Some honest feedback from a 1000+hours player(70% PVE, 30% DZ (a bit of farming and PVP when I'm made to)
The PTS changes overall are great. It's fun trying to level up and I am starting a new character for real to have a fresh 30 when 1.4 drops. But... There are still issues and massive has followed a similar pattern to before in making some changes to drastic.
Two examples of previously balancing was when they made shotties OP by lifting them 30% for 1.3 (why not 10 or 15%), and they made the vector totally useless. This patch unfortunately has a lot of the same problems.
Weapons
SMG's are now totally useless. There isn't enough difference between the handling of them and AR's to make them in any way viable. They do less damage, have less range, and just feel totally underpowered in both PVE and PVP
Shotties are still OP, this is another thing that for PVP needs fixing but also means SMG's are even more useless as you can't get close enough to use them!
LMG's are OP. Simple. The damage buff makes them the most powerful weapon in the game. The 100 mag belt fed type have been buffed so much that you can just hide in a corner and mow down all comers.
The M1A is dead. Rip.
Gear sets
I havnt played with all of them but have felt the force.
Predators mark - for PVP is OP. Not because of the set itself but because first aid doesn't remove status effects. Once you bleeding you are done for as they will make you bleed with an automatic and then shotgun you and you can't run away.
Striker is totally useless. They have done to striker what they did to the vector. Nerfed the life out of it and gone far far to far.
MASSIVE.. Please re think some of what you are doing. Shotguns need more of a nerf than has been done. SMG's need less of a nerf.. Why nerf some by 25%? Why not 10%? Have you not learnt from the mistakes of the past at all? Also why buff some LMG's by 25% plus? Again why not 10 to 15%?
Please tread slightly softly, make the changes you feel you need to but not SO aggressively. Learn from the past. Don't create another shotgun or now LMG Meta. Don't ruin SMG's for every single player. Don't allow something like predator to have payers bleeding forever.
I know many will disagree but these are my honest opinions. Trying to be open and in biased and think of the many and not the few.