> > > Why do people think the Boltshot is so overpowered? It wasn’t before and it is most definitely not now.
> > >
> > > OP, the only reason you assume it’s overpowered is because when you die from it, it surprises you. Period, end of story. I am also going to add that you have played a total of about 13 days. 13 DAYS! And during that time; out of the 55,237 combat encounters you have had, you were killed by the Boltshot 513 times. That’s like 0.009%
> > >
> > > Now, I bring this up because it seems you are exaggerating this greatly.
> > >
> > > What is wrong with CSR? It works fine.
> >
> > Despite semantics, the problem with the boltshot isn’t a balancing issue. The problem is this is a game where players have shields, kill times are relatively elongated, and therefore players expect to have a chance to fight back. In the past, OSK weapons were limited to power weapons, and even though the boltshot is limited in range, this is a secondary weapon we’re talking about here.
> >
> > You’re absolutely right. The problem with the boltshot is its perception and that being on the receiving end of it is very frustrating. That said, for a core sandbox weapon, while its niche is small and defined, it’s extremely effective in that niche. When used correctly, it’s almost unbeatable without counter. In context of just those encounters, it’s pretty overpowered.
> >
> > The boltshot could use adjustments to make it more flexible and less powerful in those niche circumstances. That would help it be less frustrating. In Halo 5, I’d really like to see its charge shot be a machine pistol mode instead of a shotgun.
>
> I hate this mentality so much and it is a huge problem among so called gamers.
>
> Your statement implies that every gun should pretty much be the same were the only difference is how they look. I love the fact that all the weapons in this game operate very different from each other. I also cannot tell you how happy I was to see a super weapon come back to FPS. I’m referring to the Binary Rifle and Incineration Cannon. I love that people are terrified of a gun again.
>
> Brings back memories of old school games like DOOM where the BFG obliterated everything.
Well, for every approach to game design, there’s a counter. The major problem I find with the one you expressed is that Halo is supposed to be a competitive game, yet you seem to want players to fear guns, not other players. Doom also was chiefly a single-player experience, and moreover, it had many “arcade” FPS elements, such as being able to carry tens of weapons and bucket loads of ammo at once. These are things Halo eliminated in favor of building a more intelligent experience conducive to strategic thinking.
The desire to want players to fear other players more than weaponry is not a problem. That’s what we would call appropriate design for a Halo game.
As to my statement about the boltshot, in no way would I like it to lose its identity. Simply, as it is, it conflicts with the guiding principles of designing weapons for a game like Halo. OSK functionality on a spawning weapon is inappropriate. Further, we have designated primary and secondary weapons. This is a secondary core weapon that has very useful OSK functionality. If you don’t see a problem with that, well, I really don’t know what to say.
I don’t want every gun to be the same, but I also believe subtle nuance differences can have a huge impact on a gun’s performance. I don’t conform to the classic approach to weapon design that every gun has to be wholly unique. I think a certain amount of redundancy is OK, especially in core weaponry.
Where the boltshot is concerned, it’s not interesting right now because the single-fire mode is all but useless and the charge shot offers all the fun of hiding around a corner and waiting for someone to get within 15 meters. In that instance, if you don’t get a kill or at least strip shields entirely with the charge shot, you’ve made a huge mistake. What I’m saying is it’s not challenging and there’s a large margin for error.
In terms of good design and actually using it as a player, there’s not a whole lot that makes it desirable other than the fact that it’s extremely effective. That shouldn’t be the only reason to use a gun, especially in a game with customizable loadouts and especially a core secondary weapon.