Initially, I really disliked the Lightning Gun. To me, it didn't have the heft and "feel" of a solid sniping weapon. As such, I was a huge proponent of bringing back the Sniper Rifle in later titles. As time went on and I played more with both, I really grew to appreciate the Lightning Gun.
To the casual gamer, the two weapons are pretty much just the same thing with a different visual and so their opinions are largely based upon that. To the hardcore player, its the subtle differences that can really make or break a weapon. I like them both for their small differences, and these days I could really go either way except for one fact: nostalgia.
We amped up the fiction of the Sniper a bit in UC2 -- it fired a shard of enriched Tarydium instead of just a bullet, and therefore left a glowing blue trail. Although there are still obvious differences, that did help address some of the big problems with the 2k4 Sniper vs. Lightning Gun. Joe Graf used to run around the office cheering that UC2's rifle had the best feel of and Sniper he'd played. I thought it was pretty diggity, too -- especially for a console.
I'll leave the current implimentation of the Sniper as a surprise for you guys, but I do feel confident in telling you that there are no plans to impliment a Lightning gun in this title.
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