Halo: Reach Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: The way to balance the Spartan Laser.
  • Subject: The way to balance the Spartan Laser.
Subject: The way to balance the Spartan Laser.
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~Maxzy~

It's obvious that vehicle combat has been drastically decreased from what it was in Halo 2. This is because of the addition of many more anti-vehicle weapons in Halo 3.

In Halo 2 the only anti-vehicle was the homing rocket launcher. In Halo 3 that was replaced by the Spartan Laser, Missle Pod, Trip Mine and the Power Drainer.

To balance the Spartan Laser what I suggest is one of two things.

A) Reduce it's ammuntion to allow for only 3 shots.
Right now the Spartan Laser is overpowered. What was supposed to be a anti-vehilce weapon became a anti-everything weapon. 3 shots is enough to tone it down without making it underpowered.

B) Similar to the Plasma Pistol, when the Spartan Laser is being charged make it take up battery. Too many times a player will charge up a laser behind cover and step out for just enough time to fire the laser. This makes it almost immpossible to kill the player using Spartan Laser before they have time to kill their target.

In order to bring back vehilce combat in Halo: Reach the Spartan Laser must be toned down.

  • 11.09.2009 3:04 PM PDT

"I'm like SuperMan! I know when I'm needed!"

How bout' no equipment and no Spartan Lazer. And JUST a tracking rocket because me and my friends LOVED that, and we hated the Lazer, its Overkill!

  • 11.09.2009 3:07 PM PDT
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Forgot the Plasma Pistol Overcharge. Though it and the Power Drain need to be somewhat tactically deployed and used.

Someone else suggested that the SpLaser be like the Sniper Rifle of the anti-vehicle weapons. Two bodyshots to kill or one "headshot" in a critical area.

[Edited on 11.09.2009 3:12 PM PST]

  • 11.09.2009 3:09 PM PDT

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Who cares.

  • 11.09.2009 3:09 PM PDT

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well i think that every map needs a spartan laser!

  • 11.09.2009 3:10 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: blackstreak1
Who cares.


Obviously I do becuase I made this thread. Obviously the 2 people that posted before you. And obviously you do because you took the time to post in this thread.

  • 11.09.2009 3:11 PM PDT

Doc: "i'm a pacifist"
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Remove the laser and beef up the rockets power, w/no tracking. Fixed.

  • 11.09.2009 3:12 PM PDT

Posted by: blackstreak1
Who cares.


a lot of people a good percentage of this forum do... they want a balanced game where it takes skill to win... not whoever has the best weapon although in my case I usually get killed before I can use the spartan lol

  • 11.09.2009 3:12 PM PDT

Its a trap!!!

Posted by: maxzy
It's obvious that vehicle combat has been drastically decreased from what it was in Halo 2. This is because of the addition of many more anti-vehicle weapons in Halo 3.

In Halo 2 the only anti-vehicle was the homing rocket launcher. In Halo 3 that was replaced by the Spartan Laser, Missle Pod, Trip Mine and the Power Drainer.

To balance the Spartan Laser what I suggest is one of two things.

A) Reduce it's ammuntion to allow for only 3 shots.
Right now the Spartan Laser is overpowered. What was supposed to be a anti-vehilce weapon became a anti-everything weapon. 3 shots is enough to tone it down without making it underpowered.

B) Similar to the Plasma Pistol, when the Spartan Laser is being charged make it take up battery. Too many times a player will charge up a laser behind cover and step out for just enough time to fire the laser. This makes it almost immpossible to kill the player using Spartan Laser before they have time to kill their target.

In order to bring back vehilce combat in Halo: Reach the Spartan Laser must be toned down.


One laser on a map. Control the laser or forget your 2 man warthog show. All 4 players or 5 in scocial have to play well. Not just 2 guys in a armored vehicle

dont complain about the laser if your teamwork isnt as good as the other teams

so get map control and weapon control then n00b it with the vehicle cirling the map for easy kills.

That mai friend iz called strategy lolz

  • 11.09.2009 3:13 PM PDT
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Posted by: SweetTRIX
Remove the laser and beef up the rockets power, w/no tracking. Fixed.

Trying to down aerial vehicles with Rockets is a big pile of suck.

  • 11.09.2009 3:13 PM PDT
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Btw - polls on bungie.net mean absolutely nothing, so please don't use them to try and prove some kind of point.

~Achronos

You make a good argument but I disagree with it being overpowered. It is my fav weapon in the haloverse simply because its devestating, but its not overpowered. My fav gametype is big team and so many times I've seen games were people's weapon of destruction is the gauss turret or the machine gun turret. Im talking like 15 plus kills with either one in gametypes where there are several anti vehicle weapons on the map including more than one laser. The laser is only as much a threat as the person using it. If I have it, getting in the vehicles was a huge mistake on your teams part. If the guy who just heard of xbox picked up the controller and managed to pick it, go 'hog wild cuz they don't understand how devestating the warthogs can be. The warthogs are just as overpowered in my opinion as the laser, which makes them perfectly balanced. Of your two options though I'd be more willing to go with A reducing it to three although I think 4 would be more appropriate. The tanks and wraiths take two to kill, so decreasing the number of rounds it has could force one to increase its spawn time. It's a big elaboate juggling act. good ideas. though.

  • 11.09.2009 3:14 PM PDT

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the clichéd lines.

The spartan laser is like a double edges sword for me. I find it's really fun to use, but when used against me I get frustrated. A warthog packed with 3 people in it is a triple kill waiting to happen.

I do think it should be changed in some manner, but can't really think of a good one. I think 5 ammo is fine. Perhaps using energy while charging might be a good idea, but I don't really want to pick up a dropped used spartan laser with not enough juice to make a shot.

  • 11.09.2009 3:14 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: Methew
Posted by: SweetTRIX
Remove the laser and beef up the rockets power, w/no tracking. Fixed.

Trying to down aerial vehicles with Rockets is a big pile of suck.


Thats what the missle pod is for.

  • 11.09.2009 3:17 PM PDT
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Posted by: SweetTRIX
Remove the laser and beef up the rockets power, w/no tracking. Fixed.
well the rock well need slight tracking and removeing the laser would make banshee op and the hornet aslo

  • 11.09.2009 3:17 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: Madara Umezawa
One laser on a map. Control the laser or forget your 2 man warthog show. All 4 players or 5 in scocial have to play well. Not just 2 guys in a armored vehicle

dont complain about the laser if your teamwork isnt as good as the other teams

so get map control and weapon control then n00b it with the vehicle cirling the map for easy kills.

That mai friend iz called strategy lolz


Winning the game should not be "whoever controls the 1 weapon in the center of the map".

  • 11.09.2009 3:19 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: bungieisbroken
You make a good argument but I disagree with it being overpowered. It is my fav weapon in the haloverse simply because its devestating, but its not overpowered. My fav gametype is big team and so many times I've seen games were people's weapon of destruction is the gauss turret or the machine gun turret. Im talking like 15 plus kills with either one in gametypes where there are several anti vehicle weapons on the map including more than one laser. The laser is only as much a threat as the person using it. If I have it, getting in the vehicles was a huge mistake on your teams part. If the guy who just heard of xbox picked up the controller and managed to pick it, go 'hog wild cuz they don't understand how devestating the warthogs can be. The warthogs are just as overpowered in my opinion as the laser, which makes them perfectly balanced. Of your two options though I'd be more willing to go with A reducing it to three although I think 4 would be more appropriate. The tanks and wraiths take two to kill, so decreasing the number of rounds it has could force one to increase its spawn time. It's a big elaboate juggling act. good ideas. though.


You admitted that it's your favorite weapon so your obviously going to be biased towards it.

I've also seen games where people achieve 20+ kills with the spartan laser counting towards half.

Also, if you shoot at the right spot, it only takes 1 shot to take out the tanks.

  • 11.09.2009 3:21 PM PDT

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I say make the charging up targeting beam much more visible, and get rid of the scope. Then the Spartan Laser would be more skillful to use on far away opponents but still possible to take out vehicles because they are big targets.

  • 11.09.2009 3:22 PM PDT
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Posted by: maxzy
Posted by: Methew
Posted by: SweetTRIX
Remove the laser and beef up the rockets power, w/no tracking. Fixed.

Trying to down aerial vehicles with Rockets is a big pile of suck.


Thats what the missle pod is for.

Missile Pod isn't on every map that has vehicles. First one that comes to mind is Standoff.

  • 11.09.2009 3:23 PM PDT
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Why don't we just remove every weapon, equipment and grenade? They are obviously all overpowered.

On a serious note:
The Laser is by no means OP. You get five chances to hit your opponent(s). And while you are attempting to do so, you need to stand out in the open for several seconds just to make sure that your five chances don't all miss. You also warn the enemy by making a thin red line dance around all over their screen, warning them to get behind something.

If anything, increase the visibility of the red line.

  • 11.09.2009 3:25 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: Methew
Posted by: maxzy
Posted by: Methew
Posted by: SweetTRIX
Remove the laser and beef up the rockets power, w/no tracking. Fixed.

Trying to down aerial vehicles with Rockets is a big pile of suck.


Thats what the missle pod is for.

Missile Pod isn't on every map that has vehicles. First one that comes to mind is Standoff.


Thats why there are 2 rockets, 2 power drainers and 2 plasma pistols on that map.

  • 11.09.2009 3:25 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: DebatingBoot
Why don't we just remove every weapon, equipment and grenade? They are obviously all overpowered.

On a serious note:
The Laser is by no means OP. You get five chances to hit your opponent(s). And while you are attempting to do so, you need to stand out in the open for several seconds just to make sure that your five chances don't all miss. You also warn the enemy by making a thin red line dance around all over their screen, warning them to get behind something.

If anything, increase the visibility of the red line.


You obviously did not read my OP.

I don't want the laser removed, I want it toned down.

Nobody stands in the open for 3 seconds while charging the laser. Everybody stands behind cover then pops out for a split second to shoot their target.

The red line is virtually impossible to see. Especially if the game is laggy. And even if you see the line, what are you going to do? It only gives the target a split second to dodge.

The missle pod gives the target a real warning that they are being locked on. Not an invisible line.

  • 11.09.2009 3:30 PM PDT
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Btw - polls on bungie.net mean absolutely nothing, so please don't use them to try and prove some kind of point.

~Achronos



You admitted that it's your favorite weapon so your obviously going to be biased towards it.

I've also seen games where people achieve 20+ kills with the spartan laser counting towards half.

Also, if you shoot at the right spot, it only takes 1 shot to take out the tanks.[/quote]

Im def biased towards it, but not necessarily opposed to it being altered. Im just saying the vehicles are just as powerful, and toning down the laser will give them even more of an advantage since the other weapons you mentioned aren't as powerful hog deterents as the laser is. I don't doubt people get 20 plus kills with lasers a game, hell im that person, but I also know how to maximize the laser potential, th people who get 20 plus laser kills probably also got 8 double kills from blowing up hogs alone, thats 16 k right there. Hit the banshee three times and four people running around aimlessly and your there. It's not the laser its the man behind the laser. Same thing with the hog, if your driver sucks, your not going to do well, if your driver is pro- like me- the gunner will get lots of kills unless they are BK. I get the sense yo u love to hog, which is cool cuz I too, but I like to drive more than gun, but I admit the second I see a laser when Im driving I get out just b/c I don't want to die, that's just using good judgement. I know what you mean about the tanks, I have killed them in one shot before but I dont know where that spot is, and think when it happens its becuase its already been weakened to the point that it only takes one to kill. They def take two rocks to bring down when not damaged at all.

  • 11.09.2009 3:32 PM PDT
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~Maxzy~

Posted by: bungieisbroken


You admitted that it's your favorite weapon so your obviously going to be biased towards it.

I've also seen games where people achieve 20+ kills with the spartan laser counting towards half.

Also, if you shoot at the right spot, it only takes 1 shot to take out the tanks.[/quote]

Im def biased towards it, but not necessarily opposed to it being altered. Im just saying the vehicles are just as powerful, and toning down the laser will give them even more of an advantage since the other weapons you mentioned aren't as powerful hog deterents as the laser is. I don't doubt people get 20 plus kills with lasers a game, hell im that person, but I also know how to maximize the laser potential, th people who get 20 plus laser kills probably also got 8 double kills from blowing up hogs alone, thats 16 k right there. Hit the banshee three times and four people running around aimlessly and your there. It's not the laser its the man behind the laser. Same thing with the hog, if your driver sucks, your not going to do well, if your driver is pro- like me- the gunner will get lots of kills unless they are BK. I get the sense yo u love to hog, which is cool cuz I too, but I like to drive more than gun, but I admit the second I see a laser when Im driving I get out just b/c I don't want to die, that's just using good judgement. I know what you mean about the tanks, I have killed them in one shot before but I dont know where that spot is, and think when it happens its becuase its already been weakened to the point that it only takes one to kill. They def take two rocks to bring down when not damaged at all.


The only anti-vehile weapon in Halo 2 was the homing rocket and vehicles were pretty balanced.

In Halo 3 they added the laser, missle pod, trip mine, and power drainer.

Weakening the laser will give vehilces a chance without having them overpowered.

  • 11.09.2009 3:35 PM PDT
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"You must be mistaken, Reclaimer. I've met your makers, and they don't even know your name..."

The laser stays, I hope. It's not overpowered, it's a direct fire weapon. How many times has the tracking rocket warning sounded, and everyone jumps out of a vehicle? It's stupid. The Laser is also the only long-range anti-vehicle out there. It's fine the way it is. I think vehicles are pretty balanced right now, actually. Sometimes you kill the vehicles, other times the vehicles have a nice stomp over you.

  • 11.09.2009 3:39 PM PDT

Were it so easy.

I say make it more of a weapon against people instead of vehicles.

Also, vehicles ARE balanced in Halo 3 perfectly, not underpowered at all.

[Edited on 11.09.2009 3:41 PM PST]

  • 11.09.2009 3:39 PM PDT