Re: Firearms combat?
 

I so would like to see something like that.... Chameleon Ecclectic has a cool system for that for Millenniums end

Re: Firearms combat?
 

I made the point in the thread themook linked that most (all, that I know of) variable power scopes have to be adjusted manually, and if High Tech says that you need to take a ready action to flip a fire selector lever, it's probably reasonable that variable power scopes can be set to a certain bonus/magnification level but don't automatically give you +1 per turn.

It's definitely open to interpretation, but it makes a lot more sense that way than the idea that they zoom in on your target with no action required on your part.

Re: Firearms combat?
 

That works for me. I must admit, I wasn't quite sure exactly what the rules for variable power scopes were meant to be emulating -- your adjusted rule makes much more sense.

That said, it does read to me like an adjustment to the RAW, which quite clearly indicates you get a bonus equal to the scope's bonus, less the rounds not spent aiming. There is no mention of pre-setting the scope to a specific "fixed" value.

Re: Firearms combat?
 

Meh, it says "With a fixed-power scope, you must aim for at least as many seconds as the scope's bonus. With a variable-power scope, you may Aim for fewer seconds, but this reduces your bonus by a like amount." That's not explicitly "+1 per round aiming, up to the max scope bonus", but I agree that is the most reasonable interpretation of the text. Of course, knowing anything about variable power scopes and how they work in real life (at least up to TL 8), a different interpretation could be argued that technically falls within the letter of the text while making more sense compared to actual variable-power scopes.

Re: Firearms combat?
 

You may be right with regard to RAW/RAI. Either way, the important point to me is that your interpretation definitely makes a lot more sense than the one I took from the text, and is how I will be implementing the rule going forwards.

Re: Firearms combat?
 

Dandy!

I thought it was a pretty tortured rationale to keep in within RAW myself, but it does make more sense.

Re: Firearms combat?
 

Well I know if you are smart you set the variable scope to its lowest setting as it is faster to acquire your target then you can up the power if the target is far away and you need more magnification

Re: Firearms combat?
 

Not sure if I understood; any examples of how this would work during combat time? It's true that even Tactical Shooting doesn't seem to talk about scopes that much (e.g. I thought it'd add some sort of penalty when targetting through high-powered scopes in short-ranged... ranges)

Re: Firearms combat?
 

I take my Remington 700 (acc 5) with a Bushnell x3-9 scope hunting in the Oregon coastal range. I set up on a hillside above a clearcut, and dial the scope down to x3 (+1). If anything pops up, I can Aim for a second and get +6 (acc + 1 for scope) to hit. Later, I see a buck at about 150 yards out. Since he's stationary and I have plenty of time to set up my shot, I take a Ready action to dial my scope out to x9 (+3). Then I can get +10 after three seconds of aiming (acc + scope + 2 for 3 seconds of aiming).

Basically, all it means is that any variable power scope is essentially equivalent to a fixed power scope of whatever it is currently set at, and you can change in between magnification levels with a Ready action. Thus you can dial it down in order to claim a lower scope bonus after less time aiming, or dial it up for longer range shots when you have time to aim as long as you like.

Re: Firearms combat?
 

And why does it have to be a separate Ready action? and not Par if the Aim maneuver when using variable Scope?, during the dial slowly as you home in.