[–]ben1105chainwhore/hitscan hero/etc 1 point 1 hour ago*
The mechanics are identical other than the minor amount of spread - which is just randomness and isn't "difficulty" - plus the T1 chaingun was far more powerful than anything we have in Ascend. It was only more "difficult" in that it was just as ping-dependent but getting a good connection in the 90s was hard.
In both games, it always took more skill to keep a chain on target than it does to land a ground pound. And, in both, midairs were NEVER a consistent source of damage and almost always stupid to attempt.