Specializations Breakdown

[Absolute Dog]

Halo 4 Specializations

An in depth look at one of Halo's new features

 

By: Absolute Dog 343 Industries.org

 

 

 

Specializations may be the unique way Halo again sets itself apart from the rest of the FPS on the market. Halo 4 will continue the use of some of the abilities first introduced in Halo: Reach along with the always available sprint. The game will include new abilities in Promethean Vision, Hardlight Shield, Auto-Sentry, Thruster Pack and Regeneration Field. The base player speed is said to be similar to that of Halo 3 which, when coupled with sprint and specializations, should make for some incredibly fast paced and hectic gaming.

 

The first look will my into the recently released information on Specializations. Included will be a combination of developer quotes, narrative from various sources, video and images that will help the reader to gain a better grasp of this subject.

 

This is the basic overview offered by 343 Industries about Specializations and how they affect or integrate with the ranking system, abilities, armors and various other player aspects. It also mentions unlockable items made available by progressing through the various levels.

 

The UNSC Infinity, the largest starship in the UNSC fleet, is your gateway to the Infinity Multiplayer experience in Halo 4 and serves as the center of your Spartan career. Here you will build your custom Spartan-IV super-soldier, and progress your multiplayer career across both Spartan Ops and the multitude of competitive War Games modes.

 

Halo 4 has fifty levels. Once you have advanced through the standard fifty levels, you will get the option to enlist in a Specialization. You can choose the order in which you tackle unlocked Specializations. However once you select one, you must advance through it completely before enlisting in a separate Specialization.

 

Specializations allow you to enlist in specific rank paths. These paths are composed of ten levels each. As you level up through these dedicated paths, you will unlock armor sets, emblems, visor colors, weapon and armor skins, and armor mods – which provide even more options to customize your Spartan-IV to fit your preferred role on the battlefield.

 

These armor mods will work exactly like all other tactical and support mods in the game. They are not tied to specific armor for each Specialization, so you don’t have to wear the armor to use that particular mod. They enhance a small part of the sandbox (meaning good players will still be good, and not good players will still be not good), allowing people to play the style they want to play and experience the parts of the sandbox they like on a more frequent basis.

 

We consider Specializations end-game content because even if you have “access” to all of them on day one, you will still need to reach level 50 before you can enlist in any Specializations. Think of them as giving you control over extending your level cap.

 

Two Specializations – Wetwork and Pioneer – will be available to all players when the game launches, and the rest will gradually be made available in the months following launch. We will be keeping a close watch on player participation post-launch and will roll out the additional six Specializations when the player base reaches certain milestones. There will also be playlists available that do not utilize loadouts or armor mods.

 

 

That overview included the fact of the 1 through 50 levels of the base ranking system and that once a player reaches the highest level they can then choose which Specialization they first want to unlock. Having to complete it before selecting another is required, but a statement by David Ellis while speaking to IGN indicates that skill earned during this progression may unlock other Specializations.

 

David Ellis...... "By enlisting in a Specialisation you basically raise your own level cap," explained Spartan Ops designer. "With each one, you can extend the level cap a little further. You do not have to rank all the way through again [to unlock another Specialisation]." David spoke to the fact that the Specializations would be more of a reward for players who were dedicated enough to progress up to the fiftieth level in multiplayer and considered to be "end game content". He went on to add, "We'll be watching the level curve of the community closely close launch and will do our best to role Specializations out as we see segments of the playerbase reach max rank."

 

Each class offers nine levels of customization options including armor sets, weapon skins, emblems and visor covers, while a tenth level grants the player with a "game play modifying perk"

 

 

Specialization Classes_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

Wetworks

 

According to recent information offered by 343 Industries we find out that, "Wetwork Specialization is a Spartan optimization for stealth operations which focus on the elimination of an enemy target with the goal of leaving no tactical footprint behind. The Stealth mod armor allows users to move quickly and silently in combat, executing enemy assassinations with lightning fast dexterity. "

 

I think Ryan McCaffrey of IGN put it best by saying,"Halo fans who wore the Hyabusa armor proudly in Halo 3 can now walk the walk in addition to talking the talk. As you may have heard in previous Halo 4 multiplayer footage, these Spartan IVs make some serious noise when they move. How could they not? They’re seven-foot-tall super humans running around frantically while wearing one-ton metal armor. Enter the Wetwork armor mod, which boasts a couple of key stealth-related benefits."

 

His discussion with David Ellis on Specializations led David to point out that, “When someone’s using Promethean Vision, they show up on screen as a big red figure. With this [mod], you still show up, but the only thing that shows up is your outline. And also when you sprint, it adds some sound dampening so you don’t make as much noise. You definitely still show up on radar, let me make that clear.”

 

"Furthermore, the assassination animation will happen faster for you, leaving you vulnerable for a shorter duration of time. " , added McCaffrey.

 

343 offered additional information about this 'Stealth' armor mod that, "has very sharp shapes and angles, reminiscent of a knife or blade – does a number of things to help a player that likes to get up close and personal. Many times when someone is using Promethean Vision, they scan quickly so if there’s a lot going on, they may miss you. Or you can hope, anyway." This modification with it's faster assassination ability leaves a player less vulnerable to attack from an opponents team mate.

Wetworks Weapon Skin as it appears on the DMR

Wetworks is one of the two immediately accessible Specializations available to all players out of the box. The other one is Pioneer, so let's take a look at it.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<o>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Pioneer

 

In regards to the other Specialization available on November 6th, 343 Industries states that the, "Pioneer Specialization is a Spartan optimization for deployment into uncharted, hostile territory (such as uncolonized worlds or Forerunner constructs like Requiem) for the purpose of gathering/relaying information."

 

The 'Fast Track' armor modification will allow players to gain more experience points, or 'data', from each gaming encounter which will quicken the pace at which they rank up. McCaffrey says of this variant, "We can’t imagine anyone not starting out by spending a lot of time as a Pioneer, and not just because it's the only other Specialization that everyone will have access to on November 6. Simply, the Pioneer’s Fast Track mod nets you experience points towards the next level at a higher rate, bringing you closer to your high-level goals." Ryan goes on to say, "Ellis and 343 have already planned for the potential exploits of this particular class.

 

“You can change loadouts mid-match, but we put fail-safes in,” Ellis begins. “For Fast Track, you only get extra XP for the amount of time you were using it. You can’t just turn it on right at the end of a match and think you’re going to get extra XP for everything you did in a match."

 

According to additional information from 343 Industries this, "armor mod features armor that has wiring which runs throughout the armor to control temperatures in extreme conditions. Gameplay-wise, it gives the player more post-game experience. In-game, if you get 10 points per kill, you don’t get more at that exact moment, but after the game it modifies the amount of experience your Spartan earns to increase the speed at which you rank up. It’s not for everybody because it takes up a primary spot (that could be used for something like carrying an extra grenade or sprinting longer). And, in case you were wondering, you can’t change to it at the end of a game and get more experience for the entire match."

 

Pioneer Weapon Skin as it appears on the Plasma Pistol

 

That is a preview of the two Specializations shipped with the game, but it important to note the rest of the specializations will be released at a later period unless you purchase the Halo 4 Limited Edition which will access to all eight Specializations at the November 6th game launch. Another incentive to purchase the LE if I do say so myself!

 

I will add the rest of the Specializations right here as time permits this evening.

 

 

 

[Absolute Dog]

Reserved

[Ardent Prayer]

I am SOOOO happy I preordered limited edition.

[Jord]

Fantastic post, lot's of great information!

[Tallgeese]

Has it been confirmed that once you finish the 1-50 and 1-10 for your first Specialization that you also have to go through 1-50 again to be able to choose another Specialization? Or is it just 1-50 once and 1-10 for each specialization after that?

[Absolute Dog]

Has it been confirmed that once you finish the 1-50 and 1-10 for your first Specialization that you also have to go through 1-50 again to be able to choose another Specialization? Or is it just 1-50 once and 1-10 for each specialization after that?

You only have to reach the 50th level in the ranking system once. After that you work on each Specialization. Some Specializations will unlock, it appears, as you work through the levels of the current one you are attempting to finish. By all accounts these will not be easily reached and finishing each one will take time.

[Complete Loser]

So it is a balancing method to stop people from having all of them at the same time good, I think it's a good idea and will help balance the game more.

[Tallgeese]

@Absolute Dog: Thank you for confirming this, is there a link to where you found this info. I have been hearing that every time you finish a Specialization 1-10, you have to go through 1-50 again in order to reach another Specialization. I was really hoping that you only had to go through the initial 1-50 levels once and each Specialization 1-10 after that.

[SatanicBagels]

Wow thanks for this info Absolute Dog. Very interesting stuff. I imagine that I will be spending the majority of my time as a Pioneer assuming a better specialization isn't released (lol).

 

Am I the only one who thinks the new armor looks incredibly bad and un-halo.

[SykoWolf]

Yay i get oceanic skin

 

But i will more then likely play as pioneer at the beggining, as it will prepare me for a more "specialised" role.

[Tallgeese]

I am getting web and forrest armor skin, for my 2 pre-orders...hopefully a DLC pack including all pre-order bonuses does indeed come out like Frankie said would hopefully be the case.

[Ac7 oN ImPuLs3]

I think I like the ideas for all of these but what I am truly excited for is to see how a team can combine them with certain players to compliment each others playing styles!

[Tallgeese]

I agree Ac7, it really seems that 343i is trying to make Halo more team based again. Going back to the roots is a good smart move by 343i

[Nickman5030]

This. is. Friggin. EPIC i can not wait for halo 4 all these new features and abilities that are being added in look AWESOME I wish that i had gotten the Limited Edition though.

[Ac7 oN ImPuLs3]

I agree Ac7, it really seems that 343i is trying to make Halo more team based again. Going back to the roots is a good smart move by 343i

Absolutely.

[RedStarRocket91]

I think I'll be spending an awful lot of time with the 'Wetworks' specialisation. There are going to be an awful lot of players wondering how their opponent could be so bad at assassinating them even with a special perk in a few months' time, I can tell you!

[twistedforsaken]

could some explain how limited differences from standard?

[Tallgeese]

Do you mean Limited Edition vs Standard? If so than LE comes with a bunch of extra stuff that the basic version does not come with. Also LE owners have access to ALL of the Specializations from day 1, while those with the standard only have access to Pioneer and Wetworks.

[Toast Wizard]

Let me get this straight. You play play play play and reach level 50. Once you are level 50 you can choose a specialization. If you purchased the regular game you receive two specializations. If you purchased the LE you get access to all eight on day one. Going from this, is the final level 130. 50 + 80(10 levels in each specialization) = 130. Is that how it works or do the 10 levels from the specializations have nothing to do with your main matchmaking rank.

[Absolute Dog]

could some explain how limited differences from standard?

Yes, the regular, or standard, version has just 2 Specializations. They are Wetworks and Pioneer. The Limited Edition will contain all eight Specializations. If you are able to reach level 50 prior to the first DLC you can choose whichever one you like to unlock first. If you have the standard edition, you will have to wait until the first DLC to attain them.

[Tallgeese]

@Toast Wizard: You are correct, there are 130 levels in total. 1-50 initial levels, and than 10 levels for each Specialization for a total of 80 levels. 50+80=130

[SykoWolf]

Wow thanks for this info Absolute Dog. Very interesting stuff. I imagine that I will be spending the majority of my time as a Pioneer assuming a better specialization isn't released (lol).

 

Am I the only one who thinks the new armor looks incredibly bad and un-halo.

The armour is just great, i like how it shows the sort of technology and thought put into every piece

[Hᴜᴍᴘsᴛʏʟᴇs]

I'm now seriously considering preordering the LE instead of just purchasing the SE and buying the Map Pass (or what have you) along side it. I like wearing armor that I unlocked myself by completing difficult tasks and achievements instead of wearing the one that you essentially purchased.

 

I guess I assumed that the other 6 Specializations would be more or less "lifted" like the Rank Cap on Reach gradually instead of DLC, which will probably take a few months after initial release on the 6th.

[Durandal v2]

I will use Pioneer until level 50, and most likely Wetwork after that seeing as I have more of a stealth play style

[Mr. Snazz]

Great info, really excited for this. The customization factor in H4 is just going through the roof, I think it will be an amazing game.