Hey what do you guys think of bubble shields like the halo reach one in particular being in halo infinite instead of the drop wall? I think it could be a good addition to campaign aswell?
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I could definitely see it fitting. But I don’t think they’d need to remove the drop wall for it.
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This topic has come up a few times, but I would imagine this is already something 343 has spent a lot of time planning out.
Who knows maybe they’re both in the game, but at least to me the drop wall makes more sense from a balance perspective. Although a part of me misses bubble hijinks haha
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I like bubble shield more than drop wall. Drop wall almost felt useless in the flight and not as fun as bubbleshield.
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Drop wall just seems so redundant and bubble shield is iconic at this point so i’d love for that to happen but I don’t think they’d replace or get rid of the drop wall. Though, the beauty of Infinite being live service is that 343 can add new equipment in at their leisure. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bubble shield pick up comes sometime during infinites life span as part of a seasonal update.
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343i will surely add in some of the iconic Halo 3 equipment at some point, but for now they should just focus on making what we’ve already seen work well.
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Personally why not both?
Drop wall is literally just a rework of the drop wall, not the bubble shield.
The bubble shield would be a nice alt deploy, you can’t fire out of it but it can take a lot more punishment likely upto 4 tank shots or spnkr hits before being destroyed.
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I’m all for a bubble shield, and a redesigned deployable cover that can be used as a ramp.
I loved how equipment weren’t straight power ups in halo 3 but rather map elements the player could place in the combat loop like reactionary but controlled level modifiers and how with the sufficient skill they were turned on the user ie me by the enemy felt really reactive in the gameplay and still unique.
Closest trend I can think of is support classes in hero shooters having regen or restock drops.
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The biggest myth that I keep hearing is this notion that Halo 3 had “neutral” equipment… So an energy drain that could kill an entire team, a regen field that was broken assuming you had shotgun/snipe, and things like the bubble shield that gave you cover were all just neutral? Compared to what in Infinite? Yes the grapple is hooked to you but if you use it improperly you’ll be punished/killed.
This is not to say that Halo 3 equipment has no potential in Infinite, I think a few (Grav Lift, Bubble Shield, maybe Energy Drain/Regen) will make a return, but those equipment is super duper OP in Halo 3.
What really seperated Halo 3’s equipment from Infinite’s equipment is that Halo 3’s had interesting side effects, so the energy drain once thrown could give you a boosted jump, whereas everything in Infinite just does what it says they do.
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Well some items in infinite has interesting side effects, see the re-pulsar. But you have to remember most the side effects in 3 where not intended.
The bubble shield only served to slow down gameplay. It was basically like hitting a giant pause button in any medium or long range fight.
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Bubble shield would need some serious rework from previous games, it was way too powerful. I think the drop wall is pretty well balanced, it is not an auto win device.
Neutral, meaning it affects anyone, regardless of team.
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Yes but its overall impact is anything but neutral.
They were far more impactful in 3 than in Infinite.
I would honestly like something like that, especially since the drop wall felt kinda lame to me personally at least in pvp, they might add it later on as i think is the plan with everything else like the magnum.
Most of Infinite’s equipment allows you and you alone to get an advantage out of it, be it grapplejacking a banshee, repulsing an enemy off a cliff, or using thruster in a firefight. Arguably the only two equipment that lean towards neutral use are drop wall and the threat-sensor.
Halo 3 equipment being neutral means anyone can hop into a bubble shield or regen field, anyone can lose their shields from a power drain, and anyone can blow up from a placed trip mine. The only advantage they offer to the user is the ability to choose where to deploy and when, after that it’s fair game for anyone to be impacted by it.
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I don’t think the Drop Wall is intended to be a replacement of the Bubble Shield nor they both occupy the same space in the sandbox.
The Bubble Shield was an indestructible (at least in Halo 3) sphere you could throw out to throw a wrench into a fight or reset its pace.
The Drop Wall is more akin to the Deployable Cover from Halo 3, as you can shoot kinetic rounds through both one way (the Drop Wall may allow all projectiles - I’ll need to verify.)
I’ve seen it stated that the Drop Wall is intended to be a calculated use, such as before you go around a corner you would throw it, where as the Bubble Shield is something you use in the last second to save your life.
Too many people were using the Drop Wall as if it were the Bubble Shield and they were losing those fights, since they’ve allowed their Spartan to stop firing long enough for the enemy player to get the kill.
Your argument seems to support the stance halo 3 equipment were deployable map elements rather than straight power ups. Which is the argument I would make.
I agree they aren’t neutral but they don’t directly empower only the user. I can see your grapple shot point but is the dame not true of any power item ie rocket splash damage, missing snipe and getting spotted and killed or sword or hammer singing early.
To me you’re discussing skill gap and weapon niche. And as you rightly pointed out can be removed by the enemy or user alike as an asset denial tactic or used to the aggressors advantage.
Halo 3 equipment design however is more about tactical alterations to the map. The only real advantage you have is choice wher and when you use it. A power drain is going to act as path denial to both teams, grav lift creates paths for both teams, jammer and flare remove visual information for all.
And on the topic at hand the bubble shield blocks fire in and out it might stop mid long encounters but the user is usually weak, a coordinated team can rush and recharge inside or trade I life for many, or use it as a lure to switch out to a mauler/sword/shotty.
Effectively they are map elements like H2A but far more modular in application.
You say side effects are the difference between 3 and infinite equipment but the repulsor is what it says and does what you say and shares the power drain side effect cited.
The clear distinction as I see it is one is based on empowering the user and the other is based on modifying the environment in hopes of creating opportunities for a team’s survival/victory. 3 had far more risk and collaborative potential than infinite with regards to equipment.
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Ya its an emplacement object designed for holding a choke point far closer to the deploy but even then the deploy was more about breaking line of sight and reactionary than the preemptive philosophy of the drop wall.
At least in my opinion
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I think they should add the Bubble Shield to infinite at some point, alongside other iconic gear. The Bubble Shield could have one charge and you can’t shoot through it, while the drop wall has 3 charges and can be shot through.