First let’s understand that I support Frags’ having even more impulse physics against objects and vehicles than Stickies or Pulse ‘nades.
Being able to flip a vehicle more easily in exchange for the lack of damage it inflicts relative to the other explosives isn’t a bad trade-off and makes the Frag’s more attractive in comparison to the insta-kill Stickies or the melee/headshot assisting Pulse.
But let me also say I love how we damage vehicles in Reach and H4 and support a shorter spawn time to vehicles so that tactical use, not exploitative use of vehicles is promoted.
In any Halo BTB, first I spawn, then I hunt for Stickies and/or a PP, then I go hunting for the enemy. There’s little reason for me to change this strategy as vehicles and teammates are very chaotic in Halo. It only changes in H4 when I choose the loadout with a sticky or PP. Instead of waiting up to 30 seconds for my tools, I spawn with them.
I very much enjoy preying on players who think they can just roll up in on me in any Halo with a vehicle because I would be otherwise caught dead in the open without at least Stickies or without a more proper weapon (like an explosive powerweapon) in BTB.
To me it is funny to not only hear that it’s just the DMR that flips vehicles (it may only be host but it happens in H3 too), but also hear that NOW vehicles are weak in Halo and NOW players destroy them.
I’ve always made short work of enemy vehicles, in and out of vehicles myself. I have not noticed players hanging back any more than before… In my frustration in quite a few matches I have noticed this.
Due to being jacked, flipped by a frag or stuck by a stick, in ANY Halo, I don’t understand the need to splatter everyone seen by the driver, or to get in close enough to help the enemy and their accuracy OR lessen our reaction times.
I find it selective thinking that in H3 one could barrel around in a ‘Hog, knowing the tactic of being flipped by an explosive by intelligent opponents was the risk, but in H4 players are actually hanging back to avoid being stuck or flipped even though my frustration is that in both games it’s the inexperienced that promoted such scenarios in the first place.
Now onto the papier-mâché vehicles of H4 compared to the past… It’s not really true. It’s really a relative thing based on what weapons are being used and on what vehicle is being shot at.
If we are to claim any vehicles are made of paper, it’s H2. Not only was the Ghost the weakest of any vehicle in Halo due to its fuel tank, the damage transfer, albeit at a reduced multiplier due to vehicles adding a bit of armour, was much greater and broader across the board than Halo3. Combine this with a vehicle blowing up when a player is killed due to the linking of player health to vehicle health, and voila, papier-mâché vehicles.
Comparing H3 vehicles to H4 vehicles we find some differences that allow vehicles to last longer in some instances while in others, well they’re quicker.
For one it can take up to 5 Stickies to destroy an occupied ‘Hog in H4 but in H3 it requires only 2. It’s all about placement of the Stickies in H4, and in H3 is about armour-on/armour-off.
Armour:
Correct a ‘Hog won’t be destroyed by non-explosive damage in H3 unless the driver itself is killed while the vehicle has 0 armour. But also incorrect that a ‘Hog lasts long against explosives. A ‘Hog will absorb damage to the player if they are hit as long as there is armour, but once the armour is gone, small arms fire seems to maintain a defensive bonus against direct hits to the player but explosive damage is amplified through the vehicle.
The 1 sticky to kill a heavily damaged (0 armour) ‘Hog is one example, another is the Brute Shot in H3. The first 2-3 hits to a ‘Hog is done at a reduced amount as the armour is depleted and shields are nearly or completely drained. If the ‘Hog gets away and regens shields, the next time only 2 hits from a BS will strip shields and if health hasn’t regenerated, well the 3rd BS hit will kill the driver and destroy the vehicle.
All H3 vehicles are effected by explosives in this manner, the amount of armour it has versus none that is. However not all vehicles receive damage the same way and by the same weapons.
Weapon Mechanics and Vehicular Health:
Now here’s where the claim of weak vehicles and DMR overpowerness in H4 diminishes in my view. I understand that things blow up eventually in H4 but here’s some health statistics of H3 and post-update damage H4.
Now AR bullets are near approax. Give or take 4 bullets on the AR.
I’ve already mentioned that in H3 a single sticky can strip a ‘Hog of its armour, it may or may not kill the driver depending on location and connections. However a sticky on an occupied ‘Hog without any armour is toast (even with full shields)… But in H4 it’s completely on positioning of the Sticky if it’s a 2-sticky killer or a 5-sticky killer (allowing shields to regen).
Rockets are very similar. In H3 a single Rock can kill the occupant(s) and strip the armour in a single direct hit but not destroy the vehicle. However a single splash hit is all that’s needed to destroy an occupied ‘Hog with 0 armour.
In H4, it’s all where you hit the vehicle. It can take 3 Rocks to destroy a ‘Hog in H4 if they’re on peripheral parts and not direct hits. Of course the occupants may be long dead but the vehicle’s health is robust enough to take 3 Rocks, depending on where the hit is.
An occupied Banshee in H3 doesn’t blow up unless the player is killed and there is 0 armour. BUT it takes 40BR shots and 70AR bullets to kill the occupant.
In H4, it takes 40BR shots, 140AR bullets, 64DMR bullets and 7SniRi bullets to blow this thing up. That’s a lot of team shooting or a lot of SniRi bullets drained to take down a Banshee.
In H3, the Ghost’s occupant is killed by 40BR shots or 64AR bullets, often destroying the vehicle in the process.
In H4 it takes 16BR shots, 21DMR bullets, 40AR bullets and 5 SniRi bullets to destroy the vehicle.
In H3, the BR, AR and SniRi can only strip armour off a ‘Hog. H3BR bullets push a ‘Hog around like DMR bullets do in Reach and H4. (Pop in the disc and load up a game, you’ll see).
In H4 it takes 61BR shots, 192AR bullets, 120 DMR bullets and 10 SniRi bullets to destroy the ‘Hog.
