the bottom line is you're making your assumption based on equivalent hitrates, which is just not sound reasoning due to the nature of the gun.

we could argue over how big a difference this accuracy makes, but there's no number to put on it so we won't get anywhere.

Considering me and my BPO equipment do perfectly fine in-game, I don't think the tired old "I really don't have an argument so here's something to hopefully shut you up" "GET GOOD NOOB" applies to me.

I have solid, first-hand experience that tells me that the HMGs need a slight nerf. I think cutting the range, and ONLY the range, making it a short-range champion will be perfect and would help the overal balance tremendously.

I'm no FPS god like some here claim to be. If the gun I was using had something wrong with it, I'd report it and ask for it to be fixed (whether OP or UP, I'd be asking for a fix either way). Right now, the HMG needs a fix, nothing major, but a fix, nonetheless.

I find it funny that people aren't even open to the idea of shortening HMGs range and making it more devastating at short range. I play heavy on my secondary guy and always use the HMG, if you don't fix the range I don't care... I'll just continue hitting people from 40+ meters away and laughing. As a heavy I feel I shouldn't even be trying to engage enemies at that range, I should be trying to keep in close quarters and at least the edge of medium range.

People need to remember that this is a beta, it's in beta so the developers can get it straightened out so it can be the way they want when it releases... this means making changes, but since so many people seem so against it, w/e. Doesn't effect me much, I feel the hit to HMGs range and giving it more raw power would only benefit heavy players that play the class properly.

So yeah, whatever, doesn't matter to me but I thought I'd put in my 2 cents. I'll still play heavy regardless.

Stating the obvious and telling people to "get good" isn't even a point of argument tbh. It's like the people who claimed that the grenades in the last build were fine, because they were grenades, and blew up, and were meant to hurt people. Yes, awesome logic. Swarm launchers a long time ago were also balanced I guess, you know, those are meant to blow up vehicles so why wouldn't it instant own you in a suit?

Gameplay is a thing to worry about in games, and balance is essential to that. With that being said I don't feel that the HMG the way it is now is not game breaking at all, I could just see a small tweak being done to it. Knowing developers these days though they'd over do it. That's why I'd be fine with them leaving it alone, I'd rather see it be close to perfect than made worse. If they take away a small amount of something that isn't very relevant (range with HMG) to the class, and they give it a buff in an area that is (damage with HMG) then why would it even be considered a nerf? Almost sounds like a buff to me, especially considering the HMG shoots at 2000 RPM so a damage boost would be quite significant.. especially with damage skills and mods stacked on it lol.

& before some ignoranus tells me to "get good", I usually win my 1v1's with heavies. I know how to take them on and I understand this game, and I also understand game balance and I don't understand how claiming that since something does damage and it kills, that there isn't anything wrong with it. Such a flawed way to look at it IMO, black and white, far left and far right.

Lol why do I even bother, I know where the masses stand xD