First off Jon Weisnewski did a great job of explaining why they were changing the way our weapons play and even addressed the [i]"Why can't we make them all like the my favourite weapon"[/i] comment. He even listed how he envisions each weapon class to be played in the[b] Goals:[/b]
I am going to list when Jon said, what I heard or translated it to mean and also my opinion of the change. I didn't include the [u]Changes:[/u] section of the article but I did link it above.
[b]Auto Rifles[/b]
[quote]AUTO RIFLES
It’s our goal for the Auto Rifle to be a visceral, close-to-medium range chainsaw. It should reward target tracking, and drop in effectiveness at longer ranges. Looking at raw DPS [damage per second], the Auto Rifle is the most lethal primary weapon class across all of Destiny’s activities. It’s extremely effective in most combat scenarios and engagement distances. In fact, it is so effective that it’s intended role in the Primary family is being partially obscured.[/quote]
[u]What I heard:[/u] Auto rifles are good at everything STILL and we want you to use something else.
[u]Opinion on Changes:[/u] The base damage decrease of 2.5% is like 2 more bullets but when you already neuter the impact on the ARs 2.5% still sucks. Reduce effective range AND accuracy at range this is where I think most people are going to feel it in PvE and PvP you are going to miss with more bullets AND do less damage....THANKS!....There was a caveat though!!! HOPE! the Range states are going to be more critical meaning the higher range ARs will feel this nerf less....Doesn't make me feel better either...
[b]Pulse Rifles[/b]
[quote]PULSE RIFLES
The Pulse Rifle is the spiritual middle ground between full-auto and semi-auto weapons, delivering lethal bursts at a forced pace. The right combat rhythm rewards both target tracking and precision shooting. Pulse Rifles are currently the least used across all of the Tower’s warriors. We want to push these weapons to become a more compelling choice. [/quote]
[u]What I heard:[/u] No one uses them so we are going to up the damage statistic.
[u]Opinion on Changes:[/u] You can increase the damage 9.7% all you want but if you don't increase the impact we are still not going to use them. EXCEPT.......Red Death...because it regens health in Crota Hard....NOT IMPRESSED
[b]Hand Cannons[/b]
[quote]HAND CANNONS
Hand Cannons are intended to be the ideal weapon for precision-minded players on the move. Our goal is that they are ideal at close to medium range. They reward the calm hand that can pace shots under chaotic combat situations. The rounds hit like a truck so you shouldn’t need to fire fast to be effective.
Right now, the Hand Cannons work as advertised, but they’re a little too effective at longer ranges. We’re finding that players get very comfortable hanging back and using the Hand Cannon like a Scout Rifle or a Sniper Rifle. With these new changes, you can still hit targets at long range, but the shots need to be paced out and the damage will be lower until you close in on your target. [/quote]
[u]What I heard:[/u] These are too good to effective and we are going to pimp slap that ho back in her place
[u]Opinion on Changes:[/u] You are going to reduce the damage at range, accuracy at range, and initial accuracy....WOW...just WOW...I am still shocked at how much they are taking away from the Hand cannon...the overall effect is yet to be seen but it looks bleak very bleak for Hand Cannon users.
[b]Fuaion Rifles[/b]
[quote]FUSION RIFLES
Fusion Rifles are one of the most contentious weapons in the PvP arena right now. They’ve been largely untouched since Destiny launched and it has been great to watch the community slowly adopt these weapons and understand how to use them effectively. Currently, they are the most hotly unliked weapon to be killed by. On the other end of the feedback spectrum, they are supremely satisfying guns to kill with.
It is pretty easy to find and build a Fusion Rifle that can push the range limits and land one hit kills and/or massive damage from pretty far away. Furthermore, in The Crucible it is not difficult to depend on a steady stream of special ammo so that players rarely have to pick and choose the right time to use this weapon. Our changes address these issues and leave the overall feel and function of Fusion Rifles intact.[/quote]
[u]What I heard:[/u] These are too good in PvP....we have to nerf them because of the complaints.
[u]Opinion on Changes:[/u] They are going to go in a strait line and then spread like buck shot and some "123 range" I am not sure how good of bad this will be in PvE as a group will get more hits but a single Major or Ultra will get less damage at range so you are going to need to be closer for everything to get the same predictability and accuracy at choosing one target to eliminate.
[u]Shotguns[/u]
[quote]SHOTGUNS
Shotguns are the close quarters king. These are the weapons you need to eliminate anything that is directly in your face. The role of the Shotgun has been well established in the shooter genre for a long time now. For Destiny, we have some interesting data from the field: A very high amount of players use Shotguns in PvP, and almost no one uses them in PvE. In PvE activities, the reward of a close quarters Shotgun attack on any non-grunt enemy doesn’t give you enough of a damage spike to warrant using this weapon... [/quote]
[u]Opinion on Changes:[/u] There is a rant coming but I will give you that in a min. 100% damage increase to non guardian combatants is not going to get me to use a shotgun on a charging Minotaur Ultra or Major or Cabal or Knight with a sword. 100% increase still equals death at the current range.......and btw they nerf the range again...really...so now I really don't want to use these things.
[u][i][b]RANT[/b][/i][/u]
[quote]Increase damage by 2x (100%) against all non-Guardian combatants (aliens)[/quote]
That quote right there pushed such a major button for me!!! That means that Bungie CAN have one set of statistics for PvE and one for PvP!! The community has only been asking for this since the Vex Mythocast indecent!!! You were silent and there were millions of posts arguing if it could and could not be done...That quote means it can be!!!...I know it means more work for Jon ,but boy would it stop the cry babies in PvP effecting the experience in PvE and vice versa.
Bungie totally changes the game to make pvp players happy. The pvp system is where the problem really is. Level benefits should always matter, with a 6 level gap between lowest and highest allowed in a match. A level 6 shouldn't be equal to a level 32 and should have his ass handed to him by every legendary and exotic in the game. Period. A level 27 should have a fighting chance, depending on weapons, against a level 32, but should be at a disadvantage. It's not that hard to achieve a high level in the game. You can make 31 without ever running a raid for crying out loud. The babies cry because they don't have the weapons, but aren't willing to put the time in to get them, and then scream that they're overpowered. Please!