The Storm Rifle, a missed opportunity?

Games Other Halo
1

I’m not going to lie. The Storm Rifle, while a sleek and awesome looking new weapon to the Halo Sandbox, is really nothing new. They effectively took the firing mechanics of the Plasma Repeater, and gave it an automatic overheat akin to the Plasma Rifle, making a blend of two weapons that were already similar enough. But what if they went a different route, and tried a strategy of making a Plasma Weapon that behaved… Uniquely?

Imagine if, for instance, as opposed to firing a barrage of extremely rapid Plasma in an extremely wide spread, the Storm Rifle instead fired at a slow, powerful feeling rate of fire, but with near perfect accuracy? Or alternatively, it would automatically fire 3 round bursts of plasma at set intervals while the trigger was held. The weapon would eventually overheat after, say, 7-8 shots (or bursts) were fired without additional pause.

These Shots (or Bursts) would have the following properties: 2 bursts, will fully drain the shields of an enemy. Then, one full burst, and a single bolt from the one following will take the enemy down if they are headshots. Body shots would require 5 bursts to kill after shield drain.

This would create an interesting tie-in with the Battle Rifle, the weapon will drain shields faster overall than any other precision weapon, but it’s headshot damage will only be a buffed compared to body shots, not a one hit kill (which is similar in function to Halo CE’s Plasma Rifle headshot mechanic, which killed in 3 additional shots after shields were drained, instead of 5).

This would make an interesting risk vs reward semi-precision weapon. The weapon being headshot capable (though only in terms of a damage buff to health) would create an interesting skill gap to support the weapons rather fast killtime, especially when you have to consider that it is firing projectiles, not hitscan shots, so you would be forced to lead all of your shots at medium range, maximizing the weapon’s effectiveness in closer quarters.

This would also free up the Carbine to have more accuracy and function as a longer ranged weapon than it does now, as well as create a new and entirely unique weapon in the sandbox, and giving the Plasma Repeater or Plasma Rifle room to return to the scene without being redundant, (If the Plasma Rifle was the Covenant Sidearm, the Plasma Pistol would go to being a power weapon, where it honestly belongs because of Vehicle Stun and Noob Combos).

It would also much better fit the functional appearance of the weapon. Looking so much like the precise Needle Rifle and Carbine, and so little like a traditional close quarters plasma weapon I.E Rifle Repeater and Pistol.

Any takers on this idea? Especially knowing that all they honestly had to do was buff the Plasma Repeater’s damage and it would be literally the exact same as the Storm Rifle is in it’s current form, but with a slightly different reload mechanic?

2

Eh in all honesty I thought the weapon performed fine in this game.

3

It should also be noted that this weapon would be extremely useful as a team support weapon. Being able to do that much shield damage from that range, having one player on the team be the assist guy with this rifle would make a really great, and skill reliant, teamwork mechanic. If you and your buddy get attacked and are outnumbered. You having this weapon would be extremely valuable, draining the enemies’ shields quickly and allowing your friend to land the finishing headshots would create a very fast synonymous killtime, giving you an interesting advantage over 2-3 players both equipped with just standard rifles. While the lack of range will kill it’s 1v1 capabilities in several instances.

> Eh in all honesty I thought the weapon performed fine in this game.

That’s the thing though, this isn’t about the weapon’s performance. It is a fine rifle and it is definitely strong as is. But honestly, it’s not new. It’s the same gun that’s seen two other renditions in the past. It really didn’t need to be made when they could have just had the Plasma Repeater as a 15 shot kill and called it a day.

This is about two things, one being justifying the creation of an entirely new gun, for which the Storm Rifle is definitely not justified. The other being creatively trying to design a weapon that WOULD justify creating something new, by giving the players something they haven’t already had in their hands.

4

Hmm the thing with assist heavy weapons is the Covenant already has plenty the only main attack weapons I can think of are indeed the Sword, Beam Rifle, Carbine, and Fuel Rod. Not to mention Plasma Grenades. I used to hear on the forums people complained it was too weak.

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> Hmm the thing with assist heavy weapons is the Covenant already has plenty the only main attack weapons I can think of are indeed the Sword, Beam Rifle, Carbine, and Fuel Rod. Not to mention Plasma Grenades. I used to hear on the forums people complained it was too weak.

The Covenant has only had one assist heavy weapon for long-ish range before though, the Focus Rifle which isn’t in this game at all (again something I feel isn’t justified, a buff to it would have been better than removing it entirely, since unlike the Beam Rifle it wasn’t just a Sniper Rifle that overheats). Every other assist-heavy Covenant weapon has always been either limited to close quarters, or had such a low rate of fire it couldn’t be effectively used for more than one enemy at a time.

As it stands, the Needler, Sword, Carbine, Fuel Rod, Beam Rifle, Halo 3 DW only Plasma Rifle, Halo 3/R Hammer, Brute Shot, Mauler, Concussion Rifle, Plasma Launcher, Needle Rifle, Plasma Repeater, and Storm Rifle are all more effective standalone weapons than assist weapons. Especially since the Plasma Repeater, and Storm Rifle both have the AR’s bullet damage percentages to health and Shields, actually doing almost no shield damage compared to health damage.

And the only other weapons that can be considered assist weapons (the Plasma Rifle, and Plasma Pistol) are generally used more as “Swap” weapons where you swap to a headshot weapon and finish them off yourself, as opposed to being used as assist weapons.

This is a weapon that would be effective enough at killing that you wouldn’t swap, which means that like the Focus Rifle, your teammates are more likely to finish your kills than your own Storm Rifle if they are around. While if they aren’t, you are going to finish the enemy off with your SR, and not swap to another weapon to deliver a final blow.

When it comes to the Plasma Rifle and Pistol, after you fire your overcharged PP, you are already going to have your BR ready to headshot. So it’s not an assist weapon so much as a personal utility. The Plasma Rifle at mid-close range is definitely an assist weapon unless you are alone, then it is a swap-weapon. But at close range you will just finish the battle with a crack on the skull, again not assisting anybody, and it’s lack of either a scope, or a tight spread keeps it’s range extremely limited.

6

Very interesting well thought out ideas. I don’t think there was a single point I didn’t like. You obviously took a lot of time on this and thought it through. But yeah, it would be nice to see the Storm Rifle get revamped so the iconic Plasma Rifle can make a return.

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> Very interesting well thought out ideas. I don’t think there was a single point I didn’t like. You obviously took a lot of time on this and thought it through. But yeah, it would be nice to see the Storm Rifle get revamped so the iconic Plasma Rifle can make a return.

Agreed. Even if the Plasma Rifle has to be a Sidearm to come back (Which I won’t mind compared to the too-powerful-to-spawn-with Plasma Pistol).

It would be nice because the Plasma Rifle could be given a decent killtime, not enough to compete with a Suppressor, but enough that a player who knows how to lead his shots can take on an AR. If the Plasma Rifle’s killtime was like the Reach Plasma Pistol’s single shot killtime, it would be pretty well balanced, especially if it had a very punishing overheat time to keep inaccurate players from just spraying the enemy down (a luxury AR users get for using a Primary Weapon). And then the PP could get the single shot buff it deserves, so it’s not entirely useless outside of Noob Combos and EMPs.

8

I almost forgot there is no Plasma Rifle in the game, with that being said maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad idea, remember when it had stun?

9

I think it just needs a 1.5-2x scope. It even has that little nub that seems like it was built for some sort of optic. Plus I love ODST and I would love to see a scoped auto weapon.

10

I like the storm rifle even though I suck with it. I take my hat off to any expert users and I feel it is a good weapon, I don’t see it used enough.

I do think your idea is good, as a seperate weapon though, I like the SR and we need a Plasma rifle clone in halo it wouldn’t feel right without one.

11

Nah. I like the storm rifle. I was very familiar with the plasma rifle (IMO fav covie weapon) and the repeater was bleh to me. The storm rifle is new enough to me. It didn’t remind me of the repeater or the plasma rifle. Your weapon sound like it’s trying to do too many things.

The only previous weapons i’d like to see back is the brute plasma rifle and needler rifle. The carbine is pretty much what you described but no burst mode. And the only burst weapon we need is the BR. A burst firing auto rifle that shoots plasma just doesn’t sound covie like. If anything this would have to be some new forunner sort of weapon. Considering forunners got away with a weapon that has 2 different firing modes.

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> A burst firing auto rifle that shoots plasma just doesn’t sound covie like. If anything this would have to be some new forunner sort of weapon. Considering forunners got away with a weapon that has 2 different firing modes.

What if there was an assault weapon that has full auto primary fire and 3 round burst fire when scoped? It would be almost as if the AR and BR had a baby.

13

It is getting buffed in the update, which is nice. But I do agree that it could bring a lot more utility to the playing field.

As it stands now, it just doesn’t do anything that other weapons don’t do better. It’s the sub-par choice used only for commendations, players who don’t know better, or players who simply want to mix it up.

The AR has better range and a faster kill time and the suppressor beats it at a closer range. The Storm Rifle is weaker than pulse grenades and is just a filler for the sandbox.

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> The AR has better range and a faster kill time and the suppressor beats it at a closer range. The Storm Rifle is weaker than pulse grenades and is just a filler for the sandbox.

Actually the Storm Rifle fits in between the AR and the Suppressor as far as kill time and range go. The AR has the best range but the highest kill time, the Suppressor has the shortest range but lowest kill time. The AR is also hit scan whereas the other two are not, so it is the easiest to use.

OT: If the Storm Rifle were given a different functionality it would have allowed for the Plasma Rifle to exist in the H4 sandbox. I would have welcomed this change as the Storm Rifle is a new addition to Halo. With that said, I quite like the current rendition of the weapon.

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> It is getting buffed in the update, which is nice. But I do agree that it could bring a lot more utility to the playing field.
>
> As it stands now, it just doesn’t do anything that other weapons don’t do better. It’s the sub-par choice used only for commendations, players who don’t know better, or players who simply want to mix it up.
>
> The AR has better range and a faster kill time and the suppressor beats it at a closer range. The Storm Rifle is weaker than pulse grenades and is just a filler for the sandbox.

I rate the storm rifle highly and have had great success with it the few times I’ve bothered to try using it. With the AR as soon as you need to reload its likely you’ll lose the kill, with the SR you can stop holding the trigger when its about to overhead and pepper the enemy with those last few shots for the kill.

That said, neither of our post are on topic.

16

I agree with the OP that if the Coveies wanted to make a new gun than they hshould have made a gun that is mainline assault but in the same way precise. That is waht i remember in Lore waht some of hte Elites had a problem with the Plasama Rifle. IT was just a weapon. NOe Elegance in combat.

I love teh strom rifle because it gives both the Plasma Rifle and hte Repearter into one and it fits well in the Automatic weapons slot, but if it was a automatic burst weapon(Weird to say i know it would be more welcomed to those palyers how prefere skiied weapons. BUt looking at the new title update 343i has made it clear that they just want long Range weapons to be more powerful that any Assault weapon. Which is hte norm for games now but Gears of war. That seems to be the only game that doesn’t give an Unholy Advantage to someone weilding a ranged weapon down the hatch.
If ranged Weapons can kill from 100 meters than Assault weapons should be able to rip them apart in close range and from what i have seen since halo 3 that has chanced. Reach sort of started it with the Halo’s but 343i kept it going.

BUt either way making a storm rifle that has Assault and precision purposes is like giving a Kid a way to learn everything in school in 2 seconds. They would just do that rather than just spenidng time going to the school. IF they were to make a weapon like that it would only be human or promethean for hte fact of I ahve NEVER after Halo one seen a covenant weapon that is hte same class/mirroed weapon beat its human couterpart. Even Bunige made it that way which made me sort of mad that the High Tech aliens gusn were inferior to our blunt objectes on the game, but when you read the books Marines are is nearly useless when a plasma round hit one in hte Chest and blows all of their organs on to the Unsepecting allies next to them. But That is a different story.

17

I think the storm rifle could have been so much more, and I actually dislike that weapon. It looks good, but that’s where the positive things end. The firing sound is awful compared to the plasma repeater and every single incarnation of the plasma rifle, the extreme bloom is ridiculous (reaches full bloom after three shots fired), and it doesn’t carry enough ammo. The last point is especially annoying in multiplayer where the only way to “refill” the gun is to die and respawn; every other loadout weapon can be refilled by simply picking up the ammo dropped by killed players.

I would really like to like the storm rifle more, but it’s just impossible for me with the way it is now.

18

The Storm Rifle maybe a good weapon to use in the game, however, you really can’t beat the Plasma Rifle.

19

In reach, the plasma rifle was good at taking down shields, and the repeater was good at finishing off enemy health. Combining the two to make the storm rifle basically made a weapon less effective at taking down shields than the rifle, and also less effective at finishing enemies off than the repeater. It basically has the same exact properties as the assault rifle, besides reload and hitscan mechanics being the only difference.

343i obviously did this to make full auto weapons somewhat on par with each other, but it also took the uniqueness out of the covenant weapons from the other games that had their own special little niches. I feel like loadouts made all of our favorite weapons from halo conform to each other for the sake of balance. But the more the weapons conform, the less unique they become. This is why I disagree with custom loadouts being in halo.

20

> 343i obviously did this to make full auto weapons somewhat on par with each other…

If that’s really what 343i tried to accomplish, they’ve failed. The two facts alone that the storm rifle isn’t hitscan and has stronger bloom than the AR makes it far less useful. If it at least had some additional effect like the slow-down the plasma rifle (and plasma pistol) in H:CE had, I’d use it a lot more.