What you are looking for is what is termed as "spray and pray" in all other FPS games. In real life when you use an M134 mini-gun, it is not that "inaccurate" when used properly. But that is RL and this is a game. So while other games may make HMG's "spray" this game doesn't. The major complaints that most HMG users complain about stem from one of two major things:

1 - "Spray and Pray" attitude. They are used to "lazy mode" where they just point the gun in a direction and don't have to really aim. That won't work in this game.

2 - Using the lame circle reticule that comes with the HMG. Here's a pro-tip for everyone that uses an HMG... pull out an SMG, then place a piece of clear tape on your TV where that dot is at, then use a marker to place a dot where that SMG dot is at. Now switch to your HMG... WALLLA! Magically you now have a new and improved aiming dot for your HMG. You will now find that you hit and kill 90% of time. (NOTE: Instead of using tape and marker you can accomplish the same with a grease pencil.)

Stop blaming the game for stuff that is just improperly ingrained behavior in the players. What works in other games doesn't work in this one. This game is as different to all other FPS's as EVE is different from all other MMO's. Pretend it's your first time ever with an FPS and relearn EVERYTHING and you will find that you do way better without some stupid per-conceived notions that you bring in from other FPSs.

1 - I stand corrected, some weapons in DUST can be more spray and pray than others, however the HMG is NOT one of those.

2 - Hey, combat helicopter pilots in AH-1 Cobras used the grease pencil method starting back in Vietnam and continued to do so until they got phased out by the army. If it works, it works.

3 - All the weapons ARE viable, the way YOU are trying to use them is NOT viable. There are countless videos out on YouTube where people demonstrate that the "oddball" weapons do in fact work when in the hands of someone who knows how to use them properly. Just because a newb to the game cannot just pick up a plasma cannon and start one shotting people, doesn't mean that it's not a viable weapon. It means that they either don't have the right play style for it, or they just need to learn to use it right.

4 - Whether someone uses one weapon or another is totally their CHOICE. I originally thought the starting scrambler pistol was a POS until someone showed me how to use it to own people. I originally found the mass driver to be very difficult to target, until I used it for a week straight and got the hang of it to where I could one shot guys at over 50 meters out in the open. After watching Ghazbaran (one of the guys featured in the dev blogs) use the plasma cannon, it makes me wanna skill it up and try it out. Everything is perfectly useful in the right hands in the right situations.

5 - No I'm still blaming you for not having patience or willingness to adapt, change, overcome, and conquer.

6 - I already said this is not those other FPSs and as such is a completely new game where each weapon has a different niche than in those games.

7 - Whether it is better or worse than some other game is an objective opinion that will vary from player to player. You may like how COD works, I like how DUST works. That's makes me different from you.