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[tarunik]

Did the races develop their small-arms technology in concert with their racial heavy weapon (so, the Amarrians would have laser-based small arms, the Gallente ones based on particle blasters, the Caldari using coil/rail weaponry, while the Minmatar would be using firearms similar to RL ones)?  Or are there some down-scaling limits on some of the weapon technologies available? (For instance, making it infeasible to build an infantry weapon based on pulse-laser technology.)

[Hamish Grayson]

Every thing I've seen suggest they all do scale down and that the races use whatever they do on their ships.

[Vincent Pryce]

That's pretty much how it goes. In TEA there's a few of such examples. Like when the first Caldari waves hit Luminaire they use EMP shocks to fuck over gallente infantry weapons, and in the same scene Caldari are quoted to use lowtech minmatar firearms lacking most electronic parts that make Caldari and Gallente weaponry vulnerable to such tricks. AFAIK there's been other such examples about them littered here and there in PF, and if not anything else, players have rather fervently adapted it as canon.

[tarunik]

*nods*

This does raise a question, though: How are non-Minmatar small arms powered?  Do they have some sort of "battery" or power core?  Is it fixed in place, or removable/replaceable?  Is it rechargeable?

Also: would Amarrian small arms use a fixed focusing crystal, or would crystal swaps be as normal to them as reloading a gun IRL?

[Hamish Grayson]

I'd say that sort of detail is up to you.

[Senn Typhos]

IMO, if we go with the "scaled down" theory - which I particularly like, I don't really know why - then non-projectile weapons might still require charges. Hybrid guns still need individual charges, but I don't think they're "thrown" the way a projectile weapon is. So for a hybrid pistol, I don't know, perhaps it's a battery and charges, or perhaps each charge has a way to power itself for one release of the stored payload.

Railguns could be effective in that same field, but again it would seem they'd need an internal power source as well as the charges they'd be firing. The only totally self-contained one I could think of would be a laser pistol, which would need a crystal and power source - so you'd probably just switch out the battery when it got low, or something to that effect. vOv

[Vieve]

Also: would Amarrian small arms use a fixed focusing crystal, or would crystal swaps be as normal to them as reloading a gun IRL?

Both?


At least I've played with both.  Small cheap laser pistols with a fixed focus crystal, and nicer ones that allow crystal swaps (e.g. the Imperial Armaments Mandorla series, a compact pistol with a small grip¹).


¹Tinfoil Hat.  Not PF.

[Vieve]

so you'd probably just switch out the battery when it got low, or something to that effect. vOv

Sort of like a thermal clip in ME2, eh?

[Lyn Farel]

Remember the artworks for a few DUST guns. The Amarrian pistol looked definitly lazor powered to me.

[Senn Typhos]

so you'd probably just switch out the battery when it got low, or something to that effect. vOv

Sort of like a thermal clip in ME2, eh?

Actually, not a bad idea.

[tarunik]

IMO, if we go with the "scaled down" theory - which I particularly like, I don't really know why - then non-projectile weapons might still require charges. Hybrid guns still need individual charges, but I don't think they're "thrown" the way a projectile weapon is. So for a hybrid pistol, I don't know, perhaps it's a battery and charges, or perhaps each charge has a way to power itself for one release of the stored payload.

Railguns could be effective in that same field, but again it would seem they'd need an internal power source as well as the charges they'd be firing. The only totally self-contained one I could think of would be a laser pistol, which would need a crystal and power source - so you'd probably just switch out the battery when it got low, or something to that effect. vOv

Yeah, I agree that hybrids would have an internal power source in addition to needing ammunition (I presume they'd be magazine-fed, just like their projectile brethren).

The bigger question for hybrids and lasers is: what do you do when your weapon is running out of juice? Can you just pop the power core out and put a fresh one in?  Do you have to plug it into the wall, so to speak?  Or are there cases where the power core is fixed, and you just throw away a dead weapon?

[Seriphyn]

TonyG said "The Gallente can make a laser weapon, but if you want a really good one, you go to Viziam"

Plasma-based weapons for Gallente/Caldari, mechanical/gas-powered stuff for Minmatar, laser for Amarr. Generally, but it sounds like each empire makes variants of each. Projectile weapons, for example, are going to be essential for mass production for low-tech colonies and such.

[Saikoyu]

I sware I posted on this, but I guess the forum ate this one too.

I've played Sai as having a one shot antique laser pistol where she has to change out a dead battery after every shot if she uses it at full power. 

If you are looking for "clip" ideas I would suggest you google Metalstorm, or look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8hlj4EbdsE

If you could make something to withstand the recoil so a person could use it, you could use make an assault rifle or something where the "clip" is the barrel.  You could adapt this idea to hybrid rounds for either a railgun like thing, or a blaster type thing.

[Senn Typhos]

TonyG said "The Gallente can make a laser weapon, but if you want a really good one, you go to Viziam"

Plasma-based weapons for Gallente/Caldari, mechanical/gas-powered stuff for Minmatar, laser for Amarr. Generally, but it sounds like each empire makes variants of each. Projectile weapons, for example, are going to be essential for mass production for low-tech colonies and such.

Well, with projectile it's obvious how that pans out, there are different companies that make different guns with different parts, firing mechanisms, calibers of bullets, etc. So that makes sense.

I don't suppose it would be different with any other type. Mega PF's or the FIO might get some fancy, finely-crafted, highly disruptive hybrid guns, while the average station dweller might only be able to afford a basic type that loses some of its charge while firing. Not unlike a lesser pistol might not function well, be less accurate, produce a lot of gunpowder residues n'such...

[Esna Pitoojee]

I remember reading a book a while back that involved charged-particle weapons wherein the weapon chambers a "bullet" that contains both a crystalized matrix with the particles trapped within it (similar to Hybrid rounds in EVE) and a chemical-based high-capacity power system. When the weapon is "fired", the chemical 'packet' is pierced, causing the chemicals to mix, react, and thus a current to be formed between the two halves. This is then used to vaporize the crystal matrix and fire the now-freed particles down the barrel via magnets. Then the weapon cycles the entire empty cartridge out and a new one in, rinse and repeat.

Wouldn't be hard to adapt that to laser tech either - just lose the charged particle bit and increase your 'chem packet' to provide more energy capacity.