Contemplating Bungie's Halo active camouflage
January 2009
![[Bungie's Halo active camouflage]](Halo_Hidden_Dragon.jpg)
picture source: halopedia.org
This active camouflage cannot be bought.
The active camouflage can be obtained in a complete form but it is also possible to get e.g. 30% active camouflage. Partial active camouflage so to say.
In case of partial active camouflage (let's say 30%), the player can choose e.g. to let the active camouflage build up from the feet up or place it randomly on different parts of the body.
Instead of using the 30% obtained active camouflage for the body, is it also possible to use it for tactical functions, e.g. to stealth the gun or the knife of the soldier. The result: the enemy does not see the solder's weapon when the soldier is approached, to the enemy it only appears as if the soldier is moving his arms while in fact the soldier is raising his gun to shoot the enemy.
The gamer can decide how to use the active camouflage when he has not yet obtained full active camouflage. This freedom of choice will provide tactical advantages, e.g., with 50% active camouflage he can stealth his front side to approach the enemy unseen while his backside is visible. Or, when wading through water which reaches up to his waste he can use the 50% active camouflage to only stealth his upper body.
When a gamer only has a certain percentage of active camouflage he should be able to use this amount of stealth to form a single stealth surface, or a few multiple stealth surfaces, which moves over his body with a certain speed. In this way, it is difficult for the enemy to get a good aim at him.
Instead of creating a single or multiple stealth surface(s), when a percentage of active camouflage is obtained, it is also possible to use the percentage of active camouflage to cover the whole body and vary the quality of the active camouflage from low to high quality.
In that case, low quality can be defined as full active camouflage that is alternating between on and off, or as an active camouflage that is present but the soldier can still be seen vaguely.
If choosing the functionality of an on and off stealth quality, the next choice is to choose between an on and off time that will be known to the gamer or a period that comes and goes randomly.
An on and off period that is known to the gamer can provide advantages in comparison to an active camouflage that works at random time intervals. E.g. the first active camouflage will allow the gamer to cross a heavily guarded bridge while the second active camouflage will make crossing the bridge safely uncertain.
Such advantages exist in every environment and situation that the soldier will be in throughout the game.
E.g. a random active camouflage in a scenery that contains less changes like a meadow the soldier can easily be seen (soldier moving in a still scenery), but in a thunderstorm or in the woods it would be more of an advantage because such sceneries contain movements from itself.
Random active camouflage can be an advantage when the meadow consists of grass that is moved by the wind and the soldier is not walking but crawling over the ground.
Is it possible to transfer the active camouflage fully and partially to a friendly soldier, and vice versa.
Such a transfer should only be possible in particular situations. E.g. when a friendly soldier is wounded and need to be transported in a combat area. The friendly soldier can then be protected by transferring the active camouflage on to him.
Strategic functionality of transferable active camouflage to the enemy; e.g. to create chaos among hostile soldiers because they think that one or, even better, a couple of their colleagues are you and members of your group. And so, the enemy shooting at their own people.
Transfer of active camouflage to enemy troops can be done by human touch or by the touch of a weapon.
If it can be done by the touch of a weapon it should be possible to spread the active camouflage in the same way mines or fragmentation bombs are used, meaning that multiple enemy troops can be infected abruptly so chaos will come fast and sudden among them.
To make the game more difficult, enemy troops can be given the intelligence to use the active camouflage as an advantage. If this will be the case, existing scenarios can then be given new storylines.
The new possibilities depend on the environment in which the soldier is, e.g.: foggy environments and sceneries with a lot of fire and/or smoke.
The colour of the active camouflage can also be a variable.
On the picture at the top of this page the colour of the active camouflage is now white/glass like, reflecting its surroundings. Additional gameplay can be created if a percentage of the active camouflage has a different colour.
A fire looking like shield colour will give cover in a fire and explosive scenery, but also to a burning forest in the background. The fire looking-like shield will not do any good in snowy scenery.
Instead of using the coloured shield as active camouflage, it is also possible to use it as a penalty rule in the game, e.g. because of destroying civilian property you will get a bright orange or yellow shield for a fixed period.
The more severe a penalty the more a disadvantage the percentage coloured active camouflage should be.
A coloured active camouflage with a colour that stands out in an environment can also be used to literally highlight enemy troops.
Some sort of machine gun that only shoots coloured active camouflage instead of bullets or some sort of bomb that explodes some distance above the ground and sprinkles coloured active camouflage on every living thing.
If a bomb is used that sprinkles coloured active camouflage on everything it's also possible that enemy troops are camouflaged by the surroundings which also got the coloured active camouflage from the bomb. In such a situation, the supposedly disadvantage of the coloured active camouflage becomes an advantage for the enemy troops, because they now blend in with surroundings.
The colour of the shield should depend on the purpose of the shield, meaning to camouflage or to highlight.
It is up to the gamer to decide to infect enemy troops with just a percentage of coloured active camouflage or to use the full coloured active camouflage.
The time the coloured active camouflage should be active can also be set by the gamer.
When the coloured active camouflage is coming to its end it should not cease to exist abruptly but gently fade away.
An enemy trooper can take some sort of antidote if he is infected with coloured active camouflage.
It is likely that if it is possible to infect enemy troops with coloured active camouflage, it should also be in the gameplay that the enemy can get rid of it somehow. This can affect the level of gameplay difficulty.
The coloured active camouflage can be homogeny or, e.g., it can also continually glow and fade like a disco light.
Something that has a high blink frequency can be more difficult to aim at in scenery where there is a lot of activity, but a glowing and fading like a lighthouse in heavy clouded weather will stand out just perfectly.
Besides homogeny and glowing and fading it's also possible to create an active camouflage which consists of multiple colours in the same way real camouflage is made.
A coloured active camouflage shield that adapts automatically to its surroundings like a chameleon.
An inverted chameleon active camouflage, meant not to camouflage but to highlight. Meaning the shield will always have the colour that stands most out of it surroundings.
An active camouflage that moves as a liquid over the body.
This liquid active camouflage gives a nice graphical presentation.
Optional is to have fish swimming in the liquid shield. A goldfish will have a more kiddie-look than a dangerous looking eel swimming in the liquid shield.
Instead of a fish it is also possible to let one or multiple symbols move through the liquid shield.
The types of symbols can depend on their purpose, meaning e.g., the symbols can be used for making a nicer graphical presentation but also to indicate the rank or injury of the soldier.
The original purpose of the shield, camouflage, is still sustainable if a liquid shield with symbols is used.
In a scene where there is not much purpose for camouflage the symbols can stand out and where camouflage is needed the symbols will disappear.
The disappearing of the symbols should take place in a subtle way or in a quick way, depending on the scenario.
Symbols that can be used for a nicer graphical presentation are e.g. a gun, a bullet, some foreign signs, Native American war signs.
The symbols have usually one shape but there is a possibility for the shape of a symbol to changes every now and then.
The coloured active camouflage can also be used, of course, to make game more breath-taking.
A coloured active camouflage can be used to e.g. indicate the rank of enemy troops and the strength of a gamer.
It is possible to use the active camouflage to indicate the severity of injuries of a wounded soldier, e.g. the more wounded a soldier is the less the active camouflage can function properly.
The active camouflage deployed in a fragmented way such that the shield is no longer present where the soldier is wounded.
Blood splatters from the wound will be visible on the active camouflage in the wounded area.
The damage of the shield can only be as big as the bullet that penetrated the shield, or such that always a bigger piece of shield will be missing around the area where the bullet hit.
E.g. if a bullet penetrates the active camouflage of the soldier on its arm then the shield of that arm will be completely gone leaving a bigger part of the soldier's body unprotected instead of only letting the shield missing on the spot where the bullet penetrated the shield.
The active camouflage being powerful enough to withstand the impact of a hand-launched grenade.
If a soldier is so badly wounded that he has fractures, then these fractures should also be translated in a distorted/twisted active camouflage.
Bone fractures penetrating the active camouflage from the inside is a possibility. If penetrating bone fractures is too much detail, then displaying it in the intermediate video is a better place to do it.
Showing a fragmented active camouflage on the spot where the bullet hit. Meaning, when e.g. you take a gun and shoot on a tree trunk you will not only see the bark of that tree being damaged where the bullet hit but most likely the bark will also be damaged on different spots some distance away from where the bullet impacted, simply because of the force at which the bullet impacts the tree.
Showing a wave or surface distortion going over the active camouflage when the shield is impacted by e.g. a bullet.
A wave or surface distortion can also be seen when the footage is shown of a high-speed camera that filmed a bullet hitting an apple.
When a wave is applied the moment the active camouflage is impacted, this wave will then be in such a way that parts of the body of the soldier will be exposed temporarily, like waves over a rock on the beach, sometimes you see the rock and sometimes not.
If the body will not be exposed by the wave, perhaps a less thick (meaning more vulnerable) active camouflage can be shown on the spot where the active camouflage is being pulled away because of the wave.
A special effect: the body vaguely showing and being covered again when the wave is going over the active camouflage.
Colours can be used to indicate those spots on the soldier's body where the wave caused the active camouflage to be temporarily less thick than therefore.
Using colour to indicate a temporarily weaker spot on the active camouflage will let that coloured spot be used by an enemy trooper who can aim and fire at it.
Because the wave is moving over the active camouflage, the coloured spot, i.e. the weaker spot, can of course also move over the active camouflage like a piece of foam on the waves of the sea.
A new weapon can be created that can utilize this coloured spot to be fired upon. Perhaps a colour-seeking-missile instead of a heat-seeking-missile.
When the wave is going over the active camouflage, the gameplay can then be made in such a way that during this wave and movement of the active camouflage, the soldier can move more difficult around. Meaning the active camouflage is partly blocking the freedom of movement of the soldier.
When a soldier has a fragmented active camouflage, because of an injury, it is possible that when a wave is going through the active camouflage this wave is causing the active camouflage to also flow out over the injury, and with that, protecting the injury.
There is a possibility that when the wave has left the active camouflage the active camouflage is left reordered, and with that, e.g. covering the injury (previously without covered by the stealth sheet) but leaving another non-injured spot of the soldier's body exposed.
Blood stains are also able to being moved by the wave to another spot on the active camouflage. Large bloodstains that are smeared out across the soldier's active camouflage by the wave.
A wound can weaken the soldier more and more when time passes by.
The active camouflage could be influenced by a wound such that the active camouflage will be "melting", starting at the wound as time passes by.
It can add to the gameplay, when the gamer has the possibility to stop the meltdown of the active camouflage by looking for objects that can heal the meltdown.
The type of injury will cause the meltdown of the active camouflage to be slow or fast.
A scenario with the possibility of a meltdown of the active camouflage in it will add to the thrill of the game.
Temperature will also have an influence on the speed of the meltdown of the active camouflage.
The bleeding of a wound may cause the meltdown to be started on parts of the active camouflage that are still good.
During the meltdown of the active camouflage it can also be that the active camouflage is getting more plastic-like than solid, like the wax of a candle that is close to the flame.
During the game a soldier is moving through busses, over sand and rock, across fields, etc. An active camouflage that is getting plastic because of the meltdown might have e.g. branches, grass, sand or rock stick to it.
The stickiness of an active camouflage that is getting plastic because of the meltdown also has a negative influence on the freedom of movement when e.g. a soldier is moving through a bush-like environment and every now and then keeps sticking to a tree or bush, like when you step in gum on the pavement and that gum sticks to your shoe when you continuing walking.
A fragmented active camouflage that contains sharp fragments which injures the soldier during certain movements, e.g. when running or crawling.
Besides the possibility where a sharp fragmented piece of the active camouflage can injure the soldier, the soldier may also use the sharp edged fragmented shield as a weapon in a similar way he can use a knife.
It is realistic that a fragmented active camouflage will be more damaged when the soldier is e.g. running over rocky terrain.
An enemy trooper can throw a rope around the fragmented part of the shield.
A fragmented can shield be used to display a stunning graphical poster of the Halo character, e.g. displaying the fragmented shield somewhere near the eyes of the Halo character.
If not near the face, near the spine when facing the Halo character from the back will also do.
Displaying the Halo character with a fragmented shield in the same posture as Willem Dafoe on the Platoon poster.
A scenery where the Halo character is displayed kneeling with a gun in one hand and a compass in the other, and at the same time showing a fragmented shield near the heel.
The active camouflage may also provide protection against solar radiation. It can be added to the gameplay that solar radiation is entering the fragmented shield and start corroding the shield from the inside.
A bird finding a resting place on one of the fragments of the active camouflage while the Halo character is resting.
A deer nibbling on some grass that is sticking to the fragments of the active camouflage.
The movements a wounded Halo character can make depends on the type of wound and on the location of that wound.
Realism of the type of wounds the Halo character can get can be found in hospitals.
See how a patient with a knife wound crawls over an obstacle course that is used by real soldiers. The Halo character should have similar realistic movements when being wounded.
Wounds sometimes tell about the gun that caused it. Meaning, a gun needs to be big and powerful to cause a serious wound
A hospital is a place where many wounds, caused by multiple guns and rifles, can be studied.
For sure the study will show that a large bullet always causes a serious wound.
The knowledge that is gained from studying real-life wounds will contribute aid designing firing weapons and wounds for the Halo character.
Reality is that an average rifle can cause as much damage as the damage that can be caused by the Halo character.
If study shows that to inflict a serious wound to an enemy soldier does not require a huge gun, then this knowledge should be used to design a less huge gun for the Halo game.
A less huge gun will change the gameplay of the Halo game in such a way that the Halo character will gain more agility.
A relatively small weapon can have enormous fire power. The bigger the better does not always have to apply for the Halo game.
Implementing big fire power coming from relatively small guns will only add to the Halo and can bring much more depth in the gameplay, makes the game much wider than it is now.
By studying patients that rehabilitate from a gunshot wound or knife injury can make the Halo character move more realistically when it has a gunshot wound.
A Green Beret will move more fluently over an obstacle course than a wounded soldier would do.
Training objects on a real-life obstacle course can be implemented in the Halo game.
There is a relationship between the obstacles on the obstacle course and the movements that are trained at any obstacle.
The movements of the Halo character should resemble the movements made by soldiers, navy seals and green berets on the obstacle course.
The difference between the movements made by soldiers, navy seals and green berets on the obstacle course most likely comes from the different gear each of them carries.
To bring movement diversity to the Halo characters it would be good to take all the different movements of the soldiers, navy seals and green berets and spread them out over all the Halo characters.
Body size dictates which technique suits a person better on the obstacle course.
Additional difficulties on the obstacle course come from the weapons and backpack one must carry with them on the obstacle course, and of course, also into war.
The expert on movements used on the obstacle course is the training instructor. The training instructor can explain the difference in movements used by the three types of soldiers.
Difference in movements sometimes comes from the fact that each of the three types of soldiers have a special function on the battlefield. Meaning, e.g. a normal soldier is not meant to behave like a navy seal sniper but needs to clear the way for the navy seals and/or green berets and therefore is not allowed to stall to long at an obstacle, he is not allowed to use more caution because in the military hierarchy a normal soldier is more expandable.
Difference in movements also have to do with the intelligence of the soldier, e.g. a navy seal is more intelligent because of the special operations it must fulfil and therefore will also handle the obstacle in different way than a normal soldier would.
Each of the three types of soldiers should be personally asked about why each of them is handling the obstacle different than the other type of soldier.
Multiple types of soldiers in the Halo game can mirror the different types of soldiers present in real-life like the normal soldier, navy seal and the green beret.
Each type of soldier has his own particular weapons.
Each type of soldier has his own skill. Like in real-life weapons can be handed over to anyone but someone's skill is not transferable.
Not all obstacle courses are alike. The obstacle course of the normal soldier, the navy seal and the green beret. This is due to the skill-set of the type of soldier and assignment that they are send on.
There is an obstacle course that is the one that requires the most skill and endurance to complete.
Green berets move over their own obstacle course like a team and not like an individual.
The way a single green beret goes over an obstacle course is different to that of a group movement.
Going over the obstacle course which normal soldiers train will make the green beret set a new time record.
Different obstacle courses in real-life translate to different scenarios in the Halo game.
The difference in obstacles leads to a change in sceneries in the Halo game.
When a training instructor of the green berets is asked to review the obstacles the Halo character is moving over and the movements the Halo character is making, the training instructor will implement some of the obstacles from the game into the real obstacle course of the green berets.
Objects on the obstacle courses in general do not provide the soldier with any advantages when having the active camouflage activated.
An obstacle course is a training ground on which mental attitude is more important than any camouflage.
Since an active camouflage is a piece of technology the obstacle course can only break that technology (wear it down), when the soldier wearing it and has it activated, goes over all obstacles.
Obstacles on the obstacle course of the green berets that require the whole green beret team to participate for all the team members to overcome the obstacle, the active camouflage which is activated by one team member can have a negative influence on the whole team in trying to overcome the obstacle.
One situation can be e.g. another team member must attach a climbing cable to the team member which has activated the active camouflage but because of this active camouflage the team member can simply not see where the hook on the clothing of the team member is which has his active camouflage activated and consequently cannot attach the cable.
Another situation is that when a team member has activated his active camouflage he will slowly but gradually no longer be considered as being a team member. You do not love that what you cannot see.
A leader of an assault team that has his active camouflage activated during an operation cannot be seen by his team members, and so, cannot follow any physical signals the leader is sending out.
A bomb needs to be detonated by the assault team in the Halo game but only when the whole assault team is within an armour shielded spot. Having one team member, that has his active camouflage on, still missing the team must postpone the detonation since they cannot see if the missing team member is or is not within the blast zone of the bomb.
Realistic disadvantages of an activated active camouflage gives the Halo game a better gameplay.
When it comes to movements made by the Halo character, the realistic feature of the active camouflage can be understood on the military obstacle course.
Of course, an obstacle course is real-life and a game and its fantasy is another.
A gamer quickly adapts to the reality and gameplay used within the game.
The military obstacle course provides limitations for the soldiers which train on it simply because of the limitations of what a man can do. A game is programmable which means that also the ability of the Halo character is programmable.
Good gameplay does not have to come from whether a game is realistic or not, meaning, in accordance to the difficulty and reality of the obstacle course.
Nonetheless, the fact that the Halo character and everything within the game has limitations gives the game its appeal.
The game should not be easy to play but it needs difficulty.
The training instructor, who is training navy seals, will point out disadvantage of the active camouflage which non-military personnel could never have guessed.
The training instructor being asked about his experiences as a navy seal during combat missions, an active camouflage would have been welcome many times.
In real-life an active camouflage giving invisibility is not always an advantage. There is a flip side to every coin.
The training instructor can tell of situations that he has been in and where it was very important that his team members could see him.
In real-life combat situations seeing your team members is very important.
Sometimes it is more important to have a visual on your team member's gun rather than on the team member himself.
Let the training instructor tell about the difference between an active camouflage and an armoured shield.
An active camouflage and an armoured shield are two different options in the same way that guns each have their own special place in special ops.
The training instructor can tell exactly how big the module can be that generates the active camouflage and armoured shield.
A module that generates the active camouflage and is as big as a box that holds the ammunition of a M60 machine gun is not practical.
Carrying such a box around his waist, tightly constrained against his body by a belt, and the box being light weight might make it more practical.
Freedom of movement, meaning not being blocked by the gear a soldier is wearing, in battle situation is of the utmost importance.
Carrying the box which generates the active camouflage, closely strapped against the body, going over an obstacle course can be a doable job if the obstacle course is taken on with a proper mindset.
The training instructor is an experienced soldier. Less experience soldiers might find the box that generates the active camouflage difficult to handle.
The Halo character carrying the box, that is generating the active camouflage, near the waste would make a great artist impressions.
Real-life problems encountered on the obstacle course while carrying a box on the waste can be implemented in the Halo game. It all depends on how detailed the movements of the Halo character need to be.
Fire sparks of the Halo character's weapon, when firing, need to be reflected in the active camouflage that is operational. This would allow to create beautiful visual effects.
It is possible to continue on this subject but for now it ends here.