Most of the surface weapons are there for fluff. I'm pretty sure the best surface weapon is the X-Rifle which you can get access to very quickly, maybe the Plasma Rifle but the aimed mode restriction really hinders it.
A bit too quickly, I think. When I retrieved and researched the AKM, I thought "great, now I don't have to suck on the surface anymore!" But researching that unlocked the option to research common weapon acquisition, which allowed me to purchase X-rifles. I never used AKMs in combat.
Oh, one weapon I would have liked to be able to purchase is the axe. Since it gets a power bonus equal to the user's strength, it really isn't bad at all. But then there doesn't seem to be a way to buy it. I tried adding a
requiresBuy:
- STR_AXE
string, but that didn't do anything. Ditto the explosive charge (described as C4 in the game, but named dynamite in the items file). And on that subject, both C4 and dynamite are used for demolition purposes, yet the description says it's not suited for that purpose.
And while I'm posting, I might also mention that the DP64 incendiary ammunition weighs three times as much as the HE ammunition. I took the liberty to affix the same value to both, ie. 2.
I critique because I love.