exposedsquad

Based on the data, the assaults who get the most kills in PC use mostly assault variants; what's stopping the Amarr assault from using an aSCR?

It's worth pointing out here that non-RE scout kills outnumber RE kills by a factor of four (at the outside; note that I didn't check past the top thirty results).
While it's definitely likely that their K/S is lower than the Sentinel's, I'd wager that the Assault suit's K/S is somewhat lower still; based on the data if scouts and sentinels are to be modified in any direction they both ought to be modified downwards.

It's also clear, based on their sheer quantity, that Sentinels are incredibly prevalent (and presumably strong, though strictly speaking the numbers don't state that). It would be interesting to see how many HMG-wielders there would be had Sentinels a wider variety of anti-infantry weapons available to them, with a greater spread of ranges.
I'd guess, though, based on the nature of PC (being a skirmish-type match where the city points are of vast importance) that the HMG would still tend to be the most popular of any other heavy weapons we might add.

Last but not least, the shotgun is (trailing at half the kills of the HMG, true) the second most prevalent weapon (in that top thirty mentions). It outstrips all four rifle classes. If the HMG is to be modified (and it definitely should be) I'd suggest keeping a close eye on shotgun performance - I expect to see it skyrocket, right behind Six Kin ACR usage.

Based on the data, the assaults who get the most kills in PC use mostly assault variants; what's stopping the Amarr assault from using an aSCR?

Even though I like the idea I use a tac-ar on a G-I scout so I already gimp myself enough. I don't need to be gimped even more and pushed to use the shotgun. Even though many THINK gal scout is shotguns they do have the hunter fitting that uses a AR and the blackeagle uses both shotgun and ar.

HMG dps and range will be toned down, burst hmg will keep current range, assault hmg will be a longer range autocannon with anti-vehicle capability.

If the HMG hits a certain range/damage threshold, the competitive players in PC will move directly to shotguns.

Its funny they are going to nerf the weapon and not the to armor sentinels.

Same goes for the Gal Assault, the bonus is too poor for them to care about losing it.

Worst post in a long time...

Shotgun performance is heavily based on the speed and agility of the suit, more then range or damage. You're far more likely to see Heavies switch to rifles before shotguns

I believe the proliferation of MinASS has a lot to do with how powerful assaults have become as a whole while leaving two without meaningful bonuses. While also being effected by the proliferation of heavy armor.

I suspect a simpler explanation:

A Fast and Tanky unit will tend to outperform Fast or Tanky units.
The MN Assault is exceptionally good at being both.

I agree speed is to high but don't want the suite nerfed into the ground either!!!

Here was a nice thread that showed the MinASS was dispaportionatly faster then other assault suits.
Will try to find it at lunch

HMG dps and range will be toned down, burst hmg will keep current range, assault hmg will be a longer range autocannon with anti-vehicle capability.

P.S. A 20m SG is a terrible idea .

HMG dps and range will be toned down, burst hmg will keep current range, assault hmg will be a longer range autocannon with anti-vehicle capability.

The biggest problem will be that heavies will start to have a real hard time fighting each other and with the HMG being bad at range it will get horrible at range.

So I have a serious question, and this is not intended to come off in a snide tone.

But in over six months, there have been no less than five serious, well thought threads on addressing HMG dominance in CQC. There has not been a single dev response, nor any indication that these threads have even been reviewed.

In fact there has never been a non-trolling dev response in any similar thread in two years that I have read.

Why?

Further, Sentinels/heavies have been proven more problematic than worthwhile in a balance perspective, so the answer has been "make them even MORE CQC. More of the same thing that has never worked should work now, right?"

Why are Heavies not being repurposed to dedicated AV and area denial?

Area denial is not room by room brawling. Area denial is what you post at the door/gate to keep people OUT of the rooms in the first place.

Sentinel suit's advantages and disatvantages are TEXTBOOK examples of open-ground, area suppression parameters. But they are being crammed into close quarters.

Why?

The only answer anyone has EVER provided is "heavies are cqc." This is a non-answer that holds as much validity as when I say "because :reasons:"

There is no vision for the heavy suit. They were originally billed as the go-to suits for AV and area denial. What we have is a CQC brawler that performs poorly in an AV capacity compared to lighter, more agile AV options (swarms).

So instead of doing more of the same thing, why do we not separate the role of the heavy, which should be a support platform that assists an assault squad, from the assault, which should be the go-to suit for attacking in CQC?

Let's be clear about one thing even though my posts might on the surface smell of "dont nerf my (insert stupid thing here).

I am all for fixing sentinels. I am all for making HMGs not be instapop deathvomit.

I am not, however, a fan of balancing methods which have, time and time again, proven either inineffectual or utterly neutering.

The whole "reduce HMG range/damage" have been done over and over again. And every single time within three patch cycles, someone gets it in their head that reverting those changes will provide a balanced fix.

This pendulum has been swung far too many times for me to have any faith in it's ability to solve the core issues with the gun. It's time to rethink how the gun works entirely.

Scouts are irrelevant for slaying in PC now. Only reason to use one is for links and RE's on the same fit.

I wanna know what PCs you're playing in -- because in the ones I'm playing in virtually every night, nothing could be further from the truth....and the data posted above confirms this as the truth more broadly in PC.

There are three parts to EWAR: infiltration, counter-infiltration and recon.

Between HF Alpha and HF Charlie, there were two competitive EWAR Scouts:
GA Scout - Infiltration
CA Scout - Counter-Infiltration, Recon (long-range / low-precision)

Between HF Charlie and Falloff, there were three competitive EWAR Scouts:
GA Scout - Infiltration
AM Scout - Counter-Infiltration (short-range / low-precision)
CA Scout - Recon (long range / high-precision)

Following Falloff, there remains one competitive EWAR Scout:
GA Scout - Infiltration

---

Today, passive counter-infiltration and passive recon are both insufficiently potent to compete with GalLogi long-range / low-precision active scans. Since Falloff, the GalLogi has replaced 2 of 3 EWAR Scouts and has become the only source of competitive recon and competitive counter-infiltration.

Whether or not this is good or bad is up for debate, but if our thinking is like John Psi's in that "Scouts should be out scouting" then our thinking is out-dated. Scouts are still good for sneaking, but they are no longer good for scouting.