The M4RA is the only weapon I am aware of that can fit the smart scope and it isn’t all that strong. The gun is a marksman rifle that in the current state of the game is mostly used in CQC (which makes little sense nor is it fun). It is impossible to have range with that thing while with the marines since you can’t shoot through em. While alone you may be able to get some shots off but you are more than likely to be found, mauled or capped. The smart scope solves one problem but you still have little range. So say it was made into x4. You’d have range, the ability to shoot through marines and the ability to feel like a marksman (there is no way to do this even somewhat reliably unless you roll sniper, which is a spec slot and is understandably important). All maps have tight spots and obstacles so the xenos would still be able to navigate in cover and get the drop on you from some angle. There are also limited smart scopes available either way so the impact wouldn’t be all that great. Even reducing current numbers in order to have this in game is an insignificant loss to me. It’s not like giving a marine more range (with a gun that needs a bipod to hit anything at that range anyway) will significantly affect the xenos. They’d have to hit their shots for it to even matter. It may be annoying but it will be as annoying as me getting pounced on the floor for 5 seconds. Besides you need to see the enemy to hit them at all. NVGs solve that problem but they are too few for it to matter.
Oddly enough the m44 revolver can also use the smart scope. Think folks would use it with the heavy rounds to CC xenos safely.
I think the range of the smartscope is fine enough.Main thing that hampers its ability as an actual scope is the channel to use it, makes repositioning a handful and is probably the reason most people opt for using it close range but maybe that’s part of the trade off.
This, please.
I think buffing IFF in any way whatsoever to be unwise
M4RA with a smartscope is already an extremely safe and very easy weapon to use because of IFF, so giving it even more range is definitely a very poor idea, even as someone who has used the M4RA with a smartscope very frequently, being able to accurately and reliably do damage to xenos is not something that should be extended in range by any capacity- barring damage dropoff
worst idea ever