Hi Bungie,
Please buff the damage output of Pulse Rifles in PvE. The nerf in Shadowkeep hit them way too hard.
There's a lot of variety in the sandbox right now, but Pulse Rifles could definitely use some love. Scout rifles will have more damage and range, whereas Auto Rifles and SMG will just outDPS them.
I realize Pulse Rifles sit right in the middle between the weapons demonstrated above, but other than seasonal mods, they really have no place to shine.
Cheers.
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I’d say Pulses, Autos, and Sidearms all need buffs. Pulses struggle with reload speed and recoil, meaning you usually need to build into both. But unless you’re one of the lucky pulses to have rapid hit, that usually means you’re forgoing a damage perk to make the weapon be consistent. This isn’t a problem in PvP, but it is in PvE. Autos are just outclassed largely by SMGs. There are a few autos that can compete and be serviceable when an auto champion mod is needed, but largely people take SMGs with their range penalty even in GM content. They lack meaningful damage, stability and range. Sidearms have great DPS but are lacking in basically every other stat. The 3 craftable sidearms can all be great but they need to break the mold to be viable. Maybe this will change as we get more new sidearms, but currently they lack any real place without a broken PvE perk combo.