- Oh My Malerick
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- Noble Member
Many of your points are solidly biased opinions which you present as facts, and many others are flat out wrong.
Anyone who says that the AR is UNDERpowered and the BR OVERpowered is either terrible at the game, or simply doesn't understand the way it works. Both weapons are balanced and work exceptionally well for their intended field of use. The AR is a close range weapon, not a med/long range weapon, while the BR IS intended for med-long range combat. A solid BR can kill an AR user at a distance, while at close range, a smart AR player WILL beat even a good BR player.
Having a BR as a starting weapon provides players with an immediate means to fight against any set up or team with map control. While not as important on closed up maps (where the AR will oft suffice), starting with an AR on maps like Valhalla or High Ground is often a death sentence for a team without map control. Lets say that it's AR starts on Valhalla. Your team pushes top mid to gain map-and-laser control, but you somehow get decimated. The other team now controls top mid and Pelican, with a sniper, laser, and maybe a hog or Banshee up. Off of respawn, your team pushes out with your ARs, and get utterly decimated by team fire, vehicles and power weapons before you can get in range. You might as well call it game over.
With BR starts, the game would be completely different. Even with an unsuccessful top-middle push, your team would spawn with the immediate potential to team-shoot, isolate the power weapon users and take them down. It SOMEWHAT evens the playing field. An AR user is boned if they try to take out a Sniper at any appreciable range; a BR can not only do damage and ping the sniper out of scope, but can even kill the Sniper at range. It won't destroy the sniper, but will provide the potential, based on user skill.
Now, let us consider an entirely new scenario - Team Slayer on... let's take Narrows. With the ample cover and broken lines of sight, an AR user can slip into the enemy base, use the cover in the base (pillars, attic, inner-mohawk, stage, etc) to get quick AR mow-down kills at close range. In the bases, an AR should completely wreck a BR shooter, simply because of the CQC advantage of the AR. You make the claim that "the BR is still powerful at [close] range. Three quick bursts then a melee put's the opposing player down." The AR will do enough damage to the BR's shields for a mele before even two bursts are fired. The AR absolutely DESTROYS the BR at close range. If an AR user cannot beat a BR at close (pistol) distance, then the AR user is simply bad.
Saying that no-one picks up other weapons because of the BR's effectiveness is also untrue. People don't pick up other weapons mainly because of the dominance of SEVERAL weapons, not simply the BR. If you want to pick of the Spikers on Valhalla, good luck buddy, but you'll have to contend with BRs, Snipers, Laser fire, turrets and vehicles. It simply isn't a good choice. But a spiker on Narrows, or guardian can be an absolute NIGHTMARE to contend with. Every weapon has a time an a place. Spikers = CQC. Snipers = Long Range (most effective), those usable anywhere. Shotgun = CQC. AR = CQC/Mid Range. BR? The BR is almost a jack of all trades, good at all but excelling really at none, Better at mid range than at long range or short range, but it NEVER exceeds the effectiveness at close range of the shotgun/spiker/PR/SMG/AR.
Calling the BR a utilitarian weapon may be the one thing you got right. It's that one weapon which MAY work in any situation, but isn't always your best bet. You MIGHT be able to 5 shot (default settings, 4 shots are rare on default) that AR guy at close range in their needle Pit, but the AR would be a safer bet to guarantee the close-ranged kill. At that point, it's the choice that the player makes, and choices are the #1 thing in Halo which separates the Generals from the Commander Grade 2's. If you choose to try and take down a BR at mid range with an AR and get destroyed, don't whine about how overpowered the BR is, rethink your strategy for engaging an enemy with a weapon better suited to the range. By the EXACT same token, BR users/MLG players who claim that the AR is a noob weapon, you're wrong. It's a weapon that dominates (to an overpowered extent) in close range. Choosing to try and BR an AR in such a range is a noob decision, so deal with it.
Basically, it all comes down to how the weapon is used, and at what range, in what situation. Should I start calling the rockets overpowered because they're a one hit kill, or the Sniper Rifle because it is so dominant at long range? No. So quit crying about the fact that the BR is effective at it's intended range - medium range - while also being able to somewhat combat other ranges. The BR doesn't promote camping, a lack of ability to deal with it does. The BR doesn't need changing or 'fixing'. What does need changing is clearly the way in which you (collective to anyone who cries about the BR) deals with the weapon.