Unnatural selection, Forcing players to smarten up. Options

[FuelDrop]

We've run into a bit of a problem in our game.

Useless characters.

Now I want to be clear, I have no problem with minmaxing. I have no problem with character specialization. I have no problem with building around a theme.

However, when you minmax around the most useless weapon you can find (EG the combat knife) plus stealth, then expect to be able to take on armies? That doesn't work, and even if it doesn't get everyone else killed it leaves you hopelessly gimped outside of situations where slitting throats is the answer. It leaves you with no less lethal option for, say, taking down a civilian who's just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even with a couple of dots in the Firearms group you're unlikely to be better than "above average" at any range outside of arms reach.

Similarly, I have a problem with people who minmax badly. Himori, our group gunbunny, is outclassed in most guns by the knife guy above. Both of these characters are combat specialists who are either really mediocre at their jobs or else are good at a near-useless job.

In fact, with the exception of the combat characters' initiative enhancers the Face and B&E expert outclass them in a fight both offensively (even with the shotgun the face only just learned to use) and defensively (B&E has better dodge, Face has better soak). In both cases the characters also shine in their designated roles.

Now our GM has decided that he's sick of pampering these special snowflake characters (I don't blame him) and wants to force them to become effective through using circumstances to encourage them to spend their karma well and improve, you know, useful skills.

I'm asking if anyone can suggest scenarios that make sense in-game which force such adaption without allowing the characters to get through by relying on the better rounded characters to get them through in their own specialty. I don't need stuff to force them to branch out, just to encourage them to stop being crap at what their specialty is or to specialize in something that isn't almost completely worthless.

I will say one thing for the group: They have universally good stealth (Except for whichever troll we've got that week, but that's understandable as one's a rigger and the other is too big to go through most doors). Lowest stealth DP with chameleon suit on is 15 and limit 7 on Hollywood (the face).

Please provide suggestions to help these players grow their characters.