Making EM Guns Viable in Space Combat (3e)

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by GURPS Fox

So, from what I'm getting, it's 1) very setting-centric and 2) a lot of GM/Setting Creator lawyering?

That puts some work on other GM/Setting Creators and me.

So, if I want to have a setting where EM guns aren't completely useless in space, should I utilize a mass, range, and damage multiplier to allow them to have the required velocities?

Like, say, sim a Mass Effect dreadnought's spinal as 2000x times the mass and damage due to its .01c round velocity?

?

You're confusing me with this talk of a "mass" multiplier. Literal range is irrelevant for a space KE weapon too.

If you modify damage by 2000x to represent 2000x higher velocity you'll kill anything you hit which ought to simplify your math at least. Yes, this does mean that KE damage in Gurps increases directly with velocity.

At .01 c your round is travelling 3000 km per second and 3000 km might be the maximum "effective" range. Give a targeted ship more than a second's warning and it'll probably be able to Dodge.