I haven't been motivated to play Gears 2 lately and after playing a few games tonight, I think I figured out why. And really, it's because I get sick and tired of killing people with the Shotgun. That's seriously it. I LOVE the Lancer as a gun. I like the way it feels, like the way it sounds, and yet it just doesn't compete with bum-rushing someone and blowing them in half with the Shotgun, strategy wise.
I think Epic really wanted to slow down Gears 2 multiplayer a bit and make it about using cover, and about covering your teammates flanks, but it didn't happen. Once again, we're left with a Shotgun fest. And don't get me wrong, Gears 2 multiplayer IS fun. It's just not as good as it could be. It just loses it's luster after a while when all you do is throw Smokes, gib with the Shotgun, and demolish with grenades, which is basically what the game is right now.