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Old 08-20-2011, 12:45 AM   #21
Running Wolf
 
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

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Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
Set the setting on a Space Station and Projectile weapons aren't use, becuase even the most anti-social villain thinks you got to be insane to risk a hull breach from a missed shot.

Coupled with you fact that effective energy weapon armor doesn't not provide effect imp/cut protect and visa versa, and the even one type of armor is just on the edge of bulky to be considered in a hostile situation, stacking them is out of the question. People will go with the one the prevent insti-death more often than not 8)
Good point and most viable is the hull breach idea as well as things like reactors, computers, and navigation systems not liking bullets/energy pulses hitting them :)

On open (non-haz world) you would get riflemen but in close quarters of ships, stations, and haz-atmo colonies a missed shot will not only kill your enemy but also kill civies and your buddies.
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Old 08-20-2011, 01:39 AM   #22
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

The easiest solution is always political. There's no reason to allow people to carry weapons openly, and in a futuristic society they might use some kind of a hard object scanner that can scan your body for anything hard and compare it to a database of weapons. It's pretty easy to detect guns with this since they generally have to follow a certain shape due to their function, but a melee weapon might be anything from an eight-ball to a baseball bat to a bottle. Then you have the police be people in lightweight anti-gun armor that doesn't protect against cutting and/or crushing with tasers and there's a legitimate reason to know a martial art.
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Old 08-20-2011, 01:40 AM   #23
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

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Originally Posted by Walrus View Post
If you want just increase melee capabilities, there are plenty of options:
  • Imbuements (you can make them psionic, biotic or something other plausible in your setting);

The list isn't complete, you know. Just read Martial Arts - it covers a lot.
I stand by this, as long as you limit it to muscle powered weapons, Imbuements will make them competitive against higher tech.
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Old 08-20-2011, 01:49 AM   #24
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

Imbuments came to my mind. Allowing people to buy Striking ST if they have Trained By Master or some such is another option.

Maybe levels of Extra Attack to increase overall damage? A gun can only fire so fast, you can swing a blade as quick as you like.

Go the Matrix route - defences are super-high so the only way to beat them is with a Feint or Deceptive attack, and it's hard to do that with a gun.

Cheers,
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Old 08-20-2011, 04:39 AM   #25
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

I've found automatic weapons flinging duplex triplex ammo to be an excellent 'high dodge skill' problem solver, much better than deceptive attack
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Old 08-20-2011, 05:32 AM   #26
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

Some points to be careful about:

Fragile spaceships problem is likely to be solved using frangible rounds that are no good against solid walls.

Even if mêlée weapons are instantly lethal, that doesn't necessarily make them better than ranged weapons:
If ranged firepower is sufficient to take down most opponents before they can close to mêlée range, firearms will still be preferred. Just how small are open spaces on spaceships? If it's more than 5-7 yards, even overpowered mêlée weapons will be secondary to guns (assuming armour is unchanged).
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Old 08-20-2011, 05:41 AM   #27
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

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Originally Posted by Novembermike View Post
The easiest solution is always political. There's no reason to allow people to carry weapons openly, and in a futuristic society they might use some kind of a hard object scanner that can scan your body for anything hard and compare it to a database of weapons. It's pretty easy to detect guns with this since they generally have to follow a certain shape due to their function, but a melee weapon might be anything from an eight-ball to a baseball bat to a bottle. Then you have the police be people in lightweight anti-gun armor that doesn't protect against cutting and/or crushing with tasers and there's a legitimate reason to know a martial art.
^This. I cannot see any practical reason for making ranged weapons a poor choice. Against a seasoned, well trained, even cinematic-super powered martial artist a simple gun will make the world of difference. You just don't bring vibro-knife to a plasma fight.

If, though, you can set the tone so there is actually no reason for people and even the police (aside from a few situated at critical points) to carry guns and it is outright illegal, you have a good reason to learn judo (to reiterate).

Cheerio!
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Old 08-20-2011, 08:09 AM   #28
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

If you want it to be just about the skills of the melee fighter, give them Imbuements.

Choose which Imbuements would be appropriate, choose what requirements are in setting, and you're good to go.
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Old 08-20-2011, 01:00 PM   #29
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

Plus the "could damage the hull" argument depends on what the ship is made out of. If the hull is 10 DR even an ultra-tech melee weapon could pierce it and probably worse than a conventional gun, but a warship with thousands of DR there's probably few personal weapons (or even crew-served) that could hurt it.
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Old 08-20-2011, 01:06 PM   #30
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Default Re: Making Melee viable vs future weapons.

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Originally Posted by ciaran_skye View Post
Plus the "could damage the hull" argument depends on what the ship is made out of. If the hull is 10 DR even an ultra-tech melee weapon could pierce it and probably worse than a conventional gun, but a warship with thousands of DR there's probably few personal weapons (or even crew-served) that could hurt it.
While I agree with the second half, I disagree with the first half, I missed Range shot will hit something unless you're in section more open than Max effective range, where as a missed Melee attack general doesn't hit anything.
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