Yeah, exotic weapon balance is PvP's real problem. (Destiny)

by Ragashingo , Official DBO Cryptarch, Tuesday, April 07, 2015, 18:16 (3309 days ago) @ Claude Errera

That's interesting, because I don't think of Thorn as being that much better. I feel a Thorn is basically the equal of something like a The Devil You Know. My theory is that players using Thorn need three (or more) shots to get a kill vastly more often than they manage to score two headshot + poison kills. I try and engage Thorn users with that in mind. I play normally and focus on beating them to the kill as if they had any other gun "knowing" that if I do kill them first I'm far more likely to survive the poison than I am to die from it after the fact.

I think perhaps what makes Thorn feel so much more powerful is its unique firing sound, its unique green shot trail, and the visual effect of the poison that makes you think you're going to die even when you're really probably not. It's that factor of knowing every single time a Thorn kills you, plus the occasional times a Thorn user actually does manage to kill you with with the poison, that makes you remember and grumble. When I get killed by other Hand Cannons I have to look to see if they were using a TDYK or a TDYD or a TFWPKY 1969 or a TLW or a TL or whatever so it sticks in my memory far less.