: I think the problem has been, as 343 has articulated, that those weird
: weapons just don't get used. So they have the tension of making a weapon
: unique and alien and thus people won't pick it up and use it (at least in
: multiplayer, when they discussed this years ago I dunno if they were
: talking about campaign as well) or making it samey.

It's important to remember that the weird weapons 343i designed sucked. The Stasis Rifle, for example, halved movement speed in an area the size of a Pulse Grenade's reach. So, it's like an even more useless Pulse Grenade.

I strongly suspect that, since Promethean weapons were intended to be used by enemy NPCs much in the same manner that Covenant weapons are used by the Covenant, developers at 343i were already afraid of branching out and trying new things. Promethean Knights, Watchers, and Crawlers are just as plentiful in encounters as their Elite/Jackal/Grunt counterparts, and if their weaponry is too powerful, the player can't win against them. Also, if the Prometheans are too different from the Covenant, and their weapons modify the battlefield or the player's mobility, that complicates encounter design. If the Prometheans and Covenant are similar, encounter design is simplified and the level designers can go with what has worked in the previous games.

See also: Why Requiem and Ivanoff Station offered up all these fantastic locations with the potential for low-gravity environments or playspaces that curved back up on themselves, but the actual level design didn't stray from what previous games featured. Some of the level designers even talked about level designs inspired by the rolled-up city in Inception, but the closest we got to that was the skybox in the center of Requiem.

: The homing abilities
: of the Forerunner weapons I think worked pretty well in the game,

Meh.

: although
: I miss the pocket shotgun aspect of the Boltshot (and the fact that its
: silhouette never read as a shotgun... thus it felt cool and Forerunnery
: that this little gun could do so much damage, but then there was the issue
: with spawning with a 1HK and the fact that multiplayer it felt
: "wrong".)

So... just nerf it in multiplayer. Or remove the gun from multiplayer entirely.
Problem solved.

: I do think that cutting down on the armories of the enemy teams and focusing
: on fewer and more varied weapons would be a solid option.

=D

: Bringing back
: more emphasized secondary modes for the alien weapons would also help
: (like that "stasis prison" ability you mention, or super combine
: effects that reward accurate hits,

How about a Focus Rifle that fires Blammite dust? Hit a target long enough and you get a continuous supercombine that can laugh its way through the armor on a Wraith.

: As for the DMR/BR, I would have rather had the H2 E3 BR or the DMR (as I
: prefer the one-shot feeling, and 343 definitely made it feel far more
: powerful than the BR) but at least in Halo 5 and Warzone they'e succeeded
: in making the DMR feel much different and be clearly outclassed by the BR
: in certain situations, so they each have their niche.

I like the concept of the H2E3* model because it nerfs the Battle Rifle in such a way that it's still usable, but automatic weapons are still relevant. Think about going up against the Covenant with the H2E3 model at long ranges. It's still deadly effective against Grunts and Jackals because they're vulnerable to headshots, but shielded enemies take three times as long to kill. This encourages players to get closer instead of picking their enemies off from across the map.

*If it ever pops up in the Halo games, that should be its model number. BR-55 H2E3.

: Interestingly, I think the point you bring up about the Covenant not having
: direct human analogues in H1 is partially why I find its difficulty level
: on Legendary much better than any other game. You are weaker than the
: enemies, and they are far more numerous... but you are as capable, or far
: more capable of dealing damage.

You have a huge advantage in that Human weapons are hitscan, while Covenant weapons fire projectiles that can be dodged. Remember how much of a pain Rocket Flood and Pistol Flood were?

: Single Elites are almost never a threat
: because you can just charge-stun them with a PR and whack them to death.

For some reason, that lone Elite you fight in the Pillar of Autumn's cafeteria always gave me trouble. With the exception of the force that greets you outside of the Control Room in Two Betrayals, I think it's the hardest encounter in the game.

: Ironically the only other Halo game I enjoy on Legendary? ODST, which again
: dispensed with some of the sandbox analogs, treating Brute plasma rifles
: and Carbines as near-power weapons and making you a weaker character.

Agreed. Halo 3: ODST was a fine return to form.