How effective do you feel weapons should be

[JmOz]

Designing my first Sci-Fi world right now, and want some oppinions on a coupl erelated issues

 

How powerful should weapons be, especialy hand held vs ships & other people?

 

I am right now leaning towards a very good roll on a normal blaster pistol should have a chance of damageing a ship while a above average on a rifle should damage a ship. Ships will however have shields that can make small arms fire inefective, but shields are not on 100% of the time

[gamerz123]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Designing my first Sci-Fi world right now, and want some oppinions on a coupl erelated issues

 

How powerful should weapons be, especialy hand held vs ships & other people?

 

I am right now leaning towards a very good roll on a normal blaster pistol should have a chance of damageing a ship while a above average on a rifle should damage a ship. Ships will however have shields that can make small arms fire inefective, but shields are not on 100% of the time

 

For people-versus-people, I'd say that depends upon what type of game you want to run:

 

If one shot is certain to kill a person (the classic example of this is the Star Trek Phaser), then you generally get a game with less combat ("Can we solve this without violence?") and when there is combat, it's standard for it to be thoroughly planned.

 

If one shot is deadlier than a modern firearm but not 90%-guaranteed-insta-death, you end up with a 'normal' amount of combat with modern weapons, although certain tactics would have to change with the nature of the weapons.

 

If most weapons aren't that deadly (say, for example, just about everyone carries a stun blaster, but few carry plasma weapons), then you might get MORE combat.

 

-----

 

I like the approach you're taking with the ships. The various ways of doing this that I can think of off the top of my head depend upon which person-to-person approach is taken.

 

Anyway, my 2 cents.

 

CT

[JmOz]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

I'm leaning towards a def of 10 being average on ships with FF adding another 10/10, pistols providing 2d6 RKA, rifles 3d6

 

"Ship weapons" will have reduced pen, not as leathal but very unlikely to damage the ship (These are weapons used on board a ship), or I might just fo with Ship weapons being EB based instead of RKA...

[LunaRagno]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Designing my first Sci-Fi world right now, and want some oppinions on a coupl erelated issues

 

How powerful should weapons be, especialy hand held vs ships & other people?

 

I am right now leaning towards a very good roll on a normal blaster pistol should have a chance of damageing a ship while a above average on a rifle should damage a ship. Ships will however have shields that can make small arms fire inefective, but shields are not on 100% of the time

 

Hand-helds damaging a ship?!

 

Can a RealWorld™ soldier put a hole in a cruiser with his rifle? Not I've heard.

 

You'll have a weird feeling universe if you do that. You want that feel (space ship in danger from a 'grunt' then OK. But you're players maybe freaked :shock:

[mikesama]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Designing my first Sci-Fi world right now, and want some oppinions on a coupl erelated issues

 

How powerful should weapons be, especialy hand held vs ships & other people?

 

I am right now leaning towards a very good roll on a normal blaster pistol should have a chance of damageing a ship while a above average on a rifle should damage a ship. Ships will however have shields that can make small arms fire inefective, but shields are not on 100% of the time

 

Putting holes in ships with small arms would be overkill, putting holes in ships with man portable weapons is not the same thing and nopt quite overkill. I'm sure there is an exception or two but most ships should be practically invulnerable to small arms fire.

[austenandrews]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Depending on your level of realism, just being resistant to high-velocity micrometeors should mean ships are immune to small arms fire. Unless you've got really potent small arms.

[JmOz]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Realism level set at: Low, let me put it this way, I debated putting this thread into pulp instead of Star...

[austenandrews]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

In that case, I'd use the Speed Of Plot paradigm - they're as powerful (or not) as they need to be for the curent scenario.

[Old Man]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Realism level set at: Low' date='[/quote']

 

Ah, so like GI Joe and Transformers level where hand weapons really are a threat to space ships. Got it.

[LoresLost]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Ah' date=' so like GI Joe and Transformers level where hand weapons really are a threat to space ships. Got it.[/quote']

 

Minor Quible: Some of the Transformers were Space Ships... and their side arms were vehicle mounted weapons for all intent and purposes.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

I generally treated hand-held weapons and ship weapons and completely different animals: small arms are totally ineffective against ships, and ship weapons would destroy any person they hit (although their targetting systems aren't designed to hit anything that small).

 

But that's just my universe. If you want a more Buck Rogers feel, then I think you've got it about right. I make still make pistols ineffective against ship hulls, although targetting specific systems might be another thing.

[austenandrews]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

I generally treated hand-held weapons and ship weapons and completely different animals: small arms are totally ineffective against ships, and ship weapons would destroy any person they hit (although their targetting systems aren't designed to hit anything that small).

 

But that's just my universe. If you want a more Buck Rogers feel, then I think you've got it about right. I make still make pistols ineffective against ship hulls, although targetting specific systems might be another thing.

I've done something similar, requiring AE or Explosion to do any significant damage to a ship.

[Brother Jim]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Hand-helds damaging a ship?!

 

Can a RealWorld™ soldier put a hole in a cruiser with his rifle? Not I've heard.

 

You'll have a weird feeling universe if you do that. You want that feel (space ship in danger from a 'grunt' then OK. But you're players maybe freaked :shock:

 

Actually, modern naval vessels aren't armored (battleships and I think carriers are the exceptions) and an AK will shoot through the hull. pistols wouldn't, but hand cannons might. the superstructure is aluminum and can be shot through by almost all rifles.

 

just so ya know.

[Old Man]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Also, the standard 'small arm' in many areas of Asia is the RPG. The RPG is so effective that the Chechens have switched from squads having two riflemen supported by an RPG gunner, to having two RPG gunners supported by a rifleman. An RPG poses a grave threat to practically anything--trucks, tanks, buildings, people, helicopters, and even ships. And they're dirt cheap.

[Curufea]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Small arms that use lead bullets would have very little chance of piercing a hull.

Armour piercing and steel jacketted bullet - slim. A hull isn't a single layer of steel (or other strong scifi-ish material) but usually at least two layers with stuff inbetween.

Lasers - pulse lasers would maybe remove a milimeter or two.

Plasma - likewise, dissipating when it hits and losing magnetic cohesion (if it had any)

Microwave - wouldn't penetrate.

Rockets - not unless the the rocket contains a shaped charge or is specifically anti-tank.

Raygun - if you have rayguns then you're likely playing space pulp, which means whether or not it penetrates a hull is entirely dependant on the GM for story reasons.

[McCoy]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

If we are looking at Real World, a chunck of insulation foam has brought down a Space Shuttle, so I have no doubt that a .45 calibre bullet could do so also.

 

On the other hand, I certainly hope designs improve over the centuries.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Maybe give the ships high DEF with a good activation roll, or work up some hit location charts with varying DEF? Most small arms shots ping off, but if you get a series of lucky rolls (high damage, good location or failed activation) you can do some damage?

[Markdoc]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Depends on the feel you want.

 

If space ships are like real world aircraft (star wars) then yes, sidearms should be able to damage them. If you want them to be more like battle ships (say, WH40K), then, significant damage is not on the cards.

 

You can, of course, mix and match, so starfighters are vulnerable to small arms while a mile-long marine assault ship is not.

 

cheers, Mark

[Thrakazog]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

If we are looking at Real World' date=' a chunck of insulation foam has brought down a Space Shuttle, so I have no doubt that a .45 calibre bullet could do so also.[/quote']

 

Weeeelll..... Consider the manner in which that shuttle exploded. The foam wasn't the direct cause. All the foam did was damage the heat shield just enough that re-entry burn was allowed through to the interior. The foam wasn't the direct cause of the shuttle's destruction.

[austenandrews]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Small arms can pierce a hull, sure, but any advanced spaceship worth its salt wouldn't be fazed by a bullet-size hole. It would seal itself up in short order.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Actually' date=' modern naval vessels aren't armored (battleships and I think carriers are the exceptions) and an AK will shoot through the hull. pistols wouldn't, but hand cannons might. the superstructure is aluminum and can be shot through by almost all rifles.[/quote']

Seriously? I knew they weren't heavily armored by WWII standards, but I had no idea they were that flimsy. Do you have any references for that? (Not saying I don't believe you, just would like to see it with my own eyes.)

 

Small arms can pierce a hull' date=' sure, but any advanced spaceship worth its salt wouldn't be fazed by a bullet-size hole. It would seal itself up in short order.[/quote']

Yeah, it wouldn't last very long if it couldn't.

[pinecone]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

I'd have no problem with small arms torching a star ship...especially with sheild technology...want to keep a star cruiser safe? Stay in orbit, and keep the sheilds up...get caught with your pants down and bad stuff happens....and a high tech RPG equiv weapon would be built for that express perpose anyway..

[Captain Obvious]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

I think for a pulpish sci-fi game, a handgun should be able to damage a small vehicle (like a fighter or a car), and probably take it down with 2 or 3 good hits. A rocketship would be a different story, unless of course it's a fighter sized rocketship.

 

A standard rocketship of approximately semi size should generally be able to take a hit or two from emplaced artillery, at least.

[LunaRagno]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Actually, modern naval vessels aren't armored (battleships and I think carriers are the exceptions) and an AK will shoot through the hull. pistols wouldn't, but hand cannons might. the superstructure is aluminum and can be shot through by almost all rifles.

 

just so ya know.

 

Hrmmm... I knew modern ships were light, but I didn't think a cruiser was that light. Live & learn!

 

OTOH, as the ducky said, space ships would be tougher. Necessary to deal with space itself!

 

I mean like, if you ship can stand up to vacuum and micrometeors, I would expect they can stand up to small arms. Unless your small arm are real kick-glutius, of course.

 

Main thing as always is (like others said), it depends on the "feel" you want. It also depends on how your players (insist on)/(like)/(will put up with) having their disbelief suspended.

[McCoy]

Re: How effective do you feel weapons should be

 

Weeeelll..... Consider the manner in which that shuttle exploded. The foam wasn't the direct cause. All the foam did was damage the heat shield just enough that re-entry burn was allowed through to the interior. The foam wasn't the direct cause of the shuttle's destruction.

But the foam did dmage it to the point where it could not re-enter safely without repair. I'm to believe a handgun couldn't do the same?