Looks guys it's a dinosaur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HJ3eFgVYqY&feature=youtu.be
1. Consistent high performance with DMRs since the beta =/= luck
Yes it is lol. Nobody just does good with them unless they happen to be on the right side of the luck mobile; srsly you should consider buying a lotto ticket, and if you win, then everyone wins.
2. I use the AR-160 a lot now and love it, but it's still not as lethal as a marksman rifle at long range and most mid-range engagements
Then you must not be using it correctly because even if the damage falloff occurs from longer ranges, then that implies that the person at that range has the same damage falloff as you would, so its still just as effective.
They don't suck, they require a different type of play style to use them-- one that you appear to be incapable of acquiring
No, pretty much everyone I talk to says they suck, even my sniper friends. You're just a rare variety of box cutter that can somehow tolerate the ineffectiveness with raw luck. I absolutely refuse to believe that a DMR is a feasible weapon when 9 times out of 10 it misses its target completely when it has no business doing so; I'm not even talking about long ranges here, these things fail at 20 meters.
My playstyle mister Zloff, is to be a Jack of all trades. I do not focus one thing or another, I play with every weapon/vehicle/tactic until I master them, and move onto the next. That's what I usually do with every FPS, but I've decided to ignore the DMRS since they are sketchy effective, I figure the SKS is a satisfactory enough endeavor. If there's some mighty secret you're aware of for doing well with DMRS that isn't just to aim carefully and be patient (a strategy which works well with every OTHER weapon) do let us in on it, because I'd love to finish the game with my stats reading 500 kills with everything, literally everything, but at this point I'm not seeing it happening with DMRS.
I suppose with the damage buff that accuracy doesn't make much of a difference, if you get lucky and get 2-3 shots out of 20 to hit, you're golden.
Also for the random door with the whispers, try blinking a flashlight attachment at it.