1. "Play your way" was referring to leveling up, and Bungie making that part of the game less restrictive. 2. Once you're one-shotting trash mobs, there is nowhere else to go in terms of power without altering how the game plays, AND there is no need for finishers...and that whole aspect of play. 3. If this is important to you, then just build into it/spec for it. Add a "Minor" mod to that hand cannon, so you buff the damage.

You're reaching a little too far here. Hand cannons can still perform well in PvE for basic add cleanup. They also have access to Unstoppable/Overload mods, which are mandatory for high level Ordeals. You haven't lived until you've tried an Old Fashioned with Feeding Frenzy + Kill Clip.

The pve nerfs to handcannon damage has nothing to do with pvp. The damage values are separated between the pvp and pve sandboxes.

[quote]I was spoiled by things like fatebringer and my wail rolls but now it seems like handcannons are just a waste of time. You can only one hit red bar thrall, haven’t tested shanks. At the very least is it too much to ask for a one critical hit kill for trash mobs? This is probably the result of a change in the PvP meta penalizing PvE gameplay which is just a ridiculous system to say the least.[/quote] You don’t know what you’re talking about. Right now we have no idea why Bungie nerfed precision weapons like that, but “because of the pvp meta” makes no sense.