Halo: Weapons

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

So my caring level has finally peaked and now I’m writing something on this again.

The weapons of Halo are perfect in their potential to make for a competitive game on console.

The simplicity in how they relate to each other is why they are so, because it’s easy to objectively identify the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon relative to the others which helps a great deal in deciding whether or not to “hold X button down to pick up X.”

The small number of weapons also means that they can be developed with particular themes in mind for each weapon, which has the best possible chance of coming out with unique weapons with mechanics and other nuances that make them fun to use.

Games like Battlefield and Call of Duty fail on both accounts and have a general cluster -Yoink- of weapons that sometimes are indistinguishable from each other other than the fact that one gun’s model has better iron sights than another, and the mechanics associated with each gun are more attributed to the same types of attachments that every other gun (of its type) has access to.
Note: This doesn’t make them bad games per se.

There are three types of weapons in Halo:
Utilitarian weapons, sandbox weapons, and power weapons.

Utilitarian weapons are weapons that you spawn with and are precision weapons that are capable of hitting targets at multiple ranges (with their primary capacity being mid range). These weapons are meant to give the spawned in player the ability to fight in a match even if they no longer have map control or weapon control, and thus these weapons should be constructed as skill weapons so that it is up to the player to make such a scenario work out for them.

Sandbox weapons are weapons scattered all over the map with the intent of giving a player a unique advantage in a firefight. They shouldn’t have drastically altered kill times from the utilitarian weapons, but, instead, simply offer some variety in how the player can fight in combat due to changes in mechanics, ranges, ammunition, and whatever else you can think of. They should also be useful to an extent where they are actually used in some capacity, even while it is noted that generally a utilitarian weapon or power weapon will supersede their use.

Power weapons are the weapons that you rush for, because they are just that damn good. They’re weapons you must maintain control over, because their construction would have them be the easiest way to kill a single opponent (or multiple opponents), usually at the cost of lower ammunition. They’re also the primary incentive for map control and dictate the flow of the map accordingly. They don’t necessarily have to be skill based, they just need to be dangerous enough for players to not want the other team to have them.

Side arms should not exist as their own category because that debases their value inherently, making them throwaway weapons that are ultimately pointless given the smaller size of the sandbox (So make the Magnum into a decent starting weapon that can rival the BR and DMR with a 10 round clip, a 5-shot kill, and a slightly faster killtime with the issues of having a larger base reticule and having a slightly lower magnification on the scope).

Halo 4 failed on these principles for multiple reasons:
Loadouts were a cluster -Yoink- of sandbox weapons and utilitarian weapons.
Power weapons could be distributed at “random,” breaking map flow.
POD was just stupid because it turned power weapons into kill streaks.
lolBoltshot
There were still useless weapons, despite the fact that Halo’s sandbox is so small that it’s actually hard to get them wrong
Some weapons are objectively better on certain maps than others, making loadout choices moot.

What Halo 5 needs to do:
Get rid of custom loadouts (static loadouts are fine if they’re tuned to maps and gametypes)
No Boltshot
No POD
Keep static weapon spawns
Make each weapon unique so that I actually want to pick up a plasma rifle again without fearing for stat-padding my beatdown score BRING BACK PLASMA FREEZE WHILE YOU’RE AT IT
Plan weapons/equipment based on map and gametype

Why I’m not bashing Halo 1-3 as much for infringing a few times on this:
Because Reach was a thing

2

I totally agree with you on this thread.

Here is my suggestion for the Halo 5: Gaurdians Sandbox;

Utilitarian Weapons

  • Assault Rifle
  • Storm Rifle
  • Plasma Repeater*
  • Suppressor*
  • Battle Rifle
  • Designated Marksmen Rifle
  • Covenant Carbine
  • Needle Rifle*
  • Light Rifle*

Sandbox Weapons

  • Magnum
  • Machine Pistol*
  • Silenced Sub Machine Gun*
  • Sub Machine Gun
  • Plasma Pistol
  • Plasma Rifle*
  • Brute Plasma Rifle*
  • Spiker*
  • Mauler*
  • Bolt Shot*
  • SAW
  • Sticky Detonator*
  • Grenade Launcher
  • Railgun
  • Focus Rifle
  • Needler
  • Brute Shot*
  • Sentinel Beam/Focus Turret

Power Weapons

  • Shotgun
  • Rocket Launcher
  • Spartan Laser
  • Sniper Rifle
  • Energy Sword
  • Gravity Hammer
  • Fuel Rod Cannon/Gun
  • Plasma Launcher
  • Beam Rifle
  • Particle Beam Rifle
  • Scattershot
  • Incineration Cannon
  • Binary Rifle

Special Weapons

  • Heavy Machine Gun
  • Flamethrower*
  • Missile Pod*
  • Plasma Cannon
  • Frag Grenade
  • Plasma Grenade*
  • Incendiary Grenade*
  • Spike Grenade*
  • Pulse Grenade

Note: The weapons with an * are campaign-only weapons, so canon consistenty and some differiation between factions is followed. The weapons may still be forgeable and used in custom games.

3

I like your ideas, and I like where you’re going with the magnum, but I feel it’d be better as this:

4-sk
8-round magazine
1.5x zoom
RoF equivalent to Halo 3

4

> I totally agree with you on this thread.
>
> Here is my suggestion for the Halo 5: Gaurdians Sandbox;
>
> Utilitarian Weapons
> - Assault Rifle
> - Storm Rifle
> - Plasma Repeater*
> - Suppressor*
> - Battle Rifle
> - Designated Marksmen Rifle
> - Covenant Carbine
> - Needle Rifle*
> - Light Rifle*
>
> Sandbox Weapons
> - Magnum
> - Machine Pistol*
> - Silenced Sub Machine Gun*
> - Sub Machine Gun
> - Plasma Pistol
> - Plasma Rifle*
> - Brute Plasma Rifle*
> - Spiker*
> - Mauler*
> - Bolt Shot*
> - SAW
> - Sticky Detonator*
> - Grenade Launcher
> - Railgun
> - Focus Rifle
> - Needler
> - Brute Shot*
> - Sentinel Beam/Focus Turret
>
> Power Weapons
> - Shotgun
> - Rocket Launcher
> - Spartan Laser
> - Sniper Rifle
> - Energy Sword
> - Gravity Hammer
> - Fuel Rod Cannon/Gun
> - Plasma Launcher
> - Beam Rifle
> - Particle Beam Rifle
> - Scattershot
> - Incineration Cannon
> - Binary Rifle
>
> Special Weapons
> - Heavy Machine Gun
> - Flamethrower*
> - Missile Pod*
> - Plasma Cannon
> - Frag Grenade
> - Plasma Grenade*
> - Incendiary Grenade*
> - Spike Grenade*
> - Pulse Grenade
>
> Note: The weapons with an * are campaign-only weapons, so canon consistenty and some differiation between factions is followed. The weapons may still be forgeable and used in custom games.

A lot of the weapons in that list do mostly the same things as another weapon, campaign or no. The Spiker and Sub Machine Gun, DMR and Needle Rifle, Beam Rifle and Sniper Rifle, Mauler and Boltshot, Sentinel Beam and Focus Rifle (I gotta say, the Focus Rifle is one of my favourite weapons in Halo), Plasma Rifle and Brute variant and so on.

If we got all these weapons in H5:G, I’d want more unique features such as the Plasma Rifle’s stun in CE. -Yoink- examples would be Spike weapons slowing down movement speed or doing minimal damage over time, Plasma weapons could stun the opponent or barely go through cover, Hardlight weapons could have secondary features or extremely unique abilities, and Human weapons could start implementing some Gauss and Laser features to do high damage with low rates of fire.

5

> I like your ideas, and I like where you’re going with the magnum, but I feel it’d be better as this:
>
> 4-sk
> 8-round magazine
> 1.5x zoom
> RoF equivalent to Halo 3

The purpose of giving the Magnum a higher RoF (which, I’ll admit, I didn’t touch upon) is to give it an advantage at close range over the BR and the DMR (using those two as examples). I feel like the Halo 3 RoF was far too slow on any weapon (even the DMR, ideally, would be a tad bit faster).

The 5sk kill, thus, would be to balance out the RoF by requiring more rounds to kill, and a 10 round Mag ensures that the weapon can contend with the other weapons in rounds per second.

1.5x zoom is fine. It should be distinctly lesser than that of the BR and the DMR.

6

> > I like your ideas, and I like where you’re going with the magnum, but I feel it’d be better as this:
> >
> > 4-sk
> > 8-round magazine
> > 1.5x zoom
> > RoF equivalent to Halo 3
>
> The purpose of giving the Magnum a higher RoF (which, I’ll admit, I didn’t touch upon) is to give it an advantage at close range over the BR and the DMR (using those two as examples). I feel like the Halo 3 RoF was far too slow on any weapon (even the DMR, ideally, would be a tad bit faster).
>
> The 5sk kill, thus, would be to balance out the RoF by requiring more rounds to kill, and a 10 round Mag ensures that the weapon can contend with the other weapons in rounds per second.
>
> 1.5x zoom is fine. It should be distinctly lesser than that of the BR and the DMR.

With that design choice I see where you’re coming from. But isn’t that the niche of the AR?

7

> I totally agree with you on this thread.
>
> Here is my suggestion for the Halo 5: Gaurdians Sandbox;
>
> Utilitarian Weapons
> - Assault Rifle
> - Storm Rifle
> - Plasma Repeater*
> - Suppressor*
> - Battle Rifle
> - Designated Marksmen Rifle
> - Covenant Carbine
> - Needle Rifle*
> - Light Rifle*
>
> Sandbox Weapons
> - Magnum
> - Machine Pistol*
> - Silenced Sub Machine Gun*
> - Sub Machine Gun
> - Plasma Pistol
> - Plasma Rifle*
> - Brute Plasma Rifle*
> - Spiker*
> - Mauler*
> - Bolt Shot*
> - SAW
> - Sticky Detonator*
> - Grenade Launcher
> - Railgun
> - Focus Rifle
> - Needler
> - Brute Shot*
> - Sentinel Beam/Focus Turret
>
> Power Weapons
> - Shotgun
> - Rocket Launcher
> - Spartan Laser
> - Sniper Rifle
> - Energy Sword
> - Gravity Hammer
> - Fuel Rod Cannon/Gun
> - Plasma Launcher
> - Beam Rifle
> - Particle Beam Rifle
> - Scattershot
> - Incineration Cannon
> - Binary Rifle
>
> Special Weapons
> - Heavy Machine Gun
> - Flamethrower*
> - Missile Pod*
> - Plasma Cannon
> - Frag Grenade
> - Plasma Grenade*
> - Incendiary Grenade*
> - Spike Grenade*
> - Pulse Grenade
>
> Note: The weapons with an * are campaign-only weapons, so canon consistenty and some differiation between factions is followed. The weapons may still be forgeable and used in custom games.

You do not want an AR or Storm rifle to be considered Utilitarian for the following reasons:

  1. Headshot capability. The primary purpose of the utilitarian is to give the spawned in player the ability to contend with enemies hw omay or may not have better map control and power weapons. To the end, weapons with a headshot capability excel because it’s up to the player to determine whether it’s the absolute least amount of shots required to kill a target, or perhaps an extra shot, through their skill. Weapons without this capability generally have a lesser skillgap on them, although it’s up to mechanics to determine that.

  2. Niche. Like it or not, the AR and Storm Rifle are weapons that deal damage at a closer range than other weapons. They can reach out farther than a shotgun, but not so much as a BR or DMR. And they are fine that way: having an AR or Storm Rifle in CQC is generally more advantageous than a BR or DMR but also more reach than a Shotgun in case the opponent isn’t exactly point blank, which gives them purpose. The issue then becomes that they don’t have the necessary range to contend with opponents which may have Sniper Rifles or even opponents wielding DMRs and BRs, and thus you are forced to play a certain way or hope you can find a BR or DMR (and by that time, it’s too late). You also have the problem of these weapons being more viable on some maps than others, which diminishes the overall consistency of the starting and spawned in players

  3. Damage. So, the first two points can technically be addressed by simply adding additional damage to the weapons so that they can contend with weapons like the BR and DMR. The problem then becomes that it breaks the game: it is now a weapon that can do the job of the BR and DMR at their mid range niche (due to having better damage) as well as its own and, by proxy, can out do even a weapon like a shotgun whose purpose is being a high damage close quarters weapon.

In short, the AR, Storm Rifle, Suppressor, and Plasma Repeater should be viable weapons in their own right, but not weapons (at least, the only weapon) that you would spawn with. If you mean to say that they are weapons that you should spawn with in addition to weapons like the DMR, BR, Covenant Carbine, and Needle Rifle, then that would be more sensible.

8

> > > I like your ideas, and I like where you’re going with the magnum, but I feel it’d be better as this:
> > >
> > > 4-sk
> > > 8-round magazine
> > > 1.5x zoom
> > > RoF equivalent to Halo 3
> >
> > The purpose of giving the Magnum a higher RoF (which, I’ll admit, I didn’t touch upon) is to give it an advantage at close range over the BR and the DMR (using those two as examples). I feel like the Halo 3 RoF was far too slow on any weapon (even the DMR, ideally, would be a tad bit faster).
> >
> > The 5sk kill, thus, would be to balance out the RoF by requiring more rounds to kill, and a 10 round Mag ensures that the weapon can contend with the other weapons in rounds per second.
> >
> > 1.5x zoom is fine. It should be distinctly lesser than that of the BR and the DMR.
>
> With that design choice I see where you’re coming from. But isn’t that the niche of the AR?

Think of it this way: All utilitarian weapons function better than all sandbox weapons at mid range by design. Tweaks done to these weapons make them excel at certain niches within the mid range niche. For example, you would use a DMR over longer ranges than a BR, and you would use the Magnum over closer ranges than the DMR. The AR, at point blank and just beyond will shred a Magnum user since all bullets will be hitting the target at full auto (because at that point, bloom is negligible). The Magnum will simply be a more closer range-inclined utility weapon by design.

9

> > > > I like your ideas, and I like where you’re going with the magnum, but I feel it’d be better as this:
> > > >
> > > > 4-sk
> > > > 8-round magazine
> > > > 1.5x zoom
> > > > RoF equivalent to Halo 3
> > >
> > > The purpose of giving the Magnum a higher RoF (which, I’ll admit, I didn’t touch upon) is to give it an advantage at close range over the BR and the DMR (using those two as examples). I feel like the Halo 3 RoF was far too slow on any weapon (even the DMR, ideally, would be a tad bit faster).
> > >
> > > The 5sk kill, thus, would be to balance out the RoF by requiring more rounds to kill, and a 10 round Mag ensures that the weapon can contend with the other weapons in rounds per second.
> > >
> > > 1.5x zoom is fine. It should be distinctly lesser than that of the BR and the DMR.
> >
> > With that design choice I see where you’re coming from. But isn’t that the niche of the AR?
>
> Think of it this way: All utilitarian weapons function better than all sandbox weapons at mid range by design. Tweaks done to these weapons make them excel at certain niches within the mid range niche. For example, you would use a DMR over longer ranges than a BR, and you would use the Magnum over closer ranges than the DMR. The AR, at point blank and just beyond will shred a Magnum user since all bullets will be hitting the target at full auto (because at that point, bloom is negligible). The Magnum will simply be a more closer range-inclined utility weapon by design.

So essentially a sub-niche per se. Interesting concept, as I had a similar idea regarding the N’ifle.

That niche being mid-long. While the DMR would sort of fill that range but be intended for longer ranges, the N’ifle would essentially be 2-shot burst when scoped but fully automatic when in hip fire. The zoom would be a 2.5x scope.

10

> Interesting concept, as I had a similar idea regarding the N’ifle.
>
> That niche being mid-long. While the DMR would sort of fill that range but be intended for longer ranges, the N’ifle would essentially be 2-shot burst when scoped but fully automatic when in hip fire. The zoom would be a 2.5x scope.

Regardless of their construction, the objective is to ensure variety will at the same time caring for balance. As long as every weapon has its use, and, therefore, has a reason for being picked up and used (and doesn’t do something stupid, like shoot through walls).

There’s nothing wrong with that design conceptually, but I would consider adding another mechanic to it just to make it more interesting.

11

> Here is my suggestion for the Halo 5: Guardians Sandbox;
>
> Utilitarian Weapons
>
> [/li]- Battle Rifle
> - Designated Marksmen Rifle
> - Covenant Carbine
> - Needle Rifle
> - Full Auto Headshot multiplier weapon
>
>
> Sandbox Weapons
>
>
>
> [/li]- Sub Machine Gun
> - AR
> - Plasma Pistol
> - Plasma Rifle
> - Mauler
> - Concussion Rifle(cuz not everyone wants to bounce up close)
> - Grenade Launcher Detonator (Hybrid)
> - Railgun
> - Focus Rifle
> - Needler
> - Brute Shot
>
>
> Power Weapons
> - Shotgun
> - Rocket Launcher
> - Spartan Laser
> - Sniper Rifle
> - Energy Sword
> - Gravity Hammer
> - Fuel Rod Cannon/Gun
> - Plasma Launcher
> - Beam Rifle
> - Scattershot
> - Incineration Cannon
> - Binary Rifle
>
> Special Weapons
> - Heavy Machine Gun
> - Flamethrower
> - Missile Pod
> - Turret
> - Plasma Cannon
> - Frag Grenade
> - Plasma Grenade
> - Incendiary Grenade
> - Spike Grenade
> - Pulse Grenade

Fixed to my taste, I tried my best with unnecessary clutter. Also, the magnum will be default secondary.

12

Class1: Foundational Weapons

Precision Rifle (Pick One)
CQC Automatic Weapon (Pick One)
Plasma Pistol
Frags
Plasma Grenades
Sniper Rifle
Rocket Launcher
Shotgun

I.e. these are generic weapons/archetypes that are expected to be in each title and make up the foundation of the sandbox. These are basically the minimum requirement of the sandbox.

Class2: Additional Weapons

Energy Sword
Gravity Hammer
Incendiary Grenades
Spartan Laser
Grenade Launcher
Flamethrowers
Turrets
Railguns
Beams (such as Sentinel)
Medium-Range Automatics
Rapid Explosives (Such as Brute Shot)
Plasma Launcher (Halo Reach)
Needler
Remote-Detonation Mines (Halo 4)
Long list of ETC.'s

These are weapons that may be slightly redundant in a few aspects, but are overall pretty unique in how they work and play out. These are the unusual weapons that are added on top of the generic archetypes in order to spice up gameplay.

For the sake of not having a giant, bloated sandbox, we should only pick the ones on this list that we consider to add the most to gameplay. I am not suggesting everything, or even most things, on this list be added.

Example: Someone might say the Flamethrower performs too similar of a role to the Shotgun, SMG, and Energy Sword. That person might argue in favor of keeping the Flamethrower out of the game instead of adding it.

Meanwhile someone else may say no other weapon is as anti-vehicle specialized as the Spartan Launcher, and thus demand it be added because it fills a currently un-filled role.

Class3: “Joke Weapons”

Gravity Hammer
Golf Club
Scarab Gun
Non-Objective Oddballs and Flags
Bare Fists
Mongoose Firing AR
Rocket Launcher that fires an MIRV.
W/E -Yoink- you can think up.

These weapons are too silly, too overpowered, or too specific to apply to the game as a whole. They are only there for goofing off, or for specific gametypes. For example Reach pretty much only had the Gravity Hammer for Griffball and other customs.

Because of this they are second lowest in importance, and really should only be added if there’s good enough justification for them to be.

Class4 - Clutter

Covenant Carbine
Assault Rifle
Spiker
Beam Rifle
Fuel Rod
Mauler
Binary Rifle
Scattershot
Bruteshot / Concussion Rifle (depending on which one was chosen for class 2)
Giant list of ETC.'s

Here is the problem. Class1 and Class4 are practically the same. I know, I know, “Wouldn’t the BR be redundant if the Carbine came first?” and so on. Feel free to reverse the lists if you want, either way you still end up with a list of redundant weapons.

The point is, these weapons all fill the same basic archetype as class1, just with a different paint coat. Aside from aesthetics they don’t serve any purpose.

This is why they are at the very bottom. Yes, even below joke weapons.

Yes, I know, many are Carbine fans, some are Battle Rifle fans, even a few support the Magnum. Some prefer the AR to the SMG. The point is we need to all agree and decide upon which of these weapons is going to fill the role, instead of having tons of different weapons all doing the same -Yoink-.

Speaking to Carbine Fans, you like it because it looks pretty, or because it’s a semi-auto precision weapon? If the latter, why can’t we just rework the Magnum to be more similar to the Carbine?

To be blunt nothing past Class2 should even be considered until the sandbox is already well fleshed out, and ideally nothing past Class3 should be added at all. Though because of canon and traditions set by Halo 2 I concede that removing all clutter probably isn’t feasible.

13

> Class1: Foundational Weapons
>
>
>
> Precision Rifle
> CQC Automatic Weapon
> Plasma Pistol
> Frags
> Plasma Grenades
> Sniper Rifle
> Rocket Launcher
> Shotgun
>
> I.e. these are generic weapons/archetypes that are expected to be in each title and make up the foundation of the sandbox. These are basically the minimum requirement of the sandbox.
>
>
>
> Class2: Additional Weapons
>
>
>
> Energy Sword
> Gravity Hammer
> Plasma Grenades
> Spartan Laser
> Grenade Launcher
> Flamethrowers
> Turrets
> Railguns
> Beams (such as Sentinel)
> Rapid Explosives (Such as Brute Shot)
> Plasma Launcher (Halo Reach)
> Needler
> Remote-Detonation Mines (Halo 4)
> Long list of ETC.'s
>
> These are weapons that may be slightly redundant in a few aspects, but are overall pretty unique in how they work and play out. These are the unusual weapons that are added on top of the generic archetypes in order to spice up gameplay.
>
> For the sake of not having a giant, bloated sandbox, we should only pick the ones on this list that we consider to add the most to gameplay.
>
> Example: Someone might say the Flamethrower performs too similar of a role to the Shotgun, SMG, and Energy Sword. That person might argue in favor of keeping the Flamethrower out of the game instead of adding it.
>
> Meanwhile someone else may say no other weapon is as anti-vehicle specialized as the Spartan Launcher, and thus demand it be added because it fills a currently un-filled role.
>
>
> Class3: “Joke Weapons”
>
>
>
> Gravity Hammer
> Golf Club
> Scarab Gun
> Non-Objective Oddballs and Flags
> Bare Fists
> Mongoose Firing AR
> Rocket Launcher that fires an MIRV.
> W/E Yoink! you can think up.
>
> These weapons are too silly, too overpowered, or too specific to apply to the game as a whole. They are only there for goofing off, or for specific gametypes. For example Reach pretty much only had the Gravity Hammer for Griffball and other customs.
>
> Because of this they are second lowest in importance, and really should only be added if there’s good enough justification for them to be.
>
>
> Class4 - Clutter
>
>
>
> Covenant Carbine
> Assault Rifle
> Spiker
> Beam Rifle
> Fuel Rod
> Mauler
> Binary Rifle
> Scattershot
> Bruteshot / Concussion Rifle (depending on which one was chosen for class 2)
> Giant list of ETC.'s
>
> Here is the problem. Class1 and Class4 are practically the same. I know, I know, “Wouldn’t the BR be redundant if the Carbine came first?” and so on. Feel free to reverse the lists if you want, either way you still end up with a list of redundant weapons.
>
> The point is, these weapons all fill the same basic archetype as class1, just with a different paint coat. Aside from aesthetics they don’t serve any purpose.
>
> This is why they are at the very bottom. Yes, even below joke weapons.
>
> Yes, I know, many are Carbine fans, some are Battle Rifle fans, even a few support the Magnum. Some prefer the AR to the SMG. The point is we need to all agree and decide upon which of these weapons is going to fill the role, instead of having tons of different weapons all doing the same Yoink!.
>

Well said. If you don’t mind me cherry picking from your list:

-Shotgun
-Rockets
-Sniper
-Focus Rifle
-Battle Rifle
-Needle Rifle
-Storm Rifle
-Frags
-Stickies
-Plasma Pistol
-Sword
-Plasma Launcher
-Brute Shot
-Needler
-Firebombs
-Turrets (Make one different from other e.g. stun or the like)
-Grenade Launcher (ProPipe)
-Railgun

That should make a somewhat ideal sandbox.

14

> Class1: Foundational Weapons
>
>
>
> Precision Rifle (Pick One)
> CQC Automatic Weapon (Pick One)
> Plasma Pistol
> Frags
> Plasma Grenades
> Sniper Rifle
> Rocket Launcher
> Shotgun
>
> I.e. these are generic weapons/archetypes that are expected to be in each title and make up the foundation of the sandbox. These are basically the minimum requirement of the sandbox.
>
>
>
> Class2: Additional Weapons
>
>
>
> Energy Sword
> Gravity Hammer
> Incendiary Grenades
> Spartan Laser
> Grenade Launcher
> Flamethrowers
> Turrets
> Railguns
> Beams (such as Sentinel)
> Medium-Range Automatics
> Rapid Explosives (Such as Brute Shot)
> Plasma Launcher (Halo Reach)
> Needler
> Remote-Detonation Mines (Halo 4)
> Long list of ETC.'s
>
> These are weapons that may be slightly redundant in a few aspects, but are overall pretty unique in how they work and play out. These are the unusual weapons that are added on top of the generic archetypes in order to spice up gameplay.
>
> For the sake of not having a giant, bloated sandbox, we should only pick the ones on this list that we consider to add the most to gameplay. I am not suggesting everything, or even most things, on this list be added.
>
> Example: Someone might say the Flamethrower performs too similar of a role to the Shotgun, SMG, and Energy Sword. That person might argue in favor of keeping the Flamethrower out of the game instead of adding it.
>
> Meanwhile someone else may say no other weapon is as anti-vehicle specialized as the Spartan Launcher, and thus demand it be added because it fills a currently un-filled role.
>
>
> Class3: “Joke Weapons”
>
>
>
> Gravity Hammer
> Golf Club
> Scarab Gun
> Non-Objective Oddballs and Flags
> Bare Fists
> Mongoose Firing AR
> Rocket Launcher that fires an MIRV.
> W/E Yoink! you can think up.
>
> These weapons are too silly, too overpowered, or too specific to apply to the game as a whole. They are only there for goofing off, or for specific gametypes. For example Reach pretty much only had the Gravity Hammer for Griffball and other customs.
>
> Because of this they are second lowest in importance, and really should only be added if there’s good enough justification for them to be.
>
>
> Class4 - Clutter
>
>
>
> Covenant Carbine
> Assault Rifle
> Spiker
> Beam Rifle
> Fuel Rod
> Mauler
> Binary Rifle
> Scattershot
> Bruteshot / Concussion Rifle (depending on which one was chosen for class 2)
> Giant list of ETC.'s
>
> Here is the problem. Class1 and Class4 are practically the same. I know, I know, “Wouldn’t the BR be redundant if the Carbine came first?” and so on. Feel free to reverse the lists if you want, either way you still end up with a list of redundant weapons.
>
> The point is, these weapons all fill the same basic archetype as class1, just with a different paint coat. Aside from aesthetics they don’t serve any purpose.
>
> This is why they are at the very bottom. Yes, even below joke weapons.
>
> Yes, I know, many are Carbine fans, some are Battle Rifle fans, even a few support the Magnum. Some prefer the AR to the SMG. The point is we need to all agree and decide upon which of these weapons is going to fill the role, instead of having tons of different weapons all doing the same Yoink!.
>
> Speaking to Carbine Fans, you like it because it looks pretty, or because it’s a semi-auto precision weapon? If the latter, why can’t we just rework the Magnum to be more similar to the Carbine?
>
>
> To be blunt nothing past Class2 should even be considered until the sandbox is already well fleshed out, and ideally nothing past Class3 should be added at all. Though because of canon and traditions set by Halo 2 I concede that removing all clutter probably isn’t feasible.

Mongoose firing Ar? Like Gungoose? It may sound silly, but I think the idea of self-defense on a mongoose will be a nice addition.

15

No, I meant an Assault Rifle that shoots Mongeese as bullets.

Gungoose is a fine concept, if not just a bit too similar to the Ghost.

16

I think all weapons should have a role in the game. Not divided into some stupid subsets to make some useless so that everyone can only use the BR and the Sniper.

17

> I think all weapons should have a role in the game. Not divided into some stupid subsets to make some useless so that everyone can only use the BR and the Sniper.

You do realize that without organization, those weapons will be useless anyway, right?