Andrew Salamon asks if there is any correlation with other weapons as to when
pistols come out after the rifle has been introduced. My estimation would
be two tech levels later. I take my cue from the guass rifle (praise be to
the all-mighty guass rifle), which was introduced at TL12, if memory serves.
In Striker, the Guass Pistol is introduced at TL14. So, in that case, the
"Blaster" or, plasma pistol, would be introduced at TL18... A TL that seems
quite in line with other Star Wars techno-gizmos. (i.e. artificially
intelligent robots and miraculously small powerplants and drives systems...
oh, and don't forget the famous "proton torpedoes", aka anti-matter
warheads.)
Even if I have my TL wrong with when the Guass Rifle was introduced, I would
still argue that the plasma pistol would be introduced at TL18, or perhaps
TL17, but that might be pushing it. The reason for this is simple: If it
took them two tech levels to make a PGMP-14 into a plasma rifle, then they
certainly should take that long to make it into a pistol! Miniturization is
one thing, but micronization of a plasma focusing element? That would take
some doing.
Richard H. Anderson
Dickinson College
[email removed]