I honestly prefer AR starts in the beta. I feel that it complements the mobility options very nicely and also encourages moving to get weapons like the BR, DMR, etc. It creates intense battles that I personally love. It can lead to situations where communication is vital, and teamwork truly wins the day. I feel this is a situation where I could meet some randoms, and if they have mics, bond with them and play even more with them.
I feel there is some lack of this with BR starts. I feel that BR starts lack this rush for weapons with better range, as you already have this range from the get-go. It kind of sours this dynamic. I have always loved the BR, ever since I started playing Halo multiplayer in Halo 3, but I feel starting with it sours Halo 5’s damn good dynamic. I do not suggest removing BR starts though, as others do enjoy it, and I cannot blame them as a fan of the BR myself.
I think the two should be separate playlists. I think this would make both sides happy, as trying to mix the two would be like trying to mix oil and water.
To the BR crowd who may disagree with me, I know that in Halo 3 the Assault Rifle was a peashooter that was bad to start with, and it meant that he who got the BR first would win the day, nine times out of ten. I was rebellious, though, back then. I, rather than grab the BR, tried to utilize the Assault Rifle to its potential. Over my three years playing, I managed to make it work, at least some of the time. But I recognized that it was near useless in the end, due to the lack of balance. That is why I preferred BR starts in Halo 3. Despite being able to use the weapon effectively, it was still worthless.
Now that this is not the case however, I see no reason why AR starts should be done away with. It can hold its own now without extreme practice, so I think AR starts can work, as do many others. Let it be.
Now to the AR crowd who thinks BR starts ruin the game, I think you guys should lay off too. The BR does take more skill to aim, and this is something some people prefer. Since this is the case, let them be.
The obvious solution in the final game is to separate these two starts into separate playlists. When that happens, neither side is bothered by the other, and each side can play the game the way they like it. I think, if we can agree that this is the solution, then we can move past these arguments of which start is better, or takes more skill. If we can have our separate playlists, then arguments would be unnecessary. That is the feedback I think we need to give 343, all of us, despite which start we prefer. The negativity toward one weapon or another is unnecessary. Instead, let us all focus on separate playlists for each weapon so all our voices can be heard.