GameInformer reports Destiny will have ADS (Aim Down Sights)

by SPQR Praetor, Wednesday, March 06, 2013, 11:19 (4059 days ago) @ Dax01

I think a lot of players are confused about what ADS actually means, much like how many people confuse the terms ‘clip’ and ‘magazine’. Halo does have several elements of ADS in its gameplay however it is heavily focused on arcade-style shooting. Allow me to explain.

Aiming Down Sights (ADS) describes a game mechanic where the player alters the function of his or her weapon by utilizing the sights of their weapon. Halo features ADS mechanics with their sniper weapons, evidenced by the fact that they feature a ‘zoom’ or ‘scope-in’ option. However Halo also features a reticule fixed to the center of the screen which governs both ADS and non-ADS weapons. This fixed-reticule system, a hallmark of arcade-style game play, allows the user to fire weapons from the hip without aiming.

Iron-sights have nothing to do with the ADS mechanic. Iron-sights are affixed to all weapons so that they may remain effective when the optics go down or when adjusting the optics themselves. Modern military shooters such as CoD are heavily affiliated with iron-sights because all weapons have them.
As far as Destiny goes, it would appear that their style of gunplay takes the arcade-style of Halo and adds layers of complexity via increased ADS mechanics available through weapon attachments. Sniper rifle scopes have been shown as well as what appeared to be a holographic sight of some type; this would imply that the ability to add an ADS feature to a weapon. The fixed-reticule system also appears to be making a comeback as it appears briefly in the ViDoc.

On Iron-sights: While having iron sights is essentially the same as having a scope on the DMR, it changes the style of gameplay only by implication. Iron-sights are a baseline system present on all guns; if you’re going to include them, all weapons are able to have reasonably accurate fire which appears to be something Bungie is against. I do not think iron-sights will appear in Destiny based upon the brief view of combat seen in the ViDoc as well as the fact the level of design is VERY Halo-esque. The massive, open environments seen in the “Zombie” level would be a complete death-trap if every weapon was allowed to utilize its iron-sights.
It is my OPINION that weapons will feature a fixed-reticule at all times and no weapon will have iron-sights(even though it makes no sense). From this point, if a player would like to add sights to their weapon, they may do so, allowing for the weapon to feature both fixed-reticule and ADS mechanics. I do expect, however, that a “scope-in” delay will be featured as a stat for all sights.