User blog comment:Tuckerscreator/Wars Never Ends/@comment-189012-20121004113326

Most of the bullet points and statements addressed is well-thought out but some are not practical for an actual game (because realism in terms of development rocks, no?). While a space-based RTS would be fun, it is not practical to be bundled with a ground-based combat. A space-based RTS should be its own game so that it can deliver a true space-based combat (check out Halo Homefront). The mechanics developed by Ensemble is indeed perfect for console-based RTS. While there won't be base-building or resource management, the RTS model would still be fun with major military unit battles.

There should be a Covenant campaign, there should be a coherent storyline (not necessarily deep but as long as major plotholes are avoided), there should be more emphasis on infantries ("rock, paper, scissor" doesn't work quite well in modern RTS), and more design consistencies. Let's start from the most basic idea first:


 * Coherent storyline: the following is what I had in mind of a proper sequel. What I'm essentially doing is dropping hints to events that takes place in the original Halo trilogy. It does not need to move alongside the Reclaimer Trilogy because RTS itself is a new era. A proper game storyline should not make full use of other canon mediums; it should fill in the gaps but not to the extent that it would conflict with established canon.
 * The sequel to Halo Wars should focus on a new cast as well as new setting. The storyline would involve another Phoenix-class refit ship under another captain and the campaign begins with the said captain defending a UNSC colony world in 2534 (make your new colonyworld, hooray!). After one-two successful campaign on said planet, the Covenant arrives with its proper invasion force. This prompted the UNSC to evacuate the civilians and retreat via slipspace. Said captain would be involved in this evacuation (no more "this child must survive" since it's very annoying) and ordered his ship to enter slipspace. However, as they do so, one Covenant ship manage to land a blow on the engine and cause the slipspace drive to destablise. Fortunately, the ship exits slipspace safely in an unsurveyed system. While making repairs, they picked up a familiar distress transmission which led them to a snowy planet. It is revealed to the captain that the Spirit of Fire crashlanded on the said planet and that there are several survivors holding up against a few Covenant patrols. And... that's the end of ACT 1 and I'll stop here for the UNSC side of the campaign. ;)
 * The Covenant side of the campaign would be harder and shorter than its human counterpart. It focuses on a Field Marshal and takes place during the events of Halo Wars. Regret narrates the beginning of the campaign and charges this Zealot to visit the planets as indicated in the on Harvest. This Elite leads his Zealots into a human urban environment (on Arcadia) in the first two campaign missions to recover an artifact for the Covenant. He is successful in doing so and retreated before they are removed by the UNSC (and the Spirit of Fire). The subsequent missions would move the Zealot across several venues (i.e. capture the NAV data, recover stolen tech, hold out against UNSC forces). Flash-forward to 254X, the Elite, now a Field Marshal, leads his ships to Leonis Minoris to survey the last unserveyed human colony world under orders of Truth. And... that's the beginning of ACT 2 and final act. :P
 * No Flood since they are a mess even under Ensemble. As such, no Sentinels or any Forerunner defenses since nothing is awakened from its deep slumber...


 * Units:
 * Changes to the units would be the removal of the Flamethrowers/Suicide Grunts as a unit (does not fit at all), adding a marksman/sniper in the standard infantry (for Covenant, it would be four Grunts and two Jackals), making ODSTs/Elites Majors their own unit rather than an upgrade of a unit. Ultras and Spartans will remain as special infantry units with their own unique upgrade (ala Commando in CNC:TW).
 * Automatic repair if the structure does not receive any damage. This would include animation of engineers fixing the structure. Covenant has an advantage to speed it up or fix it even while taking damage: Huragok.
 * Unit behaviour is dependent on the movement style you choose. This design is what I would call "movement formation": aggressive would be to attack everything and anything, forced would be to move quickly regardless of damage received, suppressive would be to take a stance, attack and move slowly, and spread (exclusive for infantries) would be to take cover near structures and move even slower.

The above is what was planned for Halo Wars: Contingency before the article was removed. I could go on with what we had planned for the article but I'll just leave this as it is...