First of I’d like to say when reading this please try and keep an open mind. Also the drop wall is a timed equipment it doesn’t last forever, I intend the drop wall to be balanced well.
I dont have a problem with the drop wall. Rather I can see a lot of potential with it. People like it and some don’t and I can see both sides. It can be useful if used properly. Other times it feels like it doesn’t do anything and disappears just as quickly as it deploys.
People have asked for it to be buffed but I don’t think this is the best way forward to make it better. If anything 343 would buff it and it would stay the exact same way it is now just stronger. Then people would complain that it slows down gameplay because too many people hide behind it and would want it nerfed. So buffed or nerfed this is not the way to make it better.
Sandbox
At the moment I genuinely feel that the drop wall doesn’t blend well into the sandbox of halo like the way other equipment do! Its just a wall that appears. It doesn’t really have that Halo vibe where it interacts with players or weapons as much as I would like it to. I want the drop wall to have a better place in halo so it can do much more. So I put a lot of thought into the drop wall to give it that Halo vibe we all know and care about. This new revamped drop wall would be strong in some scenarios and weak in others. It can be a great with defence and offence but can be countered easily too. Also it would have more interaction within the sandbox that would lead to fun gameplay moments.
So let’s start
So far in halo infinite we have different ammo and weapons types. Plasma, Promethean, Shock and Kenetic. I would like these to interact more with the drop wall than what we currently have. Some being strong and others being weak to give the drop wall a balance trade off.
Weapons against the drop wall
Kinetic
(Strong)
Kinetic projectiles would play out as they do now. It would work very well to damage the drop wall and deplete the panels over time being shot at. I think we all want this “Buff” so that the drop wall would take more incoming fire and could withstand more damage but be balanced well so that it would not be invincible. The Kinetic weapons being the UNSC and Banished would work well against the drop wall but not too much that it would make it feel like shooting through paper.
Plasma
(Weak)
Plasms projectiles would not affect the drop wall, in fact the drop wall would counter Plasma damage so that it would deflect/bounce off the drop wall. This would make the drop wall feel strong and more engaging to the sandbox. So if Plasma projectiles bounce of the drop wall that means it will now have a splash area/radius of effect in front. So imagine if an enemy shoots a Ravager at the drop wall it would bounce back in the mid to small area in front of the drop wall causing damage to anyone in front of it. This won’t reflect anything you shoot at it directly back at you unless your in front at the splash damage area. Shooting the stakler rifle the plasma sniper won’t have the projectile fly back and hit you from across the map. Rather imagine shooting the stalker rifle and having it bounce off the drop wall and killing an enemy. That would be so cool and would definitely bring the drop wall more into the sandbox of halo.
Promethean
(Weakest)
The Heatwave and Cinder shot would bounce off because those weapons fire like that now anyways but the Sential beam would be completely useless against the drop wall because it would in fact give the drop wall more strength and recharge the wall and panels. Enemys or teammates could buff the drop wall firing the Sential beam at it. This is where the drop wall would be at its strongest but it wont be too over powered because it can be countered easily by the next weapon type and there is other ways to counter the drop wall.
Shock
(Strongest)
Any type of Shock weapon would be the best way to counter the drop wall and no not the way your thinking. Like I said I want to have the drop wall be fun in the sandbox so having the drop wall be EMP’d so that it would disappear isn’t really that fun. So instead any Shock weapon against a drop wall would Overcharge the drop wall. It would look like the way vehicles do now when they’re emp’d all bright blue Arcing out electrical damage. So anyone in front or more important behind the drop wall would take Shock damage. So if there would be 2 people taken cover behind the drop wall and it gets hit with a dynamo grenade they would be foolish to stay anywhere near the drop wall because if they do they would be fried and you would have a double kill. Having this Shock damage would be a great way to make enemys run away from the wall.
Now of course there are other ways to counter this new drop wall not just Shock weapons. If you shoot the base it would disappear if you can see it. Kinetic weapons would deal a great deal of damage and there are a lot of Kenetic weapons in the game, so the drop wall will not feel to OP but at the same time it can be very useful and could even deflect plasma damage. So imagine you managed to save yourself from an incoming plasma mortor from a wraith tank.
I think that this revamped drop wall would make more fun and challenging engagements in halo. It would feel strong but it can be countered also and of course its an equipment so it won’t last that long. It could even be balanced in a way that rather than holding 3 at a time you can only carry 2.
Let me know what you think. Any idea’s how it would work let me know and I’ll answer your questions. Think at the moment that’s a lot of reading so thank you if you made it this far.