halo 4. It was a shame since the game was soo beautiful. I hated to see Halo 4 die. I definitely WOULD NOT want that to happen again.
I like what 343i is doing so far with Halo 5. It's strange really. Before the launch of Halo 4 I felt the same way, and I ended up loving that game. I'm hoping the same becomes true with Halo 5.