I don't hate the Heavies. Or the HMG.

Well, actually, I hate everyone on the planet equally so technically I guess that means I hate no-one (we're all snowflakes!)

Good to see some intelligent debate and solid points in this thread, so thanks for that! Just wanted to jump in an explain the thinking behind some of the recent changes.

- The SS skill had to go. It should never have been there in the first place as it pushed all weapons well beyond their intended ranges and with more racial variants coming into the game (rail rifle, combat rifle etc.) it was more important than ever to have cleaner range profiles for all weaponry.
- The Sentinel was designed primarily as a point defense role. His speed and slow turn rate make him unsuitable for frontline combat. His presence should make anyone think twice before approaching a position. I'm not sure but it seems to me that a lot of the complaints about the ineffectiveness of the HMG stem from the fact that people want to use it to lead the charge into enemy territory. The HMG is not well suited for use in open areas but it comes into its own when used in outposts where targets are confined to narrow spaces. And at close range, the HMG is still very effective, I believe.

The HMG's optimal range is up to 30m and max. effective range caps out at 50m. (This is currently a hard cap - all weapons stop doing any damage beyond their max range - but we're going to be fixing this soon. Like soon soon, not SOON(tm).) What it needs is not a damage buff (it kills just fine) but a gentler damage falloff curve so that it can be used as an effective suppression weapon in the 50-70m range. As an attacker, right now it's too easy to shrug off the hits and close the gap between yourself and the person wielding the HMG so that's something I'd like to address as soon as possible.

I just want to reiterate that the concept of range limitation on a weapon is NOT a basis or determining a weapon's use. As an example, consider that in MANY shooting games, a pistol can hit someone from the other side of the map, however doing so is insanely difficult - but NOT due to a range cap.

It's other attributes of a weapon that CCP needs to look at - gun handling, spread, vision obstruction from the weapon's size and sights, combinations of bursts and kick, volume of the gun - stealthy versus cannon loud. And this is how my experience with the HMG in the old build, and the new one pans out - a Shotgun on any other suit is WAY more effective within the range that has been put on the HMG.

We don't even have flame throwers yet and you EvE players are already trying to nerf them.

Please don't take this as me being snarky, but you guys do know that the HMG dispersion get tighter the longer you fire it, right?

Have you guys considered that maybe the heavy class isn't finished yet? That maybe JUST MAYBE one of three other race variant suits is supposed to turn the heavy into a "gunner" that will have a bonus to range in some way, while this one is supposed to be the bullet sponge?

I hope CCP Remnant will read from where he left reading at the end of is day and analyse all our suggestion understand we dont want the be fat AR user, which is lame, but all would be really effective with a TAR(that would be area denial).