I'm curious to find out how other Mercs feel about the constatntly monthly-shifting FOTM meta.

We all have played "AR 514," "MD 514," and now we're playing "RR 514." This is largely due to the monthly releases of nerf/buff/new weapon patch cycles. With the new weapons, which seemingly get released in a greatly overpowered state, only to be nerfed into infinity in the next monthly cycle, it shifts the meta to the current hotness, the flavor of the month. There have been numerous flavors of the month, ranging from the examples above to the Flaylock hotness to the era of the Murder Taxis to the reign of the Caldari Logi-Assault.

I'm curious to find out how other Mercs feel about the constatntly monthly-shifting FOTM meta.

We all have played "AR 514," "MD 514," and now we're playing "RR 514." This is largely due to the monthly releases of nerf/buff/new weapon patch cycles. With the new weapons, which seemingly get released in a greatly overpowered state, only to be nerfed into infinity in the next monthly cycle, it shifts the meta to the current hotness, the flavor of the month. There have been numerous flavors of the month, ranging from the examples above to the Flaylock hotness to the era of the Murder Taxis to the reign of the Caldari Logi-Assault.

.....

For me its not meta. Its still beta. We might not need a respec, but we certainly deserve one.

I totally agree with you and I wonder myself if CCP is testing the stuff they produce.

I mean..

Has reallly no one of CCP felt that the rail rifle is much too strong?
Has no one played a match and said WOAH I can shoot and kill all people from far and close, very fast, very precise.
.... mhhh that could be not balanced...

Did nobody had that feeling at CCP before release?

I have the feeling they are skipping testing. I do not know the reason. Maybe they are missing some sort of sisi server for dust514 or time is lacking, but please change your workflow.

I totally agree with you and I wonder myself if CCP is testing the stuff they produce.

I mean..

Has reallly no one of CCP felt that the rail rifle is much too strong?
Has no one played a match and said WOAH I can shoot and kill all people from far and close, very fast, very precise.
.... mhhh that could be not balanced...

Did nobody had that feeling at CCP before release?

I have the feeling they are skipping testing. I do not know the reason. Maybe they are missing some sort of sisi server for dust514 or time is lacking, but please change your workflow.

There has never been "MD 514", and "RR 514" is just more AR 514. Even when MDs were useful, AR users outnumbered MD users by 10 to 1. In fact, AR users outnumbered all other weapon users combined if you ignore snipers. The same is true for Flaylocks. The Flaylock has never even been the most popular sidearm.

What you guys are seeing as the FOTM is actually a second order issue because the flavor of the game has always been AR. We now have new ARs, but it's still AR 514 - meaning high dps, med to long range effective hitscan weapons with too much AimAssist.

The hitscan weapons need to be toned down. Simple as that.

There has never been "MD 514", and "RR 514" is just more AR 514. Even when MDs were useful, AR users outnumbered MD users by 10 to 1. In fact, AR users outnumbered all other weapon users combined if you ignore snipers. The same is true for Flaylocks. The Flaylock has never even been the most popular sidearm.

What you guys are seeing as the FOTM is actually a second order issue because the flavor of the game has always been AR. We now have new ARs, but it's still AR 514 - meaning high dps, med to long range effective hitscan weapons with too much AimAssist.

The hitscan weapons need to be toned down. Simple as that.

As an omni soldier I am always FOTM.

They're assault rifles, they're supposed to be popular. Everything else is a niche or a specialty.

You lost credibility when you said there was no Flaylock FOTM.

Flaylock was never OP. CCP over reacted. It was useful in it's niche, and that is all. (True, AR* users would just close distance and subsequently get killed, just like they do with shotguns, knives, anything that is niche really. AR* users don't recognize niches, and think the AR* should be at least even odds no matter the circumstances) The submachine gun has always been the sidearm of choice, even during the great Flaylock panic of AR users.

There should be no generalist weapon in Dust. The very existence of generalist weapons is one of the primary factors that has dumbed down dust, reduced tactical options, and made the game boring. All weapons should be niche weapons, it's as simple as that, unless you like the current AR 514* where there's just one infantry role, one infantry weapon, and one infantry tactic (barring those that people choose just because they'd rather not be sheep, but are certainly a disadvantage). To me, that's the definition of a subpar game and a cookie cutter effort at best.

I'm not super concerned with your measure of what constitutes credibility. The hitscan weapons do need to be toned down, or Dust needs to get billed as another mindless twitch shooter, as is the case currently.

*AR 514 - medium to long range, hitscan weapons, capable of very high dps and virtually no short range deficits, i.e EZ mode.