No I don't agree, it mirrors exactly what went on in Stalingrad. You can't get much more real because they actually did use each others weapons.
Aye. If i had it my way (speaking about a more realism type of mode) the load out would be random for each class on some of these maps. Maps during certain time periods where heavy winter fighting took place
some assault players would load out with ppsh, some with mp-40.
most rifleman on german (95%) would load out with mauser. (85%) rifleman on the russian class would load out with the 91/30. But remember... there were a HELL OF A LOT more rifleman on the field than RO2 portrays. I'm baffled by the ratio between SMGs/semi-autos and Rifles. It's Nuts!
elite rifleman on the german side would see ALOT more SVT maybe as far as making it half as common but throw in the AVT rarely (for the sake that it's in the game but just put a real weapon in that was an actual issued select fire rifle like the AVS-36).
MGs would switch rarely
Snipers would be random but not switch too often
commanders on german would switch between G41, G41 with the zf-41 (this weapon system with the scope was mainly issued to commanders to get a better view of the battlefield... not as much for a marksman), PPsh, MP40, SVT and thats pretty much it. Soviet would have PPSH, SVT, MP-40, G41 sometimes.
Engineer gets a mix of smgs and rifles
(By the way please note I'm not one with numbers off the top of my head so these estimates of from what i've read, seen, and heard about.)
I think the thing people forget is that this war was dirty and at times (some more often than others) it was about attacking the enemy not for ground but for ammunition, food, clothing, ect. I wish this was a fact that RO2 made more clear. People didnt show up to battles with new weapons. Imagine being in the same clothes, carrying the same rifle, the same supplies on your back for YEARS with no chance of washing maybe one or twice. They were issued a weapon at the start of their campaign and they were not issued another until it was broken... and in a place like Stalingrad where the enemy is in front, behind, and either side of you, where supplies were short and sparse amongst armies, many times there isn't a way you can be resupplied for long periods of time.
So at the point that this game takes place, many of these soldiers (and especially their 'heroes') will have been around for quite a while... In real life 'heroes' werent awarded new shiny rifles (which TWI seems to believe)... they used the same dirty rifle they had been toting for years like everyone else... and when that was damaged passed the point of functioning or ran out of ammo and there was no resupply... they grabbed one up off the ground and continued... because if they didnt they were either left or shot by their officers.
What i'm trying to get across is that some of these battles that we play are indeed battles in the middle of this long campaign. when you start each game you assume the role of a soldier that has been there for a while (thats what the lvling up system and your own skill from playing emulates) and thusly I'd like to see that bit of not being in control which the soldiers felt as well... like i do not have control over what weapon I have had to use for the past few months or years.
It's my opinion that the soldier shouldn't have much choice, in a realism type of mode of what weapon they start off with other than class. This is indeed just a game. But if you are going to do a realism game... don't half *** it. Many of the newer players don't realize that these levels of realism that many of the older community ask for have been neglected between RO1 and RO2.
