: It's slow and methodical.

Counter-Strike is an anomaly, and one of the first of its kind.

: No more thinking was really needed.
: No more timed melees! - Just press the button and you FLY at them.
: The Energy sword could have been so much more - a SPECIAL Melee item that
: replaces your standard melee with an instant kill - 4 or 5 charges.

: A counter ability which is EXTREMELY timed, someone melees you - pressing the
: button at the EXACT moment will COUNTER it and deal double damage.

: A hard move - but an equally good reward. Imagine the skilled duels.

That's basically impossible playing over the Internet, and with melees set up the way they are in all or almost all the Halo games-- they only take a few frames to complete, I think the longest time ever between pressing the button and the melee connecting was 6 or 8 frames, or 3/15 to 4/15 of a second. That's literally less than the blink of an eye. It'll probably take longer than that for your melee just to get to someone else's console, and that's not even considering higher than usual latency or lag spikes or getting back the results of that melee.

: Plasma rifle would NOT have turned into the useless AR clone (Repeater)

: It would eat shields, AND health - as it is highly advanced.
: Slower fire rate and quicker burn out. Maintains "Stun" ability
: from the first game.

Again, that doesn't mesh well with you vision of a slower Halo.

: Shields?

: Have the pack from the Mark V located on the back, and weak to armour
: penetrating rounds (sniper, mag etc...) Randomized variable on
: "Critical malfunction" - shield pack is damaged, you have ONE
: remaining shield bar left, because the pack cannot refill.

If you have access to a good weapon and someone's back is turned, why would you not just go for the headshot, or just backsmack them?