Loot Boxes or Battle Pass

Currently, the MCC has a 'battle pass' type system. Where you unlock specific rewards at specific intervals of experience earned. You want a certain piece of armor? Play x amount of time and gain the experience to get it. You earn it through your specific time, and everyone knows exactly what you did to get it.

Would you rather a system that gives you a random reward each time you level up? Overall, you'll end up getting all the same equipment, but there's no telling when you might get certain items. There's also no way to know if someone wearing a haunted helmet got it in their first box, or 100th box. Some people will get higher tier rewards sooner than others, and everyone has a chance to get them earlier than the current system. This might be a benefit, as you could earn some more rare items sooner by chance, lessening the burden if you're trying to get that haunted helmet sooner.

What's better - earn what you want, or be randomly given it? What gives you more satisfaction? Which system would you rather in MCC?
Do you want that haunted helmet so bad that you would rather have it just show up randomly - or would you rather earn it through a specific amount of xp earned?

There are obviously better systems possible, but I just wanna know your thoughts about this hypothetical choice.

If you voted, feel free to leave a comment - would be great to have an idea of how many people actually shared their choice.
Don't even have to say how you voted - but you can if you like!

Specific

Chinatown Ben wrote:

I really enjoyed the H5 commendation system and think 343 should adopt that structure for unlocks.

For example: the H5 Weapons and Game Mode commendations both have individual commendations that are grouped together in a bracket system.

When a player completes an individual commendation of a subgroup, they complete 1/3 or 1/4 of the of that subgroup and are closer to completing the group.

When a player completes the group, they are closer to completing the next tier and so on until the over arching group is achieved.

The perfect analogy is a playoff bracket system e.g. American college basketball tournament. Moving from 64 teams down to 32 teams, to 16 teams, 8 teams, 4 teams, to 2 teams, then the playoff champion.

Instead of a linear system, the commendation or bracket system would allow players to choose which commendations they want to complete first, second and so on, this unlocking what they want to unlock along the way.

The current MCC model provides no choices at all and that lack of choice is what causes players to lose interest or become frustrated.

This sounds fantastic - rewarded for your accomplishments.

It's better than both systems in the poll, that's for sure!

SkellyFun wrote:

I'm definitely not the first to say grinding sucks and there are better ways to unlock things, but it's still a weak argument in favor of randomized loot systems. Yes, it "CAN" be more convenient to put everything into lootboxes to get what you want quicker instead of grinding it out, but it's still entirely luck based and undermines the work put in for a lot of people.

Not only that, but it also devalues a lot of these items because anyone can get them with hardly any effort. Look what happened to Helioskrill. "Beat Halo 1-4 on legendary to earn it". Easier said than done and I can hardly think of anyone who wants to play Halo 2 on legendary for funsies, but you earned that armor and could wear it with pride. Now, anyone can get it in a lootbox and all of that work is pointless.

Totally agree that the current system isn't good.
But I would never in a million years think that loot boxes are the right answer.

OperatorSnek wrote:

Do I have to pick?... If the system is close to what is in the MCC, I would pick a Battle Pass any day.

Yes, that's what I'm asking.

I know - they're both bad choices, just curious to what people think is better (or worse).

I think RNG is worse.

I’d much rather have to grind for something than have it be given to me randomly.

I prefer earning the item. it’s more satisfying.

Honestly neither. I don’t like the battle pass system, it feels lazy and I don’t feel like I really earned anything. All I did was exist and I unlocked everything.
The loot box system isn’t ideal either, because what you get is random. You could find a use for both in Halo, just not for armor. In my opinion, armor should always and only be unlocked via achievements or currency(in-game). Loot box and battle pass would be better for extra things like maybe visors, weapon skins, special emblems, etc. That way cool accessories can be bought with real money to help the devs, and the main armors and attachments can be unlocked by being either persistent, badass or just plain lucky depending on the unlock requirements.

As Geralt of Rivia said: "If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all"

I think I maybe would play the game but I will stop it. I don't support a Battle Pass System or that random unlock stuff. Both are just a - Yoink! - into everyones face. Too sad, that many people tolerate those really worse kind of unlock systems.

Deaths Shadow74 wrote:

Honestly neither. I don’t like the battle pass system, it feels lazy and I don’t feel like I really earned anything. All I did was exist and I unlocked everything.
The loot box system isn’t ideal either, because what you get is random. You could find a use for both in Halo, just not for armor. In my opinion, armor should always and only be unlocked via achievements or currency(in-game). Loot box and battle pass would be better for extra things like maybe visors, weapon skins, special emblems, etc. That way cool accessories can be bought with real money to help the devs, and the main armors and attachments can be unlocked by being either persistent, badass or just plain lucky depending on the unlock requirements.

I agree, I don't like either of these systems.
The point of my poll though, is to ask which one is better (or worse).

Dein Exfreund wrote:

As Geralt of Rivia said: "If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all"

I think I maybe would play the game but I will stop it. I don't support a Battle Pass System or that random unlock stuff. Both are just a - Yoink! - into everyones face. Too sad, that many people tolerate those really worse kind of unlock systems.

I don't like these either, but I'm trying to settle a debate about which system is least bad.

CuriousGalaxy91 wrote:

SkellyFun wrote:

I'm definitely not the first to say grinding sucks and there are better ways to unlock things, but it's still a weak argument in favor of randomized loot systems. Yes, it "CAN" be more convenient to put everything into lootboxes to get what you want quicker instead of grinding it out, but it's still entirely luck based and undermines the work put in for a lot of people.

Not only that, but it also devalues a lot of these items because anyone can get them with hardly any effort. Look what happened to Helioskrill. "Beat Halo 1-4 on legendary to earn it". Easier said than done and I can hardly think of anyone who wants to play Halo 2 on legendary for funsies, but you earned that armor and could wear it with pride. Now, anyone can get it in a lootbox and all of that work is pointless.

That is completely true that it's not optimal to devalue the effort that some players has spent unlocking a specific armor piece or a helmet. Now, there do only exist the following armors and helmets which cannot be unlocked from the standard req packs and these armors and helmets/armors do only contribute to a very small proportion of the total. The only unfortunate thing with

Helmets: Achilles, Athlon Champion, Challenger, Olive, Timmy
Armors: Achilles, Athlon Champion, Challenger

Then, there do also exist the Classic Helmets which can only be obtained from the Classic Helmet req pack which can only be purchased for real life money (could be purchased at few occasions with req points).

I'm more curious about what you think would be the lesser of two evils to be in MCC, not H5.
But good points.