I see many of the better players use SMGs extensively. However, I fail to see the point of using them - to a certain extent.
I am able to achieve good results with SMGs, but I generally do better with assault rifles.
This is because with SMGs, its very easy to lose most of the head-on encounters.
If you have a BZ19 for example, and the opposing side has a P416, his greater accuracy and lower recoil will quickly kill you.
You can make SMGs more accurate by using the marksman mod and lower-recoil bullets, but you will lose movement speed and damage.
As I see it, losing movement/handling speed with an SMG is to lose the SMG advantage in the first place.
So, is the correct way to play with SMGs to only flank and sneak around?
Sure, you can control recoil if you have the skill, but a lower-recoil gun will still be even better if used with the same skill.
* What am I missing here? SMGs seem to have a faster aim, and the fire burst starts out sooner, but other than that, they aren't much good head-on.
* Then the much-hyped MP5. It has so small clips, that you have to hit pretty much all your shots. So you have to be a master at aiming, right?
And it still spreads its bullets wider around than the P416 for instance.
Please let me know what is the 'big point' with the MP5!
* Then the shotguns. Are these practically useless like I feel they are? The 1887 is the only shotgun that can one-shot from any kind of distance, and that's basically
the only thing to do with the shotgun. If you have to fire twice at anyone, you're already dead.
I am only able to succeed with any of the shotguns if I get to fire at everyone from behind. And in that case, there's not much point to be using shotguns in the first place,
as you can kill well with any gun if you get to shoot from behind.
* Pistols - I can't seem to do much at all with these. The only pistol I am able to kill anyone is the D50 - the Desert Eagle - but I need hot rounds to do that and aiming becomes difficult. Usually it still takes at least four shots even with the hot rounds before anyone dies (unless they have taken damage already). The 1911 pistol seems to be completely useless - 6 rounds to the chest and the enemies are going strong. The big WTF thing about this is again, why not just use the machete instead? It's a one-hit kill device, and by the time you would be able to kill someone with a pistol, you will have had time to run next to him just as well and knife him to death. So what am I missing here?
* Bows. Is there any advantage in using fire or explosive arrows instead of regular ones? I seem to kill a lot more people with regular arrows. What am I doing wrong?
This advice/thoughts may be outdated since FC2, and I have not yet tried FC3 MP.
About the only thing I can answer is the regular arrows vs explosive/fire arrows. One generally shoots regular arrows at the upper body/head. One should shoot explosive/fire arrows at the feet. You don't even have to hit the person, but you may have to time their jump/hop.
I will also say that shotguns are good for up close and personal stuff.
The SMG vs A/R may also be somewhat map dependent. Closer quarters would maybe favor the SMG, where wide open streets/landscapes might favor the A/R.
In the end it is all a personal choice.
Theres only two maps where I choose an assault rifle over a SMG due to large wide open spaces where a lot of frags are spotted at range - a weakness of the SMG.
On all the others most frags are at close quarters where I find the SMG has the upper hand - you move faster for one thing, another is you don't stop to aim but simply spray.
I find to keep moving at a brisk pace keeps me alive as the severe lag issue makes hitting a stationary target the only real certainty, well sometimes lol.
I find the sniper rifles moot as it's hard to determine whether they are either inaccurate, low powered or just aim suffers from the lag.
Shotguns are tricky at low levels but work almost as good as SMG's for close quarters combat if lag isn't too bad.
Machine guns are an odd ball to me: With accuracy mods I rarely hit anyone at both long or close ranges. With full damage mods however my short bursts nail people left, right and centre. Maybe a bug there?
Pistols I find pointless - hardly any damage if you're lucky to hit someone. Better off with the flame thrower as if you're going to die then you may as well commit suicide doing it and take out your enemy with you
Overpowered weapons IMO are P416, MP5 & BZ as they are too accurate and damaging - almost everyone runs around with them spraying on full auto.
Best weapon in the game for me is bow with fire arrows which are like a long range molotov - you can get anyone to move from cover with one of those. I rarely manage to hit anybody with the arrow - maybe lag but I cant even hit someone stood still at very close range. The trick is to aim at the ground or an object next to them so they get caught in the fire.