Fossil, I think you meant "less skillful"?
Halo 1 is one of the most balanced shooters I've ever played.
The weapons are inherently balanced because one weapon (the Pistol) is all-around reliable, but at the same time every other weapons (aside from the Needler) has a huge advantage against the Pistol at their unique jobs. Any experienced player will tell you how everything is a counter (Plasma vs OS) or a compliment (AR + Camo), and is powerful when used strategicly. New players who had no knowledge of the game used nothing properly and got dominated by the Pistol because of the way they played, and therefore labaled it overpowered. Truth is, in retrospect, every weapon aside from the Needler was MUCH stronger in Halo 1 than in the sequels, not just the Pistol. They took more skill, too, because of the need to lead that negated the negative effects of autoaim (ease) without doing the same to the positive ones (consistency).
Aside from the weapons, everything was consistent about Halo 1. Players either had control over, or could consistently predict and harness everything going on "behind the scenes." The player respawn system, the weapon respawn system, grenade / flag physics... everything. IMO, the mental skill required to play 2v2 Halo 1 at a high level far surpassed the physical (aim, control, etc) because of those factors.
So basically, you getting spawn killed over and over again wasn't because of the Pistol. It was because your teammate was spawning you in specific locations and your enemies knew it, and they were picking up the power items as they spawned every time to make up for times when your teammate accidentally spawned you away from harm.
But yeah.. I definitely agree that games should be more accessible, I just don't think they should be easier. Adding custom options for hardcore gamers in private matches, an updated Challenge Mode option to matchmaking, a better UI that displays players with information about what is required to win as opposed to the little gimmicks, etc. can make the game accessible, and beginner-friendly for new players, while at the same time satisfying experienced and hardcore players and adding longevity to the game. All a developer needs is a basic understanding of their game, and the backbone to inform it's players of which options are appropriate for hardcore or casual gamers.
Log in to comment