Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: A way to balance the Spatan Laser for Reach?
  • Subject: A way to balance the Spatan Laser for Reach?
Subject: A way to balance the Spatan Laser for Reach?

As we all known, the Spartan Laser is the bane of all vehicles in Halo 3, after a short charge up time it fires an intense beam of energy that instantly kills most vehicles and infantry with the slightest of touches. It really isn't all that hard to use, just aim, and things die, which is frustrating because you need to be very good with your vehicle or very good as a team in order to operate vehicles while a spartan laserist is around.

This is just a thought I had and I wanted some feedback on it, what if the Sparan Laser had a significant ammount of spread? Kinda like the carbine, not all the shots go to the same place every time you fire it, they could go anywhere within a small cone, which prevents the weapon from being used over long distances at full capacity.

If the cone for the spartan laser was large enough, it could be extremely inaccurate for destroying small fast moving vehicles (mongooses, ghosts), and infantry, but when attacking a larger target (tanks, warthog, banshees, hornets), the spread doesn't matter so much, but it still ensures that you need to center the reticule at the center of the mass just incase the laser barely misses.

Just a basic idea I came up with, and I'd like to hear feed back. I realize that it would be a wee bit stupid of the humans to make a laser based weapon that doesn't fire straight every time (a bit paradoxical in fact), but lets just look at it from a multiplayer balance standpoint and not a "how does this fit into the canon / physics" standpoint.

  • 06.30.2009 2:48 PM PDT

I think it's fine; someone who spends the game taking advantage of foot soldiers with a tank or Hornet deserves to be lasered.

  • 06.30.2009 2:51 PM PDT

(;3=

good idea now every time im mowing down crowds of enemies i dont have to die every time. even though when we spot a laser we aim for him so the threat is neutralized

  • 06.30.2009 2:52 PM PDT

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I wouldn't really like this idea either. I hate random elements from the game; now everyone can get a kill with the Splaser, but if it became random, you may not get the kills you deserve.

I say scrap the Splaser and replace it with the Gauss Rifle that Johnson used in Contact Harvest. You would need to lead your shots like with the Warthog's Gauss Rifle, so it would take skill, but it could have the same power as the Splaser, so it would still be very useful... in the right hands.

  • 06.30.2009 2:54 PM PDT

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I agree that it should be balanced for Reach if indeed it is in Reach. So here is my idea:
The Spartan Laser when it charges up has three beams that target the spot you're aiming up and then guide the laser to that point. How about in Reach that the Spartan Laser is a prototype or a earlier version of the laser that lacks the targeting beams.
It sort of relates to the aiming cone.
So the laser will retain its stopping power but the accuracy would be decreased to a level where only the skilled could use it effectively.
What do you think?

  • 06.30.2009 2:55 PM PDT

(;3=

Posted by: MLG Cheehwawa
I wouldn't really like this idea either. I hate random elements from the game; now everyone can get a kill with the Splaser, but if it became random, you may not get the kills you deserve.

I say scrap the Splaser and replace it with the Gauss Rifle that Johnson used in Contact Harvest. You would need to lead your shots like with the Warthog's Gauss Rifle, so it would take skill, but it could have the same power as the Splaser, so it would still be very useful... in the right hands.


agreed

  • 06.30.2009 2:57 PM PDT

I think they should make the laser radius a little bit smaller. The laser beam should not be as big as a spartan, it should be a little bit bigger than their head.

IMO as long as the laser is a neutrally placed weapon, with a long respawn time and limited ammo, it works fine, balance-wise.

  • 06.30.2009 2:58 PM PDT
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After charging up the Spartan Laser would fire a weaker beam that fires for one second. To kill a vehicle you would need to keep the laser on the vehicle for a certain amount of time.

  • 06.30.2009 3:04 PM PDT

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Posted by: Bullet _ Sponge
After charging up the Spartan Laser would fire a weaker beam that fires for one second. To kill a vehicle you would need to keep the laser on the vehicle for a certain amount of time.


Like a Sentinal Beam on steroids? That doesn't make much sense. Personally I like the weapon, but the fact that vehilces resilience has been nerfed (Halo3). The other issue that it suffers is that the maps don't offer much in the way of "safe spots" for vehicls. Add to that the fact that there are already two other effective anti-vehicle weapons and it does feel out of place.

The change that MLG suggested is a decent one, adding some actual skill t the aiming. Then again with lag added in it wouldn't really matter either way. I do agree that the "cone" idea is a poor one, randomness is getting old, lag causes enough of that already, it doesn't need to be layed on even thicker.

  • 06.30.2009 3:15 PM PDT