I agree it is a game, but using a grenade launcher indoors? and spamming the enemy? and sorry that should be in feet and not yards

If the safety was implemented, what do you think of the idea that a direct hit would still do damage but not explode if within the minimum arming distance?

This is dumb, all it will do is prevent MD users from blowing themselves up.

It would act as a safety for the many times a blind blueberry walks in front of my launcher and takes one in the back of the head. It would also help guard against the times I'm backpedaling while shooting and accidentally clip a corner and hurt myself.

I suppose it would also help train new users to fire behind rushing opponents to kill them without getting hurt too.

In fact the more I think about it the more I like the idea.

CCP safety the round to go off just beyond the effective splash radius, that will make me happy and it seems it will please the MD haters too. Win-win!

If the safety was implemented, what do you think of the idea that a direct hit would still do damage but not explode if within the minimum arming distance?

For once, is it possible for you to ignore someone's call for a nerf, especially one not supported by the majority of the Dust community, and leave a weapon well enough alone?

The MD haters want a technical solution for their tactical shortcomings. They feel that they should be impervious to damage at every range and that their AR should dominate all other weapons in the game in every situation. The real problem here lies in many players' inability to properly fit themselves, their wreckless tactics, and their indequate skills. Above all, the MD user thrives on the ignorance and stupidity of his opponents, and it is especially unforgiving against bad players with low HP fittings.

I don't understand how this will make a difference, perhaps that is why it's being ignored?

The counter to removing self inflicted splash damage is surely to jump yourself as you fire, the solution offered by Cross will make no difference to this strategy.

The MD should be a situational area denial weapon, much like a sniper rifle is but at shorter ranges, namely: medium range.

I don't understand how this will make a difference, perhaps that is why it's being ignored?

The counter to removing self inflicted splash damage is surely to jump yourself as you fire, the solution offered by Cross will make no difference to this strategy.

The MD should be a situational area denial weapon, much like a sniper rifle is but at shorter ranges, namely: medium range.

If the safety was implemented, what do you think of the idea that a direct hit would still do damage but not explode if within the minimum arming distance?

How about all mass driver rounds have a timer, but if they hit someone else they explode on impact. Makes sense it is the future after all.

I think a better solution would be to get the "flat" splash damage fixed. If explosions were occurring in a sphere rather than a circle the CQC value of explosives would be reduced for any player who does not wish to commit suicide.

I'm also dubious about taking more choices out of the players hands, making it "you can't shoot within X range" is a lot more heavy handed than "if you shoot within X range you'll blow yourself up". If we're talking "real world" there's very little reason for an immortal clone solider to have the kind of safety feature described because their loss factor is all in ISK and sometimes it's more effective to take a loss of your own gear while destroying that of the hostile force, so for clones in disposable bodies it just doesn't make sense.

The other, and much bigger issue, is that the MD is a suppression weapon which has been under Uprising geared more and more towards direct/'slayer' combat. This is very much the wrong direction to be taking the MD. Making it more focused on direct/high damage and less on moderate/dispersion (aka splash) damage puts the weapon more and more into direct competition with other offerings in regards to its battlefield role. Dust needs more diversity not less, changes which make the MD function more like the AR in role are going to be bad changes, if they fill the same role or nearly the same role the direct competition will nearly always render one of them fundamentally inferior, replacing greater game diversity (as is the case with the more area denial MD of Chrome) with greater game imbalance (as will be the case if the MD is biased into be a direct/'slayer' primary weapon).

0.02 ISK
Cross

I don't understand what you're saying Cross.
Having the flat explosive system work more as a sphere would simply make the explosives work that much more effectively. The diameter of the explosion is still the same whether it's an actual radial sphere or not. That would in no way diminish it's cqc value.

The reason the MD is being used as a slayer weapon is because its stats allow for that.

This goes all the way back to Replication.

When the mass driver was first introduced it didn't have enough rounds in the chamber to kill anyone. 2 rounds. 3 rounds max. It was totally useless.
A bunch of us argued to simply give the damned thing the same damage as any basic locus grenade, but no, a bunch of people said it should have more rounds. That transformed the mass driver into the pain in the ass it is today.
Make it shoot grenades, cut the number of rounds back down to what CCP initially intended and BUMP UP it's damage to that of an actual grenade so that it can fulfill it's purpose; delivering 2 or 3 well-timed, well-placed grenades back to back. A support weapon.

400 HP damage grenades. But only shooting 2 or 3 at a time. It was never supposed to receive a clip size increase.
We all argued this waay back in closed beta.

Just wait until hit detection gets fixed. Shot gunners will do their job. The mass driver is fine except that explosions from the mass driver are in a flat 2d plane and not a 3d semi-sphere.

Yes exactly what I'm getting at. It's supposed to be mid to long range not short range and this seems like the best way to fix that without making it completely useless.

You could increase the minimum range to 6, 8, or 10 meters even. Perhaps it could vary between different mass driver types.

that'll happen when we get a decent scope.

Fixed it for you. But yes, we don't need this silly arming distance. If anything, there needs to be more risk than using it as an end all CQC weapon. I've rushed people in my Caldari shield suit with a shotgun, got right in their face, and all they had to do was spam the mass driver at their feet and jump to avoid the splash damage.

Fix explosions to be in a more of a D than a | pattern and we'll be fine.

I don't understand what you're saying Cross.
Having the flat explosive system work more as a sphere would simply make the explosives work that much more effectively. The diameter of the explosion is still the same whether it's an actual radial sphere or not. That would in no way diminish it's cqc value.

The reason the MD is being used as a slayer weapon is because its stats allow for that.

This goes all the way back to Replication.

When the mass driver was first introduced it didn't have enough rounds in the chamber to kill anyone. 2 rounds. 3 rounds max. It was totally useless.
A bunch of us argued to simply give the damned thing the same damage as any basic locus grenade, but no, a bunch of people said it should have more rounds. That transformed the mass driver into the pain in the ass it is today.
Make it shoot grenades, cut the number of rounds back down to what CCP initially intended and BUMP UP it's damage to that of an actual grenade so that it can fulfill it's purpose; delivering 2 or 3 well-timed, well-placed grenades back to back. A support weapon.

400 HP damage grenades. But only shooting 2 or 3 at a time. It was never supposed to receive a clip size increase.
We all argued this waay back in closed beta.

You really don't see how bad this can hurt us. Do me a favor, take out the flaylock. Use the flaylock and try to kill and see how hard it will be. Why? The radius was reduced too much so now it requires a direct hit kill which with this messed up system it wouldn't do shyt. So instead of people just staying away from you (smart ones), they will just rush you. You would have to try to get a direct hit with a grenade which is really dumb. Or change to your side arm vs a main weapons. Try taking out douv assault rifle with a side arm lawl. And if you're a logi, you're fked.

No, you just aim behind the rushing fool. The splash still catches him.

Now keep in mind I'm only accepting a safety equaling the splash radius, so that's a very short distance.
Safety ranges are designed to protect be user, not the target so it needn't be any greater than the splash radius.

The upshot is completely eliminating sef inflicted injuries and the downside is just needing to fire to the do side and behind a melee opponent.

No, you just aim behind the rushing fool. The splash still catches him.

Now keep in mind I'm only accepting a safety equaling the splash radius, so that's a very short distance.
Safety ranges are designed to protect be user, not the target so it needn't be any greater than the splash radius.

The upshot is completely eliminating sef inflicted injuries and the downside is just needing to fire to the do side and behind a melee opponent.

id rather have the mass drivers rof reduced...

just a little to where it doesnt fire so quickly...