Modify Sidearms

[Mycroft Macarthur]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): handguns and revolvers would be modified slightly to make the choice between them a tactical one.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): revolvers would see more use and handguns would be abit less useless.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc): so i've noticed something weird about this game as compared to other games.

in other games you tend to choose a handgun over a revolver for a variety of reasons.

handguns typically have large clip sizes, can be dual wielded and fire very rapidly (often as fast as you can click) with an equally fast reloading mechanic (pop the old magazine out, put a fresh one in, chamber the next round and done, all very fast), they are ideal at fighting hordes of weak enemies or for situations when you just want to send alot of fire downrange (as much as you can manage without a true fully automatic or burst firearm or a semi automatic rifle with a large magazine)

revolvers by comparison have small clip sizes (5 to 8 rounds, average of 6), slow fire rates with a relatively slow reloading mechanic (even with speedloaders they always take abit longer then handguns to reload) and in games which feature it, higher recoil by far, they are an ideal sidearm when you want to take on singular powerful enemies but are ill suited to facing hordes or mobs

in short, you are making a choice between speed vs power, being better suited to large groups of weak enemies or small groups of strong enemies.

here that isn't the case, HERE the handgun has a fairly slow firing rate (slower then the shotgun), low damage and dual wielding doesn't exist in ANY SS13 server, revolvers have a slightly faster firing rate, more damage, comparable reloading speed and the ammo difference doesn't matter given the other advantages combined, in short revolvers are superior in literally EVERY way that matters and no one uses them because they take up as much room as a submachinegun or an assault rifle, bringing a revolver sidearm reduces your ability to wield your primary weapon because you have to devote space that WOULD be used to hold your primary and its ammo for your sidearm, you cannot store it in vest slots or your belt as you would with other emergency weapons (throwing knives, combat knives and yes, handguns), handguns do so little damage that if it ever comes down to using them no one even ATTEMPTS to fight the aliens, they just suicide immediately, in pre alpha they could at least be useful in the very beginning because it would be the only weapon survivors could get and your enemy would be exclusively drones for the first half and you could barricade yourselves in, none of those factors are true in the current version and late game enemies are stronger then ever so by the time you WOULD need to pull your backup....it has ceased to be worthwhile.

why is that? this seems like a strange choice to me and a bad decision in terms of weapon balance.

im proposing that handguns receive a massively increased firing rate (perhaps to be as fast as they can click) while all other values remain the same, they would maintain the same damage, clip size and item size, revolvers would likewise be reduced in size so they could fit inside of coat pockets, armor pockets and belts and perhaps their firing rate would be reduced so they cannot be rapid fired, the type of people who would prefer revolvers are usually the type of people who would never bother with a handgun but they are forced to due to the gameplay mechanics of this server (or they dont carry backup weapons or sidearms at ALL) the same can often also be said of people who would prefer a more modern sidearm over a revolver, preferring the values of large magazines and high ROF over damage, this way people would be choosing which one to use based on matters of personal preference as opposed to OOC matters.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): the code for handguns and revolvers would need to be tweaked slightly, perhaps modified for balance purposes but since damage would be untouched they would both likely not change significantly from where they are now.

[Dyne]

+1. Add more real choice.
(Also revolvers are far from always more powerful IRL, but i digress)

[Jack McIntyre]

+1 I am a man that loves a .45, but I carry the magnum just due to the damage factor otherwise I would always carry the pistol.

[Complete Garbage]

+1, I'd love for there to be a reason to actually use handguns, as I always tend to just use my primary weapon in combat.

[Sgtkumar]

As a marine who loves to have a backup sidearm, I always choose the .45. There's no reason to other than aesthetics because the piece of shit can't even kill a runner reliably, but I use it. If it got a faster rate of fire, I'd be so happy. Please make it so.

+1

[Lostmixup]

Bump. Revolver is a sidearm, it shouldn't be treated as a main weapon.

[Wickedtemp]

Really though, the service pistol needs some sort of buff to at least make it usable. As of now, it's useless. Several shots to kill a LARVA. And that's if you hit every time.

[apophis775]

I just redid the pistols like a week ago...