So since we have primary and secondary weapons now , some issues pop up that apparently weren't thought of. Since they fit in the same category/power level now , an Assault Rifle and a DMR/BR should now be equal in power in their respective situations of course.(close range for AR and long for DMR/BR) But this isn't the case , there is inequality due to various reasons. 1)--------------------- The Assault rifle and the rest of the automatic weapons act as SHORT range weapons instead of Short-Medium like they are described and should.Whereas the DMR/BR and the rest precision weapons have actually achieved their goal of being BOTH Medium and Long range weapons. So that leaves us with DMR/BR/Precision weapons being useful in a wider variety of situations! Solution: Make the automatics able to struggle in medium range if fired in controlled bursts(make them REAL Short-Medium range weapons as they are described) 2)--------------------- The automatics can kill much less enemies per magazine.I don't have precise data ofc. but from previous game knowledge and footage of the current builds the automatics seem to be capable of killing about 1.7 to hopefully 2 enemies per magazine. Whereas the precision weapons like the DMR can take out 2.8 enemies per magazine(take note that DMR even lost one bullet holding 14 instead of 15 now). Again that leaves us with DMR/BR/Precision weapons being more versatile , adding up the previous niche they have they well end up being the GO-TO , NO-brainer weapons. Solution:Increase the magazine size of the autos to give them more kills per magazine. OR(NOT RECOMMENDED due to public outcry PLUS it seems they are balanced so I would touch the ones that fall behind not the ones that are okay.) Decrease the Precision weaps capacity(DMR was 12 in Reach beta) 3)------------------------ Precision weapons are HEADSHOT-capable weapons.That means they have special occasions where they are even beter. Example: 14 unshielded enemies =14 kills per clip for a DMR whereas the Automatics remain as they were. So we already have two very good reasons for having Precision weapons as the GO-TO ones , adding this last one up completes the cake making them way better choices than say an Assault Rifle. Solution: FIX 1 AND 2 !! -------------------------- Conclusion: I hope some developer is actually watching these forums(am posting it on the official ones) so there is a slight chance they could adress these issues should they see they are indeed true. This Halo has huge potential and has finally done many changes and redesign to the weapon sandbox , it would be a pity for all the detail and design put into all the rest of the weapons if they end up being overshadowed by 1-2 overused weapons once again... Counter-Arguments:Many said that there is melee and backup weapons to accompany the Autos. The backup weapon logic is of course stupid and wrong.You always have backup weapons even when you are carrying a DMR. Why should the AR user have to use another weapon to get the job done in close-med range?It should be fine using AR alone just as it is fine using DMR aloen on med-long ranges. Melee is as well flawed logic because then you imply that AR's use is that of a shotgun whereas it is not , it is supposed to be quite quite effective in medium range as well. Plus one melee +one headshot = dead target so melee helps Precision weapons just as much.
Honestly, i dont really know why your complaining about this... It just sounds like such a pety thing. The Assault rifle has never been a decent mid range weapon so why bother changing that. And i why does it matter seeing as we have the dmr, carbine, br and the promethean variant (lost the name) to use instead?
All that video did was prove that the guy with the DMR sucks. He missed multiple shots. If he had been a little more patient with shot placement he would have won.
Exactly, you don't have to use these if you don't want to. You never have. Players who like these weapons and don't care about the drawbacks can use them as primaries. I wouldn't mind running it every once and a while for the fun of it. In the end I really don't think it matters.
You forget the ultimate balancing factor for the automatic weapons: they take relatively no skill to use, whatsoever. It can't kill 2.8 enemies in a clip? Okay, but it does have an insanely intense bullet magnetism that renders aiming hardly a requirement for effective use. Why should the guns that have the complexity suitable for a brain-dead monkey to wield be on the same level of effectiveness as the ones that require a significantly higher level of user-input and skill to yield success?
Your info must be based on Reach. In Halo 3, the Assault Rifle was more powerful, especially when fired in bursts. I agree with the statement that the AR should be almost on par with other weapons, but why complain now? What if it ends up being perfectly balanced? Also, I think the needler is pretty powerful at medium range, and would consider it Short to Medium range. You have to start shooting right when your reticle turns red though, or else you'll be out-DMR'd by the time the needles explode.
Being able to custom spawn with a BR/DMR and Sidearm will pretty much make the AR useless outside of Campaign and Spartan Ops. Sad but true.
I don't know about bullet magnetism, but I'm pretty sure that they have greater aim assist (basically a lower look sensitivity when on target). This, and randomness is why I don't think they should be viable at anything beyond short range. It is true that ARs will be as useless as they have ever been, and surely this must have been intentional. They could have given automatics as secondary options (which I think would be better than increasing their power), but it seems as though they want to keep the "noob" weapon for noobs only, as opposed to simply a viable close range weapon. I don't know if the storm rifle or surpressor are better than the AR (which would make the AR useless), but based on their spread they could only beat long rifles at AR range. Even the boltshot's charge time for its shotgun mode, if it's long enough (I could try to trackdown a video showing the charge time, but I won't bother) could be enough to make it take more skill than the automatics. The plasma pistol's tracking was supposedly toned down, which could make it take more skill than the automatics. WWWilliam may not like to admit this, but it seems as though 343 doesn't want a close range+long range combo at start, whether the AR is viable or not. If the automatics are supreme at close (not melee) range, I'd actually rather have it as a secondary option (even though I might always choose the PP for BTB). They really want to create as many different spawning weapon ranges as possible, and make sure that you can only be suited for one or two ranges (if you count the boltshot at the surprise shotgun/melee range).
Interestingly enough, this makes it so that all power weapons must be perfectly balanced with each other as well, or else you're getting ****ed over by the randomness of the personal ordinance.
Well, because the power weapons have different functions and ranges, they can only be balanced in a very vague sense even once the map is considered, but even if you are able know which weapon would be best for the situation that you are about to get into, they have indeed tried to make sure that you can't always get all of the options, EVEN with the personal ordinance resetting armor mod. They do have a penchant for randomness in general, but it's almost as if there was a good reason for it in the case of personal ordinance.
^lol. I wish the AR was more like the ODST SMG. That would be a nice auto that isn't such a nub weapon if tweaked right. The autos of Halo have always kind of sucked. They've been the easiest to get to know, but worse the higher you go. I wish they would increase the skill gap and buff autos (ODST SMG? Eh?), but it seems they'd rather have that easy-to-use CQB kit. As for the power weapons, I think another key element of power weapon balance map-to-map is the spawn of the individual weapon. Something like a sword or a pro-pipe up top on a map makes it more risk reward, whereas a low sniper or rockets spawn does the same thing. Reverse that, and you put each weapon in its element, increasing their power from the get-go. I'm not sure how well the semi-randomized locations will work considering each weapon is best in certain situations and its almost as if certain power weapons are better or worse based on spawn location of the weapon and how easy it is to take it to a good location.
You are talking as if precision weapons DO require skill. In what way? Aim for the head and spam trigger? Knock knock that's how you play fps that's no skill. Especially now with bloom reduced more it will be just a game of who shot first. ( even in their podcast 343 said weapons are less punishing , way to go)
And now you're beginning to lose credibility. It is harder to keep the smaller center of the precision crosshair on a player than the auto crosshair. Especially if they strafe. Precision has a LOT less magnetism (just look at the above video for auto magnetism) and hence it is harder to maintain damage on a target. As for the FPS taking no skill...You're right. No one worries about map control, positioning, awareness or anything else. It's all aiming and that's just point and click, right? Everyone in MLG knows that whoever shoots first in Halo CE, 2 or 3 (no bloom) just wins the duel. Nope. Sorry bro, I agree with you on the secondary/primary thing not working for Halo (for slightly different reasons though), but you completely lost me here.
You really just read some of my words as if they were on their own there. I never said all there is to FPS is aimin for the head. I said that aiming for the head is not a skilled action , but rather a basic action for an FPS game so don't act as if precision weapons are hard to use. On our argument now.If magnetism is to hold autos back then remove/lessen it. Add recoil , tweak bloom ,tweak aim assist , go back to halo 2 meele system(less meele damage) in order to make autos viable to med range by buffing them. Clearly when they fit in the category of a primary weapon they will be left behind if they still function as they did In previous games.(aka secondary weapons). (sorry if my post is not well structured but am using phone to use this forum for the time bing )