**Wall of Text Warning**
I've tried to be as concise as possible, but there's a lot to say. So, if you are unwilling to read, then I can't help you.

*This is the second iteration of this overhaul and specifically includes changes to Durable Damage thanks to feedback.*

*With all of the backlash to constant nerfs and the underwhelming nature of Primaries, I am going to be utterly unapologetic about the near across the board buffs. As such, I sought to lift each and every primary up to the best possible versions that they could be.*

Within each weapon class, I wanted to maintain at least 1 outlier that deviates from the Class norm and brings something different to the class. I also wanted each weapon to deliver a different gameplay experience from another, even if they perform similar roles.

I also wanted there to be a clear trade-offs between classes, as well between weapons within their class.

For example: 

ARs are generalists that are effective in almost any scenario, but won't be as good as DMRs at Long Range, SMGs at CQC, Shotguns at Crowd Control, or Explosives at engaging Medium Armor.

Within ARs, the Liberator provides great ergonomics, magazine capacity, and reserve capacity, while the Tenderizer provides best-in-class firepower, with the Adjudicator occupying a middle ground between the two. 

Most importantly, I wanted every single weapon to be viable and feel powerful at any difficulty. I don't see any reason to arbitrarily limit a weapons viability based on some limited concept of "balance" or to artificially make the game more challenging. I deliberately tried to avoid outright nerfing anything and only made changes to specific stats to better align with the weapon's design philosophy. 

Here's how I looked at the overall design philosophies of the Conventional Weapons:

Assault Rifles: Generalists; Highly Versatile

Pros: Fit well into any loadout; Good handling and ammo capacity; Medium Armor Pen.

Cons: Jack of all trades, but Master of none; Lack of specialization means they won't perform a role better than a weapon specialized for it.

Marksman Rifles: Long Range Specialists

Pros: Powerful Optics; High damage paired with Semi-auto gives improved accuracy and ammo efficiency; Medium Armor Pen.

Cons: Semi-auto/Low RoF means these are not an ideal option for swarms or CQC; Limited mag capacity and reserve mags.

Submachine Guns: CQC Specialists

Pros: Thanks to their High Durable Damage, very High RoF, and High mobility, SMGs excel at flanking and targeting squishy, unarmored parts; High magazine capacity and reserve; One-handed allows carrying objects and the use of off-hand equipment like the Ballistic Shield.

Cons: Very high RoF results in poorer ammo efficiency; Accuracy suffers beyond short to medium range.

*I had the hardest time overhauling the SMGs, particularly to distinguish them from one another. I think I managed to do this, but I welcome constructive feedback.*

Shotguns: Swarm/CC Specialists 

Pros: Highest Durable Damage per shot; Increased stagger compared to other conventional weapons; Rounds Reload (pump actions). 

Cons: Relatively poor reserve mag capacity; Accuracy suffers beyond short to medium range; Comparatively slow RoF.

*I initially included Push/Stagger/Demo stats for Shotguns, but they just made things WAY too messy.*

Explosives: Medium Armor Specialists

Pros: Combination of Medium Armor Pen, excellent damage, and explosive effect makes these primaries unrivaled against armored enemies; Perform best at medium to long range.

Cons: Poor handling; Poor Magazine and Reserve capacity; Slow RoF; Poor choice for swarms/CC.

*The Philosophies of the Energy Weapons really comes down to their particular Energy type, giving a unique experience to Conventional Weapons, even when filling similar roles.*

Plasma: High Alpha Damage; Explosive Plasma effect

Pros: High damage per shot; Explosive Plasma effect has Medium armor pen; great options for taking out tougher enemies; Perform well at Medium to Long Range.

Cons: Slow RoF; Poor ammo and reserve capacity; Generally struggle against swarms.

Laser: Very High RoF, Extremely Low Recoil, Heat effect

Pros: Functionally Unlimited ammo; Extreme accuracy during sustained fire.

Cons: Lackluster damage compared to other options; No medium armor pen.

Arc: Unlimited Ammo; Arcing Electicity 

Pros: Literally unlimited ammunition; Fires a cone of 5 High-voltage electrical currents that arc between any units within range; Great for clusters of enemy units.

Cons: Very slow rate of fire; Arcs are indiscriminate and will arc between friends and foes alike; Do not fire near or toward unprotected friendly units.

*If you made it this far, I want to thank you for taking the time to read all of this. You're an absolute legend. Please feel free to leave any constructive feedback. I'll surely continue refining this as time passes, and any feedback will undoubtedly be helpful. Thanks again!*

Theoretical Primary Overhaul v2: Electric Boogaloo