Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Should all weapons have a headshot bonus in Halo Reach?
  • Subject: Should all weapons have a headshot bonus in Halo Reach?
Subject: Should all weapons have a headshot bonus in Halo Reach?
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‘The conscious is cancerous if allowed to linger’

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

I suggest you skim read before posting, definition of head shot bonus may not mean what you think.

In Halo CE, Halo 2, halo 3 and Halo 3 ODST the only weapons that have a headshot bonus are the rifle weapons (BR, carbine, snipers) and the pistols. A head shot bonus in these games means that a no shielded enemy will die from one shot to the head. This increases game skill with these weapons; it does not however foster the same for other game weapons or really for anything but the final shot delivered with weapons with head shot bonuses.

What I am proposing is that where you aim on the body of an enemy should vary the damage dealt. This would mean head shots with any weapon would drain shields more rapidly than torso shots and deal more damage when shields are stripped (non projectile weapons shouldn't instantly kill from a no shield head shot but still your face is getting melted off). I realise spartans have shields which you could argue could/should be equally strong in all regions of the body however, I believe that the shields should be thinner on the head so spartans are freer to move (much like the shields are of miniscule thickness on the hands to enable spartans to wield weapons).

With this in mind all weapons would do more damage when aimed to the more vunerable regions. This would make the game a bit more interesting and also mean that automatic weapons have a skill (you may actually have to try and burst fire them at longer range) to them rather than just a spray and pray beat down which makes things a little bit dull.

What do you all think?

  • 09.05.2009 3:41 AM PDT

And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.
Posted by: tacomaster13
-Thanks to Rocket Turtle for pointing out my typing follies.

i am a strong believer that all weapons should have a headshot bonus. perhaps something like + 20% on a shielded enemy; +60% on a non-shielded enemy. i don't know if these exact percentages will work; bur i'm sure bungie can figure out the prefect balance.

  • 09.05.2009 3:47 AM PDT

Just enjoy the damn game!
Who cares about BR vs AR

I've always wondered how it takes less shots in the head to take someone down to no shield, as their entire body was surrounded by shield. Your "Thinner at the Head" idea makes sense though, and would work.

I have always wanted headshot bonus for every weapon, I think it would make the game play better and reduce the dominance of the BR, even though I am a BR fan.

Would it work for rockets as well? So if a rocket exploded near your head, it may kill you, but if it was the same distance away, but at your body height, it would only take your shields off. Have I explained that well enough?

Good idea, and well done for a way to back this up, with the varying shield strengths.

  • 09.05.2009 3:50 AM PDT

Posted by: NME Overlord
Would it work for rockets as well? So if a rocket exploded near your head, it may kill you, but if it was the same distance away, but at your body height, it would only take your shields off. Have I explained that well enough?
Explosives should automatically kill you if they detonate at a close enough range.
Anyways, all weapons having a headshot bonus is a great idea.

  • 09.05.2009 4:51 AM PDT

Just enjoy the damn game!
Who cares about BR vs AR

Ah, but I am saying that they explode and can take off your shields in Halo 3, but if they were aimed nearer to your head, and the same distance away, it could kill you. I don't think I'm explaining this too well.

  • 09.05.2009 4:54 AM PDT
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Posted by: RavenhoIm
Hmmmm. I think the problem is that weapons such as the BR and SMG have a wide spread. If you aim at the head, how much damage you do is not only going to depend on your aim, but how lucky you are as well. It'd be pretty annoying if 2 people started shooting at the same time, and aimed exactly on the head but one person won because he was lucky enough to have more of the spread hit the opponent's head.
Well, I think for this proposition to work weapon spreads would have to removed off of weapons that are supposed to be accurate. I think that auto weapons should have a spread that is proportionate to fire rate so that if you burst fire there is little to no spread but if you full auto accuracy is much worse (plus you have slight recoil). The BR (or whatever rifle equivilent we will see in Reach) for instance would need to have spread kept to absolute minimum to ensure it's position in the sandbox is properly fulfilled.

Of course the issue of bullet dropping on poor connections would also be an issue but I am sure it is something that can be worked around. I think that some longer ranged weapons would benefit from hit scan but saying that I'm hardly an expert in the field of game development so I can't give a completely valid opinion on the matter.

  • 09.05.2009 5:52 AM PDT

Just enjoy the damn game!
Who cares about BR vs AR

Posted by: TOM T 117
Well, I think for this proposition to work weapon spreads would have to removed off of weapons that are supposed to be accurate. I think that auto weapons should have a spread that is proportionate to fire rate so that if you burst fire there is little to no spread but if you full auto accuracy is much worse (plus you have slight recoil). The BR (or whatever rifle equivilent we will see in Reach) for instance would need to have spread kept to absolute minimum to ensure it's position in the sandbox is properly fulfilled.

I'm sure you can do this with the AR at the moment. At longer distances, I always pulse it, the same with the SMG.

  • 09.05.2009 6:35 AM PDT
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Not for all weapons. It would make weapons like the SMG and AR far too powerful. It takes approximately one second at close range to take down another player's shields with an SMG. If it had a headshot bonus, all you'd have to do with it is aim slightly higher.

Maybe it could depend on how fast you fire the weapon. For example, if you fire the AR in short, controlled bursts rather than constantly firing, it could be given an instant headshot kill if their shields are down.

But for non-automatic/semi-automatic weapons, I completely agree. I never understood why the Plasma Pistol never actually had a headshot bonus. I think that a headshot bonus could work with said Plasma Pistol, or any other similar weapon to be introduced in Reach.

  • 09.05.2009 7:23 AM PDT

Just enjoy the damn game!
Who cares about BR vs AR

Posted by: Eliper
Not for all weapons. It would make weapons like the SMG and AR far too powerful. It takes approximately one second at close range to take down another player's shields with an SMG. If it had a headshot bonus, all you'd have to do with it is aim slightly higher.

The SMG and AR have massive recoil, so this would be hard to aim slightly higher.

  • 09.05.2009 7:27 AM PDT
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Posted by: NME Overlord
Posted by: Eliper
Not for all weapons. It would make weapons like the SMG and AR far too powerful. It takes approximately one second at close range to take down another player's shields with an SMG. If it had a headshot bonus, all you'd have to do with it is aim slightly higher.

The SMG and AR have massive recoil, so this would be hard to aim slightly higher.

I don't understand this post. All you have to do to aim higher is to stop holding down, and let the recoil do the work.

  • 09.05.2009 8:12 AM PDT
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‘The conscious is cancerous if allowed to linger’

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Posted by: EliperI think this can be compensated for, to a degree. Each bullet of the SMG does quite minimal damage so full auto is needed, plus each bullet is small therefore it could/should/might realistically take several bullets to kill an opponent even if they are all headshots. Say, 4-5 bullets to the head, 8-10 to the body just as an example. This still rewards the most skilled players without overpowering the weapon.

[Edited on 09.05.2009 8:21 AM PDT]

  • 09.05.2009 8:20 AM PDT
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Why would the shields be thinner at the head? It's not like their picking up guns with their head?! I think the shield system is fine, but perhaps some automatic weapons such as the assault rifle should be a little more accurate and have more ammo like it did in halo ce.

  • 09.05.2009 8:27 AM PDT

Just enjoy the damn game!
Who cares about BR vs AR

I'm saying its very hard to keep your aim on a headshot with the amount of recoil that the SMG and AR produce. Add in the enemy strafing and you have an extremely hard situation to achieve headshots. Therefore, adding headshot capabilities for SMG and AR would be good, because it would be hard to achieve, but people with better aim would get more kills.

  • 09.05.2009 8:30 AM PDT