Okay boys and girls of all ages, here is my first gamer rant on these forums. Shotguns in shooters, OP (overpowered) or not? There is a short answer and a long answer. Short answer: Nope. The long answer provides a bit of an explanation as to why. It delves deep into the waters of a strange world unknown to many of the gaming community known as 'common sense' so be prepared. Okay, so a bit of background. Yesterday I was playing Destiny when a friend of mine (no names as to avoid embarrassment for them) began to whine about how 'Shotguns are way too OP' and 'You use a shotgun like a primary weapon [in PVP]' and 'In a MLG group I play with shotguns aren't allowed because they are OP'. To which I responded with many of the arguments I am about to list, resulting in said friend rage-quitting the conversation. Ahem, so in Destiny, like many other shooters such as Call of Duty (or COD for short), you have the ability to customize your starting weapons to match your play-style. This can come down to picking weapons, perks, and attachments (like in COD); simply picking the basic weapons and having heavier weapons drop into the map itself (like Halo 4), or offering complete customization of weapons and armor selection per player (like Destiny). When you give players the freedom to pick their own weapons, they are going to choose weapons that fit a certain playstyle where they feel the most comfortable and find they are the most successful. Shotguns make the list of weapons that can be chosen as loadout weapons both in COD games and Destiny. Gamers mentioned above who do not delve into the realm of common sense often complain about those who choose shotguns, stating the usual deep philosophical arguments like 'you suck' or 'you have no skill' or 'you're gay'. Now, as to why these people are wrong. When you build a layout, you essentially choose a role to fill. Lets use Destiny loadouts as an example as that is what I have been playing recently (also COD opens the can of worms about quickscoping which was handled in the previous rant). If you create a layout equipped with a scout rifle (mid to long range) and a sniper rifle (also long-mid to long range). You will be best suited for maps and situations that offer you opportunities for kills in those ranges. I run a Hand Cannon (short to mid range) and a shotgun (short range) so I am more suited to Close Quarters Combat (or CQC) situations. Now, if you are suited for mid-long range combat, and you go running through a CQC area, don't be mad when someone serves you death on a silver platter with a load of buckshot to the chest. You entered an area you were not prepared for. For the same reasons, if I go skipping through a field of flowers out in the open with no cover, I shouldn't get mad when someone snipes me in the face. I am not suited for long range confrontation as I do not have a weapon which is intended for such combat. It is for this reason that I try to stay in CQC areas as much as possible. My class (Hunter Bladedancer) has some options and I built it so that can help me close the distance, and turn a long-range confrontation into a mid, or even close range one. I can use my movement mode Blink to quickly move around and dodge long range shots, meanwhile closing the distance, or I can adopt a stealthier approach with invisibility and try to sneak into a closer range situation. So when someone wielding a sniper rifle goes sprinting down a hallway, and is met with someone with a shotgun, 8 times out of 10, the shotgunner wins. That isn't because the shotgun is too OP, it is because the sniper was not prepared for a CQC situation. So do not blame the game developers for a lack of common sense on your part. Destiny is a very well balanced game in my opinion, and any tweaks that need to be made are small ones. Good job Bungie, keep doing what you do! - Ens2010 (Xbox 360) (Note: today bungie announced that shotguns will be receiving a nerf to range. Meaning they will not do as much damage the more distance is increased)