- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
SWEET, that's what I wanted. A little extrapilation of your intent never hurts.
You're right, host advantage SUCKS in SWAT, particularly on Tombstone. However, I disagree that it takes no BR skill. What kind of skill are you referring to? Knowing how to button combo or glitch? Please don't advocate that, I don't want the thread locked. Particularly when we have a pretty decent arguement going. Why is it not skill to be able to place a well aimed shot?
Host also has a huge advantage in matchmaking with the BR usage although it's not as noticeable due to the shielding and repeated hits needed. In SWAT it's far more noticeable. But, if the guy playing host can't get those first shots in then he's toast. I've played plenty of games where host got creamed because they couldn't consistently land those first strikes. But, a player with extremely fast reflexes that have their stick coordination down has you destroyed, whether you have host or not.
Besides, the weapons missing from the map which lends to the lack of weapon variety are the very weapons that you are complaining as giving an unfair advantage.
But, from reading previous complaints, the BR is not labeled as part of the weapon problem. The plazma pistol, a weapon whose only real existence seems to be to bring down an opponents shields in one strike to prepare a follow up kill shot with another weapon. In H3, they seem to have cured that somewhat and have relegated the PP to disabling vehicles (which is hilarious). In the mean time it seems that it's a weapon that makes sense considering the environment. Measures and counter-measures have driven weapon development since we first picked up a pointed stick. With the advent of shields will naturally come the advent of a device used to drop them. That's what the plazma pistol is. It certainly is piss-poor at anything else.
The energy sword in H2 is way overpowered. It would be better if they didn't include the lock-on lunge and required more than one head-on strike to deliver a killing hit. Even the H3 version only seems to differ from being limited in the number of strikes you can deliver.
The rocket-launcher, have to have it. How else are you going to bring down vehicles from a distance? Some guys are good at tossing nades but not everybody is.
It all boils down to counter-measures. I've played with plenty of guys who have learned how to counter those "easy-kill" combos. So much so that if you do use them you only make it easier for them. Some guys are really good at using a shotty to end somebody's rampage with the sword. Other guys have good movement and avoidance skills to get around somebody attempting to use a plazma pistol combo.
I haven't been playing Halo for very long. I have a K/D rating of 0.6+. Mediocore at best. My best games are in SWAT. I mostly play custom maps and I don't really care about my rank because I can only devote enough time to the game to have it as only a temporary diversion. Life, career, kids, extra-jobs, all go to demanding a heck of a lot more of my time than gaming used to when I was younger.
Bungie's employees are more than likely hampered in their gaming in the same manner as I am. They are far busier working for a living, making more product that we will obsess over in one way or another and then inevitably complain about.
I'm sorry if the fun has been removed for you by some players taking advantage of a limited range of weapons that require very littel skill to use. I've been playing a lot of custom games or arranged games with friends because of the insulting and juvenile behavior of some of the players encountered in matchmaking. So in one way or another we agree that the game offers some reward and some compromise.
Hopefully, the weapons will be far more balanced in H3 and will be more suited towards a more accurate ranking system.
Somebody who artificially elevates their rank is only setting themselves up for a huge azbeating. The players who have honestly have the skill their rank suggests are not going to be taken advantage of by some little dork running around with a sword the whole game.
From what I understand they unranked BTB as an easy fix to the complaints. This makes a lot of sense from a business decision but didn't make the players happy. Which is unfortunate. But BTB also allowed for players of lower skill level to ride the shirt-tails of more skilled players. I basically did that in Team Sniper. I didn't even try playing until some of the guys on my friends list (who happen to be skilled with snipping) invited me to play with them. I stank, but because they were so good, I upranked. It's only after I went into matchmaking nd got traounced a few times that I started learning how to use a sniper rifle and have since improved. But, the ranking I got in shrt order hindered my learning curve since I was being matched up against players with honest skill.
If the ranking was based on the players individual stats instead of whether or not the team won, the ranking system would be much more better. I don't know how many times I've seen players who have much better skills than their opponents suffer a de-ranking because the other players he was with didn't pull their weight.
My suggestion on sending Bungie your comments was obviously me being a smart-ass. I don't honestly think that a copmany will change their product based on the complaints of a percentage of their customers. It's a little more complex than pushing a few buttons. But, they do seem to be listening. Why do you think they're making the changes that are being made for H3?
ETA: Holy crap, I must be tired. My grammar and spelling stank on this one.
[Edited on 07.23.2007 1:14 AM PDT]