There needs to be something done to the weapon balancing/rec balancing of the game. As it stands now the AR is all but useless.
At the beginning of the game the first thing I and most of the people I play with do is swap to pistol before we even deploy to clear out the base because of the uselessness of the AR. So depending on the map You play with the pistol through unocking the base. At that time you can either switch to the AR with kinetic bolts to help take out the warthog or ghost the other team will be in, or you just run what your carrying to the next territory. And once you take that you SHOULD be either level 3 or 1 kill away from level three opening the BR for use making the AR and pistol useless. So if you have it unlocked you switch again to the kinetic bolt AR, because you have to carry a second weapon and switch to it when you are taking down a vehicle.
Then you use it until you hit req 4 and can start using the SMG… or hold onto it until req 5 and you open the SMG with kinetic bolts or extended barrel and the AR is completely and utterly totally useless.
The AR should be able to hold its own against the BR at mid short range to short mid range and own the SMG without the extended barrel at any distance past mid short range. I dont know if this means buffing the AR or adjusting the damage dropoff/accuracy of the BR/smg at short range to short mid range. Because as it stands you have 21 rifles that would be more useful if when you pulled the trigger its barrel pointed down and peed on your foot.
And the req levels need to be tweaked also. Especially right now. Requiring to have a req level 8 in order to open up an AR just because it has a light bayonet is unbelievably hilarious. And it is so because you also have to be level 8 to unlock the BR, SMG, and DMR with the same attachment. And who in their right mind would chose the AR over any of those alternatives. Even if that is the only light bayonet they have. They would be fools not to use the DMR and/or BR with the SMG, extended melee range be -Yoink!-. And that is not even considering any of the power weapons or vehicles you now can access because your req 8.