The Sniper Rifle.

lol @apoc. #2 is good. Couldn't do #1 because it speaks too defineatively, which is against a person rule of engagement. I've got a few of my own, so I'll be ok .

It's not that I want the weapon nerfed to the point where I can abosorb sniper bullets and frolic around carelessly in open areas. I'd like to be able to use it too. What prevents me from using a weapon is lack of challenge or enjoyment in doing so. Honestly, traceability was not one of the bigger problems of the UT sniper rifle, and it bing fixed so thouroughly wasn't as necessary as some other things (chaulk that one up to hind-sight). I just want a sniper weapon that takes skill to use. Having to lead in a no-latency environment, not being able to bail on it right after a shot, and switch to another weapon to take out the guy that flanked your perch.

Sub sonic projectile trace round. Slightly longer ROF then LtG, cSR switch away time, and 80/160dmg. Make the round something that explodes. Thermals on the zoom aren't such a bad idea. Smoke cloud sold seperately.

Only problem is we can't test it like Epic can and tweak accordingly, so even if we could draw a cool weapon on paper, it's mostly pointless. That though is the range I'd be looking for. More damage, less rapidity, minor traceability, mild commitment, skill to shoot.

@Kriegs: Either Hit-scan or Projectile. To code someting not-hit-scan, it needs to be modeled, and designated a velocity.

I don't mind it being ok at mid range, or even close range, but if you are gonna tote it at said "un-intended" ranges, I want it's effectiveness to be earned by some raw skill.

I'm not saying make it out right impossible, but if I got an SR, and only an SR, I would want the possibility of landing a shot up close. Hence the no-zoom modification thing I wouldn't like, whether it be decreased damage, no crosshair, or whatever other idea you could come up with to that effect. I think the switch away time is really the clincher, because being able to pop of a high damage shot like that, and make or miss, then switch to a weapon more suited for your range in less then a second is silly. It's you're gonna chance the big damage shot up close like that make them pay. You throw a rail in Q3, and you gotta wait the entire recharge time of the Railgun to even switch away. You start to wonder if it's even worth it to switch away more often then not.

Prob with LtG is, you really don't have to ever make that wait. You don't feel the ROF, because you can throw any other weapon in between it, then come back to it if you want, and it's good, almost solely because of this, at any range.

I wouldn't have a problem if someone was that good with an unzoomed, non-hitscan weapon up close that if they just simply didn't miss, to be able to use it where ever. It's the ability to miss, once or twice, in a CQ firefight, and not worry about it that is bothers me.

I think the weapon balance in this game is magnificent for 60-90ms pings. That however, is not an average competative ping anymore, even on the internet. It was however a quite "average internet ping" when the current weapon set was esablished in 2k3, and was only very slightly tweaked to 2k4, but not with that aspect in mind.

Again, I re-emphasize: I don't like what the sniper is capable of in my hands either. It's a very easy weapon to frag with, and is almost so efficient, especially in lan scenarios, that when the game get's more competative you are forced to use it to keep up¹. I can whore the SG, and on the right maps fair quite well against it. A lot of it can be blamed on the maps, because some maps, you simply have to out shoot with it (see DM-DE-Grendelkeep). My problem isn't so much facing it though, as it is from both sides of the coin. I don't like useing it, but face the above stated problem¹.

It happened before, and it's bound to happen again. The LtG is one of the coolest sniper weapon concepts I have ever seen, and all things considered, I like it a lot too. Epic has already said it's gone though, otherwise, I might be discussing what things could be done to balance it.

I think though, that balanceing it would be nearly impossible if they plan to take away the SG. Despite it's effectiveness vs every weapon in the game if used properly, the SG's primary use is a hit-scan counter. Since hit-scan can't be dodged, it is the only means of pre-emptive damage prevention you can do. You really, shouldn't need it vs anything projectile, because there remains a possibility to avoid it reactively. With the minigone, and no more LtG, a slowed down Shock Prime, and limited range link shaft as the only hit-scan in the game, a projectile based stinger, and sniper weapon would easily facilitate it's removeal. Then, however they plan to reduce the "hip-hop" will hopefully restore some of the scaling, and various weapons aspects of UT, and make this game as "in your face" as they hope to restore it to be.

I also firmly believe that another "means" of balancing hit-scan in this game were the change of scale and player visibility. Smaller characters, who's colors blended better with backrounds would make them harder targets to trace-point-click. Unfortunately, at competative levels, we have wonderous things called brightskins in comp, and TAM, to destroy those aspects weapon balance. If they make the move back to larger, more visible models, then that will as well be considered when balancing the weapons, and make hit-scan weapons again, in need of "nerfing".

My main point is more or less to illustrate all the factors and concerns when considering weapon balance. You can see how my subject matter can tend to veer off in so many directions, because there is that much to consider, how everything effects and compares to everything else. Hence I try not to worry about little things like how "the next UT won't have that cool lightning weapon", but more try to focus the big picture and how hopfully "UT's weapon balance will improove greatly once again" as it has done so well in the past.