In Halo, do you prefer precision or non-precision starts?

[Forerunner]

Do you prefer precision weapon starts (Pistol, BR, or DMR) or non-precision weapon starts (AR,SMG, or other). Personally, I prefer precision starts because it leads to better engagements and a more balance game overall. While I do find non-precision starts to be fun or wacky, they generally lead to a snowball effect that heavily favors the team that picks up power and precision weapons first.

In my view, H5 had the right idea with the pistol/AR starts. The pistol was a decent enough precision weapon to keep you competitive enough when the opposing team pulls ahead, yet it still had major drawbacks compared to the other precision weapons in the game.

So ERA, precision or non-precision starts?

VS

 

[VoltySquirrel]

BR starts is the most boring thing in the world, it flattens the sandbox since it gives you all around best option from the word go. The only guns that matter in BR starts are power weapons.

 

[SaberVS7]

Given that Precision weapons are functionally Mid-Tier weapons that players have no need to swap out?

AR-Starts obviously, they leverage the Arena format far better than BR-Starts. I'd argue that HCE MP shouldn't have players spawn with the Pistol either.

 

[Jon God]

BR starts is the most boring thing in the world, it flattens the sandbox since it gives you all around best option from the word go. The only guns that matter in BR starts are power weapons.

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100%, the BR starts ruined Halo 2.

I understand it makes sense on huge maps like Waterworks, or Containment, as so often people are quite far off from you, but something like Zanzibar? It totally discourages teamwork, planning, or map control.

 

[TheUnsungHero26]

I've always liked the balance of having the assault rifle and pistol as the starting weapons.

 

[Moose]

Precision starts because I'm not a giant fucking moron.

 

[Rickenslacker]

Precision starts, as it helps avoid being put in some of the more miserable situations you can be placed in. Enemy team gets a bit of a lead, gets a sniper rifle, now you're stuck helplessly moving around like a chicken with its head cut off because you're stuck with an AR/SMG. Even worse if you happen to have a leaver on your team.

 

[RoKKeR]

Precision, but I think the AR/Pistol balance in H5 is brilliant.

 

[Lumination]

The game isn't balanced around AR starts. 2 people with BRs would gun down your whole team at spawn while you run around pissing into the wind.

 

[Moose]

Precision, but I think the AR/Pistol balance in H5 is brilliant.

Click to shrink...

The pistol/AR combo in 5 is indeed great so that will probably be the thing they screw up in Infinite.

 

[SteviaRelievingYa]

I like them both. Hopefully Infinite gives us plenty of gametypes with each.

 

[Jawmuncher]

I will stand by this until the day I die.

Precision starters with no option of non-precision is one of the worst things about Halo MP. The whole BxR movement in Halo 2 still impacts halo to this day and I hate it.
I'll always prefer SMG starts in Halo 2 and i'm very thankful that Halo 5 has the option for the Assault Rifle. As the most fun I have with halo is Close Quarters Combat, not picking each other off from Medium to Long ranges.

I pray that Halo: Infinite either sticks with what 5 is doing, or manages something more fun like prior Halo's did that actually bring back the idea of using numerous weapons on the map and team work. With of course the option of precision playlists for those who want it. Since i know the likes of SWAT and the like are very popular in Halo.

==========

These are my Top 3 weapon uses with 20 hours of Halo 5 MP and getting Diamond Rank Numerous times in Arena. Just to cement how much I don't like precision lol.

 

[FusionNY]

Are starts should be considered a war crime 🤢. Give me a br pls.

 

[Birbos]

smgs in Halo just feel bad. Halo 5 did pretty okay.

 

[Quample]

I'm kind of an in-between. Generally? AR starts. Halo 3? I hate the AR and the BR isn't hit scan or a laser so BR starts. Halo 5? Pistol or AR starts.

For the most part, precision starts are just not fun. Maybe in the ultra-competitive world I get it, but otherwise it destroys the sandbox balance. The gameplay loop of jump/melee/grenade/weapon are severely degraded with precision starts. It prioritizes ranged engagements which makes the average firefight considerably less dynamic. In this way it also effects map design. They could make precision weapons way worse and then have them as starts, but that would piss the hardcore Halo community even more than AR starts does. Pistol sort of picks up that idea, but ultimately fails because the pistol is still too damn good. It entirely disrupts the need to use weapon pickups beyond power weapons.

 

[Bman94]

Precision, DMR all day.

 

[Splader]

A big part of halo to me was picking up your weapon off the ground.
Starting with the best weapon in the game completely gets rid of that.

And don't even get me started on Halo CE's pistol...

 

[KillLaCam]

Depends on the game and mode. Like I'm more likely to prefer precision starts on the Halos with sprint or in BTB

 

[DeliciousSunnyD!]

I like precision, but mainly when the precision weapon they give you is not the end all, be all as in Reach and Halo 5. I think the AR + Pistol starts that these games go for is the best way Halo plays.

This way, players have a precision weapon that is good in most, but not all situations; that can be swapped out for a more niche ranged precision weapon.

Most of the time in most of the games, the BR (or other precision rifles), are a bit too strong all over the maps and I tend to prefer the openings that the pistol as the default precision weapon gives the gameplay.

The pistol should be good enough to handle most situations, but be outclassed in plenty of others too. It should be like the H5 & Reach pistols, as mentioned: guns that are good, but really require skill to truly maximize.

I'd say well balanced pistol starts > BR/DMR starts > AR/automatic starts.

I like it when the rifles feel like upgrades over starting loadouts, but I also like having a reliable, headshot capable weapon on me by default too.

 

[MADSUPERVILLAIN]

I've only played the Halo games releasedp in MCC on PC so far, but the AR is one of the most miserable weapons I've experienced in a FPS.

 

[Deleted member 68874]

For arena playlists BR starts every day.

Big team playlists I'm fine with AR and magnum.

 

[NippleViking]

AR starts with a competent pistol.

Halo 5's was perfect.

 

[Jahranimo]

BR start at all times.

edit: I've played every Halo except 5.

 

[Reformed Individual]

MLG settings are the only good ones in Halo. BR starts with the only other real weapons being power weapon spawns. Running at someone with an AR/SMG is so boring and low skill.

 

[Hardvlade]

Both are fine, long range maps I prefer BR, smaller maps non-precision is more fun, running up and finishing up someone with a melee is always satisfying

 

[OneBadMutha]

Precision starts widens the skill gap. Means you aren't trying to avoid getting into battle until finding a decent weapon. Precision weapons always give you a chance.

If you want variety of weapons, play Fiesta. It's actually a fun casual mode for a change of pace.

 

[Ramirez]

Pre Halo 5, the autos really did dick against people with precision weapons. I felt like H5 perfected it though, the pistol was god tier within a certain range and the AR wasn't completely useless. Best of both worlds!

I was playing Fiesta on MCC the other day and was just astonished at how weak most of the weapons felt, people can say whatever they want about 343, but Bungie's weapon sandbox balancing was largely awful across their Halo games.

 

[More Butter]

Depends on the map. On large maps I want the BR but for the smaller arena maps give me AR.

 

[Jessie.Bristol]

Precision starts definitely. I really don't like the Social modes in Halo where you start with an AR. The Pistol in Halo 5 is great utility weapon, good in all situations. I'd definitely like to see the BR as the main starting weapon in Arena for Halo Infinite. But only if they can get the balance right, something 343 struggled with in Halo 5 (to some degree still do). Otherwise I wouldn't mind Pistol starts in Halo Infinite. And lets not get started on the beast that was the Halo 1 magnum.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Haven't played 5 but precision starts in bungie games + 4

 

[Shoes]

Depends on the playlist. For highly competitive game modes BR starts are pretty much necessary, but for social stuff and big team battle you gotta have non-precision starts to get some gameplay variety and use out of the sandbox.

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

Precision is reliable, though automatics are fun

 

[haotshy]

The AR and SMG are both too weak to be fun as starting weapons. Once the other team has good weapons (not even just power weapons, but other weapons that are actually useful) it's such an uphill battle to gain any sort of momentum.

 

[Crossing Eden]

BR starts completely go against the halo sandbox of controlling power weapons because the BR is effective in more situations than the actual power weapons. Especially if that power weapon is not the rocket launcher. The BR simply overrides the fun of using any other weapon because inevitably another player will be using it against you and they will win if you don't have a power weapon. Don't even get me started on how BR TTK straight up ruins any potential for reversals.

 

[winkerstein]

Precision for sure. Preferably for me, the magnum or DMR.

 

[Einchy]

The only game that plays decently with AR starts was Halo 5 but that was because the pistol was a mini-BR. All the other Halo games sucked with AR starts.

[edit]

AR starts in Halo 3 were the absolute worst, it was like tickling each other.

 

[The Living Tribunal]

ar + magnum starts

#halo5gotitright

 

[Allietraa]

They're almost different games. Precision starts strip out the core of what makes Halo fun imo(which is the gameplay around power weapons) since a BR is what you want in 95% of situations anyway. Plus the full clip+melee trade for AR starts is part of the stupid fun of Halo lmao

 

[SmartWaffles]

Halo 5's pistol + AR is the best.

 

[DoradoWinston]

BR & SMG, best combo

 

[oreomunsta]

Best start in the whole Halo series is actually starting with only a single H3 pistol

 

[Siggy-P]

Best would be Assault Rifle starts but they need to up the damage on the pistol. Not to CE levels but so you ain't completely fucked at range.

Halo 5 AR+ Pistol is close to what I want.

 

[BradC00]

Problem with the autos in every game minus 5 is the ARs are ass.

 

[Defect]

Halo 5 is the only game that made AR/pistol starts viable. 2, 3 and Reach are awful without br/dmr starts.

 

[GYODX]

Precision starts. Non-precision makes for a very boring game, in my opinion.

 

[jviggy43]

Why would anyone want to start with weak weapons that allow you to just be snowballed once precision weapons and power weapons are controlled by the other team? Halo is precision weapon shooting to its core. Everyone gets the best all around weapon to start so you always have a chance in every scenario.

 

[The Archon]

Depends on the gametype, for BTB the less precision weapons the better. Halo Reach Bloodgulch is unplayable with DMR's starts. For small maps without many open line of sights, BR starts.

 

[Chettlar]

5 did it best. AR starts, and you are incentivized to get the BR, but you have the pistol, which is very good for precision in its own right.

 

[GameChanger]

Non precision start if the precision weapons are overpowered and make power weapons useless like in Halo 5. Precision starts otherwise.

 

[Castor Archer]

Used to be all about precision starts but I just find it boring as hell now. So many cool weapons that go under-used because muh BR. Plus weapon and map control deserves to be rewarded.