There are a number of issues with ranged enemies in Darktide right now, and combining them all together makes for some very frustrating gameplay.
Suppression is nonexistent. Even if you’re willing to burn an entire magazine not hitting anything, enemies will not dive for cover. Not even killing multiple enemy squad members in rapid succession is enough. Poxwalkers I expect to have no self-preservation instinct, but Guards, even traitor guards, should still act like actual human beings.
Ranged enemies having 100% accuracy all the time is an absolutely terrible design decision, especially in moments you can’t avoid their fire because of lack of cover or being pinned by a special. Trying to suppress the enemy doesn’t change this, either. Enemies will stand there and shoot you with pinpoint accuracy and the only thing that will stop them is a hit with enough power to stagger them.
This gets even worse when you’re surrounded by a horde. We can’t shoot through squadmates, or enemies, but Shotgunners, Snipers, Trappers, Gunners, and all the rest will all be more than happy to shoot you through the middle of a horde, or even when you’re pinned by a Pox Hound or Mutant.
So what’s my suggestion to fix this? I’m not one to level criticism without suggestions to improve, so here are a few ideas.
First, have enemy accuracy linked to suppression. The first few shots should miss, maybe only 1/3rd of the shots hitting. As suppression builds and the player stays out of cover, the enemy becomes more accurate, building to the punishing ranged damage we’re dealing with now. Squadmates suppressing the enemy should lower their accuracy in turn, allowing the targeted player to reposition and get out of danger.
Second, have ranged enemies act like ranged enemies instead of turrets. In the tutorial, there’s a section about dashing through enemy fire. I have never seen this situation come up in organic gameplay. Ever. When a player takes cover, the enemy should continue firing at that area, maintaining suppression and preventing a peek-a-boo fight. The players should be able to do the same in turn, with Veterans and others keeping ranged enemies pinned while a Zealot or Ogryn closes on them to deliver the Emperor’s Mercy.
Third, have enemy ranged fire not phase through other enemies anymore, or prevent the enemy from shooting when their LOS is blocked. “The AI cheats” is a gaming trope as old as gaming itself, but this is “The AI breaks the rules of physics.”