Re: (1477) Re: tech code blues

 >From woodsb Tue Aug 21 23:16:26 1990
 >Received: by gn.ecn.purdue.edu (5.61/1.27jrs)
 >	id AA27970; Tue, 21 Aug 90 23:16:24 -0500
 >Message-Id: [email removed]
 >Date: Tue, 21 Aug 90 9:55:52 BST
 >From: Adrian Hurt [email removed]
 >Subject: (1477) Re: tech code blues
 >Reply-To: [email removed]
 >Apparently-To: woodsb

 In message 1477 [email removed] (Adrian Hurt) writes:
 >
 >"Brent L. Woods" [email removed] writes:
 >>
 >>      How about a laser?
 >
 >That's why there are different skills for different types of weapons.

     Damn.  Where was my brain?  I never even thought about the skills.
If I had two working neurons to rub together, I'd be dangerous...  ;-)

 >Personally, I'm not sure if laser pistols and laser rifles/carbines
 >would need separate skills; in the rules, they don't.

     I don't think they do.  The effect of the two types of weapons
(laser pistols versus laser carbines/rifles) are a lot closer together
than the slug-thrower equivalents.  With lasers, the only real
difference is the power.  With slug-throwers, pistols are much less
acurate (due to the shorter barrel length and inferior sights) and have
a much shorter range (same reasons, basically).  Due to those
differences, pistols and longarms are used differently.  The laser
weapons are much closer together, so skill with one type should work
just as well with others.

 >(I still prefer Ye Olde Traveller, or Striker, where each weapon had
 >its own DEX modifiers - DEX 6 incurred a penalty on precision weapons
 >like pistols, but not on easier weapons like SMG's.)

     I have to agree with this.  Heck, I still use the old damages from
the old three-book boxed set (where each weapon did slightly different
damages).

     I've had some time to think about the issue of usage penalties
based on tech level differences.  I'm also a little better rested, so
I may be more coherent.  ;-)

     I (personally, in my own game) don't think that such penalties
make that much difference.  I don't use them, since I assume that my
player characters are bright enough to not even attempt to use a
piece of equipment if they haven't (at least) been told how it works.
This, of course, doesn't apply to emergency situations.  :-)

     Unless the weapon is *very* strange, even a complete idiot can
pull a trigger no matter what tech level he grew up under.


- --
     Brent

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