True, the MP5/HP5 is the more obvious choice to try and click off single shots with…simply because it has that built-in semi-auto option, anyway—which reminds me, it is one of the few weapons in the game that probably should also have the BURST option (2 round, 3 round, or even BOTH, alongside semi-auto and full-auto), while the AI-76 really should not have burst as an option…but those are entirely different complaints/suggestions that could or have been be made.
Setting aside that distraction, though—when it comes to low rate of fire weapons, the ability to take advantage OF that low rate of fire to click off single shots or very short bursts has usually been part of the point of including them in games. You get a basic gun with basic functionality, no bells or whistles, and it is up to you, the player, how it gets used. Up to the player whether they learn to recognize or opt to take advantage of the capability or not, but it is there. The M3 ‘Grease gun’ in Soldier of Fortune II, being a great comparison I can speak of. Low rate of fire, basic, old SMG, which gave the player the ability to save some ammo by opting to try and click off single shots, or very short, very well controlled bursts. Not impossible (in games, anyway) even with high rate of fire weapons, but far easier with weapons with slower cyclic rates. Similar in reality. Lower rate of fire is typically more controllable not just because recoil isn’t as much of a constant battle, but also because you have more time to react and get off the trigger. Basic, low cyclic rate weapons are typically starter weapons, which the K-pistol is in this game compared to the HP5. The M3 ‘Grease gun’ played the same role, in the other game.
I have to point out, when I talk about using semi-auto with a full-auto weapon or clicking off short bursts or single shots with a full-auto-only weapon, I’m generally not talking about in the heat of battle. Same for catching machines in an ambush, setting off gas cans or what not. I’m speaking of situations of a sneak attack, or an ambush. I’m talking about creeping along behind a patrol of Runners, attempting to one-shot the first one at the back before switching to full-auto and bursting down the rest, etc, or about stealthily cleansing a location of ticks, one by one, or luring machines into an ambush where they don’t know I’m there until I start firing, or stealthily trying to pick off lone Runners during a base assault or other similar situation where stealth is actually possible. I’m not swapping from full to semi when a Hunter, Tank, or Harvester drops a few Ticks, no. I’m speaking of the first shot of an engagement, with some hope that it may even be the ONLY shot of said engagement, depending on the exact situation or circumstances.
Anyway, it certainly looks to me like the HP5 + RDS does not have the same problem as the K-pistol + RDS. Nor does the COM-10 have the same issue. The difference between the point of aim (where the RDS’ red dot is) and the point of impact when using the K-pist does indeed appear to be about a foot, fairly consistently. The first shot, clicked off as carefully as possible, will never strike the point of aim. The HP5, the COM-10, they’ll hit close enough, with flyers still far too often for my tastes, but not nearly the same issue as the K-pistol sees. Strangely enough, the K-pistol seems to actually have the best consistency from shot to shot, when used so carefully…except that the group of shots will always be about a foot high. That shouldn’t be the case. As you said, comparatively speaking, the K-pistol probably SHOULD be more of a bullet hose, I think as well. The others should be more consistent, especially set to semi-auto. But there shouldn’t be that foot difference between point of aim and point of impact for the first shot. Not at what should be the correct range zero for that gun/sight combo, anyway.
The Skorpion doesn’t seems to have this issue, either. I also don’t see this issue with the RDS or other applicable sights on the AI76, AG4, AG5, or the N16, currently…
…there may be other weapons which do have a similar issue to the K-pistol, though. The KVM 89 looks to be one. Another weapon a lot of people aren’t likely to care about the first-shot precision of, but there is still no excuse for misaligned sighting options. In the KVM 89’s case, though, it looks like the point of impact when trying to click off single shots, however unlikely the event may be in actual use, seems like it is likely to be BELOW the point of aim. That was startlingly consistent in my testing, anyway. Using the KVM 89 with iron sights does not seem to produce the same result, the irons were on target.
The KVM 59 may also have an unexpected deviation with the RDS fitted, again with the point of impact low compared to point of aim, but not as bad as the KVM 89. The N60 does not seem to have this issue, looks to be on target… PM-71 also looks fine.
Like dismissing the issue with the SMGs, first instinct would be to say that testing MGs for single-shot precision is ridiculous, laughable… It doesn’t have so much to do with the game, but I have to point out that in reality, during the Vietnam War, there was a US Marine sniper who used a Browning M2 .50 caliber HMG, ‘tuned’ such that it would not fire full-auto, fitted with a telescopic sight, to SNIPE across a valley, long range. His name was Carlos Hathcock. Hell of a guy. So, regardless of how any player might never do it, there is precedent for why sights should be on target, for how it can be used effectively if they are “right”…and there is no strong excuse for why not.
These are valid complaints, and really ought to be checked out, regardless of the weapon. If the sights will mount, they ought to be zeroed properly.
When going full-auto, to most folks, it may not seem to matter at all…but that first shot may be the one you need to put on target most importantly, it may be the one that is going to catch the enemy by surprise and do the most damage, hit the right spot (if it goes where you were trying to put it, anyway), who knows what. The first shot shouldn’t be treated as a useless, throw-away bullet, because it isn’t—or, at least, it shouldn’t be.