Don't confuse choices with meaningful choices. Teching for upgrades ( eg USF weapon racks ) is not the same as just upgrading an existing squad once you see a vehicle. This is the problem so many people have with ptrs penals. There is no forward thinking or planning. The soviet player can go any t1 build and as heavy as he chooses, all the while knowing he just has to keep 80 muni in reserve in case an AC or flame HT turns up.
As to the notion that you have to make a choice between AI penals and AT penals, well thats a weak argument since you can just buy another penal to replace the the one you upgraded or you can just get say 3 AI penals then upgrade the 4th penal with PTRS.
Its F***ing braindead.
I am not disputing there is an issue with t1 and a lack of AT, and the problem is not easy to solve given the restrictions of the patch, but those people (including the mods) that continue to claim there are choices being made or sacrifices being made when upgrading PTRS need to really consider if they are truely being impartial or if they are arguing their case to support the changes they made in the mod.
I actually don't like the penals for a different reason, I think the PTRS on penals just suck. In a 1v1 with good players you will never see this upgrade, it completely wastes an expensive 300 mp squad. No real player will use the ptrs penals when you have the superior options to:
-tech t2 and get zis (and mortars and maxims)
-use guards instead
-rush a t70
-use cons atnades
-use Partysans
For penals being such an expensive ai squad, you are gimping the hell out of them to get a mediocre at squad, and spending a bunch of munis to do it. I understand that that is by design, but the other choices are cheap enough that it will never be a better choice to throw away your ai squad.
It's not worth trying to force an at role onto the penals when there are so many other better options already available to soviets. PTRS specifically clashes so much with guards, why not just swap penals and guards if you want the PTRS?
I do like the AT satchel though.