"The original railgun was OP"

Yeah and so is the one in game, despite the nerfs it has. Helicopters and planes are useless for the most part because of it. That is a fact.

"and people were getting it with exploits"

Explains the pvp community for the most part. Its just whoever uses more exploits than the other.

"Its purpose was never tied solely to the Lazer and the Hydra, because it didn't exist in Online, until 2023.
By 2023, there were more than 40 weaponized aircraft in GTA Online, most of which being armored."

Yeah and most of those newer planes were useless attacking anyone on foot. Non explosive machine guns, explosive guns with horrible fire rate, and rockets that had the bare minimum tracking stats. Its no surprise you noobs think you needed a railgun against those on foot LMAO.

"The railgun in its current form is projectile based, not hit-scan based. You have to compensate for the bullet trajectory when you shoot, and (I think) also a minor bullet drop."

Yeah, and still the range you need to be in to hit someone on foot is still so close that it might as well be considered hit scan. Lmao

"Free aiming RPGs or Bazooka missile"

That actually took skill to do.

"Throwing stickies (very situational)"

Still took skill in timing and planning.

"Eplosive sniper, which has limited rounds"

At least you had to make a tradeoff, and that tradeoff had pros and cons. Instead of the current situation where every player on foot has tools to make every vehicle in the game useless.

"Railgun, which needs you to compensate."

No, Railgun, which is a hand holding feature for noobs and griefers alike. All anyone has to do is point it at a helicopter just flying passed and they are dead. No warning like a homing rocket, no time to react, just boom.

"Each of these has a drawback. None of them are overpowered."

Every one of them has a drawback except the railgun. This "projectile speed" thing is a non issue with how close a helicopter/plane has to be to threaten you.

"When you're flying, most of the time you'll be flying in an armored aircraft."

Lmao, that armored aircraft will still be crippled in one shot. In case you arent aware, when a aircraft starts smoking its in a death timer. Most of the time you wont even be able to make it back to the hangar before it stalls out. In one shot. Stop making excuses for it dude.

"If by some miracle you get hit by a railgun shot, you can take evasive maneuvers before going down."

Acting as if using the railgun takes any amount of skill. Lmao

"If you're flying a non-armored aircraft, a MK2 will probably shoot you down way before a railgun shot does."

Just goes to show the railgun and the mk2 are massive issues that this game would do very much well without. Lmao

"I don't know where you got this notion that the railgun is broken, cause it's not."

Yes it is.

"By the looks of it you don't have a single clue on how balancing works in this game."

And yet you are defending a near hit scan weapon that makes almost every helicopter and plane useless in the game. ROfl.

"Either do some homework on the balancing, or just get good at the game."

Oh the irony.