This isn’t a rant, nor am I defending it. I use it a lot, so I don’t understand why other people hate it.
Trying to be open minded about this, why do people despise it so much?
It was OP in Reach but they nerfed it. It breaks map flow. Isn’t much of a problem because the maps are made to accommodate it better than Reach.
Severe disadvantage for those who can’t use it like me.
you can fly over some of the obstacles that they are crouching behind with their boltshots, thus ruining their experience entirely. to think, if they’d just exercise a little situational awareness now and then, they’d realize that they could dmr the hell out of you while you’re up there. /trollface
in all seriousness though, like you, i cannot begin to understand. the best argument i’ve seen is that because the dev’s remain intent on including it in multiplayer game play, maps must be designed with the jet pack in mind. this calls for ceilings, whether they be invisible or physical and many kill zones, etc. not even too big of a problem, really.
in general, higher areas must be fought for and gained along a set physical path in order for a team to take advantage of them, but the jetpack allows quicker access in some cases, perhaps from less anticipated angles. this doesn’t bother me in the slightest, though, and i can’t imagine any specific spots that are being abused or have people whining.
all this from a guy who never uses the damn thing. meh. 
It breaks map flow. Plain and Simple.
The personal gravity lift in Halo 3 was awesome. They took the idea too far with the Jetpack IMO. Sorry, but if I am 1 shot behind cover trying to regain my shields after I just won a fight, last thing I need is some guy Jetpacking off a lift into the heavens making my cover useless.
The most common jetpack use I see, is when someone flies straight up whilst shooting someone below. This is pretty effective, but not always
E.g. I like sniping them out of the air with LR or DMR because they can’t move left or right in mid-flight (AFAIK), so they are easier to hit in many ways, compared with someone who jumps and strafes.
So the jetpack can be a disadvantage because of its limited flight path
As for map movement - I think once I got used to the maps and how jet packers can take advantage of certain areas within each map, it has made them less pesky to deal with
If you know the zones that jet packers can take advantage of, you can be better prepared
The reasoning that I have heard is that it, and all armor mods, has been used in Reach then breaks canon to magically reappear from nowhere when Master Chief can use it all of a sudden. I’m just reporting what I have heard I personally think that the entire game is amazing. I don’t have a problem with any one part.
For years gamers have only learned to shoot their foes by sidestepping left and right. Occasionally they have to turn left or right to shoot their opponents. They learned to shoot down, but only when they have a height advantage. They never took the time to learn how to aim upwards. They’ve also been spending their years listening to footsteps of someone sneaking up on them, and not the sound of an exhaust system.
It break map flow/movement. Say you got the drop on me and I’m now one shot, you’re two. I’ll take cover behind a rock while I think of a plan, knowing you’re out of 'nades and too far away to run it. Suddenly you’re above me with a jetpack and deliver the final shot. It breaks map movement.
Well let’s add up the facts:
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It makes the Jetpacker significantly harder to hit, not so much because of sensitivity, but because most Xbox 360 controllers are not no-slo. Hence the vertical climb/decent of the left stick is inhibited compared to the left/right movement of the same stick. This, although being a minor issue that most players will never realize unless they pay for a good controller, is just one of the many advantages packers get.
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It ruins Map Movement/control. I really shouldn’t have to explain this, but in terms of Halo and most FPS games to begin with, power positions should have routes that you can defend in case you want to hold that position. The position shouldn’t be unbreakable, but it should have some barriers to entry. Jetpackers tend to not only get past this physical limitation, but they do so without any skillful jumps or map knowledge. Just one button and you’re up. Meanwhile, I had to slave hours away trying to manipulate thruster pack and little trick jumps in order to do the same thing.
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Weapons, frankly they become easier to use with Jetpack. Got an explosive weapon/grenades? Congratulations, you can now get angles on people that others can’t. This makes explosive and AOE weapons in Halo more potent in the hands of the select few that use a certain armor ability. Firing a sticky det or a rocket on someone below you is always easier, the same logic applies. What bonus do i get to weapons for using Thruster pack? Hmm, maybe I’m able to outmaneuver people up close with a shotgun/sword but that’s about it.
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Jetpack ruins cover on maps. Say I have a mid-range fight with some dude on Haven. We’re both one shot, yet I opt to back off and take some cover to wait for my mates to come up. Meanwhile Jetpack lad flies into the air and uses his DMR to shoot me when otherwise he wouldn’t be able to. Seriously, play on Haven against a team of DMR/Jetpack people and you’ll see what I mean. Going top-mid is asking to be destroyed by people abusing the angle coverage Jetpack gives you.
I’ll answer questions or arguments brought forth. I just gave reasons off the top of my head why I think Jetpack doesn’t belong in Halo (granted its not as ridiculous as AC in certain scenarios, but it is abused more by better players).
I don’t like it for when it’s used correctly it provides instant height advantage to your foe in 1v1’s.
-Jetpackers ignore every concept of map geometry. You are able to fly over any sort of obstacle with minimal punishment. High ground? Nope, someone can just fly up and get you. Which brings me to my next point:
-Explosive weapons become much more powerful when flying. You ignore some of the splash damage, while getting a much better angle than anyone on the ground could ever hope to achieve.
-Explosives are useless on a Jetpacker. Unless you get a lucky Rocket, you will not be able to hit them. Grenades are a lost cause against anyone flying around in the air.
-Assault Rifles and other automatic weapons become far too potent due to gravity closing your range gap automatically.
-Vertical sensitivity is too low compared to horizontal camera movement. This is not a separate option, so it is impossible to ever be as effective against Jetpackers as you are on players on the ground.
-There is no risk/reward for jumps, or any jumps at all. Anything that can give a player any sort of height advantage is negated by players flying around in the air.
-It is impossible to have a map that gives Jetpackers no distinct advantage. Unless every map has a 10ft ceiling and is only one level, Jetpack will have an advantage over every other player.
- Destroys map flow because of how much it improves mobility.
- There is no such thing as having a tactical advantage because of being on the high ground when your enemy has Jetpack.
- No such thing as cover when your enemy has Jetpack.
- If your opponent is in close enough proximity to you when he or she starts flying in the air, that person almost completely removes the possibility of being killed by a headshot. You on the other hand have your head completely exposed.
- Easier to manipulate the map and find absurdly advantageous spots that players without Jetpack can’t get too.
Jetpack is broken by the very nature of what it does. It should be removed from MM for Halo 5 and be reserved for Campaign, SOps/FF, and Custom games.
I felt it really was a problem in Reach. But when they nerfed the climb speed and the duration it became a useful tool rather than a needed one.
I prefer jetpackers to camo/campers. At least they are in the thick of the battle.
It made me a worse player when playing classic style Halo.
This is one of the reasons why I considered it the worst AA in Reach.
While it has been nerfed in Halo 4, the problem I have with it is that maps get designed with jetpack in mind, even though it’s an optional AA to use.
Lets include all AA’s in this because i see a trend in the community that if the flaw with a mechanic books down to one thing they automatically trash it and anything remotely related to it .
They should just turn it into a one time use map pick up on certain maps same for camo and regen basically how they used to be.
Because floating in the air above the map for everyone to shoot at is over powered. Or something strange like that.