Re: laser sighting systems

"Brent L. Woods" [email removed] writes:
>  >>In message 1489([email removed] (Adrian Hurt) writes:
>  >>>The pistol is still handled totally differently from the longarm, due
>  >>>to the different shape and weight.

In fact, having just looked at Striker Book 3 to check on weights, I think
I may have to retract that.  The TL9 laser "pistol" weighs 3 kg, and that's
not including the power pack!  (The power pack only weighs an additional
1 kg, anyway.)  That makes it about the same weight as a loaded SMG.  So I
suspect that for real precision fire, any decent laser pistol should have
a folding stock, like SMG's do, and would then be fired as a carbine.  The
laser carbine and laser rifle weigh 5 and 6 kg respectively, not far off
the weight of an unloaded light machine gun (5.5 kg).  At TL 13, they get
a little lighter, except for the laser rifle which weighs 8.8 kg - not
something you want to carry around regularly, and I hope it's got a
bipod!  As for the pistol - like a SMG, you could probably fire it with
one hand, but you would need some sort of check against strength to do
so accurately.

>      Depends on the pistol.  My match pistol has no perceptible recoil,
> but it's very massive, compared to other .22 automatics.

If it weighs 3 kg, it's a good simulation of a laser pistol.  (To make it
a little more realistic, fix a 1 kg weight to your belt, tie a piece of
wire to it, and tie the other end of the wire to your pistol. :-)  If it
weighs a little over 2 kg, it can simulate a TL 13 laser pistol.

>							    I'm strange,
> though.  I don't use the sights.  I just hold the weapon until it feels
> right, and then fire.  I'm a pretty good marksman, too, if I do say so
> myself...  :-)

So you get the -2 DM for snap fire (i.e. not aiming using the sights),
plus a good + DM for skill and probably DEX.

>      I wonder...  Should we consider putting *both* styles of weapon
> into our games?  It would make unskilled combat more interesting...
> You could never quite be sure what you're picking up off that pirate
> raider...

Another thing to take note of when picking up weapons after a battle -
make sure the sights haven't been knocked out of alignment ...

- --
 "Keyboard?  How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  [email removed]
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   [email removed]