I understand that many of you enjoy the BR(myself included). I love the BR to death(specifically the Halo 2 version) to be honest and it’s my favorite weapon at of all the weapons in Halos history. I’m absolutely fine with the BR being a starting weapon for competitive playlists. MLG, Team Hardcore, Team Throwdown, etc… It’s absolutely fine to throw BR starts in all of those. I will play those to get my BR start fix. For the core base Halo game though I would prefer AR starts.
My reasoning is because of the enjoyable time I had during Halo 2 era with smg starts. It forced people to play edgy and actually go out and pick up other weapons. I’m not saying the AR/SMG is and should be absolutely useless but It gave meaning to go out and get weapons. Players fought for BR’s and power weapons and it was fun and exciting. With BR starts it always feels like the game is set to hyper competitive mode but not in a good way. I don’t like the feeling that no matter which way I turn their will always be at least 1 if not more BR’s staring me down. With AR starts you can have a fighting chance to move around the map and pick things up.
I just want to know if I’m the only one that cares about an AR start return to the basic core portions of the game?
I actually think AR starts makes the game more fun. People feel like they can move around the map and areas aren’t usually bogged down to the same area. Many people also want AR starts, but have usually been forced into BR starts from people who favour it or are aware how OP the weapon is in comparison and would prefer to start with a stronger weapon then to find one.
In fact, I think it’s the main reason why Loadouts was added into Halo 4. Because people will argue day and night about it, they gave the players the option to spawn with their selected weapon. But there was a solution that could have redeemed this long ago.
Why not just have seperate playlists? One for precision focused gameplay and another for all round sandbox gameplay? You can create specific maps and weapon layouts that are designed for each playlist. Don’t know why nobody tried to take advantage of playlists and gametype selection that pretty much no other game has.
It always annoyed me in Reach that normal Team Slayer had to compete with Slayer DMR, Slayer Pro, and Elite Slayer (everybody selects NR). It even had SWAT back when it came out, and it still usually has people just using the Magnum until they pick up a DMR.
They could probably look into turning on weapon damage to 125% to compensate for the gametype.
Probably gonna get someone yelling at me but isn’t that a better solution? Let me play my game and I’ll let you play yours? I’ll even jump into yours when I feel like mixing it up a bit. I normally don’t play SWAT but every now and then I go a few rounds. I don’t see the point for everybody in the long run to be forced to play by someones specific rules. I think this attitude of, “my way or the highway” is part of the reason why many people did leave the community.
People say that they prefer AR or SMG starts for “map movement” reasons, and I call bogus on that one. Weapons on map are not the only (or even main) driving factor behind map movement. No BR or DMR start variant has ever had a problem with map movement (and if it did, it was the map (Sword Base), not the gametype). SWAT and Snipers have no weapons on map, and there is plenty of map movement.
Do you not remember the Legendary Slayer playlist? AR starts only with BRs on map? There would be an initial rush for BRs and power weapons at the beginning of the match, and whoever won that initial battle would just hold down the power positions with their BRs while the other team got picked off again and again because they only had ARs. It was the definition of stale gameplay.
I don’t see the point of spawning without a BR and having to spend the first 15 seconds of my spawn searching for one. Why not spawn all players with BRs and up the spawn time to 20 seconds? The end result is the same; we’re just skipping the un-fun part of having to look for a viable weapon so I don’t immediately get killed by those who already have found theirs.
One of my favorite part about Halo’s gameplay has always been that every engagement starts both players off on equal footing. Your shields and health recharge, so you are never mortally wounded from a previous engagement. You can scavenge ammo from dead bodies, so you don’t have to run out of ammo. And when you spawn with a precision weapon, you are capable of at least defending yourself and being somewhat effective no matter who you encounter. Whether you encounter someone with a BR, a Sniper Rifle, a Rocket Launcher, or a Shotgun, as long as you have a BR yourself, the encounter does not have to end in you dying. If you have an AR or SMG only, you pretty much have to run away from everyone until you get a BR. How is that fun?
Automatic CQC weapons like the AR and SMG will always be at the bottom of the weapon food chain, right above the Plasma Pistol and Needler. It’s not because they’re bad weapons, it’s that their niche is so restricted that they are useless outside of only a few situations. I do not see the benefit in spawning with one of the worst weapons when used as a primary in the game. I consider them support weapons and great as secondaries.
I suppose BR/AR starts would be ok, but for me personally, I absolutely loathe the assault rifle, I don’t know why it’s just some weird personal vendetta I have for it for some reason. So I wouldn’t vouch for AR starts, sorry
I agree, I’ve always liked AR starts in Halo 3 and Reach. It’s not really a matter of map movement, but more of weapon variety. With AR starts, as you said, weapon variety. Since people wouldn’t start with a BR/DMR, they would go and try to find out. Since there was a limited amount of BRs, people would find alternatives, be it the Covenant version of the weapon, or they’d use altogether different strategies.
As long as we can play both BR and AR starts in Halo 5, I’ll be happy.
> I agree, I’ve always liked AR starts in Halo 3 and Reach. It’s not really a matter of map movement, but more of weapon variety. With AR starts, as you said, weapon variety. Since people wouldn’t start with a BR/DMR, they would go and try to find out. Since there was a limited amount of BRs, people would find alternatives, be it the Covenant version of the weapon, or they’d use altogether different strategies.
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> As long as we can play both BR and AR starts in Halo 5, I’ll be happy.
All of this. Between this and well designed maps, all is well.
Why are AR starts necessary when you can simply spawn someone with both a BR and an AR?
Or, more revolutionary, re-balance the entire sandbox so it’s not longer a semi-auto dominated game?
I don’t see the point in spawning with an AR, picking up a BR, and steamrolling everyone else. BR-starts are simply a bandage solution for a much bigger issue.
> I agree, I’ve always liked AR starts in Halo 3 and Reach. It’s not really a matter of map movement, but more of weapon variety.
AR starts promoted variety because the sandbox was terribly balanced, not because they are the ideal setting.
> Why are AR starts necessary when you can simply spawn someone with both a BR and an AR?
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> Or, more revolutionary, re-balance the entire sandbox so it’s not longer a semi-auto dominated game?
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> I don’t see the point in spawning with an AR, picking up a BR, and steamrolling everyone else. BR-starts are simply a bandage solution for a much bigger issue.
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>
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> > I agree, I’ve always liked AR starts in Halo 3 and Reach. It’s not really a matter of map movement, but more of weapon variety.
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> AR starts promoted variety because the sandbox was terribly balanced, not because they are the ideal setting.
Even if the sandbox was equally balanced most people won’t pick up a weapon unless it is convenient or it’s a power weapon like in legendary Brs assuming if the starting weapons are really effective(AR/BR) .
I would say BR/AR starts. Both sides get the gun they want. I hate AR only starts because you are somewhat useless off spawn. You have little chance to take down anyone with a decent weapon unless they are terrible. Starting with a utility weapon gives more options off start as well.
If you’re going to include AR/BR starts as a way to cater to people, you’re going to have to consider the fact that lots of people prefer the Carbine and the Storm Rifle over both of those weapons.
> I would say BR/AR starts. Both sides get the gun they want. I hate AR only starts because you are somewhat useless off spawn. You have little chance to take down anyone with a decent weapon unless they are terrible. Starting with a utility weapon gives more options off start as well.
This. The one and only reason I was excited about Halo 4 was the return of the BR and the fact that no matter what I could spawn with it. There was nothing worse than a game of AR’s in Halo 3, against a very good team that had map control. You literally were useless unless you could get your hands on a BR, or severely embarrassed someone with your pistol.
I feel load outs need to go away completely. All players should spawn with BR primary, AR secondary in standard gametypes. You have to have a utility weapon on spawn or the game can get out of hand and you have next to no chance to get it back if you lose map control.
I don’t mind there being covie versions for some social gametypes such as carbine and plasma rifle starts, however for the majority of mainstream play, and all competitive ranked play they need to pick a utility weapon to start all players with hopefully the BR, and give them an AR or similar weapon(maybe the return of the SMG) as a secondary.
I think the biggest thing is every player needs to start with the exact sames weapons, no AA’s, no perks. Everyone needs to be identical on spawn.
Sammy I am really starting to appreciate our relationship on this forum. We have the exact opposite opinions and I’m guessing I come off as a huge troll to you, just like you come across to me.
I have an idea. If you own Halo 3, add me on XBL. Let’s get together sometime and play Halo 3, and Halo 4 and discuss the merits of each. I am really struggling to understand how you honestly have the opinions that you do, and would like to understand better.
