How to fix Alpha in one step -

Double all HP.
Double all headshot values (so 1.2 becomes 2.4).

Game instantly becomes more skill based without affecting TTK in good player vs good player situations.

Edit: The mass driver deserves more splash AREA (not damage) to compensate.

Headshots? I'm completely flabbergasted this is a difficult concept.

Then maybe you aren't that good and don't deserve to win the gunfight? However the HMG has been nerfed to hell already anyway and could be looked at again after such a change.

Because of the HMG's cone like dispersion, most deaths actually are headshots.

you're ignoring spread and AOE on weapons. AOE and spread are both not optimal for headshots, splash damage does not work that way, and weapons like the HMG or the shotgun do not send bullets directly where you aim. that's how spread works. they're CQC and purposefully not hyper accurate. it's part of their design. Emphasizing headshots like you are gives an innate advantage to weapons like the AR, the SCR, the sniper, and other weapons that deliver their damage through a single bullet at a time, instead of AOE explosions or spread (like the shotgun), or blanket/high RPM (with built in spread) like the HMG. The entire point of these weapons is that they are counters for quickscoping or marksman style AR's, they are designed to be more effective than those guns in certain situations. This is at the expense of increased accuracy, which means they are much more difficult to get headshot with. EIther because they physically cannot, or because they shoot out lots of low damage bullets in a spread out area. you're suggesting that we make this game centered on a single style of FPS play.

I'm not saying headshots shouldn't be rewarded, they are a valid form of skill. but telling everyone they need to HTFU and start playing your headshot game is not a constructive solution. If you want to talk about tweaking existing stats on weapons or hit multipliers in specific areas that you feel are OP or not working in an enjoyable way, that's fine, but don't push a dramatic blanket change like this.

I'd also like to point out a recent dramatic blanket change to the entire game: the range changes in Uprising. There were obviously a lot of unexpected problems that arose out of that, and combined with a couple other problems, several gameplay styles are currently suffering big time. Mass Drivers and lasers, to name a few. So I'd say that, while you might have valid concerns on hit multipliers, TTK, and different weapon's effectiveness, this is not the way to fix those concerns, and too vaguely addresses all options. This solution will have unforseen ramifications, in the same way that removing sharshooter and nerfing damage, combined with the hard range cap, dramatically changed the gun game.

so yea, if you want to debate TTK and balancing issues related to that, sure, let's do it, but let's take it weapon by weapon, and do it by assessing various situations and which weapons should be more effective, combined with all the diferent types of player skill.

I'm not saying it's intentional, but it occurs more often than almost anyone actually trying to get a headshot. I average ~15-20 kills with my MD and wind up with half of those being headshots when I'm not trying. My point is that the HMG wouldn't really be affected by these changes as you're suggesting.