You know, this is why I can't stand the majority of this community. So many people that like to label and degrade what they don't like or don't prefer adding more and more toxicity just for the sake of doing it. How about you use what the **** you want to use and let someone else use what the **** they want to use. If you don't like what they use, then shoot them in the face when you see their name on the killfeed. Last time I checked, this was a FPS and not a daytime talk show. There's no Oprah in New Eden and if there was, I'm pretty sure even she'd tell you to HTFU.

So, people complain about the AR being used so much because it is easier to use. Wrong, it is used so much because everyone knows how to use one because almost every FPS starts you off with a basic AR.

I believe the flaylock does require some skill to be viable now.

The blast radius is quite small, and with 3 rockets per mag, you should only use it to finish someone off.

The other reason that people use AR's a lot is because it is probably the most diverse weapon. It can still be used to some effect at medium range, and sprays bullets from the hip while dancing with an enemy in CQC like a less effective SMG. With my logi fit, the AR means I don't miss a sidearm to augment the short comings of my primary weapon.

I noted that it is "effective in most combat situations" but "suffers at shotgun range (about 5 metres)"

Meaning, it is very versatile but lacks a bit in CQC situations :)

There are four weapons that require quite a bit of player skill to excel with in this game.

Laser Rifle (current, pre 1.4)
Shotgun
Plasma Cannon
Nova Knives (competitively, not against noobs)


Everything else, you're playing DUST on easy mode. Going 30/0 means comparatively little with an AR or HMG. Going 30/0 with Nova Knives or Plasma Cannon means you're god skill.

We're all scrubs here trying to sound less scrubby than one other.

Honestly the AR is not a skilled weapon. Its not as easy as a mass driver but its still not a skilled weapon. Sniper guns sure are but i wish they had to account for wind and bullet drop.

AR, snipers, Scrambler, and anything which requires precision without splash damage is skillful.....


Massdrivers, and flaylocks are not skillful..... WTF is so difficult to understand about that? splash damage vs on the mark hitting your targets, but for some reason some people believe MD and Flaylocks are skill based even though it has a blast radius.... Its like if i was saying Rocket launchers in halo are skillful weapons.... holy smokes. weapons are pretty appropriate right now, maybe the mass driver could use a distance nerf and thats all. And the railgun turret (small one) could use some actually buffing.

But as of right now I feel the weapons are in their appropriate places...

AR, snipers, Scrambler, and anything which requires precision without splash damage is skillful.....


Massdrivers, and flaylocks are not skillful..... WTF is so difficult to understand about that? splash damage vs on the mark hitting your targets, but for some reason some people believe MD and Flaylocks are skill based even though it has a blast radius.... Its like if i was saying Rocket launchers in halo are skillful weapons.... holy smokes. weapons are pretty appropriate right now, maybe the mass driver could use a distance nerf and thats all. And the railgun turret (small one) could use some actually buffing.

But as of right now I feel the weapons are in their appropriate places...

I'd like to see you hit a moving target at a slightly higher elevation from 50 yards with an MD.

The Mass Driver is the epitome of the phrase " A minute to learn, a lifetime to master", because maining the MD requires you to always manage your optimal range. The MD is the most affected by elevation; your weapon gets a hell of alot better, or a hell of alot worse even with slight elevation differences. Knowing exactly where to shoot above 25 meters without wasting shots is important, especially as a Logi, since you die after 6-8. Then there are the blindshooting tactics to avoid snipers and in PC placing your shots where your allies aren't harmed by them(Assault MD especially)

The MD takes more skill to survive, especially the Assault and Breach. You may can get by with the standard alot of situations, but with the Assault and Breach you're in optimal, or you suck.

Honesty though, skill doesn't matter, weapon balance does. You can complain about getting killed by Ryu's Hadoken spam, good players beat them.

You need to lead shots way more with the MD and take the slow bullet travel time under consideration. Also, on a DPS basis the AR outclasses it hands down.

The AR doesn't require much more skill...it's not as if swiping over a red dot requires a lot of skill, not given the AR's ROF. The AR is just as much a noob tube as the MD.

Real skill weapon? Scrambler pistol!

Not true. With only three missiles in a clip and only 140-160 splash damage (depending on proficiency skill level), every missile has to hit. Unless you are a scout or have not tanked anything for shields or armor, I have to reload and hit 1-3 times more. With only 1.8ish splash damage radius on the *prototype* flaylock pistol, if you are dodging and/or are not at least slightly below me, I am not guaranteed to hit every time. In the former case, you need to dodge and strike me with skill. In the latter case, you have to be smart enough to run away to gain a superior field advantage before attacking me again. In either case, the issue isn't whether the post-nerf flaylock requires skill, the issue is whether you have the skill to counter my weapon of choice.

I think the problem is that so many people have narrowed the definition of skill to down to what their weapon of choice requires. In the end, the mass driver is an area of denial weapon. Using an area of denial weapon skillfully is not about precise head shots, its being able to understand where to find the best firing position, what area the enemy needs to be pushed from, and coordinating with your team so they can take advantage of the change in the field.

Slow fire rate with wicked arch that requires a good eye to aim correctly at anything beyond short-medium range, means it still takes skill to fire, just not head shot precision skill. In close range, you can get hit by your own blast radius. And the blast radius only does 120ish HP of damage, so an opponent with any skill retreats effectively and changes their strategy to gain an upper hand.

I tried using the mass driver for a while and found it too unweilding to get consistently good results (either as an area denial weapon or KDR padder) so I very rarely use it and only then because I'm bored with using my AR. A friend who is more proficient at online fps than me also found it too tricky/frustrating to use so refuses to use it.

since CCP fixed the flaylock it is most certainly a skill weapon so you dont seem to know what your talking about also someone may have mentioned but I didn't see the Laser Rifle up here which is most certainly a weapon requiring skill, yes you AR taks a degree of ability to use but has O downsides, as with every other weapon
AR = EZ mode

If aiming was the only skill to speak of in this game, you'd have a point.

But it isn't, so you don't.

"you simply point in the general direction and fire and it will hit"

So does that make every gun in this game "the least skilled weapon". Give me an example of a weapon in this game where you won't hit the person if you "simply point in the general direction and fire"