Antique Weapons

[Sigtrygg]

MegaTraveller probably did this best with its separation of penetration and damage, problem is the implementation is non-intuitive, clunky, and involves multiplication and division to resolve the attack...

I was always a fan of the damage dice reduction system, but this lacks the granularity, so I added two "tags" (as the whipper snappers call them)
AP - armour piercing - halves armour rating
LP - low penetration - increases armour value by half again

 

[rinku]

I'm happy with the current MGT2e system, and numbers. If I pull any firearm on a target, they are under potentially lethal threat. Short range, aiming, skill and a couple of good rolls get you there except against the higher grades of armour that you would expect to shrug it off.

It's not about what the *average* expected damage done might be, but risking a high attack roll plus a high damage one.

Do you feel lucky?

Well, do you, Punk?

(And realistically, the target won't know how good a shot they are...)

 

[Condottiere]

The Romans had aerodynamic lead casted slingshots.

 

[swordtart]

The Romans had aerodynamic lead casted slingshots.

Indeed slings were reputed to have an armour penetrating capability. That needs however to be be considered alongside the lower protection value of the armour of the day. That would not necessarily translate into an ability to penetrate modern or future armour, but Traveller does not distinguish that.

Maybe we should be lowering the protection of all armours by the difference in TL by default.

Armours usually develop to protect against the threats likely to be encountered. Modern ballistics vests don't protect well against pole arms because they don't need to. Riot armour is effective against stones and bricks and is fire proof as rioters don't use swords or shotguns. Once people start using assault weapons (or any firearm in the case of countries that do not allow citizens to carry firearms routinely), the SWAT teams will be called out and their armour will be tailored to that role.