Why so few choices?

[TheStigsVegCousin]

I'm brand new to MMOs (Yeah, I know Defiance barely qualifies as one) so I'm hoping some of you who have done this kind of thing any times before can shed some light on this for me: why are we given so few choices when it comes to weapons?

It seems to me luck plays too big a part in your choice of weapon, and I'm NOT talking about the RARITY, but the actual type of weapon. If I prefer a certain type, affinity, nano, bonus, etc., shouldn't I have the choice to use them without having to pray that the magical combination of all of these things drops? Is this a bad choice on Trion's part or this par for the course when it comes to games like this?

[alred]

It's been my experience, from a few different MMOs, drops are random. In Defiance, I've picked up several different cluster shots, for example. To date, I think only once did I get a duplicate nano effect on one.

Which is why I stick to 4 favorite weapons. When I max out the weapon skill, I put that weapon in inventory and reset it's mastery points. So I can level it up all over again. I find resetting a lot easier then "praying" that a new weapon of that type drops.

[TheStigsVegCousin]

When I max out the weapon skill, I put that weapon in inventory and reset it's mastery points. So I can level it up all over again. I find resetting a lot easier then "praying" that a new weapon of that type drops.

Would it be gamebreaking if you could choose what you reset your weapon into? You spend the Ark Resources and you get to pick the Affinity, Nano, Bonus and what-not to set it up to fit your playstyle?

[RealHoosier07]

It's been my experience, from a few different MMOs, drops are random. In Defiance, I've picked up several different cluster shots, for example. To date, I think only once did I get a duplicate nano effect on one.

Which is why I stick to 4 favorite weapons. When I max out the weapon skill, I put that weapon in inventory and reset it's mastery points. So I can level it up all over again. I find resetting a lot easier then "praying" that a new weapon of that type drops.

From what I've heard, you don't reset your bonus from maxing out that weapon, and you're maxed out on that weapon skill, so why reset your mastery points? I think you still get xp even if that weapon is maxed out, so resetting it doesn't make sense. Am I wrong?

[Muffins]

It seems to me luck plays too big a part in your choice of weapon, and I'm NOT talking about the RARITY, but the actual type of weapon. If I prefer a certain type, affinity, nano, bonus, etc., shouldn't I have the choice to use them without having to pray that the magical combination of all of these things drops? Is this a bad choice on Trion's part or this par for the course when it comes to games like this?

... Well, no, you shouldn't have the choice. The 'waiting for all these to magically drop' thing is part of what the false sense of achievement is in MMO's. You finally find what it is you desire.
If you had a choice to use whatever, then you'd just add damage, crit, accuracy and the best element.

Have you played Borderlands, by any chance? That's a game which has a pretty similar gun system to this (though Borderlands did it first); If you find a weapon you don't like, it's junk. If you like it, you keep it. You use it.
Without the entirety of feeling as if you're stripped of all choice, that's why mods exist. The wheel is random, and you keep on searching for that one perfect gun, and when you do, you mod it, you love it forever and name it Hoxton and sleep with it.

[Opus]

I think you still get xp even if that weapon is maxed out, so resetting it doesn't make sense. Am I wrong?

You do not get weapon XP once the little white bar under the weapon is maxed. You have to either get a new weapon of the same type, or reset the weapon XP via salvage matrix.

ETA: There is weapon XP by weapon class (LMG, AR, bolt sniper, etc.) and then you have individual weapon XP. The individual weapon XP adds to the weapon class XP. If you max out the weapon XP on an AR, you can still use it, but it doesn't increase your overall weapon class XP/leveling for ARs.

I'm trying to think of a simpler way to explain this, but hopefully you understand.