The survivalist needs it's own starting weapon

[Coffee009]

I really hate how spawning with the survivalist is such a gamble on what you get. Half the time you just get a weapon that's opposite of the skill you selected for level 5, or a pair of revolvers that sell for less than a standard tier 1, or a crovel when you have the medic skill selected for level 10. Considering the theme this year is quality of life, survivalist should finally get its own weapon so it can finally feel consistent on spawn... or be allowed to choose which tier 1 to spawn with in the perk menu. It feels so out of place getting a random starting weapon when every other perk has their own dedicated weapon. I would suggest something versatile and multifunctional to fit with the style of the perk:

Mosin Nagant w/ bayonet
Tier 1.5 (300 dosh)
6 weight
bash replaced with a stab

damage (bullet) = 150
damage (stab) = 100

Damage Type = Ballistic, piercing (stab)
Damage Type Group = Rifle

rpm = 75 (1.25s between shots)
stab rpm = 55

reload first bullet = 1.30s, each bullet after = 0.35s

empty reload = 2s (stripper clip)

mag size = 5
spare ammo = 45

accuracy = 80

This gun would have a lower damage per mag and a similar dps to the Winchester, but is way more punishing on missed shots due to its capacity and slow firerate. I kind of think of this weapon as a spear that can also shoot zeds, as it has a strong melee to justify its higher cost. The rhythm of the gun would be pick off medium Zed's from afar, and to stab trash that gets close. I think this would be an incredibly fun starting weapon and give players an incentive to spawn as a survivalist rather then spawn as something with a better starting gun and then switching perks after wave 1.

Just an idea... I know the bolt action rifle with bayonet idea has been suggested many times before but I honestly think it would be a really fun gun that has its own play style.

 

[Aleflippy]

I don't think it needs its own weapon...Plus the Nagant would fit the sharpshooter better anyway.

HOWEVER. It definitely needs to be able to pick its own T1. The point of a jack-of-all-trades is to be effective in most (if not all) situations, albeit less so than dedicated perks. Adding randomness into the mix completely reduces the effectiveness of a perk already blamed for being rarely useful.

 

[Azukki]

Best for Survivalist would be picking his starter weapon, whatever he wants. Which could include new tier 1s in the future. Related.
A bayonetted rifle certainly could also be a great addition, but rather than it being just for survivalist, it could be a sharp/berserk crossperk, so you can choose sharp for rifle benefits, berserk for bayonet benefits, and survivalist for some of both.

 

[s5yn3t]

Or have the lvl 5 skill determine with which class of weapon you will spawn.
Take the left skill and you will spawn with weapons that benefit the elite reload, or choose right and spawn with weapons that benefit that skill.
(Nasty surprise would be spawning with 1858 as it works with both skills.... Unless the weapon gets hard locked to the left side during the spawn.)

 

[Coffee009]

Best for Survivalist would be picking his starter weapon, whatever he wants. Which could include new tier 1s in the future. Related.
A bayonetted rifle certainly could also be a great addition, but rather than it being just for survivalist, it could be a sharp/berserk crossperk, so you can choose sharp for rifle benefits, berserk for bayonet benefits, and survivalist for some of both.

Yeah, it would be a fun weapon for a sharp and berserker, I just figured it would be nice to have more of its own exclusive weapons... but I think survivalist is only getting exotic sci fi/utility guns.

 

[Azukki]

From the perspective of making survivalist appealing relative to the other perks, yeah, more exclusive weapons would be one way to help somewhat. From the perspective of making the best potential for the new weapons and the best potential for the game in general, though, it's a waste to not have new weapons apply to the regular perks they fit, if there are any, since survivalist also will get full benefits to it, by default.
So survivalist exclusives being only the weird stuff that doesn't fit other perks makes good solid sense. For there to not be a lot of surv exclusives doesn't much mean surv is getting left out as far as weapons go, he's still getting everything, more than a fair deal for him. Looking at it absolutely, he gets a huge arsenal. Looking at it relative to other perks, if we value exclusivity, him taking everything means that no one else has any exclusive weapons, so I think it could have been fair enough if, in return, survivalist never got any.

But this talk of who gets what doesn't mean much by itself. With a couple extra clicks in the shop, any perk can buy and use any weapon, so the concept of a weapon applying to a perk (or exclusively so) actually only matters so far as the benefits that perk can apply to weapons. This is where survivalist disappoints, I think. It's not his arsenal, it's how he uses it. He's weak as if to balance him being the only one who can buy and use an extreme variety loadout, but he's not, he's merely the one who can best apply benefits to multiple sides of a variety loadout. But there does need to be non-negligible benefits applying to multiple sides of the variety loadout in order for that to be any advantage, which survivalist sometimes only barely does.

For a simplified example of survivalist failing to clearly make a variety loadout his own strength, lets say you want an assault rifle and shotgun.
Commando: +55% damage rifle, +0% damage shotgun, elite reloads rifle, no elite reloads shotgun.

Average +27% damage, 50% usage of elite reloads.​

Support: +55% damage shotgun, +0% damage rifle, elite reloads shotgun, no elite reloads rifle.

Average +27% damage, 50% usage of elite reloads.​

Survivalist: +15% damage shotgun, +15% damage rifle, elite reloads for one, no elite reloads for the other.

Average +15% damage, 50% usage of elite reloads.​