[Renegade334]

Oh, Gun Master? There are minute similarities in that you're stuck with an uncustomized weapon and the only way to secure a better loadout is by PTFO (playing the f****** objective). I must admit that while I do like running amok with a pistol in Conquest Domination, somehow I hate sidearms in Aftermath. I feel horribly inadequate...almost buck naked with just a pea shooter to defend my ass.

Since you mentioned GM, DICE just rolled a server-side update allowing admins to change the weapon progression - there are now several weapon playlists available (Normal Reversed, Light Weight, Heavy Gear, Pistols Only, Sniper's Heaven, US Arms Race, RU Arms Race and EU Arms Race) and this should make gameplay somewhat less monotonous or annoying (not really a fan of the weapons at the start of the default playlist).

Anyway, I just unlocked the standard crossbow (it is already available even to people who haven't completed the assignment, as it's part of the random weapon drops) and it plays very much like a bolt action sniper rifle (due to long reload time), except that the bolt has greater drop (though this should be remedied once I unlock the balanced bolt) and emits absolutely no noise, which is perfect for silent takedowns.