Come on, Josh and 343i. The need to create an extensive "immersion" justification for your inherently non-immersive multiplayer gameplay misses the mark entirely. First of all, you made no attempt to tell anyone why the inclusion of these mechanics make the game better - only that they adhere to your vision and allow more options for movement. In case you didn't realize, this isn't automatically a good thing. Giving the player more ways to escape from combat de-emphasizes the quality and enjoyment of the combat. I can't rerecall any time the population of Halo players reacted well to their opponents who make the mistake of engaging in combat without the right skill or tools having the ability to run away without being punished. The fact that you need to tell us that you think it's a good idea is not going to change the fact that its inclusion in the game damages the core of Halo multiplayer. Second, I have a hard time buying that this justification isn't silently backed up by the obvious truth that many of these gameplay elements were considered due to their popularity in other games. We all know why what's in Halo 4 is there, and we know that you didn't suddenly stop looking at other big first person shooters for inspiration.
If you need any kind of guidance for what people are really looking for in Halo, examine how your fans reacted to Halo 2 Anniversary's announcement, and the general positivity that was generated across all the major Halo communities as well as from the pro players in regard to the existence and properties of H2A multiplayer. It's something that everyone loved with a few small tweaks to make it fresh. There's absolutely no reason why this can't define a new numbered Halo title, there is no rule telling you that only slight changes to an old yet highly successful formula means you somehow haven't gone far enough with making changes to a full sequel. Compare those reactions to the reactions to Halo 5, and reassess your priorities. It is absolutely obvious what the players want, and until you take the L and learn from what H2A is doing right, everyone is going to keep railing against you and responding negatively.
If you have to write something like this to convince your potential customers that you're not fucking up, you're fucking up. Open your ears and have a conversation for once, instead of continuing to tell us that you know what's best while all the fans and pro players try to explain to you why we don't want what you're selling.
