CaptainXavious wrote:What I've been doing on my side is pushing for weapons that have a lower DPS in exchange for some sort of utility. The coach gun is a prime example of this; while its not a powerhouse, it can still deal 150 damage + headshot bonus, and a partial hit will make the target bleed, giving you an easily tracked target that can't really sneak up on you if you have hit sounds + damage popup enabled. I also helped to implement more weapons that allow people to support the team rather than to directly kill the enemy, it can be a lot easier healing a cooperative team mate than hit a fast moving target, high ping or not.
I like your intention CaptainXavious, but as I see it skill became the "currency" of Freon. For you to have Skill you need to kill more, die less, and that is it, the formula. No team play being evaluated, so team players tend to get the weapon and tactic that kills the most, instead of the one that has a bonus or helps your mates. Coach in the beginning was like M290, 1 shot 1 kill, quite unbalanced, so at that precise time, literately everyone used it to farm kills (i.e easy-fast skill money): shoot once, 80-150 damage, change immediately to secondary weapon, 1 hit more, and you got the kill. Reload-repeat... Not to say the 20 seconds blinding only seeing red and with lowering hp to death...
But this is one example of so many... in that short period was the weapon of choice for Sylar for example...
People moved from using the team oriented weapons to the "Kill fast and easy" weapons. But this is only natural due to the nature of the skill system. Is of course more fun for anyone to be in the top of the food chain, which means the "best weapon" will always be the most used. Balance is very complex once you get all parameters together. I'm not criticizing the balance of the weapons (for this Aza has made a great Job) , I'm criticizing the way skill is valued because it makes weapons such as CaptainXavious mentions in a lower category.
With respect to the amount of people in the server, in my case is due to the delays I've had recently while I play. It puts me in such disadvantage that is not fun to play. But I believe is not the "not showing the skill", Its barely easy to see the skill without showing: For you to have a >5.5 skill you need to be positive in kills compared to deaths at the end of the match. If you want >7 you need a ratio K:D of 2:1, If you see Robot's and Aza's average are 4:1. All players in the upper skill system are having >2:1 ratio. If you are in the skill system upper end you will loose skill every time you don't meet the ratio, and somehow explains why some upper end players don't play all matches or maps, and always in some specific ones. Nonetheless, there are very skilled players (as Horrorklown) that will play any match without hesitation and no EFR.
I have to admit that for myself I have from the beginning preference for weapons such as the CYLO FS which has changed dramatically: From CYLO OP (more damage overheated) to CYLO SHITSTORM, to CYLO KILLYOURSELF, to "Horror please stop using it because Aza will nerf it again"... ow he did, now CYLO NOKILLONLYSOMEDMG. Most all weapons have changed for balance purpose making them OP, or obsolete or average as the "New best weapon" stands out. Take any of the weapons and in a period of time this specific weapon was the best choice (LH,DS,LS,LK,M46,M50,... name it). Perhaps using some other measures for skill will allow other weapons that are average or obsolete stand out. Skill in our moment is only the one who kills the most, but we all appreciate the medic in the team don't we? Typical HMC (Pupimassa, Joker..) users are moving to the "most kill" weapons too... and they don'thaw with it, they charge it and keep the shot...