An argument against Weapon Skins in Halo

Games Other Halo
1

Thanks to the hotheadedness of a bunch of posters who couldn’t be asked to read through the existing comments before posting the exact same thing, draws a deep sigh I have decided to post my evolved opinion on the top of the original post in order to prevent other hot potatoes from filling the thread with redundant comments.

I believe that Weapon Skins could prove incredibly amazing if implemented the correct way. As such, there is three things I’m hoping for:

  1. That the Weapon Skins only are affixed to your Loadut weapons. The reason for this is to keep your initial weapon, your personal weapon, personal. You don’t customize every gun you pick up in the middle of combat, do you?

  2. That the Weapon Skins only are affixed to your Loadout weapons! The reason for this is to keep the intended designs for the game’s weapons as the majority. We don’t want them diluted, do we?

  3. That the Weapon Skins are permanently affixed to each weapon. This is not crucial, but it would be nice to kill a player, take his personal Assault Rifle, and notice that this is in fact his rifle. Kind of like a trophy.

I’ve eaten my half of the pizza now.

I’d prefer it if we didn’t customize our weapons. I know we will, and in time I will get used to it and enjoy it, but for the time being it gives me a “ugh…” feeling in my stomach.

In Halo you are a super soldier with extremely versatile training. You change your weapons all the time at every opportunity, because you are trained to use them all and improvise if need be. In Halo your weapon means nothing to you, the real weapon is you.

You never really see Master Chief chanting the “This is my rifle” poem. In most cut-scenes or cinematics he’s just picking up a random weapon whilst moving at an incredible speed.

In Call of Duty you are nothing but an interchangeable pawn in a large game of chess. In fact, when you respawn you will almost always look completely different, you’re just a random guy.

The only thing consistent about you in CoD is your guns, you don’t play the guy, you play the rifles.

Another valid point against weapon customization in Halo is that the universe is filled by an arsenal of beautiful sci-fi weapons with breath-taking aesthetics and effects. Whilst CoD is mostly set in relatively realistic settings in the real world in our current day and age, and as such, it’s weapons are pretty normal and boring.

That was just a piece of my mind. I know a couple of you may agree with me, whilst a larger crowd will disagree with me. Some may even throw a couple of profanities at me, but I’ll rest easy knowing that they’re just venting at me, as living in your mother’s basement for an extended period of time may cause frustration. (It’s a joke! Calm down.)

I’m gonna go make a pizza now.

2

Ok then don’t use the skins and pick up weapons on the map.

3

> I’m gonna go make a pizza now.

Can I have a slice?

4

> > I’m gonna go make a pizza now.
>
> Can I have a slice?

No, he’s going to give me a slice.

5

That wasn’t a real argument against it. Weapon skins do not alter or affect gameplay so their cant be a good argument against it. If you don’t like it don’t do it but some like cosmetic customization why deny them that opportunity for no valid reason. If we were talking about weapon attachments that alter the way the gun plays like CoD has then I would be against it but skins are harmless.

6

Does it effect gameplay? No then stop fighting it. It’s like saying we shouldn’t have the option to change the color of our armor.

7

one we do not know if we can change the chief in the campaign

second there on a ship so changing the way a weapon looks would help them remember which one is there’s after the match

8

> That wasn’t a real argument against it. Weapon skins do not alter or affect gameplay so their cant be a good argument against it. If you don’t like it don’t do it but some like cosmetic customization why deny them that opportunity for no valid reason. If we were talking about weapon attachments that alter the way the gun plays like CoD has then I would be against it but skins are harmless.

I agree but I would still prefer to not have them just because I think they look really sloppy when people are running around with the most ridiculous guns with a rainbow spectrum of colours and designs. Halo is classy, we shouldn’t have to mess around with clown coloured guns. Although It may be acceptable as long as they keep your options relatively limited to practical camouflages: woodland, ice, sand etc. none of this gold, or blue tiger crap.

9

> Ok then don’t use the skins and pick up weapons on the map.

You didn’t read the whole thing, did you?

By the way, will picked up weapons not have the skin? Because if that’s the case I love the idea of having a skin for my personal weapon. Also, if someone else picks up my weapon, will they have my skin on it?

> > I’m gonna go make a pizza now.
>
> Can I have a slice?

Ask the right way. It’s; “May I have a slice?” because techincally you can have pretty much whatever exists, it’s just less probable that you’d acquire certain items, like a slice of my pizza.

> That wasn’t a real argument against it. Weapon skins do not alter or affect gameplay so their cant be a good argument against it. If you don’t like it don’t do it but some like cosmetic customization why deny them that opportunity for no valid reason. If we were talking about weapon attachments that alter the way the gun plays like CoD has then I would be against it but skins are harmless.

Yes it was. That my argument is based on fluff*(lore)* and not gameplay doesn’t negate the fact that it is a valid argument.

What you should’ve said was “It won’t hurt the game, why do you care?” to which I would’ve replied “Because it doesn’t make sense. Most soldiers are only as good as their weapon, but Spartans have no emotional attachment to weapons they pick up whilst killing things. There is no reason for why they would customize it.” and in response to that you could’ve said “Well, if you had read TillingAbyss’s post you could’ve seen that he implied that the weapons you pick up whilst killing things won’t be customized. The gun you’ve chosen for your Loadout will be, and that’s your personal weapon, not just something you picked up in the field” and then I would have to say “Fair enough, if that’s true then I am loving the idea already. Do you know if my skin remains on my weapon if someone else picks it up?”

> Does it effect gameplay? No then stop fighting it. It’s like saying we shouldn’t have the option to change the color of our armor.

Actually, no. That’s completely different. The Spartan’s armour stays with him/her until he/she dies and is his/her most prized possession. The Spartan’s weapon is usually just something they picked up to kill that specific thing in front of them with.

> one we do not know if we can change the chief in the campaign
>
> second there on a ship so changing the way a weapon looks would help them remember which one is there’s after the match

I don’t understand how the first “argument” is relevant, but the second one makes a ridiculous amount of sense. Infinity is actually a series of training exercises, rather than a fight for life or death. Suffice to say every gun you pick up isn’t “customized” to look like your gun, it makes a dangerous amount of sense.

EDIT: Vintage91 killed your sense. I’m sorry, mate, it seems that your overwhelming sense turned into incoherent rambling.

10

> > That wasn’t a real argument against it. Weapon skins do not alter or affect gameplay so their cant be a good argument against it. If you don’t like it don’t do it but some like cosmetic customization why deny them that opportunity for no valid reason. If we were talking about weapon attachments that alter the way the gun plays like CoD has then I would be against it but skins are harmless.
>
> I agree but I would still prefer to not have them just because I think they look really sloppy when people are running around with the most ridiculous guns with a rainbow spectrum of colours and designs. Halo is classy, we shouldn’t have to mess around with clown coloured guns. Although It may be acceptable as long as they keep your options relatively limited to practical camouflages: woodland, ice, sand etc. none of this gold, or blue tiger crap.

I’m sure 343i won’t get too crazy with it, there probably won’t be rainbow BRs and for the love of all that is good I hope there is no gold. But the idea of weapon skins are nice, I want to rock a swaged out gun metal black BR.

11

That isn’t a very good argument. If they keep the weapon skins… ‘normal’, I see no problem with it. (By that I mean different camos are okay. A giant pink BR is just stupid).

12

> one we do not know if we can change the chief in the campaign
>
> second there on a ship so changing the way a weapon looks would help them remember which one is there’s after the match

  1. You can’t. He is the Master Chief. There is no changing the Master Chief.

  2. They are in a virtual reality war simulator, like the X-Men Danger Room. None of it is real, how else are they able to respawn? So they wouldn’t have individual weapons since it is an illusion. Also, soldiers don’t go crazy about selecting which “weapon skin” to have on their Assault Rifle, all they care about is that it works.

13

That is damn valid point you got there… However, I will be fine with a few strips or skins on my gun. Also, please keep in mind that in MM you’ll be playing as Spartan-IVs, and not MC. I’M sure he won’t have weapon skins and he will still be the weapon.

14

> > Ok then don’t use the skins and pick up weapons on the map.
>
> You didn’t read the whole thing, did you?
>
> By the way, will picked up weapons not have the skin? Because if that’s the case I love the idea of having a skin for my personal weapon. Also, if someone else picks up my weapon, will they have my skin on it?
>
>
>
> > > I’m gonna go make a pizza now.
> >
> > Can I have a slice?
>
> Ask the right way. It’s; “May I have a slice?” because techincally you can have pretty much whatever exists, it’s just less probable that you’d acquire certain items, like a slice of my pizza.
>
>
>
> > That wasn’t a real argument against it. Weapon skins do not alter or affect gameplay so their cant be a good argument against it. If you don’t like it don’t do it but some like cosmetic customization why deny them that opportunity for no valid reason. If we were talking about weapon attachments that alter the way the gun plays like CoD has then I would be against it but skins are harmless.
>
> Yes it was. That my argument is based on fluff*(lore)* and not gameplay doesn’t negate the fact that it is a valid argument.
>
> What you should’ve said was “It won’t hurt the game, why do you care?” to which I would’ve replied “Because it doesn’t make sense. Most soldiers are only as good as their weapon, but Spartans have no emotional attachment to weapons they pick up whilst killing things. There is no reason for why they would customize it.” and in response to that you could’ve said “Well, if you had read TillingAbyss’s post you could’ve seen that he implied that the weapons you pick up whilst killing things won’t be customized. The gun you’ve chosen for your Loadout will be, and that’s your personal weapon, not just something you picked up in the field” and then I would have to say “Fair enough, if that’s true then I am loving the idea already. Do you know if my skin remains on my weapon if someone else picks it up?”

I knew you were going to say that and if we are getting all technical, fine lets. The master chief and most Spartans have no love for their gun true, but I’m sure spartans like Jun (sniper) and Emile (shotgun) did and I’m 100% certain that they would put something on their guns to reflect that. The Master Chief does not represent all.

15

Who cares lol

It doesn’t even effect gameplay.

16

I understand your points, but I’m still very much looking forward to skins. The more customization, the better.

17

> > > Ok then don’t use the skins and pick up weapons on the map.
> >
> > You didn’t read the whole thing, did you?
> >
> > By the way, will picked up weapons not have the skin? Because if that’s the case I love the idea of having a skin for my personal weapon. Also, if someone else picks up my weapon, will they have my skin on it?
> >
> >
> >
> > > > I’m gonna go make a pizza now.
> > >
> > > Can I have a slice?
> >
> > Ask the right way. It’s; “May I have a slice?” because techincally you can have pretty much whatever exists, it’s just less probable that you’d acquire certain items, like a slice of my pizza.
> >
> >
> >
> > > That wasn’t a real argument against it. Weapon skins do not alter or affect gameplay so their cant be a good argument against it. If you don’t like it don’t do it but some like cosmetic customization why deny them that opportunity for no valid reason. If we were talking about weapon attachments that alter the way the gun plays like CoD has then I would be against it but skins are harmless.
> >
> > Yes it was. That my argument is based on fluff*(lore)* and not gameplay doesn’t negate the fact that it is a valid argument.
> >
> > What you should’ve said was “It won’t hurt the game, why do you care?” to which I would’ve replied “Because it doesn’t make sense. Most soldiers are only as good as their weapon, but Spartans have no emotional attachment to weapons they pick up whilst killing things. There is no reason for why they would customize it.” and in response to that you could’ve said “Well, if you had read TillingAbyss’s post you could’ve seen that he implied that the weapons you pick up whilst killing things won’t be customized. The gun you’ve chosen for your Loadout will be, and that’s your personal weapon, not just something you picked up in the field” and then I would have to say “Fair enough, if that’s true then I am loving the idea already. Do you know if my skin remains on my weapon if someone else picks it up?”
>
> I knew you were going to say that and if we are getting all technical, fine lets. The master chief and most Spartans have no love for their gun true, but I’m sure spartans like Jun (sniper) and Emile (shotgun) did and I’m 100% certain that they would put something on their guns to reflect that. The Master Chief does not represent all.

Fair enough. But you didn’t answer my last “post” in the hypothetical discussion between me and you, which was made by me… That may have been a bit much to take in, let me ask it like this; will my personal weapon be customized, but not the junk I pick up? If the answer is “Yes” we have nothing to discuss, because then I would whole heartily agree with you.

18

> I knew you were going to say that and if we are getting all technical, fine lets. The master chief and most Spartans have no love for their gun true, but I’m sure spartans like Jun (sniper) and Emile (shotgun) did and I’m 100% certain that they would put something on their guns to reflect that. The Master Chief does not represent all.

Also these are Spartan IV who were standard ODSTs and Marines until they became Spartans, like Johnson. They may have a tendency to more individuality than the Spartans who grew up as one.

19

Yes, but its now the year 2557 (or something) and spartans dont really have much purpose now. They are now just being trained on a ship. and they most likely rarely leave the ship. Thats why we have all of these skins. its a sign that these spartans are a bit more human. its showing us that they are trying to keep themselves entertained on the ship by customizing their stuff.

it feels good to me

20

That was well put. I still don’t know how I feel about weapon skins, though I’m sure I will end up enjoying them as well.