I posted a version of this inside another thread; given the super positive response to the poll attached to my commentary on Matchmaking, I thought I'd address the topic
[b][i][u]Why nerfing is always a bad choice in game development [/u][/i][/b]
When faced with a situation where a few guns eclipse the general population in terms of use, The solution is never to take power [i]away[/i] from gamers, but instead [i]ADD[/i] power when there is a gap.
The gaming writer at Forbes must have read the reddit AMA/sub with the Blizzard team, because he pretty much quoted the same sources.
This is actually a good read:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2015/07/17/nerfing-gjallarhorn-and-thorn-is-the-exact-wrong-move-for-destiny/
Short version: always balance up, never down. Never make the player feel like they are being cheated.
Players should [b][i]always[/i][/b] feel powerful (like we did when the PVE buff was released for Shotguns...wow! What a fun week of using nothing but a gun that used to be useless!)
The threats of nerfs to Gjallarhorn are bad, but what's worse are the nerfs coming to two guns I've never seen one complaint about: Ice Breaker and Black Hammer.
It's claimed that they break the grind, and make elements of the game "shorter."
Let's be honest with yourself, Bungie: The older content is easy for one reason, and one reason only: player light levels are now at or above that of VoG and CE's hardest difficulty levels. It's not the guns, it's us, the players.
Maybe if Bungie slid in a few new difficulty levels they could appease those not feeling "challenged."
But taking away power from the players is just a cheap, easy way out.
Instead [i]add[/i] new guns or buff existing ones like [i]Dragon's Breath[/i] and [i]Truth[/i] to make the gap smaller.
Buff the ARs and Fusion Rifles to make hand cannons and shotguns only one of [i]several[/i] viable choices in crucible. Take the lens flare off of NLB to make it less of a joke, and more of a tool that is wielded by highly skilled players. Add perks that negate poison and health stealing to armor and/ or class items.
EXPAND the options, don't take them away.
That is how you make a great game that will live for a decade.
IMHO.
~n~
Please vote/bump/like if you want to be heard! And thanks for all the support with the matchmaking thread; together we can work [i]with[/i] Bungie to make the game great!
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Don't nerf Gjallahorn. Much better solution would have been to buff Truth and DB so that they were on a par. Dragon's Breath: add tracking. The real issue is that it is dumb fire. If it tracked it would be usable. 2nd, make the flare a sticky so that it attaches to the target and does damage over time. This would give DB an effect like the wolfpack rounds that do damage over time. Truth: already tracks, so it only needs a damage over time feature. Add a void vortex that sticks to the target and you're done. Now it has damage over time I hate how Bungie thinks the solution is to nerf things. If one weapon in a given category outshines the others, then buff the others to be on a par with the one. Nerf the single best heavy in the game? Really???