Balance in FPS's

You know looking back I can't believe I had to deal with back in the day of FPS shooters, the old 'Tier' weapon system, where one weapon was simply better than another, normally this wasn't a problem ( at least not on the n64, since there was no online you had to get your friends who usually didn't know how to play) but once everyone was equally skilled at a game (for me it was Perfect Dark) the minute someone got a rocket launcher (or the Farsight) they were garunteed a win (they wouldn't die without a fight, so they would get many kills before dieing). Sodoes anyone remember those days, and do you like the old system?Balance in FPS's
It still happens todayBalance in FPS's
today's shooters are more often class based...so they are usually a lot more balanced.
aw yes, the goldeneye days. I enjoyed every moment of them. Most games are still like that in a way now a days.
When you put it that way, there's really nothing that's fair about them, in regard to the weapon-based system. That's speaking on the level where all players are equal, of course.In comparision to the 360's Gears of War online multiplayer, it's easy for me to pick war's gears. The weapons have distinct differences, without a doubt. I'm not gonna want to run into a close quarters battle 3-vs-1 when my power weapon is a sniper and I have my Lancer as a standard weapon, and a grenade. I'm gonna want that balancer; the Gnasher, with at least 3 active reload-ready shots.I guess it also depends on the game itself.
The tier system isn't really a problem when weapons play differently, and are best in a particular situation, but are useless in another. For example, in Halo 3 if you catch someone in a hallway or by surprise with a needler you couldn't have had a better weapon, but if it's in open ground and the enemy sees you, he probably won't hit a thing. Also it helps when the good weapons need a lot of fighting to get it. For example you can place all power weapons in the middle of the map as a reward for anyone who can get it without getting killed.