http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/04/17/The-Halo-Bulletin-41713.aspx
It’s up!
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!
> Battle Rifle
>
> Right now, we feel that the mid-range role of this weapon is undermined by the strength of the DMR. To combat this, we are looking at decreasing the kill time for the Battle Rifle through various tweaks. <mark>This means testing a “4-shot BR</mark>” (currently, the Battle Rifle takes 5 bursts to kill) with a reduced rate of fire, though these changes are not final.
> This means testing a “4-shot BR
> 4-shot BR
Bravo…I LOVE YOU!!!
Please do this, PLEASE DO THIS!!!
[looks like 343 going with the faster kill time on the BR and CC. great. we will see how this turns out. i just want the BR and CC to beat the DmR at close range. they are going about it the hard way but hey at least they are trying something.
also buffing the LR to match the DMR RRR. i did not see that coming.](http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/04/17/The-Halo-Bulletin-41713.aspx)
I’m also ecstatic to hear about the potential vehicle buffs! 
I hope they will finally become useful. Also less aim assist on the automatic guns as well as the beam rifle…interesting.
> also buffing the LR to match the DMR RRR. i did not see that coming.
That one is a bit iffy. I would rather it be the opposite.
But other than that, those changes are everything I asked for in my feedback post.
The Warthog doesn’t need a chaingun buff. It needs a plasma pistol nerf. AKA out of loadouts.
How hard is it to shoot accurately with lowered aim assist for automatic weapons?
Everything sounds so beautiful right now with the exception of 2 things (hoping 343i sees this):
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The lower-end vehicles’ health and resistance to EMPs needs a buff in my opinion more than the damage.
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WHEREZ MY FLOOD/SWAT/SNIPERS/BIG TEAM OBJECTIVE UPDATES?! I believe those need some gametype/map/CSR love.
Love you BS Angel, oh and Bravo’s pretty cool too.
> The Warthog doesn’t need a chaingun buff. It needs a plasma pistol nerf. AKA out of loadouts.
>
> How hard is it to shoot accurately with lowered aim assist for automatic weapons?
It provides more skill to put your target down maybe. But then again, I hardly use automatics. Well except for FFA.
BR and CB buffs are fine.
LR doesn’t particularly need an RRR buff but whatever.
Warthog definitely needed a turret buff.
Automatics definitely needed a bigger skillgap.
Speculation: Regicide will have a juggernaut-esque gamemode.
Out of every weapon bs angel talked about buffing, imo the 4-shot BR would be the most important change.
I’m also glad to hear of most the tweaks they’ve been experimenting with.
Please keep in mind - they’re far from done with the tweaking. But they want you to know they’re listening/reading and are really trying to find a balance because they agree with some of the issues people have rightly complained about with the weapons.
Really good to hear this stuff and glad to get regular updates on this kind of thing! :]
You know, if the BR actually did become a 4SK, I wouldn’t mind it. I’d actualy use it in all my loadouts, but then again in BTB, you’d have to practice more tactics when going up against a BR user with the DMR.
> You know, if the BR actually did become a 4SK, I wouldn’t mind it. I’d actualy use it in all my loadouts, but then again in BTB, you’d have to practice more tactics when going up against a BR user with the DMR.
Well that’d finally be the first time the DMR actually required tactics.
> > You know, if the BR actually did become a 4SK, I wouldn’t mind it. I’d actualy use it in all my loadouts, but then again in BTB, you’d have to practice more tactics when going up against a BR user with the DMR.
>
> Well that’d finally be the first time the DMR actually required tactics.
Tactics, skill strategy, whatever you wanna label it. Still though, the DMR would likely being the most unused weapon in Halo 4.
Even if they do buff the BR, I will probably still prefer the DMR for many/certain situations.
But it would persuade me to use the BR more, overall, for sure.
I may even be persuaded to pick up the carbine a few times next time I’m on to see if I can adapt better to it. :]
> > > You know, if the BR actually did become a 4SK, I wouldn’t mind it. I’d actualy use it in all my loadouts, but then again in BTB, you’d have to practice more tactics when going up against a BR user with the DMR.
> >
> > Well that’d finally be the first time the DMR actually required tactics.
>
> Tactics, skill strategy, whatever you wanna label it. Still though, the DMR would likely being the most unused weapon in Halo 4.
The DMR in these proposed settings provides the perfect utility role for the weapon. It can stand up against, but is beaten by the AR, BR, and LR within their specific niches, but beats each outside of their niche.
It will still probably get used in BTB a lot, but the LR buff will really give it some good competition.
Someone (Sitri preferably) explain something to me though: What is everyone’s obsession over a 4sk BR about? How does it make the gun more balanced?
I like what I read in the bulletin…BUT:
I think if you are going the route of buffing guns up to meet the DMR without changing the DMRs effective aim assist range, it is essential that bullet magnetism and/or aim assist of all the utility rifles is reduced across the board to combat the cross mapping that goes on in Halo 4.
Also:
I think the minimum 4sk for the BR should be an achievement by skilled player, not something that everyone playing should easily be able to accomplish. For this the solution is the same: reduced aim assist and/or bullet magnetism for all utility weapons.
> Someone (Sitri preferably) explain something to me though: What is everyone’s obsession over a 4sk BR about? How does it make the gun more balanced?
Because the 4SK BR is fast enough to compete with the DMR, it allows 3 clean kills without reloading, and is in desperate need of something to differentiate it from the LR and give it a close-mid range role.
> Speculation: Regicide will have a juggernaut-esque gamemode.
I hope so. I could also really to for some FFA oddball. I have hope they’ll transition regicide into a FFA objective playlist.