[Space Opera] Combat Loadouts

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

On the other hand, guns tend to have a pretty hefty Bulk penalty which comes into play when things close to melee range. Adding a destructive parry to vibro- and monowire blades is in-keeping with the fluff and makes sense; a gun won't fire right if it's damaged, and even nowadays there's a lot of plastic in the gun (although the barrel is still metal; this may or may not be true with blasters).

Bulk comes into play in close combat. Close combat is trivially easy to not be in under nearly all circumstances unless you are grappled. Also, any long blade is going to have similar or even worse penalties in close combat!

Tactical Shooting also offers the Close Hip Shooting technique to (at least partially) buy that off, though most soldiers probably won't have it.

As for destructive parrying...that probably would actually work quite well under GURPS rules and UT stats, given that you enabled a destructive parry for those weapons. However, this is more of a deep bug than a feature. UT stats are such that a laser carbine is murderously effective at killing other people's small arms. It's trivial for a squad of security guards to disarm a heavy powersuit. Also consider that as a tactic, destructively parrying guns apart requires first closing to melee range, which is very difficult, and then succeeding at a parry, which is not easy either for reasonably-trained people using a secondary weapon and no shield.

[mtowle]

Reasons to use swords in space opera settings should include having force shields not function against them and them having a high armor-piercing modifier (so as to negate armor w/o making the swords too brutal to combatants). Once in-close it becomes effective to go hand-to-hand.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by mtowle

Reasons to use swords in space opera settings should include having force shields not function against them and them having a high armor-piercing modifier (so as to negate armor w/o making the swords too brutal to combatants). Once in-close it becomes effective to go hand-to-hand.

I'm sure some combination of superfine, monoblade, vibroblade, hyperdense, and blastsword will provide the armor divisor you're looking at. It'll cost more, of course, but TL11 Wealth starts at $75K (as opposed to the $20K of TL8), so PCs can afford more damaging weapons.

Swords, I think, also have the "probably won't accidentally shatter the made-by-the-lowest-bidder pressure dome or ship's viewport if it misses the target" that blasters would, unless you're fighting RIGHT NEXT to one. Something to be said for not accidentally spacing yourself in the middle of a firefight.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Swords, I think, also have the "probably won't accidentally shatter the made-by-the-lowest-bidder pressure dome or ship's viewport if it misses the target" that blasters would, unless you're fighting RIGHT NEXT to one. Something to be said for not accidentally spacing yourself in the middle of a firefight.

Not much, really. That's either a job for some sort of extremely specialized assault troops (who probably still use guns, but of a lower collateral damage type), or for space marines who blow the dome on purpose, because the vacuum is more likely to inconvenience their opponents.

If you tried to use swords, you'd be killed by people who didn't. Swords are obsolete for a reason, and it isn't inadequate ability to hurt people. Hyperdense vibroblade is all well and good but doesn't do anything about the actual problem with melee weapons, which is that you generally get shot before you get close enough to use them.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Okay, here's the new loadout listings:



Standard Soldier (major powers)
Blaster Carbine or Blaster Rifle
Underbarrel Gyroc or Underbarrel EMGL
Large Vibro-Knife or Force Blade
Combat Hardsuit
Combat Infantry Helmet
* Multispectral Visor
* Grav-Ripple Communicator, Tiny
* HUD
* Augmented Reality linkup
1 in 6 has a Heavy Blaster Rifle (LMG equivalent)
1 in 12 has an Infantry Missile Launcher


Space Marine (major powers)
same as Soldier, except for the following:
Space Armor
Space Combat Helmet
* Multispectral Visor
* Grav-Ripple Communicator, Tiny
* HUD
* Augmented Reality linkup

When Soldiers or Marines face each other they're goign to e heavily dependant on their grenade launchers. Blaster carbines will not penetrate the torsos of hardsuits or space armor unless you roll well and damage will be marginal too.

Blaster rifles are only slightly better, averaging only 1 pt. Even the Heavy Blaster will only average 8. That'a about half the effect of a M-16 v. an unarmored target.

I know you're specifying Space Opera which tends to mean "This is The Futuire! We shoot Energy Beams at each other now!" but UT does not support that very well. If I was arming TL11 forces for a fight against armored units I'm afraid I'd have to take something like the Gauss CAW with HEMP.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Okay, here's the new loadout listings:
Station Security Officer
...
Handcuffs

Starfighter and Shuttle Pilots
...
Blaster Carbine (stored)

That's a lot more credible. More than one set of handcuffs doesn't weigh much, and the lack can be embarrassing. Are pilots likely to be issued carbines of their own? They will have some basic training with using them, but having them issued at need makes more sense than having the things hidden in cupboards all over the base. That creates safely and maintenance issues.

[Novembermike]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

Okay, here's the new loadout listings:

Station Security Officer
Blaster Pistol or Heavy Blaster Pistol
Electric Stun Baton
Monocrys Vest or Jacket
Radio Communicator, Small
Handcuffs

Why does a basic security officer have a gun? I'm not sure what the TL is, but there should be some kind of a stun gun (sonic stunner, neural gun, that sort of thing).

Station Security Tactical Team
Blaster Carbine
Vibro-Shortsword
Monocrys Tactical Vest (trauma plates optional)
Assault Boots
Light Infantry Helmet
* IR or Multi-spectral Visor
* Radio Communicator, Tiny (team leader gets a Small unit)
* HUD
* Augmented Reality linkup

I'm not sure why tehse guys have Vibro Swords or Assault boots. They're still on a station and they'll likely be in areas with a civilian presence.

Starfighter and Shuttle Pilots
Blaster Pistol or Heavy Blaster Pistol
Blaster Carbine (stored)
Small Vibro-Knife or Force Blade
Monocrys Vacc Suit
Visored Space Helmet
* IR or Multispectral Visor
* Grav-Ripple Communicator, Tiny
* HUD
* Augmented Reality linkup

This seems overdone. I'd say they get the pistol, a normal knife and some survival gear.

[chandley]

Keep in mind the Space Opera feel. After all, when whatisface went down in Invid Invasion, he pulled out a transforming motorcycle armed with dozens of missiles and a blaster rifle... So saying these pilots have a blaster carbine under the seat of their fighter isnt really going to the outside of the genre here :)

As for security forces with lethal weapons, it depends on whether its an Empire I suppose. Star Wars' sec forces would all have lethal weapons with a stun option (make it an omni-blaster), Star Guild forces would skip even that, they would really rather shoot you. Babylon 5 (borderline space opera?) only had a lethal option too, and they where the good guys!

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by chandley

As for security forces with lethal weapons, it depends on whether its an Empire I suppose. Star Wars' sec forces would all have lethal weapons with a stun option (make it an omni-blaster), !

Yep, this is the reason to arm security forces with blaster pistols. The Omniblaster is pretty much the best non-lethal option, better than sonics and neural beamers and so forth.

Although, again showing UT's tilt in favor of projectile weapons even a 15mm paintball gun loaded with sleep gas pellets works better than that. :)

[Novembermike]

The big thing about non-lethal basic security guys is that it gives you some cannon fodder, and if they happen to win then the players aren't completely screwed.