- TheBigShow
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Posted by: Old Papa Rich
If the BR spread was tightened, removed, or “de-randomized,” then the game becomes exclusively long range. I get that disappointment. This game was intentionally designed to prevent that. You can call it noob friendly, catering to casual fans, or whatever you like. By balancing the game between short, medium, and long range tactics, it definitely opens it up for more players to have some success. While you can control a game and dominate with long range shooting prowess, overall, every tactic has a counter. From Bungie’s perspective, that is pretty smart.
The levels are designed to allow for all types of combat. Even if the BR had infinite range, the game would not become exclusively long range. There are areas of every level where close range combat reigns supreme and there are areas where mid to long range combat would be best, but we aren't given the tools to play in that range. Whats the point of huge open levels if you're just forced into a small area to fight in. Why not just make the level small to begin with?
What would happen if the BR range was increased and spread decreased is that players would be forced to play smarter. No longer could you run around out in the open areas of the level without a care in the world, you would have to be a smarter player. However, only the extremely skilled players would be able to score 4 or 5 shot kills consistently at range, so it wouldn't affect the lower skilled players who are only interested in AR spraying and beatdowns, especially considering when you don't spawn with a BR.
Tightening up the BR and increasing its range would open up the game more, would allow players to engage at all ranges and would provide a much more varied experience. Think about the games you play right now in Halo 3. I can guarantee the majority of them involve players seeing each other across the map and figuring out a way to get close enough to actually do damage to the other team. It usually involves one team getting a sniper rifle, holing up in an area, and waiting for the other team to break their setup. This isn't dynamic, this isn't skilled and its not variety. Everyone plays each map almost exactly the same. This is because of the failure of Bungie's weapon balance to facilitate player-created variety. Players are forced into playing one way. Thats bad for everyone.
Posted by: Old Papa Rich
I agree that the spread was not put there for realism. It probably worked more like this:
Developer 1: Hey, we need to tone down the BR. We don’t want the game to become too unbalanced in favor long range play.
Developer 2: Well, a real assault rifle rounds have a spread.
Developer 1: That’s not a bad idea. We could use a mathematical formula to give each of the three rounds a random deviation from the original round’s path.
Developer 2: Sure. We could set the spread to control the range so the weapon plays the role we want.
Of course, I’m being silly, but I imagine some sort of conversation like this took place. That is the limit of the realism. The purpose is balance. The way in which that was delivered was to mimic real behavior, but it was specified to get the result, not accuracy to the real life counterpart.
We understand why they did it. Our argument is that there is a much better way to do it. Make the BR harder to use at long range, don't make it impossible; that only frustrates skilled players. Bungie's version of balance is not balanced at all. In fact, its grossly imbalanced in the favor of newer players.
Posted by: Old Papa Rich
Look, like it or not, maintaining a tighter bell curve of skill is good for the game, not bad.
No, its absolutely not. Look at the most popular sports in the world; soccer, football, golf, basketball. Do these organizations make the game easier so that new players can look as good as pros? No, they set the bar unacheivably high, and allows players to get as high as their skill, talent, and hard work take them. They don't make the hoop bigger and lower, they don't make golf holes wider and the courses shorter, they don't put weights on faster players legs in football. And guess what? Newer players still flock to these games in the millions, because there is something to acheive, something to strive for.
In terms of Halo, the leveling system would be able to function much more accurately with a wider, higher skill curve. It would also perform its function better; to assure that players don't get unevenly matched with the more skilled players.
[Edited on 11.12.2008 9:21 AM PST]