I understand the NOTODO and to be fair the focus IMO should be elsewhere, but I had thought the machineguns are weak myself. I'm not sure whether the feel of the original is more importance that the balance.
The machinegun is the now my favorite looking weapon in the game, but particularly on maps with lots of turn and corridors its better to switch to the angle grinder. Its only use I've ever had for it reducing someones heath from a distance when a railgun takes a while to get to, but then I'm a below average player so maybe I'm not utilising it right.
but I am a little concerned If openarena is about keeping a retro feel rather than moving openarena forward. I don't play Quake3 much anymore because the graphics are static Its the same game locking in 1999, Openarena has life.