Too Many Shotguns

[MJ12]

So I finally got to play this over my friend's house for the first time, it was loads of fun and can't wait to get my new computer and internet running so I can finally play my copy.

But, while playing, I couldn't help thinking, way to many of the classes use shotguns, Heavy, Scout, Solder, Engineer, and doesn't even the Pyro use one?
It's kind of redundant, I wish there was at least one other character that used a small machine gun like the Sniper does.

Anyways, I'd probably say so far my favorites are the Engineer, the Spy, and The Sniper.
My least favorite is the Soldier, just found him boring and useless for me tbh. He's like a scout that can't run fast and has an innaccurate rocket launcher.

 

[Jintor]

Soldiers got nerfed last patch, but don't underestimate them - their rocketjumping ability and abillity to kill most classes in one shot should not be taken lightly.

 

[Shoes_Buttback03]

I would rather have the shotgun then a pistol or machine gun the sniper has.

btw I'm online with games now see sig for tag. I'm best with Pyro.

 

[Druckles]

I love how slooow ZT can be

The scout has a scattergun. Surprisingly a completely different weapon from the shotgun, actually. And well, it's pretty standard. So everyone has a shotgun, it's pretty useful, and really only a backup.

 

[MJ12]

I love hold slooow ZT can be

The scout has a scattergun. Surprisingly a completely different weapon from the shotgun, actually. And well, it's pretty standard. So everyone has a shotgun, it's pretty useful, and really only a backup.

I am not hold slooow!

I didn't really notice the difference between the shotgun and the scattergun though.

Sure it's useful for some, but nearly every guy has one.

 

[nurizeko]

I play Pyro but I seem to use the shotty more then my actual class wep.

 

[Azner]

Scatterbitch reloads faster

 

[[Lambda]]

the scattergun is cheap, and the flame thrower is awesome, but i hate them nerfing the solider

 

[Omnomnick]

Meh. Shotguns are not over used. They are just the average weapon, similar to the Pistol, only there is more.

 

[Iron_cube]

And so valve created unlockables...

The scatter does slightly more damage too.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Compared the shotties aren't powerful enough to kill many people, they are usually follow up or finish off weapons. Any shotgun weilding enemy against the minigun / rocket launcher / sticky launcher / flamethrower / sniper rifle / revolver is going to lose if you play your cards right using distance.

I sounds like you've just had your first taste of Team Fortress 2, which frankly is criminal considering you post here fairly frequently, so it's mandatory you play it more hours than you sleep. So to avoid being banned for anti-team fortress, I'm going to convince myself you've only played for a rushed hour and taking in initial thoughts. What I will say is that Team Fortress 2 offers one of the best MP gaming experiences I've ever had, and does so every time I play it. Wait till you play in a fully organised and co-ordinated communicating team!

 

[Que-Ever]

Heh, scattergun is just a shotgun. HAHA.

 

[Planetary]

I think the main reason there's only 3 automatic guns in the game (sasha, sniper's smg, and needlgun) is that those 3 classes are most vulnerable to spies, and since they're automatic, they nullify the spies cloak, whereas a shotgun only gets them to flicker, so a spy can escape those ones more often.

I know that if a Heavy nicks me with his minigun while cloaked, I might as well just abort back to friendly territory and try again some other time.

 

[Citrus]

The soldier is probably the easiest class to get kills with.

The rocket launcher may be avoidable, but its perfect if used properly. If you rocket jump and then shoot at your target from above, its so easy to kill them. And if you're good enough to estimate where they'll "hit the ground" (e.g. scouts jumping everywhere then landing), you can take care of any class.

 

[morgs]

Solider is the most common class on top of the leader board, mostly because it's so easy to get kills with the rocket launder.

Back on topic: I suppose they'll reduce the amount of shotties with weapon unlocks, that's what's happened to pyro.

 

[Adabiviak]

Yeah, even nerfed, soldiers are still not to be trifled with at medium to close range. A great many soldiers have learned how to juggle people, so if they survive the first blast, they're going to land on a second. ZT, I think you'll find TF2 to be seriously fun.

 

[MJ12]

ZT, I think you'll find TF2 to be seriously fun.

I already do

I will be crushed if my internet connection ends up not running it well enough to play. It's DSL 256k, but I am going to be using it from a wireless roter from a floor below, my new computer is on the floor above. So I hope it doesn't negatively affect anything too much...

 

[[Lambda]]

wireless won't hurt too much, but it's still best to have a hardwire connection if you can, or a wireless 'N' connection

 

[Sheepo]

In truth, the shotgun is only the secondary weapon of the pyro, heavy, and soldier. When you consider it, the engineer's main weapon is the shotgun which is why the shotgun play style differs. 1/3 of the classes using a standard secondary weapon isn't that bad. And pretty soon the upgrades will rid us of those too.

 

[Iron_cube]

In truth, the shotgun is only the secondary weapon of the pyro, heavy, and soldier. When you consider it, the engineer's main weapon is the shotgun which is why the shotgun play style differs. 1/3 of the classes using a standard secondary weapon isn't that bad. And pretty soon the upgrades will rid us of those too.

Look around the servers more and you'll consider how the pyro did definitely not "get rid of the shotgun"

shot > flare

 

[Sheepo]

that = wrong

 

[f_combineftw]

Well considering the flare gun was used to harrase snipers and every sniper has learned to stay within a good reach of a medic/dispensor, im guessing that the flare gun will be obsolite within a few weeks.

 

[Sheepo]

I forgot that it only worked on snipers.

 

[Iron_cube]

If you actually use the flaregun offensively, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Sheepo]

The dozens of people who I've killed with it say otherwise. It's a fantastic weapon.

 

[Combine_Advisor]

my thoughts exactly!

 

[Iron_cube]

It's beleived to do more damage the farther the opponent is.

That is a very interesting fact actually.

 

[ellimanest]

Intresting indeed Iron_cube.

I use the flare gun alot in attack to remove snipers and just cause genral havok among their lines.

 

[Humita]

For a time I used the flare gun, but I have to go with Iron_cube on this one: the shotgun is way better, I think it's more offensive.

Back on topic, I think that with the unlockables we are going to get a wider variety of weapons. And I would like to see more SMG and not too many shotguns or pistols

 

[Jintor]

For a time I used the flare gun, but I have to go with Iron_cube on this one: the shotgun is way better, I think it's more offensive.

"Impact with shotgun slugs may offend".

 

[V-Man339]

Valve took into account what classes were more vulnerable to spies (Sniper, Heavy, Medic) and gave them automatic guns, and the rest got shotguns because it was the most suitable to the rest of their arsenal.

• The Engineer needs it because his pistol is better for longer ranges.
• The Heavy needs it because he can't just pull out his minigun whenever an enemy approaches; he has to have it ready and spinning to do maximum damage. The shotgun allows him a quick way to counter attack, and the obvius fact that it can be used once your out of ammo.
• The Pyro needs it because it fits with his flamethrower as a great way to finish burning enemies off.
• The Soldier has the shotgun because he already has a ranged weapon, the rocket launcher, which has the side effect of self damage when used at close range. To balance the Soldier and counteract this side effect you get the shotgun, which takes out two birds with one stone.
• The Scout was perfectly suited for the Scattergun, which could be called a shotgun, but should be used differently due to the fact that it is less effective at range than the already pitifully distanced shotgun; it's best used at close range, which brings in the second reason it should be considered different: your speed. The only class that's going to be using it is the Scout, and he moves fast as heck.
  You've already heard the tactics, and you know the rest, so I'm not going to go into why the scattergun was specifically chosen for the Scout.

As stated earlier, the rest of the classes use the (usually) automatic weapons that they do because they are more vulnerable to spies, or because the shotgun would unbalance the class and undo it's main purpose. For example, you don't give the Medic a shotgun because that would be a step towards him no longer being a Medic, which is what happened in Team Fortress Classic when everybody had grenades, and with the Medic having conc grenades coupled with the fact that he could infect the enemy team lead to most players not healing teammates, but instead ambushing the enemy, infecting, then running away.

I know that changing the weapon of one class from the shotgun is no where near as big of a deal as what I have listed above, but you must understand that the shotgun being in each of the classes it is in and the absent of it in the other classes does have a purpose: balance.

Thank you for listening (or rather reading) to me drone on, but I just thought I'd give my two cents on this argument.

 

[Humita]

^^ You enlighten me

 

[V-Man339]

^^ You enlighten me

I only do so when I deam the reader potentially has enough intelligence to understand and interprit what I'm saying*. I geuss I was right in your case.

*ie, not in the politics or the G-Man theory threads.

 

[L3N!N]

Shotguns seems to be a good weapon seeing as most people would rather reload their primary weapon. Besides, it is a pretty valuable weapon sometimes.