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Old 06-04-2019, 09:35 AM   #6
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Shipbuilding in ISW vs Spaceships

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wonazer View Post
My concern with TL11+ was one my players brought up: death was inevitable. They realized that TL11 energy weapons were brutal. Short of everyone wearing space armor and having personal shields, a solid shot would end them. I dialed my game back to TL9 (with a few exceptions) as it seemed more reasonable (and survivable).

Is "eggshells and hammer" worse than "plink, plink, plink, red mist"?
You've managed to bewilder me. I was talking about spaceship combat in Spaceships. That's where the "eggshells with hammers" thing came from. Damage in Spaceships is generally the same across TLs if everything else is equal. Armor divisor does go up but DR does too and if you add Force Screens it more than doubles.

Now you're talking about personal combat and i fiind your player's concerns difficult to understand as well. In UT (until you get to TL12^Disintegrators) lethality to unarmored targets goes _down_ when you switch from TL9 projectile weapons to higher TL energy weapons. A TL11 Heavy Blaster Pistol does 4d damage or an average of 14 pts. That's a weapon the size of a .44 magnum. A standard 9mm cop gun from TL8 loaded with HP does 13.5 pts of wounding. A TL9 15mm Magnum does 4d+1 P++ or 30 pts of wounding to an unarmored target. A TL 9 Gyroc does 6D P++ or 42 pts of wounding and that's with non-explosive rounds.

The lower RCL and hgh ACC of energy weapons can get a target in trouble with multiple hits but that's not the "one solid shot" you mentioned. You won't find Gurps combat with Piercing weapons at lower TLs notably more survivable.
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Fred Brackin
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