Expanded Higher TL weapon tables for lower TL weapons

[apoc527]

Hi there,

I know what you may be thinking--how could you possibly need more guns? On the other hand, most people who play Traveller recognize that there is no such thing as too many guns, right?

Here's my idea: CSC does an excellent job of providing a HUGE variety of weapons across the TLs. What it does not do, however, is provide higher tech versions of gear introduced at lower TLs.

Let's take the ubiquitous 9mm autopistol first introduced at TL6. What kinds of meaningful improvements can be made to it in the course of time?

Here's a small list, please help me come up with more ideas:

1. Mechanism and Ammunition: caseless (increased mag cap), liquid propellant (increased mag cap, variable velocity, hyper-velocity mode), electrothermal chemical propulsion (hyper-velocity), and obviously advanced ammunition types. This is where most of the variability comes. Some of these mechanisms would allow for longer ranges, higher accuracy, more damage, etc. For example, an ETC or hi-velocity liquid propellant pistol could do 3d6-1 damage and gain the SAP quality normally reserved for rifles.

2. Materials: composites (lighter)

3. Sighting aids -- this is a separate issue from the gun, so I'm not going to address it.


Is this something people would be interested in as a free, non-professional, hobby-grade PDF?

 

[BP]

...Is this something people would be interested in as a free, non-professional, hobby-grade PDF?

People are always interested in free stuff... if you are gonna do it - just do it and put it out there!

Another rule of thumb - if you are interested in something - other people are too (maybe not many )!

Of course - if its free don't expect any compensation. People will complain - and few people who like or use a free thing will even acknowledge with simple thanks, much less praise. So do it for yourself and the satisfaction of sharing it - not for any other reward...

 

[justacaveman]

Mongo like guns.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I would be interested. I have actually run into this exact problem.

Taking your Autopistol example... it seems reasonable to me that some of the options and upgrades listed in CSC would become standard at higher TLs.

For example. Laser sights. I expect those to be an essentially free option by TL 8 or 9. Secure Weapon might be something that also becomes standard very quickly.

Once something is standard, the cost drops dramatically, so increase the TL, add the "standard option" and keep the price the same.

My problem is that I don't have the time, or inclination to do that for every weapon, or even group of weapons. A free PDF would be great.

And I WOULD thank you!

 

[GJD]

There is a question of why continue to develop a weapon when a more effective alternative exists. Why use an auto pistol when a laser or gauss is better?

For instance, why use a bow when a rifle is better, why use a rifle when an assault rifle is better.

I know "better" is subjective, and people can cite plenty of examples when a bow is "better" than an assault rifle, but development is genrally diven by the lowes common denominator - the most common usage, not a specific circumstance.

There were a series of articles in Challenge on filling in th gaps for various weapons. I remember a progression chart of machine guns in one issue, including a Very Rapid Fire Light Assault Gun (VRF-LAG)!

G.

 

[The Chef]

bows are still in development, both as sport and military application.

no matter how good a silencer, a bow is a very silent killer and still in use.

new technologies or resources allow for improvements to be made, different weapons have different applications. for example a laser weapon is useless in smoke, a gauss rifle maybe over kill.

people will make a big thing of autoloaders over revolvers, but revolvers are still made. Heck i know someone who builds flitlocks comercially.

What i am trying to say is this, if improvements can be made then they will be made, developments will continue way into the future.

Chef

 

[BP]

To name a few:

Economics for one - an 'over-kill' high-tech weapon can be a lot more expensive to produce.

Reliability - bows are generally not subject to battery failure or jamming

Environment - weapons designed for underwater use may have vastly different requirements than weapons designed for space.

There is also the legal issue - lethality may be restricted, etc.

And sport...

(In my area we have restrictive deer hunting seasons - which are further divided into bow and rifle...).