In 2.1, my strengthened drives laugh in the face of missiles, even in their OP state. When 2.2 drops, point defense and ECM will FINALLY be fixed which means missiles will get sniped out of the sky in no time flat.
FDev's balance decisions in 2.2 are fantastic. They are fostering build diversity. +1 FDev!
In 2.1 Pipko and I had a duel and it was basically RPS. I had emissive and he had no shields, I win. Then we agreed on not using feedback rails and emissive seekers (so only multicannons). I would win as long as I had chaff and he would win because I have fixed wepaons.
Then again, I could use dumbfires and criple his (and your) weapons so unless you go for stury mounts you are screwed by missiles IF you don't use PDTs and you really need more than one which means you lack in heatsinks, atleast on everything but the FDL which is why the FDL is the uber king in PvP at the moment even more than it was pre 2.1 so what did you just say? Build diversity? Yeah, on a FDL. It is just no longer FDL shield tank only but FDL shield tank or FDL hull tank. Everything else is not viable (eventually a hull tank Clipper but that's about it).
FDL FDL FDL FDL FDL. That's the only thing you see in supercruise. Everyone flying an FDL basically tells everyone "I am a PvPer!". Everyone who does not tells everyone "I am not a PvPer or just too stupid to adapt to the meta!".
Large ships get countered by a C1F Feedback Cascade Railgun. Silent ships get countered by stupid 1000% heat generation increase and a C1F Emissive Pulse Laser and Missiles.
And please do not let me start with weapons. Multicannons FTW. If you don't go multicannons you simply WANT to suicide. Multicannons my friend, multicannons.
No, FD have done everything but working towards build diversity. Pre 2.1 Plasmas were useful, railguns were (a little too much) useful, hull tanking was useful, lasers were useful, missiles were NOT useful, large ships were useful, medium ships were useful, FAS, Clipper, FDL, Python were all viable, small ships were useful like Couriers or DBs and even Vipers.
But now it is Multicannons with a Feedback Railgun and eventually some missiles or another corrosive MULTICANNON.
No, no, no. We are way behind the level of build diversity pre 2.1 and you really can't tell me they are focusing on achieving that because they have done everything what is possible with their power to make a single build so damn overpowered that really nothing else can beat it anymore. The only ship you see in PvP is the FDL and in wings eventually a Cutter.
It is another pathetic fact that the community partially refuses to use thermal shock/cascade because it is EVEN MORE OVERPOWERED than the already overpowered FDL-Multicannon build. And I highly assume that would be the same if feedbackrails would instantly break a ship's shields when hitting a banking one. I don't even ask what they have been thinking when trying that out or writing that, I question wheather or not they have been thinking AT ALL. Even someone who never played ED at all would instantly realise that this is WAY TOO DAMN OVERPOWERED. Like basically everything the engineers have to offer.
No, FD have not build towards build diversity ... the contrary happened. Go home z4.MAFIA, you are obviously drunk.
EDIT: Also, ED has been updated to a draw simulator. Noone kills anyone. Everyone escapes as of hitpoint ifplation. It took you several minutes to get Nerad down where he could jumped multiple times while doing a 720 backflip, rebooting and drinking a cup of tea but he only went to 0% because he wanted to ... because he did not want to wake and this is the point. There is no reason to PvP if noone dies anymore. It lacks in oneshotting and burst and bsaically the point where a fight is lost without being destroyed is FAR too early as of RPS game. Silent hull tank ship at 90% hull and 0% weapons. No chance of winning, low/high wake out -> draw.
I haven't destroyed a single CMDR PvPer unless he wanted to.