are you serious? ya know what ok, i'll give you the benefit of the doubt. i want you to do me a favor. put 50,000 SP (you can get that in 2 days or so, playing casually, of 5 games playing seriously). put that into HMGs. just get a STD one.

now put that on a militia suit, fit it out how you like. and use it. use it for 3 days, and then tell me what you think. please.

Consider this: If your proposed 'fixes' went through, why would anyone use anything other than a heavy?

1. over heating is a serious issue when you need over 400+ rounds to break through 500 hp of bunny hopping, and highly evasive shields.
2. 8 second reload is a balancing factor. a militia AR without damage mods, the blank 10% or 15% from proficiency does 425 dps thats 850 damage in 2 seconds. to put that in better terms in 27 bullets 945 damage is done. that is the militia variant. mind you, you can not run away or take evasive maneuvers. you better have a decent secondary and even with the faster switch you stll disadvantaged verse an AR.
3. range. Ars got the buff too... so although it is better (which is why i haven't sighted it as a problem) its a mute point.
4. turn speed again is a huge problem.

it all boils down to the damage. even if it did the same damage to shield as it does to armor id be happy. but an increase in damage per shot is necessary, when ARs do comparable damage at a longer range, with a fast reload, higher accuracy, they never over heat, are dirt cheap, require almost no SP to start using, and can be used to do almost anything in the game.

considering that with a logistics suit but especial caldari you can get ehp equal to or greater than a heavy and there is no penalty for it.


in light of this why wouldn't everyone just us an AR and a logistics suit?
oh... wait... they are.