...and herein lies the problem.

This is a squad based game, and like it or not if you're any good you're moving with at LEAST one other person (buddy system).

In that instance, each of you fires twice and takes down anything but a heavy... or a CalLogi. Three times (less than a second of fire for most... even without a turbo effect) and even the heaviest heavy is almost dead, If not picking his deployment, completely bled out.

Now, let's assume there are three or four people moving together. At this point, it becomes nearly impossible to accomplish anything against this threat, as by the time you're targeted you're eliminated.

This may be a 'fun' weapon for the lone wolf/run & gun player... which is fine. When it's combined with squad tactics it becomes (essentially) unstoppable.

Now that squads can be up to SIX people, at bare minimum that's 420+ damage PER SHOT going out.

Without giving dropsuits final fantasy hit points, there's simply no way to compete with that output. Not to mention you're dead more often than not before even getting into range to return fire.

Assuming you are not also using a TAR as well.

I'll just leave this here. (please direct all +1s to Exmaple Core)

I'm inclined to say that we're NOT supposed to be like Battlefield players in terms of taking hits, or any "modern" shooter. People are fleshbags, and they die easily. It makes sense that a blast of pretty much any weapon will kill someone in a game like Battlefield, because that's not unlike how things happen in real life.

Dust is different. We all have "dropsuits", which are fitted powered systems connected to a tactical netword, shields, and armor. Some suits even have "heavy armor". Further, we can take pains to improve our armor and shields at the base level, and install additional improvements to protect ourselves further. In a way, we're like mini-spaceships from EVE, outfitting ourselves for combat roles and trying to maximize our survival in many cases.

Weapons that have a Battlefield-like effect despite any of our modifications destroy this sort of balance and/or gameplay. If you die in a couple rounds regardless of your advancement, type of suit, and protective modifications - then any aspect of the "building your character" element is moot. You could just as easily do nothing with the suit, and just get the gun that allows you to do that.

Some weapons are intentionally lethal in very few shots, but they do so with certain trade-offs. Sniper rifles typically have a slow rate of fire, a very small clip, a scope that's inconvenient at short range, and abysmal hipfire. Shotguns can drop people quickly, but require you be very very close. Plasma Cannons will kill quickly, but are 1 shot at a time, arc-ing, slow, and only have 9 shots. Etc. etc.

TAR has needed some addressing because it does do that Battlefield bit, but does it with no real trade-offs. Short, long, precise scoped/hipfired... it is incredibly lethal, and combines those "general" all-round features with superiority at range, DPS, etc. So, it's sort of a perfect storm of flexibility, high damage, and being at the top tier in range.

I'd say you should be able to take a foe down fast... if they're lightly armored/shielded, you're head-shotting with certain weapons, etc. However, there's nothing wrong with gun battles taking more than a couple seconds. You're fighting people in armored suits, not fatigues.

Kenderr, did he say 1-2 shots? Your assuming, that shield Nd armor wouldn't matter, if the Time to kill is decreased by tweaking weapons, dmg, spread and dispersion ( u can't just increase base dmg of the weapons collectively as they all have different factors and ways to be implemented, eg like lazer the dmg build up could be increased slightly rather than a dmg increase ) so shield and armor fitting would still make a difference. While stopping prolonged shoot outs, but a few further tweets would be required if this to be put in place.

Such as increased rep for armor repair tool, and shield regen rate. Plus many others

This might mean weapons get their functionally back, instead of the Tac AR being the best slayer. A Hmg pointed down a hallway 30m in length, a realistic fire lane, where this weapon should carve up, if the heavy can aim properly. It should hold its ground, stopping at least for a few seconds any advancing enemy, until they start to flank or get a MD to start lobbing volleys into the wall. But it doesn't happen, the AR can comfortably move into the hallway knowing that he can out DPS and take down the Heavy

I agree with OP, the Tac AR is OP cause it kills to fast, but I think it has appropriate TTK,
I know this won't happen but it's my 2

The problem is not with the game but with you and IGN expecting the gunplay to be like the competition. Your whole argument is build upon this premise. It is wrong. Your argument is invalid.

You're totally ignoring the fact that the TAR diminishes any incentive to use the other AR variants because it excels in all of their intended specialties. That alone warrants a rebalancing. The fact that it can out DPS a blaster turret on an HAV is just icing on the cake. What are you going to defend next? The Viziam from last build?

Edit: And don't get me started on the scientific applications. I dare you to explain why it's plausible that phased plasma can out range photon laser pulses.

So u want to kill people with 1 or 2 shots... so Why make Fittings? Why armour and Shield? Why more weapons?

Everyone with the same armour and a tactical rifle.

Sorry but all your statement is stupid

Yes it is.

Lowering TTK while increasing regen rates is a viable mechanic with its own ups and downs but functionally identical to a CODification of the gameplay. Granted you don't spell it out but you are pretty much arguing for it.

I've never played CoD, I came from Counter Strike (1.3 to source) and I'm not suggesting that Dust have a TTK like that.
Only slight increased TTK

My personal view is that the issue of the TAR is that yes, it puts people down too quickly. With the consequences of dying and losing cash in place plus all the upgrades we make to survivability, a weapon should not put someone down so fast. Hell I'm amazed SCARS work so fast when I view it more of am anti shield weapon. Everything should do less damage and be more specialized at the risk of alienating the "lone wolf" aspect.

No, the issue to discuss is the one you bring up in those reviews and is that gunplay feels clunky, especially up close. THATS is the issue, the movement, the aiming, the frame rate. These are things number adjustments can't fix. COD and BF are popular not only cause guns do what guns do but also because they move, aim, and FEEL right. Dust is a chore to get used to. At mid range it feels fine but close that gap and it all breaks down real fast. Point blank combat in the city type areas is abysmal.

You describe the current reality of the gameplay in dust accurately. Yet i still fail to see any reasoning why it is bad.

Nova knifes might not kill someone. Ok. So?
HMGs do not shred everything at point blank. And the problem is?
Shotguns don't OHK heavily armored dudes. Your Point?

The gameplay works (somewhat) and is (somewhat) fun, spoiled mainly by the dominance of one single piece of gear. The tac is the culprit. Not the fighting mechanic as a whole.

Although this was not adressed to me i'd like to commend on the part i put in bold.

Firstly, Dust is not a simulation. It doesn't need to behave realistically. Appeals to real world intuition are moot when the game is not even trying to behave like the real world.

Would i it be realistic if any hit, from any weapon, to any point of the body makes you drop to ground screaming and cussing in pain until some medic gives you some morphine and carries you off the battlefield, making the character unavailable for the nex 8 weeks. Yes.

Would it be any fun. Probably not.

Realism is not balance.

If you're going to lead me into a trap, allow me to answer your question with another question:

Should a plasma based weapon have more incidental damage than a solid ammunition based weapon at maximum range?
Should phased plasma out range laser pulses?
Should one weapon class reap the rewards of all racial takes on the weapon but not share in any of its weaknesses?

Damage in cqc is fine as it is. Have you ever snuck behind someone who isn't moving and put every bullet into them with a not tac ar weapon? They go down in an instant.

Don't buff cqc damage, buff cqc hit detection.

For some reason, the tac just seems to experience better hit detection than most auto guns, I don't why...

I can see where you're coming from and i think i understand now what you're asking for.

It becomes apparent to me though, that we won't agree on this subject as i don't share your vision of what constitutes the best shooting mechanics. We would argue in circles until we annoy each other and i prefer to go passive before this happens. I will still keep an eye for out inspiring arguments that i can use against you though.

Fly saf- oh wait...Be well.

Dust 514 is eating my posts.

Jathniel in response to your post.

I don't hate it because it works, but because it's a master of all trades. What significant weakness does the Tactical Assault Rifle have? The answer is none. It's less effective at close range, but so are most weapons right now. Dust 514 battles most of the times are mid to long range which favors the Tactical AR. It has long optimum range which allows it to destroy all the other weapons. Last build the Viziam Laser Rifle was the most over powered weapon, but at least it had a significant weakness. Laser Rifles were worthless at close range and only dominated the Manus Peaks map. Most veteran laser rifles were also stationary which meant that they stay in one general area on a map. You could avoid laser rifles if you wanted to on certain maps. This is a key difference between the Viziam Laser Rifle and the Tac AR. The Tac AR allows the user greater mobility which allows them to roam the whole map and it can be used effectively on all the maps. It also is more lethal with squads because no other guns can produce the focus fire of multiple Tac AR's. That's why you see so many 6 man squads using them.