so... your using someone elses words to say heavys have no "twitch aiming skills"

so... your using someone elses words to say heavys have no "twitch aiming skills"

Not quite, I'm saying the wide cone of fire doesn't require it, reducing the skill barrier.

It's much easier to use the HMG IMHO, and Valve, who is known to play test the **** out of their games, agrees.

It is easier to use the HMG provided your targets are stupid and come rushing at you.

When they do not do this, it is a liability. The majority of playing the heavy is putting yourself in a position to use the HMG correctly. In pubs against bad players, they will do this for you most of the time. In PC, you have to deal with scouts dropping you below half before you can even turn around and high ground spam making your life hell.

So in pubs, yes. Barrier to entry is lower than normal. In PC, I'd say its quite a bit higher.

I brought this a few months ago

my main points were:

- no spool up time
- no movement penalty while firing

was met with

- it has limited range(which isn't that limited at all)
- overheat mechanic
- longest reload(still don't see how this is a drawback with it's huge magazine)

- it has limited range(which isn't a limiting factor at all for a heavy in it's natural habitat)
- overheat mechanic
- longest reload(still don't see how this is a drawback with it's huge magazine)

Limited range matters a whole hell of a lot. The Natural Habitat that you refer to only applies to interiors, which as far as PC goes only happen on production facilities, and certain outer flags.

That range difference is a huge thing, and people who don't exploit it deserve to get HMG'd.

Overheat is whatever, although if you need to get through a whole box with enemies still in front of you, it does matter. Keep in mind that overheat equals death in a tight spot.

When you are sitting on an empty drum, with up to 6 seconds to reload it, and being able to only depend on your sidearm/grenade is a lot of time. Not like you can just run away and reload.

All told, the heavy is pretty good right now. Strong versus mediums, weak to scouts, weak to vehicles, and completely outclassed in mobility and range.

What more do you need?

It isn't that weak to scouts.
A heavy can take 4-5 shotgun shots, while the heavy can turn around and sneeze on the scout.

Now, about the range, by the time the AR is outside the range of the HMG, the AR can't actually kill a heavy even with a full clip, they have to reload.
And the AR will be cut down at that range by other rifles, the AR is pretty much forced inside the HMG's range, without enough DPS to compete against any of the rifles.

Considering that a scout running a cloak can get off three shots without any chance of return fire means they really only have to get two in under fire. Not bad odds really. Add in the movement differential and things are still looking good for the scout.

As to the AR, it is UP compared to the other rifles. Everyone knows this. Blame CCP for having no idea about how to make long range weapons balanced.

Talking about the AR does not in anyway mitigate my argument about range and its affect on the heavy.