It actually would if you sit and think about it. I've been using all the flaylock variants on a 9,000,000 SP Minmatar assault Alt of mine. Here's some ideas I came up with.

lol
"Slow moving projectile" do you have any clue how fast it is?
I would say it's triple than MD grenade speed and has next to no drop off.

Look, this weapon needs to have one shot and reload, or half the splash damage.
Compare it to other side arms all you want, they require you to aim directly at the target, the flaylock allows you to aim in the general direction.

Slow moving as in slower moving than a point-and-shoot weapon. There is quit a bit of round travel time. Try using the flaylock, it's not that easy to get kills. Also, by using it, I mean the STD, ADV, Prototype and all the variants to get a good idea of how to balance it while making it still viable as a sidearm you can main. Other sidearms are good enough to use as a main weapon, but people still haven't caught on.

Before you hiss at me, hear me out on this.
I have a feeling that the fix to splash radius, where before even if you were right over the explosive it won't do damage, fixed this weapon and it's now a fine weapon without the increased splash radius.

I just want to see how it acts if they remove the buff for a week or so and see how it behaves.
If it's once again bad restore the buff, otherwise keep it.

This isn't just a request from me, I see a lot of people claiming this too in different threads, I say, put the theory to the test.

You're a noob.

All radius weapons need to have their range increase I think, but make it so at max radius you take 1 damage, you know?

See I've noticed if I'm on the edge I take either a bit of damage or none at all, but nothing in between, the larger radius should give such a small amount of damage, like you do when firing an AR at a great range, you know?

Which ones? There are 3 kinds and they each have different clip sizes. If you are suggesting all of them, then you don't understand variants and you don't realize how dumb this idea is. Either way, I don't think you get mass drivers.

If you could only have 4 shots, with anything other than a ADV breach MD or Freedom MD, you would have to get 100% direct hits with your entire clip, and even then, heavily shielded players would likely survive. 4 shots takes like 3-4 seconds.

Imagine asking an AR player to require 3-4 seconds of continuous uninterupted 100% accuracy to kill another player...

NO. MASS DRIVER IS FINE. IT TAKES ALL 2-3 ROUNDS OF A PROTO MD TO COME EVEN CLOSE TO KILLING THE TRYHARDS ONCE I KNOCK OFF THEIR SHIELDS. MD IS FINE AND BALANCED. BALANCE THE FREAKING GAYLOCK. PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT MD ARE UPSET BECAUSE THEY LOST THEIR PRETTY PROTO TO ONE.

Before you hiss at me, hear me out on this.
I have a feeling that the fix to splash radius, where before even if you were right over the explosive it won't do damage, fixed this weapon and it's now a fine weapon without the increased splash radius.

I just want to see how it acts if they remove the buff for a week or so and see how it behaves.
If it's once again bad restore the buff, otherwise keep it.

This isn't just a request from me, I see a lot of people claiming this too in different threads, I say, put the theory to the test.

Area denial weapon, rings any bells?
With 4.4m of splah radius, it takes skill to miss >_>

Also, I think people are somehow 'used to' the mass driver sound. It isn't scary enough to run away from. Maybe the explosions sound too similar to grenades. But you should run away from it. And into small bits of cover aren't enough. You need to get behind something with a tall wall.

Theoretically youd want a wall that is bigger than the splash radius of the shell.

I just imagine people are increasing in skill. I've noticed that having much more stable graphics I am able to be more precise with my shots. Players should know that bunkers and towers may be even more vulnerable to MD users than AR users.

Going by the fitting requirements of MD user though, they will likely be able to fit less tank than another player with the same suit with a different weapon.

Try using the MD. It's very awkward to aim with. I'm not going to say it takes more skill than any other weapon, but it sure as hell isn't easy mode. It's like a kill assist farmer that occasionally gets kills. My best game was 22-3, but that was because people were dumb enough to keep rushing the point I was defending.

I did, it was easy hitting people.

How many 1 v 1 engagements did you win against an AR?

None, because that's not it's job.
Well, more accuratly, I never went into 1v1 because I knew this puts the weapon outside of it's intended use.

NO. MASS DRIVER IS FINE. IT TAKES ALL 2-3 ROUNDS OF A PROTO MD TO COME EVEN CLOSE TO KILLING THE TRYHARDS ONCE I KNOCK OFF THEIR SHIELDS. MD IS FINE AND BALANCED. BALANCE THE FREAKING GAYLOCK. PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT MD ARE UPSET BECAUSE THEY LOST THEIR PRETTY PROTO TO ONE.

Everything is a 'hard counter' to a heavy, while the HMG is a hard counter to basically nothing. Your argument is less valid.

Well, I took the MD to battle right now.
All standard gear, one enhanced light damage mod.
Zero skills into it, using the Aurum version.
Status?
Success, went 11/1, that 1 was from a LAV.
And I got in 5 minutes before the end of the match (Ambush), if it was from the start I would probably be higher than that.
Kills were extremely easy, I can only imagine what happens if I bring a flux and high end gear and MD.

Area denial my ass.
1v1? Piece of cake.

i think I might rather see a smaller amount of damage over larger radius rather than a reduced radius.

let it be area denial:

50 dmg over 7 meters

i think I might rather see a smaller amount of damage over larger radius rather than a reduced radius.

let it be area denial:

50 dmg over 7 meters

Well, I took the MD to battle right now.
All standard gear, one enhanced light damage mod.
Zero skills into it, using the Aurum version.
Status?
Success, went 11/1, that 1 was from a LAV.
And I got in 5 minutes before the end of the match (Ambush), if it was from the start I would probably be higher than that.
Kills were extremely easy, I can only imagine what happens if I bring a flux and high end gear and MD.

Area denial my ass.
1v1? Piece of cake.

Here's the issue- the MD has to dish out enough damage to make someone go "Oh ****!" and retreat. Anyone that want's to stand there and shoot back and die should be a free kill. The assault MD already deals diminished damage over a wide area and is a true support weapon. The standard variant is balanced for general purpose with a smaller radius and almost even damage across the board. Hell, I've even had some fun with a speedy logi fitting and using the MD like an explosive shotgun in CQC. Seriously, how many other weapons have variants that are all useful in given situations without being completely OP? CCP already nerfed the damage and splash enough, just let the MD be already.

I took an HMG heavy into an ambush and went 20-2 easy.
Next game I got stomped.
Please don't use a single game as a reference for balancing a weapon.

Not to mention a pub match. Everything is OP in a pub match... even the laser.

I took an HMG heavy into an ambush and went 20-2 easy.
Next game I got stomped.
Please don't use a single game as a reference for balancing a weapon.

Might as well test the weapon in an office LAN party.

Well, I took it to three more matches.
All of them had similar results.

I threw up in my mouth a little when I read that. If we ever get an officer MD, I propose that we should call it Fren's Remnant to commemorate that ordeal.