[b]TLDR: [u]Special Weapons are TOO powerful[/u] [/b] . If you explore [i]Grandmaster Report, Raid Report or Dungeon Report[/i], you'll understand that our Guardians are in the greatest era of [b]Double Special[/b] we've ever seen. While [b]Weapon Craftability[/b] has certainly exacerbated this issue, it's mostly the addition of new Archetypes:[b] Rocket Sidearms[/b] and [b]Area Denials[/b], that have drastically lowered the floor of [b]Double Special[/b] for the playerbase. . [b]Wave Frame GLs, Trace Rifles & Rapid Frame Shotguns[/b] are all culprits of the past, given their deep reserves & general potency across a variety of activities. Overall [b]Special Weapons[/b] are so potent and [b]Ammo[/b] is [i]so available[/i] that there's [b]NEVER[/b] a reason to run a [b]Primary[/b] anymore. . [b]That's a problem.[/b] . Let's explain '[b]Why[/b]'- . The obvious answer that [b]NOBODY[/b] should debate, is that the [i]potency[/i] of [b]Special Weapons[/b] essentially [i]kills[/i] [b]ANY[/b] demand to chase [b]Primaries[/b]. Why? Why should I chase some [b]crummy Pulse or Scout[/b] when [b]Specials[/b] are infinitely better? . [b]The less demand for Loot, the less demand for queuing, the less players in the game.[/b] . There's a variety of reasons [b]WHY[/b] players are leaving, but this is just another thorn in the playerbase. There's [b]no[/b] reason to chase [b]Primary[/b] Loot if it will never supplant [b]Specials[/b]. . Now, [i]how frequent[/i] is [b]Double Special[/b]? . Essentially [u][i]every[/i] [b]Leaderboard[/b][/u] across the aforementioned third parties- [i]GMR, RR & DR-[/i] are [i]entirely[/i] [b]Double Special Loadouts[/b]. The [b]Ability Spam[/b] available on [i]Prismatic[/i] is also enabling the [b]Double Special Meta[/b] heavily, but even without [i]Prismatic[/i] it's incredibly viable given the [u][i]availability[/i][/u] of [b]Ammo[/b] in Activities- [b]Rally Banners, Chests, Special Finisher[/b] being the primary sources, [b]Aeons & Cenotaph[/b] being secondary. . So what if the [i]potency[/i] of [b]Special Weapons[/b] supplants the need to chase [b]Primary Loot[/b]? [i]Why[/i] else would [b]Double Special[/b] be a [i]problem[/i]? . There is greater complexity in the answer to this question. Ultimately [i]Destiny 2[/i] is a [b]Looter Shooter[/b] that is [u]lacking a demand for [b]Loot[/b][/u]. [b][u]Ability Spam[/u][/b] & a [u]handful of specific weapons[/u] have [b]DOMINATED[/b] the game [u][b]going on 9 months[/b][/u]. But [i]why[/i] should it matter what people prefer or what is meta? . There is nothing inherently wrong with preference. Likewise there is nothing inherently wrong with [b]Self Antagonizing[/b] & evading the meta with one's gameplay. . [i]However[/i]..... . This is not the job of the players. An imbalanced mess that supports [b]limited variety[/b] & has top heavy contenders within a meta isn't going to support [b]player retention[/b]. [b]Redundancy[/b] abounds when this happens. [b]Toxicity[/b] accompanies this for any dissenters. And players [b]hemorrhage[/b]. . While it sounds stupid to just outright say: [b]"Double Special is resulting in players leaving the game"[/b] it actually is true. The correlation to draw just takes a slightly indirect avenue to reach this conclusion. . What is the answer? . I am [b]not[/b] a proponent of reducing [b]skill ceilings[/b]. For that reason, the [i]potency[/i] of [b]Special Weapons[/b] should not only be maintained, but [i]increased[/i]. . In return, [b]Ammo Reserves[/b] should be gutted. Hard. [i]Barring[/i] Reserves specific Perks. . [b]Brick Pickups[/b] should be gutted. Hard. [i]Barring[/i] Scavs. . [b]Chest & Rally[/b] returns should be gutted as well. . Why include these reservations? . Because [i]Destiny 2[/i] [b]MUST[/b] return to a [b]Gunplay[/b] centric gameplay loop. . The [b]Ability Spam Era[/b] has done [i]irreparable damage[/i] to this [b]Playerbase[/b], the [b]Skill Floor[/b] & [b]Skill Ceiling[/b] of this franchise. . Those who [i]Buildcraft[/i] for [b]Gunplay[/b] & [b]NOT Ability Spam[/b] should be respected. Forcing players off of essential [b]Armor Mods[/b] to the [b]Ability Spam[/b] gameplay loop is a must. . You [i]cannot[/i] [b]Ability Spam[/b] your way through [i]Endgame[/i] [b]AND[/b] have [b]Double Special[/b] to supplement the gaps. . It's killing off [b]Gunplay & Loot[/b]. . A reduction in overall Ammo within the game returns players to [b]Primaries[/b]. [b]Special Weapons[/b] should be a calculable tool utilized for intermittent burst DPS- not seemingly infinite burst with infinite availability. Their potency is exacerbated by [b]Ability Spam[/b] via [i]Prismatic[/i], but this is at least [b]ONE[/b] step in the right direction.