How to make shotguns less annoying, more skillful weapons

(hoyes) #1

Shotguns in this game are inconsistent. Simply put, sometimes you can get one shots out to ridiculous ranges, other times you barely do any damage at point blank range. This is due to the large spread, bar the ahnuhld, which makes these guns require little to no aim. Couple this with fast mercs and none existent jumping penalties (for shotguns) and you have some really annoying guns that require no skill to just one shot you, poof (except the ahnuhld again).

Now this may be some hyperbole, since shotguns are not used in PUGS/comp/higher level, since they are so niche AND inconsistent, but, this does not change the fact that out of these scenes, shotguns are excessively used when available. I want to remedy this, with the following changes :

Hollunds

-Reduce pellet spread by 50%
-Reduce pellet count by 1(Reducing dmg to 80 on bodyshot, 160 on headshot)
-Reduce fire rate to 80 rpm

This will make the hollunds much more accurate at range, having very similar damage at close ( only losing the capability of oneshotting Thunder), and make it more reliant on aim since the lower fire rate will make it less forgiving, aswell as balancing it out at medium range.

Remburg

-Reduce pellet spread by 40%
-Reduce pellet count by 1 (Reduce bodyshot damage to 88, 176 on headshot)
-Reduce fire rate to 75 rpm

Similar to to Hollunds, the Remburg will become more damaging than the Hollunds (still capable of one shotting Thunder), in exchange for a slight bit more spread than the Hollunds, as well as a slightly lower rate of fire.

Ahnuhld

-Reduce pellet spread by 20%
-Reduce pellet count TO 1
-Increase pellet dmg to 70(so 140 on headshot)
-Increase pellet dmg drop off start to 4m
-Reduce fire rate to 75 rpm

This practically makes the Ahnuhld into a slug shotgun, shooting one pellet at a time, aswell as having increased damage over range compared to the other shotguns. The extreme accuracy of the pellet will make it similar to the moa, but instead of a scope, you get accurate hipfire less sniper-like range. The skill ceiling of this weapon will dramatically increase, as well as the gun would become extremely consistent.

In the overall, I feel these changes would benefit the guns as well as the community. Any suggestions or queries please comment.

(GatoCommodore) #2

the shotgun itself is a glorified Melee weapon (except for anhuld)

i never really used it at range, i used it to blow faces, and it works very well.

the damage with these shotguns are so low at range might as well be a birdshot

(hoyes) #3

@GatoCommodore said:
the shotgun itself is a glorified Melee weapon (except for anhuld)

i never really used it at range, i used it to blow faces, and it works very well.

the damage with these shotguns are so low at range might as well be a birdshot

The reason for this is due to how many pellets actually hit. Each pellet currently does 8 damage, and with the shotguns having such large spread, it is no wonder why they do such little damage in practice.

(watsyurdeal) #4

To make shotguns more skillful, remove headshots, increase the pellet count to spread out the damage, and make meatshotting the primary focus.

(GatoCommodore) #5

but the newbies then will scream even harder…

(watsyurdeal) #6

but the newbies then will scream even harder…[/quote]

They’d scream regardless, so I don’t care

(everlovestruck) #7

Reduce pellet count TO 1
I like the idea of replacing pellets with slugs, but it makes Rhino capable of sniping (except for the fact that spread is still present even for slugs)