Halo 3 Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: The MA5B wasn't retired in exchange for the SMG.
  • Subject: The MA5B wasn't retired in exchange for the SMG.
Subject: The MA5B wasn't retired in exchange for the SMG.
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  • last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT

It makes sense. I mean the Chief is holding some assortment of a UNSC standard Assualt Rifle. Its not that it wasnt retired its just that we didnt come in contact with it. Think about it. The MA5B is an Assault Rifle. An Assualt Rifle is a medium range weapon that packs a good puch and is very deadly as long as it's not put in a situation were the target is either to close or to far away. An SMG (Sub Machine Gun) is a deadly short range weapon. Now lets remenise on the "Earth" levels we played on. First is the Cairo Station; a mainly indoor enivironment, the perfect area for an SMG. Now In Amber Clad deploys three Pelican Drop Ships the surface. You would think on areas like the Beach on the "Outskirts" would be ideal for a weapon like the MA5B. However, the Chief and his squad weren't supposed to end up in the open Outskirts. They were supposed to end up int he cramped environment of Urban Combat and later into the Covenant Carrier. At the end of the mission In Amber Clad jumped after the the Covenant Cruiser, equipped with all of its city combat equipment. Then they ended up in halo, so a re-equip isnt really possible.

Im guessing the BR was just for those occasional moments were some sort of long range support would be needed

  • 05.21.2006 7:15 PM PDT

Sandswept Studios Design Director

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True, the MA5B never replaced it.. The BR was just "A Newer Rifle".

I agree entirely.

  • 05.21.2006 7:18 PM PDT
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ya

  • 05.21.2006 7:30 PM PDT
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I don't think it really works to talk about them realistically - i.e. SMGs short range vs. AR long range. I mean, when did Halo's weapons ever try to be realistic? For instance, the bullets in the pistol are significantly more powerful than rifle or SMG bullets - how does that work? Second of all, modern SMGs are not horrible for medium range - an MP5 can hit a person a good 50m away (probably more like 100, I'm not exactly sure), whereas in Halo the SMG is effective to maybe 10 m (30ish feet). Assault rifles like the M16 and G36 series are effective to 400m, and yet the MA5B had trouble past 20m.

The problem is that if you make the weapons realistic, you also have to make the gameplay realistic. Notably, the fact that moving makes you less accurate. If you don't account for that, then making a weapon appropriately powered or ranged destroys the use of some weapons, especially the pistol.

All that is not to say the SMG will be taken out, but saying that it remains based on the properties of real guns is not a solid argument.

  • 05.21.2006 7:33 PM PDT

Sandswept Studios Design Director

Visit us and check out our games at Sandswept.net!

~~Pardon Our Dust.~~


I loose for applying the real world to Halo.


Yeah.. He said "Assault Rifle", as the title of the gun, not "an assault rifle". You fail.. :)

I hart the Assault Rifle.

  • 05.21.2006 7:34 PM PDT