- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
As anyone who's been in the Optimatch forum (or even a few loud pregame lobbies) knows, Halo's starting weapons have always been very controversial. It's clear that we haven't yet seen the ideal starting weapon. BR, AR, SMG, Magnum?
How about something new? Find a compromise.
What are we aiming for?
The goal is to make an extremely versatile weapon that is less effective than every other weapon in the game when the other weapons are used at their optimum range. It can obviously be more effective than all the other weapons when they are not used at their optimum range.
The ideal weapon would need to add depth to the gameplay. I feel that this is accomplished when the weapon is a good base weapon but leaves players still looking to improve their arsenal by allowing them to specialise at certain ranges and situations with other weapons.
For more gameplay depth, players should not respawn with weapons equal to the typical weapons opposing up-players are holding (see: BR spawns). However, unlike AR spawns, players should be able to deal very worrying amounts of damage to these up-players from any range and with some rock solid aim, even take them down upon respawning.
In order to combat spawn killing, the ideal starting weapon would need to be effective at all ranges and be able to deal significant damage, and be able to remove scopes from opposing mid-long range rifles and sniper rifles, at all ranges. The limiting factor would simply be players' aim ability, which would prevent the weapon from being too effective at longer ranges, maintaining the gameplay depth.
For the starting weapon to lend itself better to competitive (see: ranked) games, it should also offer the potential for wide skill gaps to develop with the use of it. Basically, there should be potential for some players to be significantly more potent threats than other players with this weapon.
An ideal starting weapon would also need to accommodate new players. Whilst the weapon would need to offer wide skill gaps, it should also not be too difficult for new players to get to grips with. The player base cannot expect to grow when new players only find overwhelming frustration with tricky starting weapons.
Let's get to the details
Here is how I would make the ideal starting weapon for Halo: Reach:
Name: Standard Combat Rifle (SCR)
The name is not important. I just like this one. Simple; to the point, much unlike this thread.
Size: Two-handed
The weapon would not be dual-wieldable. This way, the weapon can be effective alone, in stead of either too ineffective alone and/or too effective when dual-wielded. It avoids the "half weapon" scenario found with the SMG in Halo 2, noted and corrected by Bungie for Halo 3.
Fire Mode: Fully Automatic
Fully Automatic weapons can allow for wider skill-gaps to develop based on players' aim-ability. This is for the simple reason that it is more difficult to maintain accuracy of aim on a moving opponent for the duration of a fight than it is to place your reticule over the opponent only at the instances you pulse the trigger (see: BR). This may seem a weird reality because in the past we have only seen Halo's fully automatic weapons be fairly inaccurate and therefore arguably less skill based (see: used at close range, luck factor from random bullet spread) . This weapon, however, would be very accurate.
I don't doubt also that a fully automatic starting weapon would be the right design choice for accommodating new players.
Headshots: Instant kill against shield-less opponents only
Giving weapons the ability to get headshots, rewards the players who have better aim ability and therefore allows for a wider skill gap to develop. Although certainly headshots are not appropriate for all weapons, this weapon would suit them perfectly. Generating wider skill gaps from this is only good for the game. Of course, headshots from this weapon should not instantly kill opponents who have full shields like the Sniper Rifle, but only weak players.
Accuracy: Very High
In order to validate a weapon capable of headshots, you need to only have a small amount or zero bullet spread. If there is too much bullet spread, headshots don't work in a competitive sense given that bullets are not sufficiently under the control of the player. Therefore, the purpose of the headshot ability (to reward the player with the more accurate aim) is not fulfilled as two things can too likely occur: the reticule is not centred on the opponents head but a bullet hits it randomly; the bullet is centred on the opponent's head but bullets miss it randomly.
Since the bullet spread would therefore necessarily be minimal, bordering on zero, the size of the reticule should be fairly small in order to more accurately reflect the capable accuracy of the weapon. I would suggest a reticule of roughly, if not exactly, the same size as that of the BR.
I drew up an example of a reticule i think would work here.
(From left to right; BR, AR, SCR.)
In terms of competitive balance, game depth and lovely, wide skill-gaps, a highly accurate starting weapon is ideal. One problem does arise from this though which is that new players may simply struggle to hit the target. At least with less accurate, high rate of fire weapons, new players can expect to damage opponents a decent amount even with their somewhat fumbled aim, thanks to the bullets hitting a wider area.
That's why we have bullet magnetism. There would need to be some bullet magnetism to aid new and casual players since we cannot expect them to be as accurate as us veterans. Bullet magnetism is also necessary in a certain amount regardless of this; in order for the game to function better in an online environment by combating lag and latency.
[Edited on 07.13.2009 10:23 AM PDT]