Melee weapons in sci-fi setting

[Ji ji]

I'm working on a futuristic distopic setting, a-là WH40K. I really like the idea of powerful fireweapons (laser, plasma and so on, too) going side-by-side with classical melee weapons as spears, picks and swords.

The problem is that I can't find a satisfactory motivation. Fireweapons are way more useful: more range, more power, more immediacy, far less training. Why these futuristic soldiers of mine should put cutlasses beside assault rifles, and maces besides pistols?
I've thought of force shields whose resistance has inverse ratio with speed of attack, like in Frank Herbert's Dune. I've thought of psionic powers charging weapons and armors near the warrior, but useless on ranged weapons, that can settle the gap between melee and range. Yet no solution gets me.

Any idea?

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Ji ji

I'm working on a futuristic distopic setting, a-là WH40K. I really like the idea of powerful fireweapons (laser, plasma and so on, too) going side-by-side with classical melee weapons as spears, picks and swords.

The problem is that I can't find a satisfactory motivation. Fireweapons are way more useful: more range, more power, more immediacy, far less training. Why these futuristic soldiers of mine should put cutlasses beside assault rifles, and maces besides pistols?
I've thought of force shields whose resistance has inverse ratio with speed of attack, like in Frank Herbert's Dune. I've thought of psionic powers charging weapons and armors near the warrior, but useless on ranged weapons, that can settle the gap between melee and range. Yet no solution gets me.

There are other ways to downgrade the firearms - set a maximum range of a dozen yards, disallow automatic fire and make sure you can't attack more often with a firearm than a sword, lower damage to something comparable to melee weapons, impose huge to hit penalties so firearms almost always miss. Yes these will be pathetic compared to real guns. That's the point. Melee weapons simply are not realistic competitors to firearms. If you want them to coexist you must have either unrealistically effective melee weapons or unrealistically hindered guns.

Either way you are going to have to slap down players looking to design something that violates the genre convention - Dune force shields are a horrible "solution" that way; you might get one session before explosive missiles with deceleration stages become a point of debate - so you might as well be up front about the unreality.

[Flyndaran]

Super ranged weapons but with very limited ammo/batteries might keep melee weapons useful as back ups. Or if jammers, smoke, or other environmental hazards limit ranged weapons' effectiveness.

Or if magic can only enhance melee weapons. (You're already playing fast and loose with reality trying to get subpar weapons onto an equal playing field. You might as well go all out.)
I don't really know Warhammer other than as a huge miniatures money sink. They have some forms of overt magic, right?

[Stephen Mann]

I've always liked Simon Green's "Deathstalker" books; the Empire long ago banned gunpowder weapons (massive death penalty) and promoted energy weapons. These energy weapons had a crystal power source that would allow a continuous series of shots - one every two minutes or so. Shooting more frequently quickly drained the power source and made the gun useless.

Warriors of this world took their shot, put their guns away, and then went at each other with swords for two minutes.

Yes, it's an artificial limitation, and gunpowder weapons were re-introduced later in the series (with an appropriate amount of slaughtered swordsmen), but there's a believable in-story reason - the Emperor wanted to limit the lethality of potential rebels.

Steve

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by malloyd

There are other ways to downgrade the firearms - set a maximum range of a dozen yards, disallow automatic fire and make sure you can't attack more often with a firearm than a sword, lower damage to something comparable to melee weapons, impose huge to hit penalties so firearms almost always miss.

Or you can do the reverse and upgrade the humans -- say, 10x the movement speed, 10x the damage, 10x the hit points. That's decently representative of anime martial arts (actually, the high end multipliers are quite a lot higher than that, but you may not want to be running DBZ).

[Stormcrow]

If you want to do fantasy in space, you can say that any technology that does exist in the setting is created by magic. For instance, spaceships are created out of stardust by a magical incantation.

This way you can restrict the available technology arbitrarily, because "it's magic!"

[Irish Wolf]

In Star Trek Online, personal force fields are ubiquitous. Many have extra protection against specific varieties of energy - phasers, disruptors, whatever. However, none of them offer more than basic protection against physical attack, and slugthrowing firearms are difficult to find (I don't think the game setting actually has them - Starfleet would dislike them because they have no stun setting, and Klingons actively prefer melee).

The upshot of all this is that at times, it becomes just as effective in combat to put away your phaser carbine and start punching and kicking (or using the lirpa or bat'leth you picked up in the mission "Colosseum", or whatever other physical attack you have handy).

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Ji ji

I'm working on a futuristic distopic setting, a-là WH40K. I really like the idea of powerful fireweapons (laser, plasma and so on, too) going side-by-side with classical melee weapons as spears, picks and swords.

The problem is that I can't find a satisfactory motivation. Fireweapons are way more useful: more range, more power, more immediacy, far less training. Why these futuristic soldiers of mine should put cutlasses beside assault rifles, and maces besides pistols?
I've thought of force shields whose resistance has inverse ratio with speed of attack, like in Frank Herbert's Dune. I've thought of psionic powers charging weapons and armors near the warrior, but useless on ranged weapons, that can settle the gap between melee and range. Yet no solution gets me.

Any idea?

A space rogue like Han Solo, Malcolm Reynolds, or Beka Valentine might find a melee weapon handy when going into wretched hives of scum and villainy. But a sword, etc is to elegant for the scruffy flavor. That sort would want a knife.

A Law Enforcer might want one as a non-lethal. Such could be pictured with a sword; it adds to his image, and might actually prove useful.

A dueling culture might want one For Tradition's Sake.

And of course a melee weapon makes a fine decoration.

But on an actual battlefield? I really only can picture a weaponized tool. Say a combat knife with a bayonet clip to attach it; a long multipurpose slashing knife; a sharpened spade; etc. Melee weapons are already things that are used only for rare occasions on actual battlefields, and none of the solutions to that "look right" to me. But you aren't just talking about weaponized survival gear, etc; you are talking about "classical weapons" and I can only see them used on a battlefield as an officers insignia.

[combatmedic]

Dune-type force screens are a great way to do this, IMO.

But make sure that the screen instantly renders inert any explosives and fries/disrupts electronics on contact.
That eliminates Malloyd's nasty decelerating explosive missiles. :)

I'd rule that it interferes with systems for comms or targeting. That might help create more close-in fighting.

Ranged weapons could be used to destroy unshielded targets.

[Loukas]

Originally Posted by Ji ji

The problem is that I can't find a satisfactory motivation. Fireweapons are way more useful: more range, more power, more immediacy, far less training. Why these futuristic soldiers of mine should put cutlasses beside assault rifles, and maces besides pistols?

Why don't you just copy the WH40k reasoning? That power swords, chain fists, etc all exist, which can deliver huge amounts of damage in close combat. Plus that very good armour exists, which can protect from many firearms, making close up damage competative.

Or, if your dystopian future includes elements of social collapse, just say that the only firearms that are easily available are inaccurate/low powered compared to the amount of armour or HP of many monsters.