Balance
I have heard the argument since the release of Halo 2 that it is now a balanced game and is therefore better. With what logic a person arrives at such a conclusion is beyond my grasp. The thought that Halo 2 is balanced is asinine. Not only is Halo 2 unbalanced, but the slippery slope created by the imbalance in weapon strength is ridiculous. Let's examine the facts.
From the beginning of the match every player has essentially the same chance at acquiring new weapons and upgrading their abilities within the game. While this availability of weapons is actually changed due to weapon spawns it can almost be assumed that every player begins the match on equal footing. However the spawns dictate an enormous part of the outcome of the game from the very beginning. Examine the spawns on Lockout and Ivory Tower and you will realize how big a part of the game the initial spawn plays. Often one team will spawn with their entire team below airlift, and the opposing team at top BR & Library. This allows them to acquire sword, blow themselves sniper, and nade the entire opposing team as they airlift. Following this they can acquire the PP/BR combo and have every power weapon in the map. At this point the team of "have-nots" has very little they can do to try to gain an edge. The only option they are going to have for getting a kill are lucky grenades, and the hope that an opponent will fall off the map. In the Ivory Tower scenario very often one team spawns entirely back wall and one team spawns at Sniper & top OS. From this position they are able to snipe the opponent attempting to get the rocket launcher, get PP/BR/OS combo and kill sword guy for their teammate. The fourth teammate can then acquire the rocket launcher securing every power weapon in the map. Yes there is another PP available but likelihood of that being effective against four more well-armed opponents is very slim.
OK, so the imbalance created by the spawns has been discussed. Now let us examine the slippery slope created by the increased effectiveness of the variety of weapons. David Sirlin notes that "variety and balance are inversely proportional" in his article on Game Balance. This article is fantastic and applies to numerous videogames. I'd recommend his book as well. Anyway, a look at the gameplay environment created by the weapons is necessary. The ability for a newly spawned player to fight a sword opponent is futile. On numerous occasions I have spawned on Midship and proceeded to be immediately killed by a sword wielding opponent. In what realm of skill, or good gameplay that fits is beyond me, and in reality is one I don't want to participate. A newly spawned player severely damaging an opponent who has a PP/BR combo is also useless. Yes I know the PP blast can be effectively avoided, however the likelihood of this winning you the fight is very small and more often than not it is unavoidable. The primary component of designing balance is that every action needs to have a strength and a weakness. There is no designed weakness in the sword, none whatsoever. The only weakness of the sword is its inability to fight long range, however this is true of any short-range weapon so it isn't even a design characteristic.
Another fatal flow of the balance issue occurs with the sniper. A sniper is a person who shoots someone from a distance, and typically in real life from a concealed location. A sniper's ability to shoot from a distance should create an INABILITY to fight at close range. However due to the severe auto-aim and bullet pull of Halo 2 his ability to fight at close range can be just as good as long range if the sniper is wielded by a person with some skill. The ability to no-scope snipe then melee an opponent, or BXR them with the sniper a formidable opponent up close. This example is the opposite of balance. By increasing a player's ability to fight at long range, the game design should limit their ability to fight at close range.
Successful examples of correctly used advantage/disadvantage span the gamut of the gaming genre. Street Fighter allows for projectile fireballs, which can be used at a distance, but elimate the ability to attack up-close. An extremely powerful up-close attack is balanced by its inability to inflict damage at a long range. In Warcraft there are numerous characters who have the ability to inflict huge amounts of damage to other ground units & buildings. They however lack the ability to attack flying units. One of the earliest examples of checks & balances comes from a childhood favorite: Rock, Paper, Scissors. While rock will ALWAYS kill scissors, it is balanced by the fact it will NEVER kill paper. This game is an example of perfect balance.
Let's examine the gaming behavior designed into Halo 1. Which I still contend was a complete accident by the Bungie staff. A player who acquires the rocket launcher has an increased ability to kill his opponents quickly by using the splash damage of their rocket. However they are also susceptible to killing themselves with their own rocket's splash damage. A sniper player has the ability to quickly kill their opponents by the use of a skillful and difficult headshot. When used effectively a sniper can be dangerous and extremely effective. However a sniper is extremely hard and much less effective at close range. A sniper will also be extremely hard to use against an opponent who is shooting them with their pistol and keeping them unzoomed.
A second and important balance issue to consider in a FPS is timing or the duration to achieve a kill. The major fundamental flaw of Halo 2 is the timing created by the 4-shot kill. A stock BR player has very little chance at killing a PP/BR combo, Sword, Sniper, Shotgun, or even dual-wielder. However in Halo 1 a pistol wielding player is given an opportunity to kill an opponent if they are skillful with their weapon of choice. The ability to 3-shot a rocket opponent is very likely as they jump into the air and launch their rocket. While you may die after you 3-shot them you still achieved a kill. If you are approached close range by a shotgun opponent you have the ability to turn them and 3-shot them. Or you are also given the chance to double melee them, and likely kill both of you.
Superior skill, tactics & teamwork should be the deciding factor in victory, not superior weaponry. This is allowed for within Halo 1 creating a gaming environment which is balanced as well as being dynamic and varied. The gaming environment is essentially broken in Halo 2. This imbalance can cause the player to note on numerous occasions that "they knew what their opponent was going to do, but were left without an option to stop them." In Rock, Paper, Scissors if you know your opponent is going to throw rock, you can throw paper, etc. However in Halo 2 if you know he is about to sword you, there is typically no option for you to survive. The variety designed into Halo 2 creates a gaming environment which can be viewed as unique and dynamic, but in reality it is flawed and inconsistent.
From the beginning of the match every player has essentially the same chance at acquiring new weapons and upgrading their abilities within the game. While this availability of weapons is actually changed due to weapon spawns it can almost be assumed that every player begins the match on equal footing. However the spawns dictate an enormous part of the outcome of the game from the very beginning. Examine the spawns on Lockout and Ivory Tower and you will realize how big a part of the game the initial spawn plays. Often one team will spawn with their entire team below airlift, and the opposing team at top BR & Library. This allows them to acquire sword, blow themselves sniper, and nade the entire opposing team as they airlift. Following this they can acquire the PP/BR combo and have every power weapon in the map. At this point the team of "have-nots" has very little they can do to try to gain an edge. The only option they are going to have for getting a kill are lucky grenades, and the hope that an opponent will fall off the map. In the Ivory Tower scenario very often one team spawns entirely back wall and one team spawns at Sniper & top OS. From this position they are able to snipe the opponent attempting to get the rocket launcher, get PP/BR/OS combo and kill sword guy for their teammate. The fourth teammate can then acquire the rocket launcher securing every power weapon in the map. Yes there is another PP available but likelihood of that being effective against four more well-armed opponents is very slim.
OK, so the imbalance created by the spawns has been discussed. Now let us examine the slippery slope created by the increased effectiveness of the variety of weapons. David Sirlin notes that "variety and balance are inversely proportional" in his article on Game Balance. This article is fantastic and applies to numerous videogames. I'd recommend his book as well. Anyway, a look at the gameplay environment created by the weapons is necessary. The ability for a newly spawned player to fight a sword opponent is futile. On numerous occasions I have spawned on Midship and proceeded to be immediately killed by a sword wielding opponent. In what realm of skill, or good gameplay that fits is beyond me, and in reality is one I don't want to participate. A newly spawned player severely damaging an opponent who has a PP/BR combo is also useless. Yes I know the PP blast can be effectively avoided, however the likelihood of this winning you the fight is very small and more often than not it is unavoidable. The primary component of designing balance is that every action needs to have a strength and a weakness. There is no designed weakness in the sword, none whatsoever. The only weakness of the sword is its inability to fight long range, however this is true of any short-range weapon so it isn't even a design characteristic.
Another fatal flow of the balance issue occurs with the sniper. A sniper is a person who shoots someone from a distance, and typically in real life from a concealed location. A sniper's ability to shoot from a distance should create an INABILITY to fight at close range. However due to the severe auto-aim and bullet pull of Halo 2 his ability to fight at close range can be just as good as long range if the sniper is wielded by a person with some skill. The ability to no-scope snipe then melee an opponent, or BXR them with the sniper a formidable opponent up close. This example is the opposite of balance. By increasing a player's ability to fight at long range, the game design should limit their ability to fight at close range.
Successful examples of correctly used advantage/disadvantage span the gamut of the gaming genre. Street Fighter allows for projectile fireballs, which can be used at a distance, but elimate the ability to attack up-close. An extremely powerful up-close attack is balanced by its inability to inflict damage at a long range. In Warcraft there are numerous characters who have the ability to inflict huge amounts of damage to other ground units & buildings. They however lack the ability to attack flying units. One of the earliest examples of checks & balances comes from a childhood favorite: Rock, Paper, Scissors. While rock will ALWAYS kill scissors, it is balanced by the fact it will NEVER kill paper. This game is an example of perfect balance.
Let's examine the gaming behavior designed into Halo 1. Which I still contend was a complete accident by the Bungie staff. A player who acquires the rocket launcher has an increased ability to kill his opponents quickly by using the splash damage of their rocket. However they are also susceptible to killing themselves with their own rocket's splash damage. A sniper player has the ability to quickly kill their opponents by the use of a skillful and difficult headshot. When used effectively a sniper can be dangerous and extremely effective. However a sniper is extremely hard and much less effective at close range. A sniper will also be extremely hard to use against an opponent who is shooting them with their pistol and keeping them unzoomed.
A second and important balance issue to consider in a FPS is timing or the duration to achieve a kill. The major fundamental flaw of Halo 2 is the timing created by the 4-shot kill. A stock BR player has very little chance at killing a PP/BR combo, Sword, Sniper, Shotgun, or even dual-wielder. However in Halo 1 a pistol wielding player is given an opportunity to kill an opponent if they are skillful with their weapon of choice. The ability to 3-shot a rocket opponent is very likely as they jump into the air and launch their rocket. While you may die after you 3-shot them you still achieved a kill. If you are approached close range by a shotgun opponent you have the ability to turn them and 3-shot them. Or you are also given the chance to double melee them, and likely kill both of you.
Superior skill, tactics & teamwork should be the deciding factor in victory, not superior weaponry. This is allowed for within Halo 1 creating a gaming environment which is balanced as well as being dynamic and varied. The gaming environment is essentially broken in Halo 2. This imbalance can cause the player to note on numerous occasions that "they knew what their opponent was going to do, but were left without an option to stop them." In Rock, Paper, Scissors if you know your opponent is going to throw rock, you can throw paper, etc. However in Halo 2 if you know he is about to sword you, there is typically no option for you to survive. The variety designed into Halo 2 creates a gaming environment which can be viewed as unique and dynamic, but in reality it is flawed and inconsistent.
posted by Annihil8or at 5:32 PM
2 Comments:
"The only weakness of the sword is its inability to fight long range, however this is true of any short-range weapon so it isn't even a design characteristic."
You are clearly unaware that you can dodge the sword. I'm not saying that it is easy, but with the sword once you lunge there is no stopping your forward dash. Sometimes that can mean flying off the edge of the map or even killing your own teammate. I know there is sword cancelling, but it extremely difficult to cancel during the chaos of close combat with multiple players. Another disadvantage toward the lunge is that once you lunge, you can't stop the forward moment. In a lot of cases when I stick a sword wielder I actually gain a net advantage even though I die. If I have just an SMG and he has an SMG and sword, then he has lost a better weapon putting me in a better position because now we will both respawn with the equalizer spawn set.
I will add that sticking a sword guy while dodging a sword lunge is one of the most satifying kills.
I don't understand why you are badgering a game for its lack of perfect back that is clearly unbalance due to its nature. The weapon's set is based upon the equalizer theory, and you and I both know it is far from balanced.
I don't believe the weaknesses of the sword you listed are intended by the designers. I don't believe having your character fly from the level was part of the design of the sword. That actually appears to be a physics engine design flaw. I can understand a character jumping off the map as a sword guy lunges towards them, causing them to fall off. However the often experienced "lunging off of lockout" I don't believe was intentional, and I don't consider it a balancing agent of the weapon.
The essential point of my article was that the majority of the Halo 2 weapons lack a negative response to go along with their positive advantage. If the sniper is so good at killing long range then it should be less proficient at killing close range. For example when unzoomed with the sniper in Halo 1 there is no auto aim (much like there appears to be in Halo 2, while there is still bullet pull). Due to the fact that there is no auto-aim it is very hard to umzoom someone and just as hard to melee somebody. Have you ever tried punching someone in the back with a sniper in H1 and after a few tries switched guns and clocked them immediately? This is due to the lack of auto-aim (slowing your gun over their body) present when unzoomed. In Halo 2 however still lunges and lands melee's just as accurately as any other weapon, leaving a sniper player the ability to simply mash their melee button until their character lunges into their opponent.
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