[ATE] Firearms, TL, Cost, and explanations for availability

[ericthered]

In general, there is a connection between rarity and price, but there is also a connection between utility and price. In a setting oriented around practical matters (such as ATE), an semi-automatic weapon is always worth more than a bolt action, which is always worth more than a muzzle-loader.

Part of the trick for making things work is being able to identify when the core technology is the wrong TL: bolt actions should always be charged as though they were TL 6: this includes both nominally TL 8 sniper riffles and the lever action riffles that showed up at the very tail end (but common focus period) of TL 5. Both should probably be charged a TL 6 markup.

Its also worth noting that over time the low tech version do become more common because they are easier to make. A single guy (with know-how) in a shop can churn out muzzleloaders. Whereas you're not going to see many additional AK-47's show up.

[phayman53]

Originally Posted by safisher

The pricing scheme is simplistic. It's universal for all gear, and it's easy to use. It's not realistic, it's just a game conceit (of which there are many in GURPS and other rpgs). The actual prices in High-Tech were historical prices, pulled from period catalogs at the introduction of the gear.

I realize that, I was just wondering if anyone had thought of an explanation that would aid in suspension of disbelief should someone object to rifles, shotguns, and pistols (or types of them) that are relatively rare now being more common post-apocalypse. I tend to have a strong simulationist streak and therefore spotted a potential conceptual world-building problem for players like me.

Originally Posted by safisher

In ATE it would be just as realistic to price firearms by caliber (small, shotgun, rifle) and action (manual and semi/full) and magazine (internal or detachable). So a single shot 12 gauage bolt action would be cheaper than a pump 12 gauge, both would be more expensive than a 22 bolt, and the AK-47 would be at the high end.

Originally Posted by ericthered

In general, there is a connection between rarity and price, but there is also a connection between utility and price. In a setting oriented around practical matters (such as ATE), an semi-automatic weapon is always worth more than a bolt action, which is always worth more than a muzzle-loader.

Part of the trick for making things work is being able to identify when the core technology is the wrong TL: bolt actions should always be charged as though they were TL 6: this includes both nominally TL 8 sniper riffles and the lever action riffles that showed up at the very tail end (but common focus period) of TL 5. Both should probably be charged a TL 6 markup.

Its also worth noting that over time the low tech version do become more common because they are easier to make. A single guy (with know-how) in a shop can churn out muzzleloaders. Whereas you're not going to see many additional AK-47's show up.

These are good points, and maybe one should go off of the TLs in the equipment tables in the Basic Set, and the prices there for any post-apocalypse manufactured weapons, than the more specific prices in HT. The Basic Set prices and TLs seem to, in general, increase price with capability and group things in TLs more smoothly than the realistic HT tables do. As an example, following the pattern in the Basic Set, a 9mm (ish) SMG that has Acc 3 would get the TL6 price multiplier even if it was manufactured in TL7, while one with Acc 4 would be TL7 regardless of manufacture date.