The HMG hate comes from people who are too ignorant to understand that unlike their rifles, it is simply not possible to apply 100% of HMG theoretical DPS past 10m, and the problem is exponentially worse at 20, 30, 40m. The "optimal" range may be 30m or whatever, but it is literally impossible to land more than 50% of rounds on target past 20m because of dispersion... thus giving HMG similar real world DPS to rifles. Except we have to expend 2-4x as many rounds to get that same DPS, can't carry our own nanohives to replenish all that ammo we have to use to get that DPS, have the hitbox of a tank, a larger scan profile than a tank, the absolute worst scan range/precision, move slower than turret emplacements, etc, etc, etc.

But hey, that HMG is super overpowered because of that paper DPS that can only be applied in the real world at sub-10m. Try using the damn gun before you cry about how OP it is, most of you people have no clue how difficult it actually is to play HMG heavy - and I don't mean on the two maps or the one or two points on other maps where the HMG shines, I mean on every map, every game, all the time.

People need to get over medium suit + ________ rifle not being the end all in every single situation. Deal with it. HTFU. Adapt or die. Whatever you want to say about it, just please, shut the hell up. It's not going to be what you people think - people who were **** heavies in 1.7 are going to be **** heavies in 1.8, and if your only tactic for taking out a heavy is try to face him up inside HMG optimal with a ____ rifle, you're going to lose - just like you do now, just like you're supposed to. Strategy. Tactics. This isn't Zerg 514, and there's a reason that "standing in front of the enemy and shooting at each other" was phased out as a military strategy sometime during the civil war.

Tell me more about how heavies can't equip a RR and be better at long range as well.