Request: Trait: Small Arms Mastery

rodentmaster

In this game, sniper rifles have the longest range. Auto rifles have medium range. Pistols have shorter range. It's 25 yards for pistols, 30 for auto, and 35 for sniper rifles.

This is all fine and everything, but pistols are still a viable weapon most times. They simply suffer from shorter range. This is logical, since... well... they're pistols. Inherrent inaccuracies with how you hold, sight down them, and fire, mean that beyond certain ranges they won't be as effective.

That doesn't mean they stop being cool, though.

I propose a player trait that can be slotted which doesn't change or modify ANY weapons behavior except one. Just one. It makes pistol range 35 yards.

Call it Small Arms Mastery or some such. With time and practice, skilled marksmen can hit targets reliably beyond the range of the average shooter. It's not a problem with the weapon, it's the user interaction with it which limits the effective range. A Master wouldn't have the same limits as the average user.

Pistols already have a type that emulates most rifles in the game. Wide area, split beam, compression bolt, full auto burst, etc. You're not adding anything new to the equation there.

The plus side: You can use your special/favorite pistol weapon out to longer ranges which are sometimes quite useful/vital/necessary in STFs and the like. You don't have to swap out weapons for certain missions which require longer range. You still get to wear it "on your hip" when it's holstered for that visual appeal.

The down side: There are limited trait slots. To get the benefits from this trait you must forfeit another trait which might grant you any number of helpful abilities. You might have to trade that +CrtH or that +heal trait for this.

I think I'd very much like this. It wouldn't replace or supplant rifles, nor would it do more damage than them, but it would give you a few more options if you happen to like the pistol types in this game. Rifles would still be kings of the game, but at least pistols would have a little more reach to them.

cbrjwrr

I think we need Sniper rifles to actually have an appropriate range first - 30 -> 60 metres (use shooter mode for the extra) just is not realistic given a real weapon of that type would have a range of several miles or more for a 25th Century weapon.

rodentmaster

On the other hand, this game is in no way realistic. It also has small ranges under which things will render properly or even spawn. There's no reason to have 100 yards (which is pretty short range for a sniper) when most enemy won't show up til 40-50.

I can understand arbitrary weapons ranges in a game like this. Giving the different weapon types varrying ranges to make them act or feel differently is justified, IMO.


With all that in mind, and assuming weapons ranges don't change, I'd still like some option to have pistols fire at longer ranges. This way, it's even optional. If you don't care, just ignore that trait!

welcome2earf

This trait would, in effect make Compression pistols into sniper pistols.

tk79

I disagree with the suggestion. Pistols do more sustained DPS than other types (barred exotic ones) and that justifies their shorter range.

I'd say, if you want a pistol with longer range, it needs to deal less damage, otherwise you're introducing new balance issues. Even with the damage decrease, other effects would have to be given more thought. The secondary shot from a compression pistol is already powerful when used properly.

rodentmaster

welcome2earf wrote: »

This trait would, in effect make Compression pistols into sniper pistols.

And? How is that different from using a sniper rifle? The tradeoff is you're using up a rare trait slot to achieve that which you can do with another weapon. And a full-on sniper rifle would still be more effective.

Tk79: How can you claim that? That's just not true. Pistols do not do the most dps and do not need reduced damage if the range increases. You don't decrease sniper rifle ranges because they have high dps, right? You don't decrease split beam -- one of the best DPS rifles in the game) down to 20 yards to compensate. Let's be reasonable here. You're making up justifications to keep pistol range short. The reality is it's arbitrary. So, as an option, allow us to bypass that limitation at the high cost of slotting a passive trait skill. Even inside current pistol ranges, pistols are no better than any other weapon. They are often inferior in terms of DPS. Compression pistols aren't the only option, either. There is a pistol type to emulate every rifle type in the game. Think of it as only a side-grade, not an up-grade.

tk79

rodentmaster wrote: »

Pistols do not do the most dps and do not need reduced damage if the range increases.

MKXII White Gear DPS Comparison

Weapon Type
Primary Shot DPS / Secondary Shot DPV / Range

Compression Pistol:
100 / 139 / 25m
Dual Pistols:
97 / 26 (cone spray) / 25m-15m
Stun Pistol:
96 / 12 (Stun) / 25m
Wide Beam Pistol:
96 / 99 / 25m-15m

Full Auto Rifle:
103 / 26 (cone spray) / 30m-20m
High Density Beam Rifle:
90 / 116 / 35m
Sniper Rifle:
87 / 165 / 35m-45m
Split Beam Rifle:
90 / 99 (AoE) / 35m

Assault Minigun:
90 / 33 (cone spray) / 30m
Blast Assault:
73 / 116 (AoE) / 30m
Pulsewave
106 (close) / 220 (close) / 20m-15m

---

Barred the Full Auto Rifle, all pistols do more DPS than all the other types.
Pulsewaves are not quite DPS weapons due to their tactical limitation on range.