Gotta Love Halo

Okay This is my first blog here, so let's get to it! I'm going to rant about a subject I am passionate about: The Halo universe, More specifically: Halo 4.

Once upon a time someone at +Bungie stated Halo had a "Golden Triangle of fun". This was supposed to be a balancing factor in what made the game work. Based on the Guns, Melee, and Grenade damage factors that made each a deadly part of the game but never overpowering one another.  This was all great and true in a sense, but as the series carried on both +Bungie and +343 Industries missed one thing: In many game-types, it was not just a triangle... (I'll get to that soon.)

 For players like myself, I have been in love with the Halo universe from the first time I set my eyes on that Magical Ring all the way back in 2002. What was the thing that pulled me back to the game? Sure it had a compelling story and beautiful sky-boxes... The AI was fun and challenging; and the physics engine was a blast to mess around with. But it was the Multiplayer that had me truly hooked. It was the Multiplayer that gave me a reason to lug my heavy Xbox and all my duke controllers over to my friends house to LAN party every Friday night for months on end. 

Then came Halo 2, and again the Multiplayer was the reason everyone bought a subscription to XBL back in 2004.  Which brings me to where the Golden Triangle first became apparent to the developers.
   In came Dual Wielding: a game-play mechanic which became (from a marketing standpoint) selling factor for Halo 2. Dual wielding was the new shiz that was in all the trailers. It made everyone cheer to see the MC wielding two guns at the E3 demo; blazing a path of bullets and destruction into the Covenant ranks. But alas: Dual Wielding actually broke Multiplayer in a horrible way, by making players start with half the killing power of others on the field... If you couldn't find a second weapon to wield before you ran into another player that WAS dual wielding, you were at a BIG disadvantage in a firefight. +Bungie  realized their mistake And when Halo 3 came out, everyone was back to starting with a single wield weapon. Halo 3 was by far my favorite in the franchise and it wasn't because the Battle Rifle was awesome-sauce; or because it had the best map selection of any Halo game; or even free DLC Bungie gave to their fans on 7/7/08; it wasn't because Single Bomb Assault was my favorite game-type either... 



It was fun because the G̶o̶l̶d̶e̶n̶ ̶T̶r̶i̶a̶n̶g̶l̶e̶  Nay! the Golden Wheel: one was the most balanced in the series.

The Golden Wheel is the true essence of the Halo series... And before we go any further YES there are other factors that can be added or removed to the wheel. And in each Halo game new "spokes" can be placed in the wheel. Such as Equipment in Halo 3, or the Armor Abilities that are in Reach and Load-outs in Halo 4.

*I will talk about Broken Armor Abilities soon. 

It seems the developers do a decent job of trying to balance the Triangle, but there is issue... Halo's fun isn't JUST found in a Triangle. It's a Wheel... And one spoke on that wheel is constantly overlooked as the series progresses.  Can you guess which one I'm speaking of? 








Time's up: the answer is Vehicles.

 Some Vehicles are SO utterly u̶n̶b̶a̶l̶a̶n̶c̶e̶d̶ unloved in Halo, they are no longer the fun killing machines they used to be. It seems each game comes out with a new way to destroy/kill/blow-up/disable/or just plain Stop vehicles with a prejudice... Now some go completely unused.

There is one vehicle in particular I am talking about that really stands out amongst the crowd, because every time I see one drive off into the distance to it's inevitable death (& subsequent double kill for the other team) I shed a small tear for what once was the king of Halo Multiplayer vehicles. 

It's our old beloved friend the Warthog.

The M12LRV Warthog is a veritable double/triple kill factory for any decent Halo player. Now, there could be an argument for the M12G1 "Gauss" Hog being Over-powered in Halo 4, I say: Leave it alone! it's doing just fine. Compared to the Gauss Hog's shooting speed in Halo 2 or 3; The M12G1 in Halo 4 is the sibling that sits in the bleachers taking puffs from his asthma inhaler, while cheering his older brothers on as they win Olympic Gold Medals in killing things. 

But I digress. Let's look at the history of the Hog, and see what and where the spoke on this wheel broke down. 
 

Halo 1 The hog was fast, Light, And the mounted  M41 LAAG that sat in the back, put holes in anything it saw fit to shoot. It couldn't be destroyed, and was just an all around ball of fun and killing (You can still find many videos of people sending them into space).

 

In Halo 2 they introduced destructible vehicles, which was fine by me, But H2 also added the Lock-on Rocket ability; which was the first in a series of Golden Wheel-breaking anti-vehicle mechanics that get introduced later in the series.



In Halo 3 they removed the Rocket Lock-on, but added the disable feature to the Plasma Pistol; as well as the Power Drain, Missile Pod and the dreaded Spartan Laser. (Not to mention the Halo 3 Beta Trip Mine's ability to stop anything and everything it was thrown at.)



In Halo Reach they added the over-heat to the Hog's mounted turret as well as a "Spin-up" period before the gun could start shooting. Leaving the Golden Wheel even more lopsided.


 
And So we come to Halo 4...
Here is what a Warthog looks like in Halo 4: 

 
Now, let me give you a list of things that are putting Warthogs on the endangered species list: 

1. Spartan Laser
2. Rockets
3. Banshee Bombs
4. Grenades
5. Incineration Cannon
6. Sticky Detonator 
7. Sniper and Beam Rifles (Both able to destroy a hog or used for sniping the inhabitants out of their seats due to the open canopy)
8. Binary Rifles
9. Rail Guns
10. Tanks (both of em) 
11. The Mantis
12. Fuel Rod Guns
13. And worst of all the Plasma Pistol. 

Now, why is the Plasma Pistol of all things the worst?? Because Halo 4 gave us all the ability to pick our load-outs. Letting just about anyone with some common sense to have the vehicle-stopping powerhouse in their back pocket. Before Halo 4 you had to find them on the map, and if you died: you lost it. Now: anyone can carry it with them into fray and if they die, they just re-spawn with a fresh one ready to go. 
This, in combination with the ability to select Plasma Grenades in your load out; allows everyone to stop and then kill any number of vehicles* if they so choose: a quick Overcharge blast and two sticks.

*Ghosts, Banshees and Gooses are on this list too.
 

This essentially is the biggest flaw in the wheel, When ALL players have a starting weapon + grenade combo: the M12LRV as we know it stands Obsolete and broken. 

So what can be done about it? There must be some options to get the M12LRV back in working order... Give it some speed? (actually all human vehicles are a bit slow in Halo 4.) Make the gun overheat a bit slower? Reduce the bullet spread coming from barrel of the M41 LAAG so it can actually hit something at range? (which would allow it to stay at a decent distance from grenade throws.) Give it some resistance against grenades, or add some stopping power to it's mounted gun? 
Any combination of these things could help to tip the scales back in its favor. Honestly why did the developers overlook the Hog's shortcomings so much? 


What did it ever do to you?

 


Forever Alone In The Warthog.
 




So 343i , 


 
Please for the love of all that is good and holy, make it worthwhile to ride the M12LRV again. fix the hog! I want to have epic flag runs like the ones I had playing on Blood Gulch, or The frantic Hog fights that riddled Rat's Nest; To see a Hog battle on Valhalla (Ragnarok now) that wont involve a bloom-filled fiery death for me and my passenger buddies. Fix the  Golden Wheel of Fun that is Halo's core balance, for I still love and enjoy Halo 4 immensely. 
I look forward to your next batch of DLC and I love the amazing story that is unfolding in Sp-Ops! 
  

But until the M12LRV gets some kind of balance update, I'll stick to walking thanks! 



And if you took the time to read this, Thank you!