Halo:CE and Halo 2: Gameplay Discussion

[scooby_dooby]

The realistic utility of dual wielding is never recognized in an FPS because of the limitations of the controller. So essentially, dual wielding becomes only a visual aspect of the game. Instead of holding one weapon, you are holding two. However, the damage that results from using two weapons instead of one, is no different than if you just had a single more powerful weapon.

Not entirely. As you can combine different weapons strategically, for example using a plasma rifle to destroy the armour, and then the smg to finish off the body. I don't know if anyone plays this way online, i've never playd halo online, but since you can hold 2 different weapons at once, it certainly adds another layer of strategy to the gameplay.

 

[Deepblue]

Forget Halo 1 and 2.

It's all about Halo 3 now.

http://server3.uploadit.org/files/DeepblueWA-Shroud.jpg

http://server2.uploadit.org/files/DeepblueWA-Strider.jpg

http://server2.uploadit.org/files/DeepblueWA-Distance.jpg

Took them myself because the official screencaptures aren't so hot on the angles.

 

[El Leone]

Aye, Bungie have commented on the AR (again) on the weekly update.

It looks almost exactly like the old AR, but with minor cosmetic differences. It is currently planned to be in the final game. And it works great. Note that it is not the same rifle however. More will be revealed.

RancidLunchmeat, I read your stuff and I could reply, but I'm just too lazy.....Lets agree to disagree okay?

I'm going to make one last comment on the Halo weapons thing. Okay, I've changed my tune abit. I think the single thing that annoyed me the most about the balancing in Halo was that the Pistol dominated the middle ground (and it was a pistol...), I mean in long range, you had the sniper guys and then in short range you had the other weapons like Shotgun and so on. I didnt like it how sometimes it was the first person to see you kills you kind of thing, like with the BR, if someone shoots at you, you sometimes have a fighting chance as it takes a few shots to kill you and they might suck at aiming, but with the Pistol, 3 shots and you're down.

Anyway. I love the ar (and the new one, I suppose), but it always pissed me of that it was more of a close range thing, and the pistol was more of a dominating figure and all round weapon (AR looked better visually might I add). What I'm trying to say is, I hope that the AR in Halo 3 is kinda like a combination of the AR(halo 1) and the BR...Like its got much more power and longer range, but theres no scope and it just fires contiously (but that doesn't stop people quickly tapping the trigger button so they can make more accurate shots). I hope that in Halo 3, the new AR is like the all round weapon you can use in any situtation (although that doesnt make it better than the specific weapons used for specific situtations, like a shotgun in close range). Like how it was the pistol in Halo 1 and the BR in Halo 2.

Talking about the Pistol, I think a balance between the Halo and Halo 2 Pistol would be good. I won't bother repeating Halo pistol crap.But with Halo 2, There were kinda like two stages of the Pistol, before and after the patch. Before the patch you could duel wield the pistol and you could pretty much own the shit out of anyone, but afterwards it was pathetic. I think In Halo 3, it should still remain a Side arm and maybe more of a close range thing. Like if someone is rushing the base, a (skilled) player could hurt them pretty bad causing them to run off or just kill them.

Commenting on Duel Wielding, I don't really much use it much, well I do when I'm camping a flag or something, but usually I use a BR (which I consider a more balanced version of the pistol, basically). I can see its importance to the noobies though.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

Aye, Bungie have commented on the AR (again) on the weekly update.

Have they? Didn't read it. I'll have to go see what they had to say.

RancidLunchmeat, I read your stuff and I could reply, but I'm just too lazy.....Lets agree to disagree okay?

Fair enough.

I'm going to make one last comment on the Halo weapons thing. Okay, I've changed my tune abit. I think the single thing that annoyed me the most about the balancing in Halo was that the Pistol dominated the middle ground (and it was a pistol...), I mean in long range, you had the sniper guys and then in short range you had the other weapons like Shotgun and so on. I didnt like it how sometimes it was the first person to see you kills you kind of thing, like with the BR, if someone shoots at you, you sometimes have a fighting chance as it takes a few shots to kill you and they might suck at aiming, but with the Pistol, 3 shots and you're down.

My viewpoint is that all the reasons you've just gave are what made the pistol of any use at all. As was mentioned, it is kinda odd that the pistol is of great utility at medium and long ranges rather than short range. But once you get beyond that fact, you realize that the Halo:CE pistol and the AR, are both rather balanced, not perfect, but effective weapons. Exactly the kind of weapons that would be standard issue equipment.

The other things, shotguns, rocket launcher, sniper rifle are all most specific and would only be issued on a rare basis to elite units for specific circumstances.

What made the pistol great in Halo:CE was that if it was the only weapon you had.. you still had a fighting chance to survive to find a different weapon. And normally, once you did, you'd switch over from the pistol. IMO, that's exactly why any military force issues the pistol to begin with. Because it's an excellent weapon to get you out of trouble and keep you alive.

I also think the three shot to kill thing with the pistol did a nice job of evening out its power at long range. If you're sitting around and get shot three times by somebody across the map with a pistol, well.. you should be dead. The fact that it now takes longer for the player to do the same thing with a BR in Halo2, only accomplishes the result of making the game easier for less skilled players.

I hope that in Halo 3, the new AR is like the all round weapon you can use in any situtation (although that doesnt make it better than the specific weapons used for specific situtations, like a shotgun in close range). Like how it was the pistol in Halo 1 and the BR in Halo 2.

Back to our disagreement, the love for the AR is a direct result of the fact that it was a great weapon and was the standard weapon of choice for most gamers in Halo:CE... not the pistol. You ran around carrying the AR, switching to the pistol only to stop and snipe or if you knew you were entering a wide open space weren't going into close combat to need the AR.

What was better in the enclosed flood levels? The pistol or the AR?

 

[AlNom]

I liked the AR because you could take out a bunch of the floodlings (er...spores) at a time. And I just loved expending 100s of bullets because I'd instantly get it all back!

 

[El Leone]

Back to our disagreement, the love for the AR is a direct result of the fact that it was a great weapon and was the standard weapon of choice for most gamers in Halo:CE... not the pistol. You ran around carrying the AR, switching to the pistol only to stop and snipe or if you knew you were entering a wide open space weren't going into close combat to need the AR

Well, for the SP, it was the/my weapon of choice, I wouldn't say the same for mutiplayer. I just hope in Halo 3 it acts like a rifle while also retaining some elements of it which made it fun to use in the SP.

My viewpoint is that all the reasons you've just gave are what made the pistol of any use at all. As was mentioned, it is kinda odd that the pistol is of great utility at medium and long ranges rather than short range. But once you get beyond that fact, you realize that the Halo:CE pistol and the AR, are both rather balanced, not perfect, but effective weapons. Exactly the kind of weapons that would be standard issue equipment.

Yeah, just like how the BR is basically a more balanced/weaker version of the pistol. They could make the AR more of a mid range weapon, but maybe balance it out.... Make it so that its basically full spray, so unless you dont control your shots/trigger action it'll suffer from Recoil (not the poor SMG recoil). I always perferred the look and sound of the AR over the pistol as well.....no doubt they'll probably re do the sound of it though.