As a preface, I want to say that I Adore Infinite, I believe that this is the best Halo has been in years and I applaud 343’s work. However, there are still elements that require polish, those being xp gain and progression, and how weapons spawns on maps function. There are already plenty of posts about the issues surrounding experience gain and the progression system and everything that needs to be addressed about that has already been said, however there are few or none that address weapon spawns on the map.
Weapon spawns in Halo Infinite work in an interesting manner which, in theory, offer varied and dynamic options and play. However, in practice this comes at a great cost: map knowledge and smart play. This is particularly apparent when it comes to the spawns for power weapons, and especially on big-team-battle modes, where vehicles and players are abundant and stalemates over objectives can quickly form. In these cases, the randomized weapon and item spawns present a serious detriment to gameplay to players across the board. For players on the ground, the issue is consistency when it comes to weapon spawns, which are often in remote locations that can quickly become contested. This can quickly become an issue when no one really knows What weapon they’re scrambling for until they reach it, and this can quickly become a problem.
Depending on the weapon that spawns, it can have a tremendous impact on play and dynamic. For example: one cannot simply use the Cindershot and SPNKR interchangeably. While they serve vaguely similar functions, the damage they do, and the ways they can be used are vastly different, and that is reflected in how people use them. The SPNKR is devastating both as an anti-infantry and vehicle weapon, while the Cindershot is more suited towards dealing with infantry in particular and takes more hits to kill.
While this seems relatively small as an issue, differences in spawns can seriously impact the flow of a game, and how team fights play out in a map. A few well placed shots or smart uses from the Cindershot or SPNKR can prove pivotal in turning the tide of a fight, or giving one side enough momentum to break into a push, making controlling these weapons an incredibly important factor to consider. But the problem arises when it becomes inconsistent what kind of power weapon spawns at the location. If a particular situation demands one kind of weapon or another, and players are given difficulty finding where it spawns, it can become catastrophic when people have to go on scavenger hunts to find the spawn of the weapon in question and whether or not it is currently possessed by a a friendly or enemy.
For vehicles, the randomized weapons spawns are detrimental across the board. Map knowledge and power-weapon possession awareness is essential for smart play. A Scorpion, Wasp, Wraith, or Banshee are played differently by experienced players based on knowledge of map control and weapon possession. The difference between a Sniper and Skewer is extreme, with the latter being the effective replacement to the Spartan Laser and completely devastating towards vehicles, far more than the former. Consistent spawns for weapons means players can reliably know where to search for the play style that best suits them, and also to respond against immediate threats. Knowing where these weapons and gadgets spawn affects how a vehicle can be played and how they are used.
A Scorpion that knows the enemy is in possession of a weapon that poses a hard counter to it will play far more reserved and careful than one with no situational awareness and, as a result, perhaps give the team facing the Scorpion some much-needed breathing room while also preventing the enemy from making an unopposed push to an objective.
Consistent weapon spawns also create an unspoken secondary objective for teams, which is to skirmish and fight over these important locations of the map- or check them regularly to try and keep the weapon in their possession. Places where items like the SPNKR or the Skewer spawn- if the spawns are consistent and the teams know where they are, become an important area for maintaining a presence and control, as having such weapons can really influence which team will have the upper-hand for a brief time while the weapon is theirs.
So, while the idea of randomized weapon and item spawns are a novel idea and certainly can work in smaller games like the gamemodes and maps offered in Quickplay, they quickly mount in issues when applied to bigger team-oriented modes which incorporate a mix of vehicles and infantry. The best solution that I can think of personally, though it may not be the only solution or better ones may exist, is to remove random weapon and item spawns and make them consistent, or at the very least remove it from larger team-oriented modes like Big Team Battle. Map knowledge, control, and power weapon awareness and possession have always been an important part of Halo’s gameplay and, while seemingly small, has a tremendous impact on how games play out. Map Knowledge is also of great importance for any sort of E-sports play or new and inexperienced players, as in the latter’s case, it is an important skill to learn and serves as a point of encouraging improvement.
Ultimately, the idea of random weapon spawns does not seem viable and should instead be reverted to fixed spawns to reward map knowledge, and teach inexperienced players and the casual audience some key concepts important to Halo and, in turn, provide them with a better and more rewarding experience as they pick up on these aspects.