\/ my favorite gay person \/

Do the Biden Shuffle
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Comparing the AKM to the OICW... the OICW has a more consistent firerate and is more like the vanilla OSIPR, plus it deals more consistent damage and generally is the type of weapon you want at your side.

The AKM is to give the player a taste of that, but to feel worn down and weaker, as to enhance the feeling of vulnerability that the Canals put on the player, being chased by a KA-27 and all that. In essence, the AKM is a gimmicky taste of later power, but its clear that it isn't quite there, and I unironically like it for that.

(Plus it feels like Star Fox 64's blaster mechanic and I wish UMP45 could make a version that charges up like Star Fox's blasters. That would be a cute reference.)

i actually really like that explanation

I know. It's fine.

I think the firing dynamics make more sense when you consider that the AKM is an early game weapon found in the C17 Canals while you're being chased by Metrocops.

I think the AKM was meant to feel like something like the other Assault Rifles, but to feel more "rickety" and worn down, a bridge between the early game and what's to come later. the HL2 Beta may have had a big weapon roster, but at several points, the Beta was supposed to strip the player of guns. There was a clear weapon hierarchy in play along with some of the specialized weaponry you could obtain.

The AKM in RTBR, if RTBR is to follow the Beta's hierarchy, likely is supposed to be the bottom tier Assault Rifle. Worn and Rusted from time in the Canal's conditions, the AKM is meant to give the player a taste of what's to come, but not quite "there"