Drum mags and balance.
Posted: Fri 05 Jun 2026, 17:42
The RPK has 75 round drum mags. These are compatible with standard AKMs. The AKM is a lot more handy than the RPK, being an assault rifle instead of a LMG.
So dropping the RPK and using the drum mags in your AKM makes sense. While it doesn't exactly break the game, it still feels like a hack, so I've been toying with a few solutions.
EASIEST FIX: Don't bother keeping track of magazines, and just organize bullets into appropriate reloads. Grabbing a drum from the RPK gives you 2½ reloads for your AKM and reloading the AKM fills it with no more than 30 round. Video game logic.
EASY FIX: An AKM loaded with a RPK drum now follows the rules for a LMG, but retains it's normal stats (except Mag.).
COMPLICATED FIX: For people who like to add other drum-fed or drum compatible weapons to the game (PPSh-41, M1928 Thompson, KP-31 Suomi, AKM short carbine variants).
Loading a drum mag into a weapon has a difficulty of -2 to the reload roll. Taking out a drum mag and loading a standard magazine is normal difficulty.
Drum magazine reloads weigh ½ for a capacity of 50-75 rounds. Larger drums weigh 1 per reload.
Weapons loaded with a drum magazine receive a -1 penalty to Quick (ie not aimed) shots, unless they are heavy weapons.
Opinions?
So dropping the RPK and using the drum mags in your AKM makes sense. While it doesn't exactly break the game, it still feels like a hack, so I've been toying with a few solutions.
EASIEST FIX: Don't bother keeping track of magazines, and just organize bullets into appropriate reloads. Grabbing a drum from the RPK gives you 2½ reloads for your AKM and reloading the AKM fills it with no more than 30 round. Video game logic.
EASY FIX: An AKM loaded with a RPK drum now follows the rules for a LMG, but retains it's normal stats (except Mag.).
COMPLICATED FIX: For people who like to add other drum-fed or drum compatible weapons to the game (PPSh-41, M1928 Thompson, KP-31 Suomi, AKM short carbine variants).
Loading a drum mag into a weapon has a difficulty of -2 to the reload roll. Taking out a drum mag and loading a standard magazine is normal difficulty.
Drum magazine reloads weigh ½ for a capacity of 50-75 rounds. Larger drums weigh 1 per reload.
Weapons loaded with a drum magazine receive a -1 penalty to Quick (ie not aimed) shots, unless they are heavy weapons.
Opinions?