Aye.
Don't get me wrong. I'm quick to start a discussion about it in a forum, but I play where ever my ping is good, and don't even make mention of it, not even in the "let everyone know I'm handicapping myself by not using them" type of way. I turn them off, and play on, and honestly, I don't notice the difference. It also helps that I play widowmaker, and am highly visible 99% of the time anyways. I'm simply used to it. Half of my (T)DM favs are comp servers, and then TAM, which has it built in, so I'm not even taking the "boycott" step. Unlike most "pro's", I have no trouble adapting
Recent discussion on the subject though has brought me to that new theory about how it effects visual acuity, and how that effects hitscan aim and use. If it were simply as you describe, I would agree, but I don't feel that it is. Team beacons, and team colored skins kinda take care of the "who's team your on" issue, and the fundemental flaw in that analogy is, you will see the basketball player on the court 99% of the time, because it's an open area, with a mostly single colored background. Visual aquisition of that target is important, but not as much in an offensive manner as a defensive one. Not being able to see somone blocking you would be fairly difficult, but a block is such a rare, and in-efficient defensive move, that I wouldn't start to question the balance of the game if that were the case.
In UT on the other hand, hit-scan weapons are the most efficient means of offense, and changing the ease of target aquisition to help them does effect the balance, and the way the game is played, if it is to be played at the ut-most efficiency (IMO)
It's not differenciation that causes my beef, but aquisition. If a target is difficult to see because of range or lighting, it is meant to be that way. I feel when somone makes a map, they put the shadows there for the same reason they put the RL in the map. It gives the RL a vessel to be used. It shouldn't be thought of as stealth (since most of us would agree that is not what this game is about), but diversion. Like a smoke screen, you know the person is there, but hitting him will be difficult. With bskins, strap a vest to me with neon cathodes in a color of your opponents choosing, and now try to use that RL.
I'd be curious (if I had the resources) to run a server, record stats, and compare them between comp on, and comp off. Comp also records hit/miss/useage of said weapons, and it could be fairly conclusive in proving my point. Basically, if there was a substantial increase in either useage, or hit efficiency, I would see it as weapon balance and gameplay effecting. The rest of the equation would have to be constants though, same players, rules, and maps...
Basically though, I fully acknowledge that this feature, doesn't make or break a player. I know enough about the game to know how much of a bearing it has on gameplay. I just happen to be somone if effects more, because I'm an "up close and personal" type of player. I drop rox on people so close sometimes that I don't know how I didn't damage me, so being put in situation where I have to lean heavily on weapons I don't enjoy using as much is highly noticeable.
