Why I think the Boltshot isn't overpowered

Games Other Halo
#1

Am I the only one who doesn’t think its that bad? It takes a degree of skill to use with the charge up and large delay for the second shot. The range is about the same as the shotgun, maybe a little less. The hit box is relatively small in comparison though. If you think I’m wrong then ask yourself why every person isn’t using it? I play a decent amount of Halo and I see an average of two players a game using it. A small amount of players use it because its got a bit of a challenge to it. I play Halo with about 10-15 friends at different given times and I have one that uses it (besides me).

Obviously I probably come off as a little biased but think about this. With the addition of sprint to the Halo franchise, it has allowed a faster game pace all around. My issue here that coincides with the addition of sprint is the melee. There is virtually very little delay between melees. You can sprint up and kill someone with a double melee in the same amount of time that you can charge up a boltshot and fire. I don’t know about you guys, but I have been double meleed to death probably five times as much as I have died to boltshots. Maybe you have died a lot from the boltshot, but I know you have died more to melees. You can’t deny that.

I never had an issue with melees in the previous Halos and I figured out why. There wasn’t any sprint until Halo Reach. That’s about when the frustration started. It is a very common strategy now to simply sprint up and double melee someone with no shots fired.

Now you can tell me that bullets slow them down while sprinting and you’re right; however, think about corners and movement speed. Someone can sprint up to you now and be within 10-15 feet unnoticed. That isn’t anywhere near uncommon. I could stop it on a straightaway sure, but I can’t stop them coming around corners with it. What am I going to stop them with in that short period of time when I only have spawn weapons? Am I going to fire off 16 shots with the assault rifle? 5 BR/DMR shots to the head? Not in that amount of time.

So now you are probably thinking “Well hey, why don’t you just avoid corners? You can see them on radar.” This is about the time I ask you where most of your boltshot deaths occur? Around corners.

While you are all pointing fingers at the boltshot now, let me ask you why melees don’t piss you off just as equally? Same time duration. Same result. Similar situations. They even occur more frequently and require much less skill than the boltshot. You are so fast to dismiss them because they have been in the game forever, but not this way. With sprint they became a very common strategy. Maybe I don’t like getting double meleed so I choose to boltshot the people who rush me. Is that really so awful of me? Because most likely, the person coming at me was more than ready to double melee me to death.

Tell me to avoid corners and stay out of melee range and I do. I’m telling you all the same advice. That’s how you deal with the boltshot and that’s how I deal with melees.

EDIT: If you aren’t going to even read what I have to say, don’t post at all. Its the least you could do, considering I started this discussion. I actually took the time to structure an argument here and address some of the common issues with the boltshot. I didn’t make it an “OMG NERF IT I HATE DYING TO IT” rant thread; I made my opinions and reasons pretty clear. This is a discussion, not a rant.

TL;DR: Don’t charge people and try to melee them. Its a first person shooter, not a first person meleer.

#2

I dont have a problem with the Boltshot or the DMR, Invis, AL, Bloom, Spread, Noob Combos, camping,bullet magnetism etc etc etc.

I would actually be embarrassed to come and complain about something or some tactic that was used to kill me and my only recourse was to come and cry about it on a forum.

#3

The boltshot’s range is further than the shotgun. That’s the only thing I don’t like about it. Otherwise I think that the gun is fine the way it is.

#4

> If you think I’m wrong then ask yourself why every person isn’t using it?

Because of how vital the Plasma Pistol is in games with vehicles… just saying.

#5

> > If you think I’m wrong then ask yourself why every person isn’t using it?
>
> Because of how vital the Plasma Pistol is in games with vehicles… just saying.

I don’t really think that was in question. I’m pretty sure people were getting upset at the use of the boltshot outside of games with vehicles (more often than not).

#6

> > > If you think I’m wrong then ask yourself why every person isn’t using it?
> >
> > Because of how vital the Plasma Pistol is in games with vehicles… just saying.
>
> I don’t really think that was in question. I’m pretty sure people were getting upset at the use of the boltshot outside of games with vehicles (more often than not).

Okay… and so to answer your question again, in regards to why every person isn’t using the Bolt Shot if it’s considered OP, minus the obvious games where the PP is the clear choice, is that people are stupid and don’t know any better or they’re so bad at the game that they don’t really stand a chance regardless to the weapon they wield so they choose the most simplistic one or they’re people who prefer to avoid using the weapons that are considered OP or they’ve not chosen a precision starting weapon allowing their secondary, the Magnum, to sort of fill that role for them. Those are the only concepts I can think of quickly off the top of my head.

Anyways, in general doesn’t it make the most sense to pair a precision starting weapon with a secondary weapon that can go toe-to-toe, if not out class, a significant quantity of the CQC power weapons in the game? I think so.

#7

OP, you make a good point but so does eLantern. If you see someone who’s charging you, intending to double melee, then bring out that boltshot and make that player regret his/her tactic. I’m personally a PP user in all playlists because I know I can at least make a final effort with it if I don’t have enough ammo in my DMR. But my main gripe with it is that people hide, minutes on end with it, around corners, waiting for a helpless victim. Camping is annoying, yes. But I have to admit that I sometimes camp as well. Not severely, only to recharge shields and I never like to be in one spot for more than 30 seconds. But if I have a boltshot I picked up from a dead body and I know the enemy coming around the corner has a sword, I will definitely use that boltshot. The only thing that makes it truly overpowered is that it factually does have a longer range than both the scattershot and shotgun, which just isn’t balanced.

#8

Because it’s a secondary with capabilities above that of a scattershot/shotgun and energy sword which are drops/power weapons.

#9

Hold RT, Release when you are in line with the person, dead. Yep that’s skill. The only thing you need is common sense when to start charging it. It is a overpowered gun that has made CQC a joke. It should be a ordinance drop, or on map weapon. Then just take the delay off of the second shot. Bolt shot makes it so there is no need to ever use firepower, because bolt shot is much more powerful than using the AR or SR in CQC.

#10

> Because it’s a secondary with capabilities above that of a scattershot/shotgun and energy sword which are drops/power weapons.

It’s also the only starter weapon with the capability to One shot kill.
It has the range of a shotgun, and can 1sk at that range, it needs a range nerf similar to the mauler, so you can only drain shields and then finish off with the primary fire, and the primary fire needs a damage buff to make it equal to the magnum.

#11

If my 4 year brother can get a kill with it the first time he uses it.

yep its overpowered. He barely even understands whats going on

also to the person above me. it has a great kill range than the shotgun, but a greater distance than the difference between the scattershot and shotgun.
Also the halo 3 mauler was considered a power weapon, and was even removed from the map guardian. the mauler is EXTREMELY WEAKER THAN THE BOLTSHOT. imagine if you could start with boltshots in halo 3, or if there was 3 spawn points like there was with the map guardian. Would be saw as as the worst map ever instead of one of the best

#12

> Hold RT, Release when you are in line with the person, dead. Yep that’s skill. The only thing you need is common sense when to start charging it. It is a overpowered gun that has made CQC a joke. It should be a ordinance drop, or on map weapon. Then just take the delay off of the second shot. Bolt shot makes it so there is no need to ever use firepower, because bolt shot is much more powerful than using the AR or SR in CQC.

And double melees take more skill? There isn’t any aim involved, you can melee any time (i.e. you spawn with them and have them at all times). It takes the same amount of elapsed time to kill someone with them as the initial boltshot charge + kill, and they occur way more often. Basically I am restating what I said because it seems apparent to me that you didn’t read it. If anything has ruined the “lack of firepower” its melees. You can’t even begin to deny that they have increased. The boltshot is only effective because the game speed has increased with the use of sprint. Yes, obviously the boltshot is more powerful than the AR or SR. The mauler functioned fairly well in Halo 3. I don’t see your issue here.

You all are too quick to yell “Nerf!” every time you don’t like something. Play around it because it seems like more often than not nerfing ruins games before making them better. Maybe you should try not sprinting up in someone’s face to melee all the time?

#13

> If my 4 year brother can get a kill with it the first time he uses it.
>
> yep its overpowered. He barely even understands whats going on
>
>
> also to the person above me. it has a great kill range than the shotgun, but a greater distance than the difference between the scattershot and shotgun.
> Also the halo 3 mauler was considered a power weapon, and was even removed from the map guardian. the mauler is EXTREMELY WEAKER THAN THE BOLTSHOT. imagine if you could start with boltshots in halo 3, or if there was 3 spawn points like there was with the map guardian. Would be saw as as the worst map ever instead of one of the best

Have you ran a comparison test between the mauler and the boltshot yet? What were the results? Please share.

#14

> Am I the only one who doesn’t think its that bad? It takes a degree of skill to use with the charge up and large delay for the second shot. The range is about the same as the shotgun, maybe a little less. The hit box is relatively small in comparison though. If you think I’m wrong then ask yourself why every person isn’t using it? I play a decent amount of Halo and I see an average of two players a game using it. A small amount of players use it because its got a bit of a challenge to it. I play Halo with about 10-15 friends at different given times and I have one that uses it (besides me).
>
> Obviously I probably come off as a little biased but think about this. With the addition of sprint to the Halo franchise, it has allowed a faster game pace all around. My issue here that coincides with the addition of sprint is the melee. There is virtually very little delay between melees. You can sprint up and kill someone with a double melee in the same amount of time that you can charge up a boltshot and fire. I don’t know about you guys, but I have been double meleed to death probably five times as much as I have died to boltshots. Maybe you have died a lot from the boltshot, but I know you have died more to melees. You can’t deny that.
>
> I never had an issue with melees in the previous Halos and I figured out why. There wasn’t any sprint until Halo Reach. That’s about when the frustration started. It is a very common strategy now to simply sprint up and double melee someone with no shots fired.
>
> Now you can tell me that bullets slow them down while sprinting and you’re right; however, think about corners and movement speed. Someone can sprint up to you now and be within 10-15 feet unnoticed. That isn’t anywhere near uncommon. I could stop it on a straightaway sure, but I can’t stop them coming around corners with it. What am I going to stop them with in that short period of time when I only have spawn weapons? Am I going to fire off 16 shots with the assault rifle? 5 BR/DMR shots to the head? Not in that amount of time.
>
> So now you are probably thinking “Well hey, why don’t you just avoid corners? You can see them on radar.” This is about the time I ask you where most of your boltshot deaths occur? Around corners.
>
> While you are all pointing fingers at the boltshot now, let me ask you why melees don’t piss you off just as equally? Same time duration. Same result. Similar situations. They even occur more frequently and require much less skill than the boltshot. You are so fast to dismiss them because they have been in the game forever, but not this way. With sprint they became a very common strategy. Maybe I don’t like getting double meleed so I choose to boltshot the people who rush me. Is that really so awful of me? Because most likely, the person coming at me was more than ready to double melee me to death.
>
> Tell me to avoid corners and stay out of melee range and I do. I’m telling you all the same advice. That’s how you deal with the boltshot and that’s how I deal with melees.
>
> EDIT: If you aren’t going to even read what I have to say, don’t post at all. Its the least you could do, considering I started this discussion. I actually took the time to structure an argument here and address some of the common issues with the boltshot. I didn’t make it an “OMG NERF IT I HATE DYING TO IT” rant thread; I made my opinions and reasons pretty clear. This is a discussion, not a rant.
>
> TL;DR: Don’t charge people and try to melee them. Its a first person shooter, not a first person meleer.

It is the only Starter that is a 1sk, and it has the range and lethality of a shotgun which is a <mark>Power</mark> weapon. It’s a Secondary and isn’t equal to the PP and the Magnum, the boltshot is OP.

What it needs is it’s range of effectiveness nerfed to that of a mauler, and it’s primary needs to be buffed so it is equal in lethality to the Magnum at least.

#15

> > If my 4 year brother can get a kill with it the first time he uses it.
> >
> > yep its overpowered. He barely even understands whats going on
> >
> >
> > also to the person above me. it has a great kill range than the shotgun, but a greater distance than the difference between the scattershot and shotgun.
> > Also the halo 3 mauler was considered a power weapon, and was even removed from the map guardian. the mauler is EXTREMELY WEAKER THAN THE BOLTSHOT. imagine if you could start with boltshots in halo 3, or if there was 3 spawn points like there was with the map guardian. Would be saw as as the worst map ever instead of one of the best
>
> Have you ran a comparison test between the mauler and the boltshot yet? What were the results? Please share.

well 1st the mauler was a map spawn weapon not a starter in halo 3, it was also much more accepted as a mini shotty than the boltshot ism since the boltshot’s range of effectiveness is that of a normal shotgun, if it was like the mauler it would be just like the sawed off from gears you need to literally barrel stuffing the player to 1sk, and no starter especially a secondary should be a 1 shot kill weapon.

#16

> well 1st the mauler was a map spawn weapon not a starter in halo 3, it was also much more accepted as a mini shotty than the boltshot ism since the boltshot’s range of effectiveness is that of a normal shotgun, if it was like the mauler it would be just like the sawed off from gears you need to literally barrel stuffing the player to 1sk, and no starter especially a secondary should be a 1 shot kill weapon.

I’m sorry. I see your point here, especially being a former Gears player before 3; however, this isn’t a fair comparison. I’d be alright with reducing the range of the boltshot slightly, but that is it. This day in age has changed from the previous Halos. Like I said, the gameplay speed is much faster and I need defense against people who rush me with intent to double melee. The boltshot is my only defense for that.

If you take away the boltshot, melees are going to run wild. The boltshot is the anti melee and you have to at least see that, even if you don’t agree with the specs of the boltshot.

#17

if they keep the boltshot how it is i want a rail-gun instead of my br

#18

> if they keep the boltshot how it is i want a rail-gun instead of my br

That makes perfect sense!

#19

Secondary weapons play specific roles. The Magnum is essentially a poor man’s precision weapon and in comparison, it has a limited magazine, a shorter effective range, plus a quicker and much bigger bloom effect, but it does have a fast RoF. The PP is kind of a specialty weapon in that its major niche is its overcharged EMP effect. The Bolt Shot’s major niche is its 1SK capability at close range. In relation to the CQC power weapons its suppose to have noticeable drawbacks, but I don’t believe those drawbacks are significant enough, therefore the focus to fix the weapon should be on providing ideal drawbacks to its key purpose.

First, remove the semi-firing capability of the Bolt Shot, so that it’s only a charged shot weapon and modify it so that it operates similarly to the human Railgun. The firing mechanism should become fully automatic once triggered, meaning that pulling the trigger will enact the weapon’s charging and it will continue to charge until firing off a fully charged shot. This prevents players from being able to fire the weapon at their leisure and makes timing crucial to success. Going hand-in-hand with this change should also be slight increases to the weapon’s charge time and cool-down period. The cool-down aspect should be mandatory, similar to the Incendiary Cannon, so if you swap from the Bolt Shot after firing it it’ll still need to perform its cool down animation when you swap back to it before being reloaded. Any final modifications should involve carefully tweaking the range and swap speed.

#20

I see two main problems with the boltshot:

  1. It’s range is too great. If it can be used as a secondary weapon it’s one shot range should be within melee range.

  2. Good players are able to use it as a defense tool in situations where they don’t deserve to stay alive. I don’t have a problem with people camping around corners with the boltshot. Sure it’s frustrating to be killed by someone who spends all game crouching around corners, but, generally speaking, these players are weaker players and end up hurting their team more often than not.

The boltshot becomes a problem when two players are engaged in a battle from medium range and the player who loses his shields first is able to quickly hide behind the nearest corner (or rock, box etc.) and pull out the boltshot. In past Halos, this player could easily be killed by simply tossing a grenade (which were readily available in past Halos), or if the attacker was out of grenades, he could chase down the shieldless player, which would result in a mini “juke battle” until one player would die. If the weak player managed to juke out his attacker until his shields were back up, it was considered a great play. Now, this defending player is able to pull out a boltshot and dare his attacker to try and clean up the kill. For good players, the boltshot is not difficult to aim, and so the attacking player has no choice but to wait until his hiding opponent decides to re-engage, or try and clean up the kill (which against good boltshot players, results in death; or at best trading kills).

In my opinion, this is a stupid game mechanic as it shifts the balance of power in 1v1 battles.