I've been in beta for a long time, and I've literally heard every weapon be called overpowered (well, the plasma cannon was one of those things where people expected it to be OP before it was released). More often then not, it's an exaggeration.

But the real overpowered weapon? That's not hard to find- and it's the gallente assault rifle.

First, let's look at what it's meant to be.
It's a gallente weapon; that means having the shortest range, highest damage. It's also an assault rifle, which means it's supposed to be OK at everything. While its overall effectiveness in different situations isn't something you can prove easily, let's look at the Gallente side.

I'll be comparing the Duvolle assault rifle with the Imperial Scrambler rifle
Optimal ranges (according to the range thread): since the Duvolle is plasma and the Scrambler is a pulse laser, the scrambler should have significantly more range.

• Duvolle assault rifle: 42m
• Imperial scrambler rifle: 50m

8 meters isn't very significant, especially considering the (SoonGäó) Combat rifle has to fit between them, while it's also much easier to hit with the duvolle, since it's fully automatic. Outside of effective range, the duvolle is currently the bigger threat.

Now let's look at damage:

• Duvolle assault rifle: 34.1 per shot
RoF of 750
doesn't overheat, so it does 10230 in the 24 seconds before having to stop to reload
In 5.5 seconds, that's about 2344 damage

• Imperial Scrambler rifle: 79.2 per shot
max RoF is 705.9, but it's semi automatic, and can overheat. Firing at a RoF slow enough to conserve heat, I managed to fire 16 shots in 5.5 seconds before overheating (which does damage)
Counting the overheat as a reload, that's 1267 damage in 5.5 seconds before the user has to stop.

Going off of that, in the time it takes for the scrambler rifle (if fired carefully) to overheat, the duvolle does nearly twice the damage, at nearly the same range, while taking much less practice to use.

A few quick, less in-depth comparisons to other weapons:
Compared to the HMG, the assault rifle has more range and is more accurate. With the spread of HMG bullets, the AR also seems to deal more damage.
Compared to the shotgun, the assault rifle hits much more consistently (against a moving target), and at a much longer range.
Compared to the mass driver, the assault rifle takes less practice, or more effective against shield tanked people (almost all of them) and lasts longer before running out of ammo
Compared to the laser rifle, the assault rifle has comparable range and damage, while lacking the overheat and being more effective in CQC
Compared to the flaylock pistol (I don't want to compare it to a sidearm, but someone is bound to bring it up), the assault rifle has much longer range, is easier to hit with, and can fire for much longer before reloading.
On the current maps, most sniper positions can be now easily shot by assault rifles


The gallente assault rifle needs to be gallente- short ranged. It already has gallente damage, and takes no skill to use.

Yeah, we already knew this, but Remnant stating that the AR is a placeholder confirmed it. The AR has Gallente DPS, Minmatar ROF, and Caldari/Amarr range. It's not OP because its easy mode, the AR is just too versatile because its the best of 4 worlds in one weapon class. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved once all the racial rifles with their own strengths/weaknesses are added and the AR Plasma Rifle becomes the short range, high DPS hybrid weapon it was supposed to be.

Totally agree with no downside, near pinpoint accuracy, and virtually no recoil, the gar is the most powerfull weapon in the game by a long shot.

That being said.

The gar is also the most used weapon in the game by assault players the most numerous and vocal of the players in dust, fixing this would instantly be called out as an 'unfair nerf' and generate a tsunami of tears and qq threads not to mention an increase of 'dust is doomed' threads by said butthurt players who dispite throwing around the phrase : 'adapt or die'when other weapons and classes get the shaft, would be unwilling to do so.

We all know why the gar hasn't been fixed and it's got nothing to do with balance.

Come on semperfi the Duvolle eats scrambler and I'm an avid scrambler wielder, I love that gun, but every time I step in front of some one with an AR or HMG I back the hell off. The scrambler is good at a distance and thankfully has a red dot sight (thanks so much ccp) which is why I always make distance between me and anyone I'm trying to hit.

There is no way a single shot weapon can compare with something you can just hold down and spray for a little while in a close range battle, I've tried it.

Explains the situation perfectly.

I remember when the recoil was fixed (they used to have laser-like accuracy no matter how long you fired it) the forum fallout was huge.

See I never though the TAC was a placeholder for Amarr, if anything I felt the standard AR was an Amarr placeholder.

The devs have stated caldari is getting the rail rifle, which is long range low damage. I just figured TAC was the closest we have to that.

I'm almost positive the Breach is supposed to be the Gallente Plasma Blaster.

The Burst is the Minmatar combat rifle.

That's how I've always thought it was, at least.

Just gonna chime in again here.

Where is everyone getting that the standard AR is the Gallente AR? Can someone give me a link, because no where in its description does it say that it's Gallente

:/

duvolle is op, yup. the only gun that I dislike getting killed by at long range. yup, it's always the duvolle. the easiest weapon with a lot of damage to use. way to go guys.

People never want to take the SP system into account when claiming OP or UP. We aren't allowed to alter our choices, you're stuck with whatever you go for. Surprise surprise if more people are using the tried and true instead of investing deeply into a weapon that they may or may like / that may or may not get hit with the nerf nuke.

This isn't directed at you Semper, just stating that because you don't see something all the time in every game (or if you do) doesn't necessarily dictate how OP or UP it is. There's lots more going on, not just in the gun game and numbers, but also in player psychology and habits.

You're the dumabsses who asked for ironsights

I was for customizable sights, having the option to use red dot, iron sight , acog whatever.. just having the option for the one to your liking. instead my rifle got just iron. I actually quit playing for 4 months after that lol. Now i'm over it and used to the irons

Something I forgot to mention: you can improve the assault rifle more than any other light weapon.

Sharpshooter makes a huge difference

The SR has a downside: it's overheat it can injure or outright kill you if used incorrectly this is it's balance.

The AR has no downside besides slightly less damage then the SR which matters very little with it being so accurate.

No jamming mechanic

No overheat

No reduced ammo capacity

Nothing, no downside that I can see, and literally the easiest weapon to skill into.

The gar has been confirmed as a gallente weapon by the devs.....

The look of the rifle is that of gallente.......

They are made by duvolle laboratories......

The automatic ar is the gallente weapon.

Gallente ar=full auto

Minmatar combat rifle=burst

Ammarian SR= tactical

Calldari rail rifle= breach

The automatic ar is the lente weapon of choice everything else is a copy of the other racial ARs.

That is a bug, not a game mechanic, and I'm sure it will be fixed in time.

I'm speaking of an actual mechanic that give the ar a downside, overheat, jamming or something of the like.

Also I'm pretty sure that that goes for all weapons and is caused mainly by lag,I've certainly had it with my mass driver, probably wrong though and if this is truly a mistake on the devs part it needs to be fixed imediatly.

*shrugs* personally I think the ASR needs to overheat faster but that's just me.

Having a downside mechanic you actually have to monitor would be good for both weapons I think.

Yup ^-^ every weapon and item should have a negative to it in my opinion. It just makes sense.

I'll be using the combat rifle when it comes for I am a minja and minja want combat rifle, but should it not have a downside to it I'll set my love for it aside and request a downside for it.

These things make the game diverse and more challenging, I for one don't want to see proto logis with duvolles running this game forever, I want things to be fixed (plasma cannon) and for there to be no 'best' fit but seeing players using what they enjoy and not have to spec into certain things just to be able to compete.

Don't you?

P.S:having the combat rifle jam would:

A=make sense

And

B=be funny as hell

Aww so negative :(

If you believe the game too easy wouldn't the best thing to do is attempt to make it more challenging?

That's the purpose of the forums yes? To share ideas and improve the game right?

Since I've been in dust I've seen many things change to make it more 'new guy' friendly.

The flattened health across suits, and the damage reduction throughout weapon levels come to mind.

If we have a chance to support something to make the game a bit more challenging shouldn't we?

Then explain to me why TARs have far more range than scrambler rifles.