I am aware of most of the multiplayer issues like aiming and what not, but I like to focus here on map/gametype changes that 343i can easily make in Forge & Custom Game modifications (for most of them).
In the Beta, what they did really right was to make power weapons less of a presence. Such as Truth, where there was only 1 power weapon (Prophet’s Bane) in the entirety of the match, and the rest of the match was focused on getting kills with standard weapons, which takes more skill.
So far this game’s MP suffers from inordinate grenade spam and too fast power weapon respawn times/placements, so I like to make suggestions:
OVERALL CHANGES
-
All Frag grenades on the maps have to be removed;
there is simply too much grenade spam for existing initial frag grenade spawns via the player. -
Both Plasma & Splinter grenades’ run-time maximum to be set to be on par with its run-time minimum.
Meaning that these grenades will not respawn on the map until the player has used them all.
- Reduce the grenade blast radius & damage to 80%.
Too often we see a grenade not too far from us explode and kill us too easily; even if we have 80% shields. This is very bad given how close-quarters many areas of all the maps are. Toning down the blast radius and damage will reduce the likelihood of getting killed by grenades that you saw them coming and evaded yet still got killed.
- Increase Carbine damage to 6sk (shot-kill), but reduce its spare mag.
With the current aiming system, it is harder to get kills with the Carbine in Halo 5. So the suggestion here is to buff it to 6sk, but reduce its spare magazine to 1. (From 2). This would make this precision rifle stand out more from the Pistol, BR & DMR. In essence, it becomes a precision weapon with a unique power such as the LightRifle’s zoomed in 3sk buff.
- Increase power weapon respawn timings.
In past Halo titles, weapons like the Rocket Launcher did indeed take 120 seconds to respawn, but they did not come with indicators to be contested by players this frequently in Halo 5. Thus their respawn timers have to be increased when necessary to compensate.
- Decrease player respawn timings back to 5 seconds.
Games would be slightly more fast paced if we head back to the normal respawn timing of 5 seconds.
- REGRET -
- Change the Fuel Rod Gun back to a HYDRA (as it was in the Beta)[150 seconds respawn timer]
The Fuel Rod Gun at 120 seconds respawn spawns too fast and it is nothing more of a spam weapon ill-suited to this map.
- Change the Carbine spawns to LightRifle spawns.Due to the design of the map and its sightlines, it’s better suited to the latter as seen in the Beta.
- TRUTH -
- Increase the Plasma Caster respawn timing by 60 seconds, as it is too often in the game.[180 seconds respawn timer]
- COLISEUM -
- Increase the Rocket Launcher respawn timing by 60 seconds, as it is too often in the game.[180 seconds respawn timer]
- EMPIRE -
- Change the Plasma Caster back to a Sniper Rifle (as it was in the Beta).[180 seconds respawn timer]
- FANTHOM -
- Change the Railgun to a Sniper Rifle (as it was in the previous iterations)[180 seconds respawn timer]
The Railgun at 120 seconds respawn, spawns too fast and from past Halo 5 gameplay on this map, a Sniper Rifle would be better suited towards gameplay here.
- Change the LightRifle spawns to BR spawnsDue to the design of the map, it’s better suited to the latter. This map is mostly close quartered combat-oriented (thus the Sniper is good here as it becomes harder to use here) and the LightRifle only shines via its zoomed-in mode. Otherwise in its unzoomed mode, it is nothing more than a reskinned Pistol.
- PEGASUS -
- Increase the Rocket Launcher respawn timing by 60 extra seconds[180 seconds respawn timer]
Again, the Rocket Launcher at 120 seconds respawn, spawns too fast. Gameplay with less of a power weapon presence focuses less on power weapon hoarding and more on skilled killings with standard-issue weapons.
Thoughts from the rest of you all? Had to get all of this out of my head.