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So, you want the SMG to be an alternative to the pistol. As already said, I have only limited experience with the later stages of the game, but I felt I already used the SMG well as an alternative to the pistol as it is. Where it fell flat for me was when there was no early energy-based version of it when energy by and large is preferable to kinetic due to less resistance on the alien's side. But just comparing kinetic, by taking an SMG instead of a pistol you trade in damage and mag capacity for the chance to suppress. As always, you need to build your team around that, but it is definitely not as if the SMG is inferior to the pistol. I like to run assault rifle squads, and these rifles are my main source of damage, usually. For that to work I need some shielders to protect the defenseless rifles until they get close enough to reliably hit. I can (and do in the early game) suppress with LMGs and then get close, but I could also see myself swapping one of the two LMGs I currently bring for something else, if I have the close range suppression capability of two SMGs on my shielders instead. Sure, that's not perfect for every situation, especially on open maps like desert or arctic I would still prefer LMGs, but for towns and jungles I'd switch anytime. What I mean to convey here is that since pistols are a reflex bonus close range damage centered weapon, SMGs should not become the same thing. If a pistol is the close range counter part to an assault rifle, the SMG is the same thing for LMGs, and that is a good thing that should be preserved. I could also see myself utilizing the reflex bonus of a melee weapon in the main hand with an SMG in the off hand for suppression and damage. If it now additionally gives TU drain (SHOCK or what did you call it?), all the better for me.

Awesome, going to try this when get home later. @Dagar they do have decent suppression power already, I dont want them to become too powerful, all I want is to make them a truly legit option to pistols, and as it is now their not, which leaves no point in using them and that is a bit of a shame. But your right, it would be cool to have a weapon like that, maybe too cool.

Dunno how well the SMG does it right now, but maybe alternatively you could look into it suppressing a bit more. A CQ high reflex one handed suppression weapon would be pretty cool to have. Of course it should not suppress as reliably as the LMGs or miniguns do.

@Svinedrengen For now i have increased the bullet per burst from 6 to 8 and clip capacity from 30 to 40. I also adjusted the accuracy of the gauss smg. Edit: strings.xml weapons.xml weapons_gc.xml