Well it finally happened. CCP took the nerf bat to the Flaylock pistol. I mean, they hit it HARD. But I understand the changes and accept them. I'm a dedicated shotgunner but the flaylock is a really good alternative when I just can't hit someone who is strafing like a madman. I get why they reduced the blast radius and the blast radius damage - but even a direct hit? I think that step was a bit too much. Marksmen who hit someone directly with a flaylock (very difficult to do especially on a DS3) should get substantial damage in the vein of the scrambler pistol. The flaylock should be like a miniature version of the mass driver. Smaller clip with smaller blast radius and damage - but it is still a pistol and a marksman with a pistol should be deadly effective.

That being said, i think the changes are positive, but that the graph in the Dev Blog is a little misleading. You see a SPIKE in flaylock kills at the beginning of July, roughly a month and a half after the pistol is introduced. Interestingly enough, this is also, roughly around the time that players who chose to skill into this weapon would be reaching Prototype status with it. My point? the weapon itself might not have been overpowered (after all, how many people do you see running around with the standard flaylock pistol? I do, but that's because I'm a scout and can't fit anything else), but the prototype WAS overpowered - at least for public matches. let me explain

there were two issues at play then with the prototype flaylock
1. Part of the problem with the proto flaylock was that it was being used in pub matches by impossible to kill caldari logis (im generalizing here but you see my point). This was not a problem with the gun, but rather a problem with pub stomping and the matchmaking system in general - making it seem more effective than it really was especially against scrubs like myself running standard gear.
2. the prototype flaylock pistol was far better than its advanced and standard variants - good enough to be a primary weapon and better than lots of primary weapons (shotgun, Plasma cannon, and arguably the MD)

The solution to the flaylock problem I feel was to mildly nerf the prototype variant because the other variants were already less than prevalent, to fix the matchmaking system so that such a powerful weapon wouldn't be used against scrubs, and/or to increase the CPU/PG requirements to align its fitting challenges with its power (i.e - if someone wants to use this op weapon, fine. Let them. but they won't be able to fit other prototype modules --- they'd have to compromise on some level)

Lastly, if you're complaining about the contact nades - either saying they didn't go far enough or that they went too far - your wrong. Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad XD. No, but seriously, that was a good compromise they made. Perfect way to balance the weapon as sort of a last ditch attempt to kill an enemy in a situational way.

Let the tears rain.

as said elsewhere the changes to ammo capacity thru skill, make it all more of an adjustment imho....

+5 clipsize thru skills....and if you rock a minnie medium Assault spec suit.. you can hit a 10 round clip size iirc... Flaylock is still a major weapon system. IIRC no nerf to firing rate....