Contrary to what plenty of the members that post on these forums say, I remain that ideas such as: nerfing the DMR, removing Sprint, removing the BS, etc. could truly resolve anything.
I feel that the majority of these beliefs are caused by the players’ views on how Halo should play and feel. While wanting to experience Halo 4 in a way that appeals to you and is reminiscent of days long gone is a just and fair reason, the ways in which they want this to be done is flawed.
Take the DMR for example, it has a plethora of issues that limit types gameplay. The weapon’s range, high magnetism, and other details too in depth and dull for me to truly care about are all features that change the way in which any map can play. However, many of the people wanting these changes also ask for a more classic playlist for MM. This is a rather obvious correlation that shows what they truly want is a Slayer game without a variety of starting weapons. Since they have not experienced this in Halo 4 MM, they believe the DMR must be the problem for the game playing so different.
How would this be solved? By adding a playlist without the DMR as a starting weapon, obviously! Bungie didn’t keep weapons like the PP, Mauler, Carbine, etc. as map pick-ups only for no reason. With loadouts allowing such a variety of different weapons it’s added too many factors for these players to view it as a “skillful” game. Each and every weapon acts differently, and defines how a map flows, with infinite supplies of primary weapons the map flow runs wild.
The trend of viewing the last factor of an issue, as the problem that needs to fixed is also common on these forums. There is a fair amount of people that want Sprint removed, because they get killed by the same enemy they just killed 5 seconds ago. Again, it doesn’t take much to realize Instant Respawn is the source of that problem. A timed respawn allows the victor’s shields to recharge and lets him prepare for the next encounter. Without this, especially on small maps, sometimes all the loser has to do is sprint around a corner and fire a few shots off.
The PvE issue
Here, I would like to add that nerfing and removal for wanting balance can ruin other aspects of the game. While this issue can hardly be dealt with at this point in Halo 4, I’d like for people to acknowledge this before Halo 5 messes up.
Player vs Player is something that takes a lot of refining and balanced combat to make everything work properly. Player vs. Enemy AI does not need that same balance, they are two completely DIFFERENT ways of play. In Halo 4 it seems that the separation of these two types of encounters requiring two types of gameplay was left unnoticed.
In Firefight, and currently SpOps, the enemy AI are ruthless and will disregard many things solely to kill you. In Reach, evade could save your life as you narrowly dodge an Elite’s round-house kick. While we don’t have FF anymore, we have SpOps, which doesn’t match up to Reach’s FF in the gameplay and epicness department. Thruster pack can barely save you in the same situation as above, and plenty of times won’t.
The difference between AI’s and other Players in MM is, the AI don’t give two -blam!- about balance. What is overpowered, cheap, and plain unfair for MM can be lifesaving and awesome for fighting Enemy AI. Dual wielding has never made it into FF-like encounters, because of balance and making the game feel “classic”. Let me have fun with my buddies in SpOps by dual wielding SMGs or pistols, or anything? How about the Missle Pod, or Flamethrower, or some new -Yoink- weapon/AA? Nope, would be unbalanced for PvP.
Well, that’s all I’ve got to say. Maybe later I’ll add some more points, but I felt this needed to get out there as few people see the larger effect of what they want to have happen.
TL;DR: Plenty of people don’t understand what they really want, they don’t think about what will happen if what they want happens, and if you didn’t read the whole thing odds are you’re one of those people.