all right, pyro needs some buffs of some sort.
everybody else does as good or better short range damage and their shotgun is useless because it's only really effective at flamethrower range, so it's just a super shitty chasedown gun. as it stands no class with any kind of range should be afraid of a pyro unless they actually manage to get the drop on them, but that's about impossible to do on most maps anymore because all the ambush lanes are way too easy to camp, or the ambush lanes require taking a way roundabout path to access so you would have to backtrack forever just to open them up.
I really think if you're under the flamethrower for 3-5 seconds you should flat out be dead even if you're a heavy being healed by a medic. the burn damage needs to either be way buffed so it does like 5 damage/second, or they need to remove health powerups killing flames. as it stands I can only really go toe to toe with classes who completely suck at close range like demos and snipers, spies (only because they have low health and I burn away their disguise/cloaking) and retarded scouts. anyone else is smart enough to back up from the flamethrower range and shoot away.
I mean either valve essentially ruins the purpose of the class by giving them a secondary gun that lets them handle ranged guys, or they make their flamethrower as strong as a heavy's minigun, or they make flames last until you die and get rid of health powerups killing flames. one or two of those should happen instead of valve giving the pyro any kind of medium/long range secondary gun. valve hypes them up as the short range ambush class but the truth is you could do better ambushing someone playing a scout and using the bat, or a heavy with the minigun, or the classic spy + disguise + backstab. the pyro is still kind of fun to play simply because it's awesome to set people on fire and it's one class where you really get in the thick of things and can succeed, but the ambush opportunities are small.
