Re: Plasma weapons
 

If so, those are still heavily based on modern flamethrowers, watercannon etc. But yeah, rules are . . . interesting.

Re: Plasma weapons
 

No, really, the jet rules have been that way since before GURPS High-Tech (first edition) was even written, and were always used to represent jets with ranges of 1-3 hexes that functioned like unparryable melee weapons; any resemblance to real weapons is accidental.

Re: Plasma weapons
 

3e:
The old Flame Jet describes jet as being comparable to a sword, which doesn't seem to be any wider than a flamethrower's jet. Light Jet seems to have an effective range of 10 yards, but is narrow enough that aiming for the face is required to blind someone. Sound Jet is described as a magical effect "like a high-tech stunner".

4e:
"Your attack is a continuous stream, like a flamethrower." (B106.) 4e Jets also have ½D ranges, like other Guns weapons.

Yes, there does seem to be a legacy connection, but it seems that in 4e, it is the magic jets that got subsumed into flamethrower-like effects, not vice versa.

Re: Plasma weapons
 

That seems to be the intent. About two years ago Kromm and I put together some comprehensive weapon table errata for UT, and one of the things we agreed to do was change the flamer to Jet to make it more like the other flamethrower stats.

Re: Plasma weapons
 

The thing is while it makes sense to make the UT flamer like a HT flame-thrower, does the jet rules model HT flame-throwers (and now UT flamers) well? I.e did you make the consistency run in the right direction?

Re: Plasma weapons
 

Problem is that the Jet rules are crappy for anything other than the jets in GURPS Magic; flamethrowers in general behave much more like conventional ranged weapons than odd melee weapons.

Re: Plasma weapons
 

I'm still looking forward to its release :)