Own SM and ranged

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by FeiLin

Yeah, it's a bit sloppy when I say "range". What I mean is the compounded estimate of primarily angular size, and I think that what's bothering me is attacker size. Or, more specifically, projectile size.

The angular size of the target does not change with the size of the attacker. The size of the projectile changes the damage done and may have other effects depending on the kind of projectile it is —range, armor divisor, bulk, etc. — but we're back to comparing apples and oranges.

Also, what's a "hit"? Does it mean the a collision of the projectile and the target with the two centers of mass perfectly aligned? Does it mean anything but a "clean miss"? Probably something in between for the vast majority if cases. This has huge implications for size of projectile. If you require just grazing the target, having a bigger projectile is an advantage, whereas requiring not a single part of the projectile to be outside the "silhouette" of the target, it's actually a disadvantage (since you have to hit further from the perceived "edge" of the target to account for the increased projectile size).

In GURPS, a "hit" is any launched attack that has the potential to do damage or deliver an effect. It is not defined by where or how the target is struck.

If I launch either single pebbles (SM-6) or boulders (SM6) at a target with my giant catapult (it's special purpose to handle both -- dont ask), it seems counterintuitive to me to have the projectile size be irrelevant -- at least not for a sufficiently small target.

Then you're dealing with "area-effect attacks," and there are already rules for these on page B413.