Melding Beam Weapons and Guns

[Voren]

Originally Posted by Anders

I'm thinking of melding the two skills. Currently Guns (Pistol) and Beam Weapons (Pistol) default to each other at -4. Which means that you can use your gun's laser sight on someone with full skill, but move the laser downstairs and amp it up and you are suddenly at -4 to skill. That sounds weird, and GURPS has too many skills anyway. What do you think?

I think this sounds fine, with the usual TL/specialization/familiarity adjustments - provided the general operation of the beam weapon is similar to a gun. Star Wars blaster pistol to Glock? Sure. Glock to Zoltarian Gravitic Degluonator (forelimb mounted, vibration activated) not so much. Even a canonical treatment of a Star Trek TNG hand phaser would seem to justify a different skill, or perhaps a unique specialization (how do they aim? By guess?).