- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
The point that I'll always stand by is that the other weapons in the Halo sandbox aren't powerful enough. What leads to the BR's overuse is that the weapon sandbox is geared towards CQC, but the actual combat on maps is mid range. More times than not, you're going to see someone at mid range. That's the primary reason why I use the BR/Carbine. The other weapons just don't have that range. Here, I'll list the weapons that I (and others) will not use most of the time for (regular) mid range combat:
Assualt Rifle
Brute Shot
Energy Sword
Gravity Hammer
Mauler
Plasma Pistol
Plasma Rifle
Shotgun
SMG
Spiker Rifle
The Needler, while not a CQC weapon, is used more against people walking in straight lines or long hallways (such as the Rocket hall on The Pit, or underneath the Bubble Shield spawn on Ghost Town). Its design is unique from the other weapons, but because of its design, it isn't a weapon that you can always use effectively in mid range.
The Magnum can be used in mid range combat, however, it is underpowered. The Magnum is geared more towards CQC, meaning that it can't compete well in mid range against a BR or Carbine. Combine its less-than-decent range for a weapon to be used in mid range with a low RoF, and you've got a weapon where the average player isn't going to use for mid range combat.
The Spartan Laser can compete in mid range combat, however its pretty risky to use when you get closer to an enemy as that one one shot can mean life or death. However, you shouldn't be using it against infantry-you'd be using it against vehicles.
I've used the Rocket Launcher in mid range combat. Useful in close-mid range, but ineffectove at mid-mid range. (Mid range is a failry large range, compared to close range, so I broke it down to close-mid, mid-mid, and long-mid).
Snipers? You're better off using it at long range (its effective range), but it can be used in mid range. Against a BR player at mid range, it acts more like the Laser (one shot can mean the difference between life and death), but that's understandable, since mid range is the BR's effective range. Against an AR? If you're a good shot, then you can kill the AR player with your Sniper at mid range.
Regarding the Brute Shot, you will probably use it equally in both CQC and mid range, however, it is MUCH more effective when you've got a height difference, and when you're on the same plain as an enemy the Brute Shot isn't that great to use in mid range.
Now, keeping in mind that these are weapons used in Matchmaking (thereby excluding the Fuel Rod Cannon, Sentinel Beam) and are not support weapons, the weapon layout is the following:
Weapons more effective being used in CQC scenarios: 10 (including Brute Shot, not limited)
Weapons more effective being used at mid-range combat scenarios: 3 (including Magnum)
Weapons more effective being used at long range scenarios: 3 (both Snipers and the Laser)
See how much more weapons are made for CQC? That's one issue regarding the BR's overuse. We can keep the BR the same as it is from Halo 3, but other weapons must be more effective.
How do we make the Assualt Rifle more effective? (1) Increase its range, or possibly make it inflict slightly more damage / (2) increase clip size. There are times where I would kill that BR user at mid range with the AR if I had a few extra bullets. ONE OPTION OR THE OTHER. Having both would make it imbalanced.
How do we make the Magnum more effective? Increase RoF and increase the range slightly (from close-mid to mid-mid). The number of bullets to kill would be adjusted for balance. It would not be duel-wieldable. Similar to the Automag from ODST. This Magnum would be more effective at closer range combat than the BR (how? quicker melee, the fact that it'd have a faster RoF).
Shotgun? Sword? Mauler? Shotgun gets slightly more range OR inflicts more damage (110%), the Sword becomes a hybrid of Halo 2's and 3's. You can't swing until you've pulled it out (unlike Halo 2), but it would have farther range (more like Halo 2, but a bit less range). The Mauler would have its range increased.
See where I'm getting at? Slightly close the gap between close range combat and medium range combat (but not too much, which would lead to the overuse of other weapons or making the BR/Carbine ineffective in their range that they should be dominating). There's more than just nerfing the BR even further (which it doesn't need). Also, these changes to gameplay would make gameplay faster than Halo 3's, as people can shoot farther distances instead of running around the map and trying to initiate in CQC.
Final thing for my rant: One thing that I hate so much in discussions regarding the BR: people will use examples of the BR's use on strictly 1v1 situations and where people use only weapons (i.e. BR vs SMG at mid range, BR vs Sniper at mid range) Are you not forgetting about grenades, equipment, teammates, even map geometry? Examples I see is as if two players are fighting each on a blank slate, strictly with weapons. I assure you, most of the time THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. 1v1 situations do, but they're always accomplanied with grenades or cover, etc.
Oh, and China? They're going to have to deal with it.