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Old 07-16-2016, 09:34 PM   #1
Icelander
 
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Default Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

After High-Tech came out, has anyone converted the Transhuman Space firearms or made up some new models that represent slight improvements of modern TL8 weapons in line with the proposed technological advances of THS?

Apart from using caseless ammo, having electronic ignition and some inbuilt electronics, most military and civilian weapons would probably be pretty similar to the firearms that already exist.

There are a lot more options for ammunition, of course, and smart scopes interfacing with HUDs and running all sorts of tactical programs mean a lot of nice futuristic functionality, but for the most part, everyone is still using conventional firearms we'd recognise.

I do want to try to avoid having every nation in 2100 having adopted military rifles that are a step backward from TL8 assault rifles, so I'd like to update the stats in GURPS Transhuman Space: Changing Times so that the slugthrower part of the Battle Rifle isn't inferior to 1990s designs. Updated versions of FN SCARs, HK416s, QBZ95s and G11-equivalents with smartgun electronics and high-density magazines for caseless ammunition are what one would expect to see.

Military requisitions are sometimes bureaucratic and stupid, but it beggars belief that no major nation would choose to retain service rifles capable of practical accuracy at longer ranges than machine pistols (Acc 3) or PDWs (Acc 4). If the 'Battle Rifle' is a carbine, it should have at least Acc 4, if it's a bullpup, it should have Acc 5. And the Damage really has no reason to be reduced from the quite reasonable 6d it had in the stats from 3e.

On the other hand, the BCR (Basic Combat Rifle) from Transhuman Space: Broken Dreams can easily be converted from 3e without improving it any, as the main selling point of that design is economical robustness. It's the AK of the 21st century and it's no more effective than a modern M4 in combat, just cheaper to make.

I plan to convert the Battle Rifle, BCR, Enkidu and Xuan Feng in future posts. I'll also write up firearms as they become relevant to our campaign.

Edit:
Behold!

BCR (The 'Basic Combat Rifle' and its variants).
Chahandras (Indian 'Battle Rifle').
Chinese Battle Rifles (the 2020s and 2030s vintange Xuan Feng and a more modern Chinese 'Battle Rifle').
More Chinese Rifles + Grenade Launchers (co-existed with early mini-missile launchers, need to add the upgraded liquid propellant version of the ZH-35 grenade launcher).
The American 6.5mm PTCA round (needs stats and names for the guns it mentions).
Street guns for our PCs in Dar es Salaam (Easily minifacced models including the Mbogo entry shotgun and the FAC-9 machine pistol; also a higher quality, if impractical, 15mmCLP magnum pistol, the Pretoria Defence Ubhejane Mk II).

Facts that have already been established for our campaign is that the most common model name for the BCR in the Tanzanian civil war was Ngiri ('Warthog') and it was minifac-made by all major factions in that war. Also, the most common chambering for illegal weapons in the underworld of Dar es Salaam is 9mm, the same ammo as the Enkidu machine pistol from the Caliphate. More or less faithful copies of the Enkidu made from pirated designs are popular among rich gangsters and corporate security, with the better copies retaining the exceptional balance and ergonomics of the original design.

One unusual firearm that one of our PCs will be starting with is the 'Siri' Bastola, a black-market minifac-made advanced plastics holdout pistol in 9mm, with a sealed scent-masked magazine and low-profile fin-stabilised non-metallic subsonic bullets.

I'll need a reality-check on how heavy non-metallic bullets could be in Transhuman Space. Obviously, they'd be inferior to plain full-metal jacket bullets, but these are meant for concealed carry past basic security scanners, at the cost of performance.
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Last edited by Icelander; 07-31-2016 at 01:26 PM.
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Old 07-17-2016, 03:30 AM   #2
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

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Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
One unusual firearm that one of our PCs will be starting with is the 'Siri' Bastola, a black-market minifac-made advanced plastics holdout pistol in 9mm, with a sealed scent-masked magazine and low-profile fin-stabilised non-metallic subsonic bullets.
"This just doesn't have any legal purpose, does it? Even owning one is grounds for suspicion." — Insp. David Akram, ESCA Police
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Old 07-17-2016, 05:42 AM   #3
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

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"This just doesn't have any legal purpose, does it? Even owning one is grounds for suspicion." — Insp. David Akram, ESCA Police
"I though this was 'Merica!" "Second amendment!" You laugh, but I think we know quite a few that would pony up any legal fees such a gun owner would accrue when caught.
Some may just despise the idea of "grounds for suspicion" when no crime was known to have been committed... assuming such weapons weren't themselves illegal.
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Old 07-17-2016, 07:40 AM   #4
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

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"This just doesn't have any legal purpose, does it? Even owning one is grounds for suspicion." — Insp. David Akram, ESCA Police
Our characters live in a cuberpunk-ish free city of Dar es Salaam where any kind of gun licence is unavailble to 'our kind', i.e. people who aren't police, army, corporate security or Status 1+.

Although neither of us has a criminal record, we have been suspected of crimes, we don't have Wealth or a Patron behind us and we live at Status -1 (Johann Copley, dala dala driver) and Status -2 (Mansur Batenga, smiling young man appearing much like all the Tanganyikan refugees illegally in the city, who sometimes does odd jobs for him).

If discovered with even a stun gun, electric stun wand or zap glove, we would go to prison if we failed to bribe the policeperson/corpsec/border guard who found them.
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Old 07-17-2016, 08:07 AM   #5
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

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Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Our characters live in a cuberpunk-ish free city of Dar es Salaam where any kind of gun licence is unavailble to 'our kind', i.e. people who aren't police, army, corporate security or Status 1+.
What's the CR? Because what you describe doesn't sound like what I would call a 'free city' (which would be CR1).

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Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
Although neither of us has a criminal record, we have been suspected of crimes, we don't have Wealth or a Patron behind us and we live at Status -1 (Johann Copley, dala dala driver) and Status -2 (Mansur Batenga, smiling young man appearing much like all the Tanganyikan refugees illegally in the city, who sometimes does odd jobs for him).

If discovered with even a stun gun, electric stun wand or zap glove, we would go to prison if we failed to bribe the policeperson/corpsec/border guard who found them.
If you can make a good story to justify it, perhaps you can ask the GM for the License perk for the single benefit that is normally unavailable outside that Status?

For instance, you could have once bribed an official to issue a reward government-issued pistol for some fictional act of heroism, which normally comes with the permission to use and carry pistols. That's how such things are done in real life, anyway.
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Old 07-17-2016, 10:00 AM   #6
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

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What's the CR? Because what you describe doesn't sound like what I would call a 'free city' (which would be CR1).
It's a free city (City Stats p. 8) because it is neither part of Tanganyika nor Zanzibar, having remained independent from both sides after the Tanzanian civil war. The CR is probably 4, like in Tanganyika (which surrounds it), though it might even technically count as CR 5 in the city center and better neighbourhoods, as the official government has all sorts of restrictive laws on the books. On the other hand, for the deeply-embedded transnationals who more-or-less do as they please in Dar es Salaam, the effective CR for them is 1-2. I suppose this means a Corruption statistic of -3 to -4. There's also a lower effective CR in some neighbourhoods, I'd say.

I'm pretty sure that concealable weapons have an effective -1 to LC in our Dar es Salaam (the GM mentioned stun weapons being illegal for 'our kind') and it may be that our GM rules that weapons in general have a -1 LC in some of the SAC countries (as modern weapons probably require a licence, even in liberal CR 2-3 countries).

Real-world Tanzania bans civilian ownership of all weapons, though it's possible to apply for licences for individual shotguns and rifles, as long as they are not semi-automatic. There is no automatic right to such a licence and it seems very much that there is a link between what GURPS would call negative Status or Reputation and an inability to get such a licence, even for people who have never committed a crime and have no history of mental illness. Handguns and semi-automatic weapons are not available to civilians in modern day Dar es Salaam, except on the black market. It's not implausible to imagine that our Dar es Salaam has simply retained the spirit of such early 21st century legislation into the Transhuman Space future.

The GM isn't up on all GURPS rules, so I suppose we'll have to sit down and I'll run him through GURPS City Stats and we'll define the Control Rating and Corruption for all aspects likely to matter to our PCs and the upcoming adventures.

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Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
If you can make a good story to justify it, perhaps you can ask the GM for the License perk for the single benefit that is normally unavailable outside that Status?

For instance, you could have once bribed an official to issue a reward government-issued pistol for some fictional act of heroism, which normally comes with the permission to use and carry pistols. That's how such things are done in real life, anyway.
I guess we could do that, but my character just elects not to carry firearms and Johann Copley, the one PC so far established as carrying one, elected to own a very illegal black-market piece.
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Old 07-17-2016, 11:09 AM   #7
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Default BCR (Basic Combat Rifle)

BCR
Basic Combat Rifle, 5mmCL
Dmg: 5d pi;
Acc: 4;
Range: 500/3,200;
Weight: 11/0.7;
RoF: 12;
Shots: 30+1(3);
ST: 9†;
Bulk: -4;
Rcl: 2;
LC: 2;
Cost: $150/$6.2;


The Basic Combat Rifle is a generic designation for a range of standard designs of caseless assault rifles from the first half of the 21st century, with mostly cosmetic differences between individual models. As newer models of dual-purpose or modular battle rifles replaced these rifles in almost all national armories in the latter half of the 21st century, the design entered something of a renaissance. It has become extremely popular among less affluent buyers in need of simple and robust assault rifles, often minifac-made in developing countries and among criminals and revolutionary movements.

The standard design is made from easy-to-minifac polymers and alloys. It is electronically ignited, completely sealed and robust (HT 13). Like all TL9+ firearms, it is Very Reliable and will not malfunction unless overheated or mistreated. Due to the caseless construction, however, the rifle does not handle Sustained Fire (HT p. 85) any better than TL8 assault rifles, i.e. it is at risk of overheating after firing 150 rounds in less than a minute. Less professional copies or used guns are often only HT 10-12 and have the Malf. 17 of old-fashioned TL8 firearms, with knowledgable buyers sometimes able to get a price reduction of up to -60% for the most battered examples. Most minifac-made BCRs come without HUD link, options for smart ammo or smartgun electronics, although assuming access to the right components, these can be added for $250. Nearly all BCRs have an accessory rail for optics and some include underbarrel rails as well.

The venerable 5mmCL round (WPS 0.015; CPS $0.04) is usually only available as dumb ammunition, mostly in the FMJ and APHC varieties. The BCR polymer magazines are slightly heavier than the most modern designs ($5; 0.25 lbs.) and are often not treated as entirely disposable by frugal users. Better quality, extended high-density magazines are often available from aftermarket dealers, with the two most common designs being a longer 40-rd one ($10; 0.3 lbs. (empty), 0.9 lbs. (full)) and a quadruble-stacked 60-rd one ($20; 0.4 lbs. (empty), 1 lb. (full)). It would be trivial to design a BCR to use modern disposable magazines or even a sealed clip like some 'Battle Rifles', but the enormous stockpiles of surplus magazines available mean that this is rarely done. Surplus ammunition and magazines can be up to 80% cheaper if bought in bulk*, but if not carefully inspected, may have deteriorated in storage and give a penalty to Malf.

Common BCR model names are the Hammerhead, the Mk99, the Forza, the Osel ('Donkey' in Russian), Sarhad Banduuq ('Frontier Gun' in Urdu), the Thai Type 35, the Indonesian SS9 (Senapan Serbu 9; i.e. 'Assault Rifle 9'), the Congo-made RFC-5 (Robuste Fusil de Combat 5; 'Robust Combat Rifle') and the Tanzanian-made Ngiri ('Warthog').

The IOF INCAR (Indian Caseless Assault Rifle) and the IOF Astra ('Supernatural Ranged Weapon') include four accessory rails, a basic HUD link and laser designator, though not a diagnostic computer. The Astra is a product-improved version of the INCAR (ROF 9; three-round limited burst, no full-auto option) and was issued to front-line divisions, but apart from the fire modes the differences in GURPS terms are negliable and both have Cost $300. The INCAR/Astra rifle only lasted a decade as a service weapon of the Indian Armed Forces, but the design has been widely exported and was licenced to many countries in the Indian bloc. In 2100 it is almost as popular as the BCR itself, especially among the armies of impoverished Third Wave countries. Its popularity and exposure to Bollywood cinema has led to the use of 'Astra' as the generic term for HUD-ready BCRs and in many languages the loan word 'Astra' refers to any caseless automatic rifle.

The Vektor BCR Commando (Cost $550; Weight 9.6 lbs.; Fine (Reliable; when reducing Malf. for poor treatment, start at 19); HT 14) is a product-improved design made by a South African arms company (now owned by Veldtkorp), made from more advanced alloys and polymers with full modern electronics, laser designator and HUD link. The BCR Commando also comes with four inbuilt accessory rails, allowing the mounting of various optics and an underbarrel grenade launcher or mini-missile launcher. In addition to semi- and full-automatic operation, the BCR Commando allows a three-round limited burst mode. Designed to make use of the plentiful 5mmCL ammo found in many African countries, it uses the same 30-rd magazine of the standard BCR and can also use the extended high-density magazines designed for it. It is extremely popular with security contractors working in sub-Saharan Africa.

*For the older stockpiles, they are not safe to use or even store and legal disposal of them actually costs the owners money, so in some places, anyone with the right papers willing to assume transport costs can take as much ammo as they want.
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Old 07-17-2016, 01:12 PM   #8
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerBW View Post
"This just doesn't have any legal purpose, does it? Even owning one is grounds for suspicion." — Insp. David Akram, ESCA Police
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
"I though this was 'Merica!" "Second amendment!" You laugh, but I think we know quite a few that would pony up any legal fees such a gun owner would accrue when caught.
Some may just despise the idea of "grounds for suspicion" when no crime was known to have been committed... assuming such weapons weren't themselves illegal.
You missed which police force that was: ESCA is the European Space Control Agency, which regulates EU-registered spacecraft and stations. Not even slightly American. Under such a jurisdiction, "grounds for suspicion" isn't grounds for arrest or prosecution, just a flag to look into anything connected with you that looks even slightly interesting.
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Old 07-18-2016, 01:37 AM   #9
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Default Micro- and Mini-missiles

Before statting various national Battle Rifles, I need to understand the underbarrel missile launchers better.

I'm guessing that the 3e writeup of Range 500/500 does not follow 4e conventions, where the first number is minimum range. Rather, the same Range statistic would be written -/500 in 4e, with minimum range being a function of software safety protocols designed to protect the user, probably present in explosive missiles at least.

I seem to recall an early 3e mention that 1/2D range for missiles should be read as Move per second. THS micro- and mini-missiles would thus be supersonic and have a velocity of 1500 fps. If I'm wrong and the published stats do not include any information on missile velocity, I'd like to get ideas from forumites, authors and fans alike, on typical velocities for military 'smallarm' missiles.

Finally, is the maximum range of 500 yards a hard limit? It makes a lot of sense that legal and social issues limit police and security forces to a fairly close range missile, as longer ranges increase the risk of harming civilians downrange with missed shots and there is rarely any tactical need for law-enforcement to engage at long range. It seems it ought to be possible to design military missiles with a semi-ballistic cruise setting though.

Granted, the velocities are a lot lower, but TL8 grenade launcher designs that exist right now have maximum Range up to 2,200. Not having any way to reach out to that range with an explosive warhead seems like a weakness for a TL10 infantryman. And the advanced guidance systems seem like sort of a waste if the missiles are much shorter ranged than ordinary dumb munitions.
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Old 07-18-2016, 03:45 AM   #10
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Default Re: Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

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Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
You missed which police force that was: ESCA is the European Space Control Agency, which regulates EU-registered spacecraft and stations. Not even slightly American. Under such a jurisdiction, "grounds for suspicion" isn't grounds for arrest or prosecution, just a flag to look into anything connected with you that looks even slightly interesting.
I was joking. But if you look hard enough, you will find what you're looking for even if it doesn't exist. Grounds for suspicion will lead to corruption and persecution if not overt prosecution.
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