I don't know anything about details besides fixing BR or something but If they manage to make the weapon sandbox perfectly balanced (which I highly doubt) it would be progressive, Making Halo 4 better then it was (ignoring bugs flaws etc etc) but doesn't make Halo 4 Great in comparison to other Halo games or AAA games.
So, with this weapon update making the BR a 4-shot, will I, when playing BTB and choosing the DMR, find that I'll lose considerably more than half of the mid range battles, of which there are a lot, on every map, because the BR has been buffed? If the BR was just as powerful as the DMR at mid range, we would still use the DMR exclusively. Will I have to switch to a BR loadout and just not waste any ammo on long-range battles, always going through the narrow/room based, close-medium quarters paths, because I'll always be outgunned/forced behind cover in long range battles? Doesn't that take a BTB aspect out of BTB? I'm not saying I like the DMR any more than before. I won't really mind the change that much, but I haven't seen anyone else point out (or even consider on this forum) how two different range utility rifles limits gameplay.
DMR has an advantage of versatility that none of the other weapons have. While the rest are specialised for their own range, the DMR can be used at all of them. I doubt the BR will beat it overly often at mid range given the BR's random spread and Recoil but it will at least stand a chance now. If it can beat the DMR in mid range, then all is well. There are 4 different range utility rifles. The Light Rifle, which is the best weapon at long range, the DMR which is the most versatile but soon to be the weakest, the Carbine, which is a better team weapons and the BR, a mid range lone wolf gun. I'd say it's quite balanced, although not in Big Team Battle. See, Halo has turned to a class based shooter (not that I like it) so it is going to change the game style. You will have to take smaller paths with the BR while the Light Rifle and DMR take the larger paths. If you want to do good in all, use the DMR, if you want to go to a specific range, use the specific weapons. That's just what its come down to.
Yes, and all of that is precisely the reason they're doing it. Right now, there is next to no reason to pick the BR in ANY situation, on ANY size map because the DMR is more consistent, more usable at range, and kills faster in every scenario. The BR is intended as a mid range utility weapon, but the DMR outclasses it in its own role because it kills faster. If you're going to have two weapons (and personally I'd prefer a single precision primary with no bloom, single shot - or maybe zero spread burst - and damage drop off, but that ain't gonna happen), they should both be useful. Right now the BR is basically redundant because the only advantage it has is being able to bleedthrough a headshot on slightly damaged opponents due to the burst mechanic. That's no kind of significant advantage, so I totally agree with them wanting to make it viable in its own right. The idea is that, if you want to be prepared for all situations, you use Firepower. If not, pick your playstyle based on the rifle you're using, much more so in BTB. Tbh, this is the first time I've heard anyone raise concerns about making the BR viable. EDIT: Actually Silent puts it better. It's about defined roles, something that was meant to come with the choice of primaries anyway (not that I like it much either). This is just them making their original idea work as intended.
Well, I'd disagree that there's not a reason to pick the BR, but it relates more to my lack of skill. I use the BR for more of the spray-and-pray scenario it lends itself to. I'm more likely to drop one of three burst shots than one at a time.
Ok. So we are all pretty much in agreement that a class-based shooter isn't our favorite type of shooter (perhaps even for different reasons) , but you're recognizing that if since they already made it that way, it might as well be a functional class-based shooter. I can agree with that, and I knew that it was supposed to be the way that you and silent described it (except for the CC being team-based - not sure why that is), but I guess the one thing that we don't agree on wholeheartedly is that being forced to pick a playstyle (or distance within which one would preferably exchange fire, which I think is a bit less interesting and not as varied as the term "playstyle" would suggest) off of spawn is necessarily limiting, and not rewarding, especially when deviating from your loadout's best playstyle is like playing rock, paper, scissors with 4 rifles instead of 2 or 3 (assuming that the CC will be unique after the update)-or using firepower at the expense of a PP/boltshot. BTW, I like the same hypothetical primary as you. While having useless weapons is silly, I think that ignoring a useless weapon isn't problematic. I think that the reason why the BR is hard to ignore when it's useless is that it reminds us of H3. The burst fire is a difference, but I don't think that it's big enough (when it comes to varied tactics and how interesting it can make the sandbox) to warrant a splitting of the utility rifle between long and mid range. It only affects how one aims, slightly.