Reply To: What do YOU want to see in Bolt Action v3?
Non disintegrating link for the MG 34/42:
Yes, it could be linked together to form longer belts, but it’s not a simple task in the field.
“IMHO, Brens, BARs, Lewis guns, Degtyaryovs, FM 24/29s, ZB27s, etc, etc, since they’re not belt-fed, are just automatic rifles….” We’re going to have to disagree on your conclusion. The BAR is the only automatic rifle in this game. Most of the rest benefit significantly from being crew served and were employed as light machine guns by their respective armies in WW2. Whether the Bren should be considered an MMG isn’t under debate – that was purely to illustrate that it could, in a pinch, step UP a role, not that it should be an in game option.
I’ve used a BAR equivalent weapon, the L2A1 (derived from the FN FAL/SLR with 30 round magazines) and it’s not even in the same ball park as using a Bren. Even without a loader the Bren lends itself to much faster magazine changes, allowing a higher rate of fire, and the ability to quickly change barrels allows you to maintain that rate for longer.
My first battalion posting was as No2 gunner in a rifle section, and we were using the Bren as an alternate weapon with the Mag58. There was very little difference in the amount of rounds the gunner could put down range with each weapon (once he got me up to speed as his loader), but the Bren meant a lot more work for the No2 (and at times the section 2IC).