ARs aren't bad. It's just map design. The environments are perfect for SMGs in BO2. But the slower firing ones like the MSMC or PDW. It was similar to BO1's 74u being the OP smg. The DLC maps are a little more AR friendly, but not by much. I hope the next map pack or two (or three...lol) have more maps like BO1 (#FiringRange2025). The other thing is, the ARs are balanced, it's just that people are used to the SMGs not being as good as the ARs (besides a select few) same with Snipers and LMGs and Shotguns and Pistols. The BO1 pistols sucked besides like 2. The MP5k and 74u were good. The stoner was ok but the LMgs were pretty bad. I prefered the old snipers, but they were weak tbh. Shotguns were mostly bad. ARs were the go-to guns back then. Now that the other stuff doesn't suck, people think that comparitively, the ARs are bad when it's the opposite. The other gun classes were buffed to balance out the ARs. I mean, how many people used the stakeout in BO1? The thing sucked. The remington is weaker than the Spas-12 in MW2, but back then everything was OP with stopping power so it wasn't considered as OP (even though it was lol) as people hate on the remington for being. The executioner is probably as good as some of the older shotguns. The idea of OP versus not is mostly psychological. Human beings are so good at seeing patterns that they see them when they arent there (coincidences). Because the other guns are balanced, we assume that the good ol' reliable Assault Rifle is weaker because the other guns can now compete. If the maps were more like the BO1 maps, ARs would still be considered to be nerfed, but SMGs wouldn't be considered as OP as they are thought to be. Actually, the same thing applies for SMGs. They were weak, so they got balanced out in this game and everyone thinks they are really strong due to their being weaker before. It's all a comparison. Something is bad in comparison to something else/the old games. Don't assume things are bad because of how the in-game world is mapped out or through past experience. BO2 is it's own game unlike MW2.5 and repeating BO1 would have made us hate it as much as the cut-and-paste game IW last conned us into buying. long post, ik but it's annoying me how people keep saying stuff is OP when it's for the most part balancing.
*cue the "OMFG REMINGTON IZ OVERPOWEEERD U NOOB STFU GET GOOD TROLOL" posts*