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This topic has moved here: Subject: Do you reckon the Plasma Rifle should be stronger in Reach?
  • Subject: Do you reckon the Plasma Rifle should be stronger in Reach?
Subject: Do you reckon the Plasma Rifle should be stronger in Reach?

Well, do you? As we all know, this weapon is almost completely useless, and causes a lot less damage than it really should. I mean, have you ever tried killing a guy with the Plasma Rifle without using melee? You'd get more of an effect by spitting at him. What gives?

Note: The following has been written under the assumption that Halo: Reach's multiplayer gameplay will be the same good old Halo multiplayer gameplay we've known since Halo CE.

The Plasma Rifle should be up there with the Assault Rifle in terms of power and accessability, and should not be dual wieldable. This is because it's supposed to be the Covenant version of the Assault Rifle, but it functions more like the SMG. Except that it's rubbish. And have you noticed that you never actually come across the Plasma Rifle? And when you do you leave it, because you know that the weapons you're currently carrying are a hundred times more efficient at actually killing people. It's a shame, because the Plasma Rifle is just as much of an icon of the Halo series as the Assault Rifle, and should be just as useful as its human counterpart.

So what I propose is this:

1) Increase the rate of fire
2) Increase the power of each bolt (Though it should still be more potent against shields than body armour)
3) Increase the range and accuracy as well as the speed of each bolt
4) Configure it to kill a fully shielded opponent in a similar time frame as the Assault Rifle (The Reach version)
5) Remove the dual wielding ability
6) Make it available as a starting weapon
7) Make it more common than it is in Halo 3
8) If it is similar enough to the Assault Rifle, allow players to choose it as a starting weapon (Like Gears of War 2 players can choose between the Lancer and Hammerburst in multiplayer. The same could be done with the Battle Rifle and Carbine for BR gametypes)

Hopefully Bungie has already thought of this and have either made the Plasma Rifle more useful, or have unintentionally made it useful by changing every other weapon in the game as well. If not, it's not a big deal. This is just something I'd like to see put into effect. Either way, at least this isn't another thread about Battle Rifles and Assault Rifles, eh?

  • 07.24.2009 4:17 AM PDT

add a horn that says "!%*@ BILL O' REILLY" in Austin Powers' voice, and
I like how if anyone ever says a nice thing about Bungie people think all they want is Recon, and if someone says something bad about Bungie people join with them. And then after they get done bagging on Bungie, they go play the game that Bungie made

It's not useless. It strips shields. It is not meant to be perfect for every situation. Each weapon has a specific use. If every weapon was just as well rounded as the other, the game would have one weapon.

To use the plasma rifle: strip shields, melee, teabag and repeat.

  • 07.24.2009 4:23 AM PDT

Sent the map 11/27. Hope it all goes well.

To be honest, I don't think Bungie intended the Plasma Rifle to be the covie varient to the Assault Rifle. The Plasma Rifle is more similar to the SMG, but have very distinct qualities with them.

SMGs are affective in close range combat. However, the Plasma Rifle have a longer range.

If you duel weild SMG's, they tear up just about anybody without a shield. Duel wield Plasma Rifles, and they tear up shields.

I'd say they aren't supposed to act as the same thing. They actually act as two sides of a coin, with each side having a unique feature the other doesn't have.

However, I find 2 players working together, one with duel Plasma Rifles and another with a Battle Rifle, tend to completely rip players apart.

  • 07.24.2009 4:26 AM PDT
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screw the plasma rifle i want the halo ce plasma pistol that thing was beast

  • 07.24.2009 4:33 AM PDT

Posted by: R0LAnD ZEvON
It's not useless. It strips shields. It is not meant to be perfect for every situation. Each weapon has a specific use. If every weapon was just as well rounded as the other, the game would have one weapon.

To use the plasma rifle: strip shields, melee, teabag and repeat.


No, it's not entirely useless if you use it properly. But compared to most other weapons in the game, it's as good as. It shouldn't be weak enough to be overlooked. It should be the sort of weapon you can pick up and use effectively all of the time, like the Assault Rifle. The Assault Rifle/Plasma Rifle relationship should be like the Carbine/Battle Rifle relationship, if you know what i mean.

  • 07.24.2009 5:02 AM PDT

Gamertag: Vengeance304

I agree that the plasma rifle should be upgraded, and hopefully it acts more like a rifle rather than an smg (you shouldn't be able to dual wield it).

  • 07.24.2009 6:42 AM PDT

Voilà!In view,a humble vaudevillian veteran,cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate.This visage, no mere veneer of vanity,is a vestige of the vox populi,now vacant, vanished.However,this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation,stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

Posted by: Manbearpig0
Posted by: R0LAnD ZEvON
It's not useless. It strips shields. It is not meant to be perfect for every situation. Each weapon has a specific use. If every weapon was just as well rounded as the other, the game would have one weapon.

To use the plasma rifle: strip shields, melee, teabag and repeat.


No, it's not entirely useless if you use it properly. But compared to most other weapons in the game, it's as good as. It shouldn't be weak enough to be overlooked. It should be the sort of weapon you can pick up and use effectively all of the time, like the Assault Rifle. The Assault Rifle/Plasma Rifle relationship should be like the Carbine/Battle Rifle relationship, if you know what i mean.


and so the SMG's partner could be the Halo 2 Needler

[Edited on 07.24.2009 6:50 AM PDT]

  • 07.24.2009 6:49 AM PDT

Posted by:ScubaToaster
Posted by: HipiO7
This man, this man right here put it so eloquently that I actually cancelled my own 2000+ word long post.
/slow clap for respect


:)
The person who said participating is important, not winning, obviously never won anything.

Posted by: FinestCrimson
I agree that the plasma rifle should be upgraded, and hopefully it acts more like a rifle rather than an smg (you shouldn't be able to dual wield it).


It should be like the one in Halo 2, but a little more accurate.

  • 07.24.2009 6:49 AM PDT
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Add plasma stun and increase the range. That way there is a reason to use it. Right now it is a failed beatdown stick. Usually when fighting against an AR it ends in simultaneous melee and in close range combat even when dual wielded with another PR it is useless. It is strictly a means to make dual wielding a spiker or SMG more useful.

  • 07.24.2009 6:49 AM PDT
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Posted by: R0LAnD ZEvON
It's not useless. It strips shields. It is not meant to be perfect for every situation. Each weapon has a specific use. If every weapon was just as well rounded as the other, the game would have one weapon.

To use the plasma rifle: strip shields, melee, teabag and repeat.


To counter the plasma rifle: walk backwards, fire, strafe, LOL while teabaging and repeat.

  • 07.24.2009 6:51 AM PDT

Actually, in the weapons testing videos, the plasma rifle and AR kill at the same speed. The only thing that needs changing is the speed of the plasma bolts.

  • 07.24.2009 6:54 AM PDT

The Plasma Rifle is pretty damn strong as it is. I absolutely love it, almost as much as I like spikers. Just melee with it, dual wield it, or bring a team mate with a headshot weapon along and own.

  • 07.24.2009 6:55 AM PDT

Posted by: ABotelho
Actually, in the weapons testing videos, the plasma rifle and AR kill at the same speed. The only thing that needs changing is the speed of the plasma bolts.


Really? Well, that means we're halfway to having an effective weapon with the Plasma Rifle. Half of the stuff on my list doesn't need doing. However, the other half (Increased range, accuray, bolt speed etc) does if the weapon is to be a true counterpart to the Assault Rifle, and not just there simply to make dual wielding more effective.

  • 07.24.2009 7:00 AM PDT

Posted by: Manbearpig0
Posted by: ABotelho
Actually, in the weapons testing videos, the plasma rifle and AR kill at the same speed. The only thing that needs changing is the speed of the plasma bolts.


Really? Well, that means we're halfway to having an effective weapon with the Plasma Rifle. Half of the stuff on my list doesn't need doing. However, the other half (Increased range, accuray, bolt speed etc) does if the weapon is to be a true counterpart to the Assault Rifle, and not just there simply to make dual wielding more effective.

And then to dual wield, they could return those properties, to make dual wielding more effective then single wielding, but only as close range.

  • 07.24.2009 7:06 AM PDT
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It needs to be the halo CE plasma rifle thats all im going to say.

  • 07.24.2009 7:10 AM PDT
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In Halo CE, the Mark V armor you wore couldn't support dual-wielding. Every Spartan on Reach wore either Mark V or Mark IV armor. So no dual-wielding in this game, old health system, slow recharging shields, etc. So expect weapons to be much more useful.

  • 07.24.2009 7:18 AM PDT

Posted by: Monisevenor Izit
In Halo CE, the Mark V armor you wore couldn't support dual-wielding. Every Spartan on Reach wore either Mark V or Mark IV armor. So no dual-wielding in this game, old health system, slow recharging shields, etc. So expect weapons to be much more useful.

Show me where it says that the Mark V armor prevented someone from picking up two guns and firing them at the same time.

Don't be a fool and let the canon completely rob you of your sense, the reason that there was no dual wielding in Halo CE is because Bungie didn't think of implementing it. Just because it wasn't in Halo CE doesn't mean that it won't be in Halo Reach.

  • 07.24.2009 7:57 AM PDT

If you want to see the MC die, play Legendary. If you want to see MC finish the fight, play Halo 3. If you want to see MC finish the fight by dieing, why did you waste six years when you could have done it yourself right now?

☼►Popular Fusion - Doing anything, everything, and then some.◄☼

I somewhat disagree, but hear me out first. I've been sticking true to this idea for a while and I think you should hear this. Weapons are balanced the way they are for a reason and the end result is the process of intense trial and error on the testers part. So here's my suggestion. Forget about power level of weapons altogether. What we the fans need to focus on is what features weapons should have.

So what would I say above all that? Yeah sure, it could be a little more powerful, but what about if you were to do this first? What if each shot had about as much tracking power as a Halo 2 Plasma Pistol charge shot, each headshot stunned the target like it did in Halo: CE, and the weapon stayed duel-wieldable? Still think it need a bit more power? Perhaps, but not nearly as much as what you're suggesting.

  • 07.24.2009 8:18 AM PDT
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Posted by: Hylebos
Posted by: Monisevenor Izit
In Halo CE, the Mark V armor you wore couldn't support dual-wielding. Every Spartan on Reach wore either Mark V or Mark IV armor. So no dual-wielding in this game, old health system, slow recharging shields, etc. So expect weapons to be much more useful.

Show me where it says that the Mark V armor prevented someone from picking up two guns and firing them at the same time.

Don't be a fool and let the canon completely rob you of your sense, the reason that there was no dual wielding in Halo CE is because Bungie didn't think of implementing it. Just because it wasn't in Halo CE doesn't mean that it won't be in Halo Reach.


Tru7h. Hylebos = awesome.

To contribute something, the Plasma Rifle rips apart shields. The thing is is that the Plasma Rifle isn't so good at killing people with no flesh. I find it more of a "support weapon" in Halo 3; it's great with a BR and it's great when dual-wielded with a SMG. I think a similar effect to the freezing in Halo: Combat Evolved would make it much more valuable, and if it's still a dual-wieldable weapon, then they can eliminate it's freezing effects and lower the damage (for balance). That makes the PR a much more versatile weapon, as it has it's has more uses when single wielded. However, I wouldn't care if dual-wielding was completely scrapped.

[Edited on 07.24.2009 8:26 AM PDT]

  • 07.24.2009 8:19 AM PDT
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Posted by: Hylebos
Posted by: Monisevenor Izit
In Halo CE, the Mark V armor you wore couldn't support dual-wielding. Every Spartan on Reach wore either Mark V or Mark IV armor. So no dual-wielding in this game, old health system, slow recharging shields, etc. So expect weapons to be much more useful.

Show me where it says that the Mark V armor prevented someone from picking up two guns and firing them at the same time.

Don't be a fool and let the canon completely rob you of your sense, the reason that there was no dual wielding in Halo CE is because Bungie didn't think of implementing it. Just because it wasn't in Halo CE doesn't mean that it won't be in Halo Reach.


It was stated in a book that the Mark V couldn't smart link two weapons at once. That means your second weapon wouldn't have an ammo counter. Ultimately that means nothing though because gameplay doesn't have to be perfecty to canon.

  • 07.24.2009 8:25 AM PDT

Posted by: bansheeownz
I somewhat disagree, but hear me out first. I've been sticking true to this idea for a while and I think you should hear this. Weapons are balanced the way they are for a reason and the end result is the process of intense trial and error on the testers part. So here's my suggestion. Forget about power level of weapons altogether. What we the fans need to focus on is what features weapons should have.

So what would I say above all that? Yeah sure, it could be a little more powerful, but what about if you were to do this first? What if each shot had about as much tracking power as a Halo 2 Plasma Pistol charge shot, each headshot stunned the target like it did in Halo: CE, and the weapon stayed duel-wieldable? Still think it need a bit more power? Perhaps, but not nearly as much as what you're suggesting.


True, but what I was suggesting was not to make the Plasma Rifle TOO powerful, but to simply change the characteristics of the weapon to make it more like the Covenant equivalent of the Assault Rifle - a powerful close-to mid range weapon that is useful enough in its own right, but is outmatched by weapons purpose built for different ranges (Like the Shotgun or the Battle Rifle). You know how the Covenant Carbine is the Covenant equivelant of the Battle Rifle? I was suggesting to do the same thing with the Plasma Rifle. Turn it into the Covenant's Assault Rifle.

Now, obviously the Battle Rifle and the Carbine are two different weapons. They function differently, and the Battle Rifle is the more commonly used of the two. But this is more due to the Carbine not being a starting weapon, or even that common in the game rather than the difference between it and the BR. The same might be said about the Plasma Rifle, but there is a key difference between the two - the Carbine is useful against everybody most of the time. The Plasma Rifle... less so. Only at close range, in surprise attacks, against opponents who are either equipped with the wrong sort of weapon or simply don't know you're there.

I don't want the Plasma Rifle to be overpowered... I simply want it to be the sort of weapon you see commonly used, alongside the Assault Rifle and the Battle Rifle. And to accomplish this, it needs to be upgraded a good bit. Still, it's up to Bungie in the end and I'm sure they'll do what they think is right for the game. And that's really all anybody can ask of them.

  • 07.24.2009 8:38 AM PDT