I think the biggest aspect of this whole issue that only serves to exacerbate the Mass Driver's prevalence is the really shabby hit detection. This is not as bad in pub matches, but PC matches still to this day are plagued by bad frame rates and abysmal hit detection.

I know this for a fact because I've been trying to collect some video evidence from different guns to really show how bad it is. The biggest issue is with single shot weapons like the TAC AR, Shotgun, Imperial ScR, and Sniper Rifles. It seems like only 1/3 to 1/2 of shots will ever actually register against people. I've had so many cases where I see the bullet hit, see the blue shield flash, crosshairs confirms the hit, even HEAR the hit sound, and yet there is 0 damage done to the person. It's most noticeable on single shot guns because these guns put accuracy of that one shot above everything so you immediately notice when a good shot did not register, and when the game is refusing to register those crucial shots it becomes incredibly frustrating to deal with.

Now multiply this times your rapid-fire weapons like ScR, AR, SMG, HMG, etc. This in effect creates an atmosphere where it comes down to killing players as effectively and assuredly as possible. This is where the Mass Driver steps in. Don't get me wrong, the MD is not the only gun at fault here nor is it something we should be necessarily blaming on the MD. Flaylocks, Core Locus, MDs, all these ways of killing people only require you land your projectile in the general area of the player which increases your chance to hit tenfold. The issues MDs were having pre-1.2 are now equivalent to what most hitscan weapons now seem to be having.

So, my suggestion is CCP really needs to get down on the hit detection issues before proceeding onto weapon balance. I'm not sure what's going on, but this game can't keep going on like this if CCP actually intends for people to take their "tournaments" or whatever seriously. In fact, the tournament will probably show which corps are willing to abuse broken mechanics the most, and which corp is best at abusing said mechanics.

You and I are pretty much on the same page. I've created several posts about most of those points throughout the feedback forum. The last point I'd like to add is some sort of deterrent to equipment spam. My suggestion to that is to change it so that all equipment has a hard cap of 3 active units per person, and that any new equipment laid down would destroy the first accordingly. This is to prevent the insane uplink/repping nanohive spam on rooftops that every PC match comes down to.

I've become so bored with trying to argue tactics with my corp because it's all the same. Every PC match comes down to two things: (a) get the high ground, (b) spam uplinks. That's the big secret to winning the "strategy" side of PC. After that it just comes down to who can spam AoE weapons the best to clear out the enemy.

I think you are missing the big picture I am trying to paint fo ryou. GO back in history.. how many weapons have people cried for nerfs? Before PC, during and After? The list is endless. The difference now, instead of 8v8 corp battles and pubs to slowly draw attention to the FOTM weapons, we now have PC. A direct proving ground where everyone will use any weapon they can to gain the W.

There will ALWAYS be a FOTM weapon. Until the day CCP decides to go the route of other FPS shooters and remove the diversity. Thats what diversity is all about. Who can come up with the latest and greatest way to skill up their merc, use equipment, and terrain to get the W. If you do not adapt yourself and use something to counter, or use the same FOTM weapon, these nerf threads will never end.

Tweak this, tweak that, go right ahead and tweak/nerf/buff all day long. These threads will never go away because teams that use teamwork, coordination, strategy and the most useful weapons will always come out on top in PC. It is the quintessential min/max game mode. If you are waiting patiently for your weapon of choice to become relevant in PC you will be waiting a very long time. If you have the patience, great. If you want to compete, adapt anyway that you can.. To say there is no counter to MD spam is to lie to yourself. Get better.

Friendly fire is the answer. As to why the developer continue to want to create a care bear game is beyond me, but as long as explosives can be spammed on top of groups of blues that are actually engaged in a gun battles this will happen. Add friendly fire and mass drivers will decrease, when your killing three blues for every one red people will see what situations are appropriate for its use and will diminish them when not appropriate.

Btw ff in public matches is not a new concept is in most of the better games and won't blow people's minds and ruin the game. What's the deal I thought TP was started as a Socom clan? FF will ruin the game GTFO newb.

At the beginning of this thread I wanted the Mass Driver to be removed.

But do to the feedback others have suggested, I think it makes more sense to make adjustments to it's killing efficiency while, at the same time, allowing it to remain as "area denial" as it's supposed to be.

Right now, the weapon is too easy to use, has a HUGE margin of error with very little punishment for mistakes, and it's killing power rivals other weapons that require more skill and punish mistakes.


I've carefully made my arguments, you are free to do the same, except I haven't seen a single legitimate argument as to why the Mass Driver should stay the same.