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

by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Wednesday, April 08, 2015, 13:42 (3308 days ago) @ CruelLEGACEY

The real solution (that nobody wants to admit) is to give up on the concept of the Auto Rifle.

I wouldn't go that far. I think we just need more auto rifles I the slow firing/hard hitting archetype. As I and many others have pointed out, Suros and Mythoclast (I know it's technically a fusion rifle, but it behaves like an AR) are still perfectly competitive with the best hand cannons or scout rifles.

Nooooo! Those ones are the problem!

We need a range nerf and a big damage boost on AR's. Turn them into SMGs; give them a bunch of kick, but the strength to kill nearly as fast as shotguns when at close range. A burst followed by a melee should kill really quick with AR's, allowing them to compete with shotguns at closer ranges, but not HC's and PR's at longer ranges. The reason they've been nerfed so much is because the vanquisher archetype is just too good at all ranges.

At close/mid range, they will never be as effective as shotguns and Fusion Rifles. Suros is great because it has similar effective range to HCs, PRs and SRs, but its still different to use. Since the other 3 primary weapons all have similar effective range and time to kill stats, most ARs simply aren't competitive. The few that do come close in terms of range & accuracy are great. Usable, without feeling overpowered.

Which comes back to what someone else said which is the root problem for auto rifles: shotguns and fusion rifles are not limited power weapons like in Halo, but permanent fixtures in the game. Auto Rifles are not as good precisely because at any given time, most opponents have something to counter it.