WARNING, HUGE -Yoink- THREAD INBOUND
My main problem with the current power weapon system: It’s makes the game too easy. Not just for me but for everyone. You get power weapons with little effort and too frequently, along with the random spawns this gives the player no need to consider map control and therefore anyone with half a brain and a good trigger-finger can do well.
A good example of this is Ragnarok. At the start of the game whoever gets the spartan laser usually dominates the start of the match since the splaser tips the balance in favour of whichever team gets it first. In halo 3 the losing team would have needed to take action in order to tip the balance the other way, the primary way being to eliminate the person with said splaser. However in halo 4 they can just wait it out, since as soon as that splaser runs out of ammo the playing field is even again.
Suggestions to 343:
Rather than having random weapon spawns, perhaps tell everyone where a weapon is dropping shortly before it does. This emulates the start of the game where players know where the weapon is but don’t instantly have access to it, giving the loosing team the opportunity to balance out the game by taking action rather than waiting it out. Perhaps even have it so once a weapon spawns another incoming one is highlighted, forcing the players to move around the map and making each game more unique.
Lets put it into perspective: Blue team is suppressing red from the hill(superior position), because it is a superior position.
Current system: Suddenly a sniper appears in the valley(inferior position). Blue, having the superior position, can easily hold back red for a few moments while they grab the weapon since red made no effort to push the inferior position beforehand, since there was no guarantee of it being useful.
Proposed system: Both teams notice a sniper will spawn in the valley in perhaps 15 seconds. Red team makes a push for valley, forcing the blues back in the 15 seconds it takes for the sniper to spawn. This sniper then gives them the opportunity to take the high ground and push the blues back, tipping the scales because the reds acted intuitively.
Another suggestion is to make the weapons more risky to acquire. Of course there can still be weapons spawning at each base but there should usually be a risk/reward situation with power weapons.
The binary rifles on Ragnarok for example, favour one team significantly. If red team wants blues binary, they must expose themselves to blue team to grab it. However for blue team it is relatively simple as there is plenty of cover to approach the binary from their side. A more ideal place would perhaps be in the center on blues side. It still favours them but they are very vulnerable to reds at both the pelican and turret, making it risky to run out and grab it.
In perspective: Red team has a sniper in center who is picking off the blues whenever they try to move up.
Current system: Blue team waits in their base until the binary spawns and rush over to grab it, having decent cover from the sniper which makes acquiring it simple. They then use the binary to counter the enemy sniper.
Proposed system: Blue team tries to hold the reds back somewhat in case their binary spawns because they know if they don’t bother the reds will be have an advantage. The binary spawns and the blues suppress the sniper while they run for the binary, which would be very difficult without the forethought to keep the reds away from its spawn location.
That’s my opinion on weapon spawns. Acknowledgement and feedback is always appreciated and try to come up with your own ideas for weapon spawning while you’re at it.