All the marketing suggests it is an FPS, with 'intense infantry combat'. In reality, the game is set up to make getting into infantry combat as hard as possible at every turn, through such 'features' as:

1. Ridiculously OP dropships (in beta and since 1.7)
2. Ridiculously OP tanks (in beta and between 1.7 and a few of months ago)
3. LAVs - small rail driveby, hit and run, and hop out HMG (at its worst with LLAVs but has always been ridiculous)
4. OHKing redline and tower snipers (since forever)

And of course, many of the maps are ridiculously open so all of the above is unavoidable.

Ask yourself, what do these roles bring to the game? In every case, they are basically there to farm infantry. This is obvious in the case of LAVs and snipers, but even dropships and tanks kill far more infantry than they do vehicles. These roles are essentially parasitic, benefiting immensely from the presence of infantry, as that's where they get the vast majority of their kills, but offering infantry nothing in return except the constant threat of an arbitrary and infuriating OHK.

No other FPS goes so far out of its way to make it so hard to actually get into a firefight. Every one of the above 'features' would be considered a grotesque imbalance and instantly nerfed into oblivion in any FPS that was serious about the infantry experience, i.e., ALL OF THEM except Dust. Why? Because 90%+ of people looking to play these games want to play as 'regular' infantry, i.e. they want to shoot at people who can shoot back. Every other developer knows that their game stands or falls with the gunplay. They know that a game that will frequently instakill you in any number of ways before you even get within 100m of enemy infantry will crash hard. As, indeed, it has.

How did things get this far? My theory is that CCP is fundamentally not interested in infantry. They really wanted this game to be the planetary version of EVE, with great machines of metal pounding away at each other. Unfortunately, outside of World of Tanks, there isn't really a market for such a thing, so the business people told them to make it an FPS instead. But CCP made the game they wanted to anyway, just with FPS marketing and infantry thrown in as cannon fodder.

TL;DR Lots of QQ.

PS - I know I can avoid this stuff in ambush, but I prefer objective-based gameplay.

inb4 no gungame scrubs and the canihazISK underclass.

Though I agree with you on his rant being stupid, the inb4 argument is a back and forth and since it is an internet meme it doesn't actually matter who uses it when, its only purpose is to state that you already know the counter argument that may be coming, it's a nerd clause for dealing with stupid responses. Only faglord neckbeards in fedoras sputter the you can't do that **** on 4chan or wherever the **** you picked up inb4 faglord neckbeard rules.

Thank you oh wise one! It is truly a blessing to share in your wisdom!

#1 Infantry are snipers! Incredible stuff, I never knew that, I thought they were dinosaurs!
#2 All I have to do to avoid tanks is THINK! Absolute genius! What marvellous insights you bring to the table!
#3 Snipers can only kill you if you stand still! It's true! Literally impossible for them to hit you if you move! Again, I am so grateful that you share your great learning!

I could go on in praise of your incredible knowledge of the game! You are a true master! But if it is not out of place, may I draw on your deep understanding one last time? Please my lord, tell me this final secret:

How did you get your KDR so low? How do you manage to have 9.076 kills at 1.04 KDR? I have tried to play as badly as you, but I don't think it is possible. No matter how scrubby I try to be, my KDR stubbornly stays at 4.21, in fact it keeps going up

Please my liege, teach me more, I am eager to learn.

All the marketing suggests it is an FPS, with 'intense infantry combat'. In reality, the game is set up to make getting into infantry combat as hard as possible at every turn, through such 'features' as:
.....
4. OHKing redline and tower snipers (since forever)

And of course, many of the maps are ridiculously open so all of the above is unavoidable.

Ask yourself, what do these roles bring to the game? In every case, they are basically there to farm infantry. This is obvious in the case of LAVs and snipers.....

QQ moar scrub, fact of the matter is I'm near the top of the board dominating the enemy every (pub) game. Your 1.04 KDR says you go negative about as often as you go positive, and your 0.93 W/L says you lose more games than you win. You are a liability to your team. GOML.

Where did I ever say that I farm uplinks, pad KDR or cheat the system in any way?! You need to level up your English comprehension as well as your gungame. I kill the enemies defending the point and hack it, the same as the average player, only difference is I'm better at it than the average pubby. The fact that you automatically assume that someone with a 4.something KDR cheats in some way says a lot about your lack of abilities. That is not even a high KDR, 7+ is high. Some people are just better than you, MUCH BETTER THAN YOU. Deal with it and stop making pathetic excuses.

Haha, I laughed at this. I've gotten sniped while cloaked and sprinting through city areas. I think you are greatly underestimating some of the snipers in this game. Possibly you run a 900+HP suit and don't die in a single shot.