As an avid close quarters player, I am a bit disappointed with the nerf to the laser sight, not the hipfire nerfs to LMGs and ARs. Let's say that the most likely thing SOE will do to nerf the laser is add new percentages to the progression. My estimate being roughly 20% for the standard laser and 35% for the advanced version. (I have not seen the test server percentages, so if someone could fill me in on that it'd be wonderful.) Let's compare this to a couple weapons, SMGs specifically, as they are the weapons that benefit most from this attachment. Everything else is probably where it should be as far as hipfire goes. Cyclone Aim .3/.3/.3/.3/.6 Hip 1/1.5/1.25/1/.6 --> Laser .5/.75/.625/.5/.6 Eridani Aim .3/.3/.3/.3/.5 Hip 1/1.5/1.25/1/.5 --> Laser .5/.75/.625/.5/.5 Armistice Aim .3/.3/.3/.3/.5 Hip 1/1.5/1.25/1/.5 --> Laser .5/.75/.625/.5/.5 All these weapons benefit heavily from accuracy, as they should; a low magazine size weapon forces accuracy. This is cut in half with the advanced laser. Now let's take this with (likely) updated laser. This is rounded down in accuracy for simplicity's sake. Cyclone Aim .3/.3/.3/.3/.6 Hip 1/1.5/1.25/1/.6 --> Laser .65/1/.85/.65/.6 Eridani Aim .3/.3/.3/.3/.5 Hip 1/1.5/1.25/1/.5 --> Laser .65/.1/.85/.65/.5 Armistice Aim .3/.3/.3/.3/.5 Hip 1/1.5/1.25/1/.5 --> Laser .65/.1/.85/.65/.5 I myself favor accuracy over damage per second and ttk, but I love hipfire, while these things may seem like rather tiny nerfs to accuracy, they add up quite fast. This is not even counting if the .75x ads multiplier nerfs SMGs as well. As I said previously I favor accuracy over DPS or TTK, so why not give SMG users new hardware that emulates the old hipfire levels, or even better than the current. A good reference is the NS-07 PDW, a balance of close quarters accuracy and medium range killing power. What I suggest is a new generation of SMGs, focusing more on reload speed and accuracy with a longer max dmg range, than mag size and rate of fire. Let's make a base to adapt all the other SMGs to. This weapon type has 5 rounds less in the mag than it's base SMG and less DPS, 15m max dmg range, less hoirzontal recoil, and 400m/s velocity. Most importantly it's more accurate. Also, it's a proper bullpup weapon, not some cassette player (don't get me wrong I love the PDW.) Time to theorycraft. Cyclone Bullpup - Using this model we can make another Theoretical gun. Aim .2/.2/.2/.2/.6 Hip 1/1/1/1/.6 --> Revised Laser .65/.65/.65/.65/.6 RPM: 600 DMG: 167@15m - 125@70m Reload speed: 2.4s/1.65s Mag Size: 20-30 With ext. mags Pretty much straight vertical pull. - The vertical pull is very high. but is compensated with very low horizontal Velocity: 400m/s Ammo Pool: 20/160 Armistice Bullpup Aim .2/.2/.2/.2/.5 Hip 1/1/1/1/.5 --> Revised Laser .65/.65/.65/.65/.5 RPM: 845 DMG: 125@15m - 100@70m - On a funny note this has the same TTK at max range as the 845rpm carbines. Reload speed: 2.2s/1.85s Mag Size: 25-35 extended lower vert recoil than horizontal Velocity: 400m/s Ammo Pool: 25/225 Eridani Compact Aim .2/.2/.2/.2/.5 Hip 1/1/1/1/.5 --> Revised Laser .65/.65/.65/.65/.5 RPM: 700 DMG: 143@15m - 112@70m Reload speed: 1.85s/1.55s Mag Size: 20-30 With ext. mags equal vert recoil to horizontal - Most controllable of the 3rd gen SMGs Velocity: 450m/s Ammo Pool: 20/220 Revised PDW Aim .2/.2/.2/.2/.5 Hip 1/1/1/1/.5 --> Revised Laser .65/.65/.65/.65/.5 RPM: 750 DMG: 125@15m - 100@70m Reload speed: 2.35s/2.15s Mag Size: 30-40 With ext. mags lower vert recoil to horizontal Velocity: 420m/s Ammo Pool: 30/210 - Highest Ammo count for 3rd gen SMGs What do you people think, would you use them? OP, or not? Sacrificing DPS and DPM for higher accuracy, oh and of course looking awesome. If you sat through all those stats--cookie for you. You can still use the 1st gen SMGs, these will just be another option.
The laser sight nerf ends up being a buff to SMGs. SMGs are the only guns that doesn't have their cof bloom doubled when hipfiring. SMGs base cof may be a little less accurate but so are all the other guns, or much less accurate in the case of LMGs, and they have to contended with doubled cof bloom.
