Weapon Trait: Smart

[anselyn]

Smart Weapons.
Smart is used two ways in the rules. p75 Smart - weapon trait; p97 - smart fabrics (also smart plastics elsewhere).

The weapons trait just as well be replaced by Homing - it is not used elsewhere in the rules.

Homing: This weapon has intelligent or semi-intelligent rounds that are able to guide themselves onto a target. They gain a DM to their attack rolls equal to the difference between their TL and that of the target, to a maximum of DM+6.

Also - what does this mean in practice? They gain a DM to their attack rolls equal to the difference between their TL and that of the target I understand the intent - for something with active countermeasures. But, what's the TL of a tree, a house, a Traveller?

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

A character with a Homing Gauss Pistol (TL14) is firing at someone wearing Combat Armour (TL12). So the Shooter gets a DM+2 to hit.

Wearing Mesh Armour (TL2) gives the Shooter the max DM+6, same as shooting at a naked person or animal.

 

[Stainless]

So does that mean if the armour is higher TL than the weapon you get a negative DM to hit? That doesn't make sense to me. Having homing ammo shouldn't make it harder to hit than normal aiming and firing.

The rules description should say something like; "They gain a DM to their attack rolls equal to the difference between their TL and that of the target (provided that is a positive value), to a maximum of DM+6"

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I agree, that should be the intent.

 

[anselyn]

So does that mean if the armour is higher TL than the weapon you get a negative DM to hit? That doesn't make sense to me. Having homing ammo shouldn't make it harder to hit than normal aiming and firing.

ECM? If the homing mechanism can be tricked then you're better off not using homing tech.

 

[Stainless]

Good point Anselyn. But I suspect that's not what was implicit in the rule wording, but Matt could elaborate on this. If that is the case, I think a brief explanation would be appropriate to stop the "Huh?" phenomenon when reading the rules.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Good point - going to add a minimum of DM+1 (so you always get a little benefit).

 

[chiron0224]

In the nicest way possible this still seems like a really bad rule for a really great concept. Why not just have it provide some kind of flat DM? Like Smart 1 or Smart 2 and you add the weapon's smart value to it's attack rolls to represent that the ammo guides itself towards the target? I mean I get the idea that higher tech armor might have countermeasures of some kind but that could also be an armor trait. Like higher tech armor might have a "scramble" trait or something that makes you harder to be hit by homing weapons. Then you could have a piece of armor that has like Scramble 1 or Scramble 2. Simply subtract the armor's scramble value from the smart value and there's your DM. Even if it is negative (when you bought a weapon with guided ammunition you took the risk that a sufficiently advanced armor system could fool it in such a way as to make the ammo avoid them. This would even add an interesting element to combats in which smart players might keep low tech back up weapons like "Shit, his armor is jamming our bullets. Jam this you sonovabitch!!!"). This would also allow for things like the fact that not all high tech armor is necessarily equal in its ability to scramble. Also it allows for anti-smart countermeasures to be a purchasable armor upgrade. Like "I bought this thing that I can install on my flack vest that jams the guidance of some guided ammunition."

 

[hdan]

Though it might prove fiddly in practice:

Smart gives a +1 to hit, and AP equal to the difference in tech levels, minimum +1, maximum +6.

This lets the smart round have a better chance to hit, and if it's smarter than the armor, a chance to circumvent that armor.

 

[chiron0224]

Though it might prove fiddly in practice:

Smart gives a +1 to hit, and AP equal to the difference in tech levels, minimum +1, maximum +6.

This lets the smart round have a better chance to hit, and if it's smarter than the armor, a chance to circumvent that armor.

I think the entire enterprise of comparing TLs in a firefight is fiddly tbh which is why I tried to take that out of the equation with my system of smart and scramble traits but I definitely agree with the desire to turn smart into a modifier instead of being wholly dependent on the TLs.

 

[Nerhesi]

Halt! Stop adding positive modifiers!

The game is rife with positive modifiers, especially in ground combat, which are pretty much resulting in the redundancy of dice, tactics, or defenses.

Stop. Adding. More. Pluses.

Comparing TL is fine as is because it is super quick and isn't a changing variable during the fight.

But honestly, between characteristic bonus, skill, aiming, sights/scopes, implants... an average chargen merc is going to be hitting on 4+ even if the target is diving into cover... not including anything smart.

Rant complete

 

[Sevain]

TL comparison in ground combat is not fine. What is the TL of a human being? Because if it is 0 then the Smart trait gives a +6 bonus unless the target wears high tech armour, which in turn renders the shooter irrelevant since the bonus overwhelms all but the most extreme circumstances.

In short, the Smart mechanic is bad since it adds enormous bonuses unless both sides are extremely similar in equipment TL.

 

[Nerhesi]

If youre not similar in equipment you should be toast anyways

Perhaps making smart a +1 if there is a 2 TL difference or not or so. We dont need any more bonuses for even TL fights (which is why I didn't care about the TL difference method)