I remember a few months back listening to one of your Pod-casts for Halo 4. You had this incredible vision of how Halo 4 would be balanced. Each weapon would be suited best pertaining to a role.
The DMR would be a accurate long range weapon, the Lightrifle would be its counter. The BR would be a 3-shot burst medium range weapon, the Carbine would be its counter.
The AR would be a close quarters fully automatic assault rifle, the Stormrifle would be it’s counter.
You introduced custom Load-Outs to the Halo 4 sandbox because you yourself believed that there was a untouched side. Weapons that were never used. You wanted to bring these to the players finger tips.
Now you have made a great game here 343. Its a accomplishment for your first AAA retail game. Congrats.
However you have missed the mark with your vision of the game due to certain oversights in gameplay. You wanted weapons to fit a role in battle? The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
Additionally the removal of De-Scoping when hit turns this game into long-range scenarios. You wanted a game that would be accessible to all players? But with that need to want to be a better player? How can this be accomplished when every match is treated as trench war-fare? The center of Ragnarok has turned into a no mans land. The only thing that survives out there is the Banshee and Mantis. Every other player is crouched with their head just about cover firing across the map.
I know you wanted to create a new Halo experience with Halo 4. But alienating a great majority of your core fan base is not the way to do it. We all love Halo for its uniqueness, its why we come back to it.
We are 2 weeks into Halo 4, 343. And its become stale for a lot of gamers. No one wants to keep joining in matches where its the same tactic over and over:long-range trench war-fare. No one wants to join a game in progress only to be losing by half and be spawn camped by the opposing team.
Your community is waiting for a response. Hopefully you don’t disappoint.
> The center of Ragnarok has turned into a no mans land. The only thing that survives out there is the Banshee and Mantis. Every other player is crouched with their head just about cover firing across the map.
I disagree. Normally, when I’m in a team of eight, we control that hill. With DMRs - normally.
> And its become stale for a lot of gamers.
I somewhat agree. However, I think it’ll get better once they allow community made maps in matchmaking.
> No one wants to keep joining in matches where its the same tactic over and over:long-range trench war-fare.
… I think that’s just your luck, mate. Most of the time, it’s a mix of close, mid and long range game play. Ragnarok is different though, that’s all ‘long-range trench war-fare.’
> The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
I wouldn’t say it’s ruining it. I can do just fine fighting a guy with a DMR mid range if I have a BR. I think it’s just your skill…that makes you think that DMR kicks your butt every time.
Potentially we have a truly great game on our hands, but at the moment, the combination of very limited playlists and certain dominant loadout choices, the game has gone very stale very quickly.
> > > The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
> >
> > I wouldn’t say it’s ruining it. I can do just fine fighting a guy with a DMR mid range if I have a BR. I think it’s just your skill…that makes you think that DMR kicks your butt every time.
>
> Don’t bring player skill into this please as this is off-topic from the discussion. I have no issue using a BR in mid-range combat, but this again is not the issue. The issue is that the DMR is too versatile of a rifle; which goes against weapon balancing.
>
> This was a issue in Halo 3 with the BR dominating all weapons. This is the issue with the DMR. Two evenly skilled players - DMR v. BR - DMR will win. Part of this issue at range is that when scoped the DMR will cause a higher flinch when hit by it.
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> > The DMR is fine. Halo has always had a dominant weapon. The Light Rifle and automatic weapons still counter it in their respective niches.
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> How often on the bigger maps will you see anyone with the Lightrifle? If the DMR and Lightrifle at equals, I should see a mixture of the two, Correct? Not quite. The DMR is easier to use, much because of the ROF and ability to stay in scope when shot.
>
> Again it defeats the purpose of weapon balancing. Not all the fault of the weapon, but because of its ease of use and removing of de-scoping that is ruining the bigger maps.
>
> 343 wanted to make Halo 4 it’s own game. Instead we have Reach 1.5 where larger maps are nothing but smores and marshmallows.
OP: Well founded argument. I think the DMR is definitely OP, tbh on Ragnarok I can be top mid and kill ppl easily in base using the DMR, It’s ridiculous! if you team shoot you can easily take out most snipers. I did it the other day solo and just felt like WTF i should not be not be able to do that!
reduce the rate of fire of DMR plz
> > The DMR is fine. Halo has always had a dominant weapon. The Light Rifle and automatic weapons still counter it in their respective niches.
>
> How often on the bigger maps will you see anyone with the Lightrifle? If the DMR and Lightrifle at equals, I should see a mixture of the two, Correct? Not quite. The DMR is easier to use, much because of the ROF and ability to stay in scope when shot.
Pretty often, actually. The Light Rifle is more difficult to use than the DMR, but it is much more rewarding if you can properly land shots with it consistently.
News Flash: you stay scoped in when you are shot by any weapon. Do not word it like that ability is exclusive to the DMR.
> Again it defeats the purpose of weapon balancing. Not all the fault of the weapon, but because of its ease of use and removing of de-scoping that is ruining the bigger maps.
Big maps still play fine. There is a difference between big and open. Ragnarok has near no cover for infantry. That is the fault of the map, not the weapon. I am never unable to move in BTB. I play smart, and don’t run directly into the open while an entire team is on the hill.
> 343 wanted to make Halo 4 it’s own game. Instead we have Reach 1.5 where larger maps are nothing but smores and marshmallows.
As opposed to Halo 3 where larger maps are nothing but coin tosses and dice throws?
> OP: Well founded argument. I think the DMR is definitely OP, tbh on Ragnarok I can be top mid and kill ppl easily in base using the DMR, It’s ridiculous! if you team shoot you can easily take out most snipers. I did it the other day solo and just felt like WTF i should not be not be able to do that!
> reduce the rate of fire of DMR plz
If you reduct the rate of fire, you will still be able to kill Snipers cross-map. It is the Sniper’s fault for getting team shot. Even if he was getting hit by Carbines the Sniper would have a difficult time.
The only broken part of this game is join in progress really, I’d love them to nerf the dmr, it totally overpowered reach’s sandbox, and they move forward to halo 4 and buff it? Just stupid if you ask me
> Don’t bring player skill into this please as this is off-topic from the discussion.
>
> Two evenly skilled players - DMR v. BR - DMR will win.
I think player skill is completely on topic. Weapon balance has a lot to do with the person wielding said weapon.
To say DMR always beats BR is just completely false. If you are at long range, then yeah. That’s because the DMR is a long range gun. Up close either gun can win. The ONLY determining factor in the outcome is player skill, so yeah, it’s completely relevant.
> > Don’t bring player skill into this please as this is off-topic from the discussion.
> >
> > Two evenly skilled players - DMR v. BR - DMR will win.
>
> I think player skill is completely on topic. Weapon balance has a lot to do with the person wielding said weapon.
>
> To say DMR always beats BR is just completely false. If you are at long range, then yeah. That’s because the DMR is a long range gun. Up close either gun can win. The ONLY determining factor in the outcome is player skill, so yeah, it’s completely relevant.
Your statement justifies my threads point. You say that it is false that the DMR will always against the BR, and that in long range it will win. But then you say in close quarters either gun can win. Which is exactly my problem. The DMR is too versatile of a weapon and overshadows the BR.
As it is right now both guns will kill in the same amount of time given that not a single bullet misses. Except the DMR has much more autoaim at 25 meters. Making it evenly matches to the BR from 0-25 meters, past that point the DMR will win. So whats the point of having the BR at all?
> The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
Ruining the game? Oh, you mean like how the DMR ruined Halo Reach, the BR ruined Halo 3 and 2, and the magnum ruined Halo 1?
> > The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
>
> Ruining the game? Oh, you mean like how the DMR ruined Halo Reach, the BR ruined Halo 3 and 2, and the magnum ruined Halo 1?
Yes exactly. We should be past the “God” weapons in games.
> > > The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
> >
> > Ruining the game? Oh, you mean like how the DMR ruined Halo Reach, the BR ruined Halo 3 and 2, and the magnum ruined Halo 1?
>
> Yes exactly. We should be past the “God” weapons in games.
Go play a different game. Halo has and always will be about the utility weapon. Halo 4 is the most balanced game since CE, and may have even surpassed it in terms of weapons. If you get mad because there is a primary weapon usable in most situations, go find a new game.
Halo allows you to carry only 2 weapons at a time. If there wasn’t an all-purpose weapon, encounters would come down to randomness. You are given the choice between ruling 2 different situations, being doubly good at one, or having a utility weapon, and being good at one and decent at the rest.
Okay I have no idea what the hell this guy is talking about. The BR can beat the DMR Close and Mid range if its all 5 shots in the head. However, when player skill kicks in whether it be good or bad that’s a different story. If you miss one burst with the BR and don’t have cover then yes, I can say the DMR would win. And then if the DMR person is strafing making you miss the headshot’s then yes, the DMR would win. It depends on tactic and skill. If you want to go in there and get all the kills dominating with your team mates then go for the BR. If you wanna stay back and pluck off kills take the DMR. If you want to be in the middle pick the carbine or light rifle.
> > > > The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
> > >
> > > Ruining the game? Oh, you mean like how the DMR ruined Halo Reach, the BR ruined Halo 3 and 2, and the magnum ruined Halo 1?
> >
> > Yes exactly. We should be past the “God” weapons in games.
>
> Go play a different game. Halo has and always will be about the utility weapon. Halo 4 is the most balanced game since CE, and may have even surpassed it in terms of weapons. If you get mad because there is a primary weapon usable in most situations, go find a new game.
>
> Halo allows you to carry only 2 weapons at a time. If there wasn’t an all-purpose weapon, encounters would come down to randomness. You are given the choice between ruling 2 different situations, being doubly good at one, or having a utility weapon, and being good at one and decent at the rest.
I love how you view weapon balancing as randomness. You must love Infinity Slayer.
Anyway, this is really fun! I’ve had a blast! Though, I will say it isn’t balanced. See, this is what everyone has NOT said. This game is a blast, just not balanced! If 343 could do some tweaks, this game will be a bit better.
> The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
I disagree i use the BR and i kick a s s with it, hate the DMR but yeah hardly no CQB moments
> > > > > The DMR is too well of a versatile weapon; accurate, fast-firing semi auto. It dominates in any role of combat, long-medium-close. It’s ruining your game.
> > > >
> > > > Ruining the game? Oh, you mean like how the DMR ruined Halo Reach, the BR ruined Halo 3 and 2, and the magnum ruined Halo 1?
> > >
> > > Yes exactly. We should be past the “God” weapons in games.
> >
> > Go play a different game. Halo has and always will be about the utility weapon. Halo 4 is the most balanced game since CE, and may have even surpassed it in terms of weapons. If you get mad because there is a primary weapon usable in most situations, go find a new game.
> >
> > Halo allows you to carry only 2 weapons at a time. If there wasn’t an all-purpose weapon, encounters would come down to randomness. You are given the choice between ruling 2 different situations, being doubly good at one, or having a utility weapon, and being good at one and decent at the rest.
>
> I love how you view weapon balancing as randomness. You must love Infinity Slayer.
It is necessary to have one weapon capable of being used in most situations, but able to be defeated when coming against a niche weapon in its own turf. This is what happens in Halo 4. The problem is, there lacks a medium-range counter to the DMR, so it just seems the DMR is too powerful.
Blame the BR for not carrying its own weight.
If everyone had a niche weapon, encounters purely come down to a rock-paper-scissors game, and you can never properly challenge other players because they may have the paper to your rock.
