RE-POST: Should there be new rifles and shotguns?

[Like a Boss]

As stated in the title, I've posted this thread before but due to my ranting(more on this later) it was removed because I used some "inappropriate" words. In my defense, EPIC, I did censor the swears.

Anyway, I recently came up with the idea for EPIC to add new load-out weapons to Gears of War 3. In my last post regarding this, I wasn't too happy with the responses, thus the ranting. Many people said that having a lot of weapons would drop Gears down to Call of Duty's level. I highly, HIGHLY, disagree with this. My idea when I came up with this wasn't simply to have a wide array of weapons, as with Call of Duty, my thought was that adding new weapons would open Gears up to people with play styles not necessarily supported by the current five weapons. While opening the door to new players, adding new weapons would simply add diversity to Gears of War online play. Making the game more unique even. In the last post, along with a lot of negative feedback, I did receive a few good suggestions: some weapons that, if added, could improve online play and open the doors to people that cannot use the Gnasher and, like most, hate the sawed off(me). But again with the negative feedback. Many of you went straight to Call of Duty with this. I'm not talking about 10+ rifles and 10+ shotguns. Perhaps just one or two good, new load-out weapons. However, one thing I did see that I liked on the negative side of things was concern that EPIC wouldn't do very well balancing any new weapons and cause more rage among the Gears Elite, as with thee Sawed-Off. Let's just assume that EPIC would make new weapons well and to the communities expectations for this poll. But please, do NOT go to CoD as an excuse not to accept some change and added diversity to the Gears world.

Please people, don't lead me to ranting over complaints involving Call of Duty. Of course me adding the footnote will probably end up causing more of it, I'll put it here anyway.

[The Midget God]

I think the point of having so few loadout weapons is that each gun has its place. HB=Long Range, Lancer=Medium Range, Retro=Short Range. This is the the triangle of the Gears rifles. Adding anything would kind of ruin it. When I die and see what rifle they used when they killed me, it all comes down to a matter of range.

[LambentHammerburst]

In everygame there's 5 ranges.
Melee Range
Short/Close Range
Medium Range
Long Range
Sniper Range

Presently we have the weapons that excel in certain areas but they do overlap.
The Retro Lancer is a short to medium range weapon. Excels in close. Has ability to instantly kill at medium range (Retro Charge from Medium range = instant kill if hit)
Lancer is a medium to long range weapon. Excels in medium. Has ability to instantly kill at close/melee range (Chainsaw)
Hammerburst is a long to sniper range weapon. Excels in sniper range due to small clip size. Effective at long range however if he's rushed by multiple opponents at long range. He will kill one. Better used at sniper range as at that range it can kill 2 easily.

I know some may disagree with me on the Hammerburst. However I am basically a exclusive Hammerburst player (hence the name) and I can tell you the gun is ideal at sniper range if you have a HDTV. I've downed a entire team many times on Gridlock when they were coming to their spawn. Was able to do it with the closest getting to just past the Boomshot and me being on the same balcony as the Gorgon/Boltok spawn (beside stairs).
That's very much sniper range.
However if rushed by 3 from the opposite location as I - which is easily defined as Long Range - I'm lucky to down 2 of them in time before I have to switch to my shotgun.

So really right now we don't have a true gun that excels at "Long Range" - the Hammerburst does indeed fit that spot nicely however it's better at Sniper Range.
The Gears 1 Hammerburst however would fit this nicely. That gun in Gears 1 was a great Medium to Long range gun - except it excelled in Long range after the June '07 nerf in which is what I adjusted to nicely after.

So if any Rifle should be added it should be the Hammerburst (G1).
We'd have:
Melee Range - Shotguns
Short Range - Retro
Medium Range - Lancer
Long Range - Classic Hammerburst
Sniper Range - Hammerburst

It would need some tweaking however. The damage it deals is fine as it is as it's equal the the Gears 3 Lancer's. G3 Lancer's base damage is 55 and Hammerburst in G1 PC is 56.
There's no damage modifiers in the ini files of Gears 1 PC I can see - so I'm guessing it deals equal damage at all ranges.
Now for the guns function - since it does fire in a 6 round burst it is a disadvantage against the Lancer and Retro up close as those can keep a constant stream of damage. It could beat them if the user uses cover nicely.

For balance though they could change it a bit.
Increase the damage to something like 65 but increase the burst delay between shots. The presently delay is 1/4 of a second.
Basing off the WarWeaponTDM.ini (Gears PC) - the Hammerburst is capable of firing 21 shots a second if it didn't burst. That means it takes appox 0.55 to do a complete burst and delay. Meaning 1.1 seconds is 2 bursts or 11 seconds to empty clip of 60.
Increase the delay to be 1/3 a second would make a nice change. It'd roughly be 1.25 (1 and a quarter) seconds to do 2 bursts or 12.5 seconds to empty clip of 60.

Another simple change to leave it as is (as it was in Gears 1) - reduce the clip size to be 30 (or 48). This would make it only have 5 bursts (or 8) instead of the 10 it had. This would completely overhaul the weapon and force it to become a support ranged weapon instead of allowing it to be used on the frontline easily as 10 bursts is a fair amount.

Have it deal it's standard damage at close/medium (my idea of increased to 60) - but at long range it would deal 55 or 50 (91% or 83%) and then 40 at Sniper range (66%).
This would keep the Gears 3 Hammerburst the ideal Sniper range weapon while having the Classic Hammerburst be the long range weapon. However as each function completely differently - they'd have to be used very differently too.

So a Classic Hammerburst would be damn nice with some tweaks.




Now for the Shotguns
Honestly it's so hard to say. If anything should be added it should be something between the Gnasher. Honestly the Sawed-Off Elite from RAAM's Shadow should be the base as it's a weapon already designed and in the Gears of War lore.
However tweak it to hell.
I think it being a 2 or 4 round shotgun. Instead of being a wide spread single shot - make it equal to the Gnasher BUT it fires off the 2 shots quicker and then has a Gnasher length (or slightly more) reload.
This would make it balanced in the sense it's equal to the Gnasher in damage - but has a higher rate of fire. However due to the lower clip size - reloading is more frequent.
I would say though if 2 shot - should deal 10%-20% more damage than the Gnasher. If 4 shot - equal to Gnasher.
However don't make it Sawed-Off but rather pre-sawed off. So full length barrels.
The Charge option would be removed too. So the blades could stay for visual effect or removed. I'd say keep them so the gun can use the Retro Lancer execution.
So all in all this would be a more powerful Gnasher but it's hindered by the clip size.

[Gnashes]

No.

I just woke up from a chronic headache induced nap, so forgive me from going into detail, but no.

[Savvy Noob]

the thing with gears is you got map based weapons to pick up, u got all these different executions which gives variety to the game so my personal opinion leave it as is

[TheJMAN]

Kind of too late...

[thebeastnamedjoe]

all i want is the gears 1 hammerburst

[FLaW ChRiS]

Agreed, the hammerburst if possible should return to the burst rate to keep people from using modded controllers.
The sawwed off was an unnecessary addition seeing as though both the sawwed off and gnasher gib from up close, broken or not, they serve the same purpose, therefor the sawwed off was a mistake.

So no, no more weapons, LT shotgun abuse and stopping stopping power is already driving my friends and I crazy. I don't want another weapon that can shoot through walls or set people on fire from across the map.

[entelligence]

Is OP serious?
LAWL

[GTRandy]

I think the point of having so few loadout weapons is that each gun has its place. HB=Long Range, Lancer=Medium Range, Retro=Short Range. This is the the triangle of the Gears rifles. Adding anything would kind of ruin it. When I die and see what rifle they used when they killed me, it all comes down to a matter of range.

This is basically it. Triangle.