so if you main sidearm, hc and HMG yet only get noticed when you change from the sidearm to a sniper, doesn't that really say exactly what op is suggesting, they need a buff.

The dps,damage per shot,can't even be considered being in that same field. The damage is just fine,for it's range. I'm not bashing on his post by any means,but sidearms do their job just fine,just like snipers do. My dps output is limited with a sidearms to short medium range,no further. I can take down a knight in a nightfall just fine with a single coil & all headshots. As for boss dps,a sniper will rule each time regardless due to situational use. I use sidearms in areas like the darkblade mission since snipers are useless. 99% of other missions you can swap out since closing the distance & unloading by a boss is quite difficult.

no disrespect meant at all. You clearly understand your weapons and when you feel most comfortable using them. personally I feel that the significant difference between snipers, shottys, sidearms and fusions and the damage output the have needs significant tweeking..

I will agree with the damage tweeks needed in pve. Primaries need buffs in general as well. When I first rejoined from Vanilla destiny as RoI was about to drop,I never considered using a sidearm,sniper or fusion for any purpose outside of PvP. Long story short,I got my light up & joined in on my very first raid,wotm. It was recommended to me to use the Gally + a sniper,but at the time I had a fusion from said raid and a mg that I somehow held onto all that time. After a few rounds,I finally realized how the difference was in me surviving vrs those equipped for their situational loadouts were. The dps varies far to wide...maybe shortening the list of archetypes could solve this but that's quite doubtful. Theories untested & not one to punch myself over for sure. Bungie has a weird way of doing things,one even I can't say that I'm abled to comprehend even with my years as a programmer/gamer.

part of the balance problem is that they don't balance based on the weapons damage etc.. they base it on who or how many are using a specific archtype so while a weapon or class may not be op, it gets a nerf because the perception is that it is op because so many are using it.. such a stupid way of evaluating your inventory. Instead of using the numbers to find out damage output, damage fall off and if something actually is far superior to everything else, they choose to let the players show them by using the weapon.. to many using it, its time for a nerf..