What ammo does a flamethrower use?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by lexington

GURPS$ aren't magic.

GURPS$ are fixed dollars; unless buying stuff that's over-TL, the price of goods is TL-independent.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Anthony

GURPS$ are fixed dollars; unless buying stuff that's over-TL, the price of goods is TL-independent.

The GURPS$ is simply a representation of a fixed unit of value, it is where GURPS sets the so-called "real dollar", it has no mystic power over the economics of a setting. Having the cost of goods be invariant over time is useful but not realistic. If a GM says "the game is set in 1980 so gas costs G$3 per gallon" the player can't point to High-Tech to object.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

Do you have any published examples of that? As far as I know, RAW are that there is one list price for each good in all situations, but that the GM should just use them as a guideline. So if a Wristwatch costs G$20 at TL 5, it costs G$100 at TL 8.

The first one that comes to my mind is fine blades. I think there are also a few items in Low Tech that have "price drops to $X at TL Y, due to introduction of technique Z" but I don't have my books handy to look any up at the moment.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by RyanW

The first one that comes to my mind is fine blades. I think there are also a few items in Low Tech that have "price drops to $X at TL Y, due to introduction of technique Z" but I don't have my books handy to look any up at the moment.

There are many items that become not only cheaper, but often both cheaper and better as TL moves on.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Vehementi

I feel like I've looked everywhere twice but I can't figure out what ammo a flamethrower uses. In the weapons tables it doesn't have the weight / ammoweight listing. In all of the ammo tables there are no costs / data on liquid projector ammo. The descriptions in HT for each flamethrower only describe that the tank holds enough for 10 1-second bursts or 3 3-second bursts or whatever, but doesn't say anything about how much a tank weighs or costs or how to refuel them or how long it takes. So what's the deal?

The flamethrowers described in Pulp Guns, Volume 2 have their tank capacity listed - they're on the order of 3 gallons each, plus or minus a half-gallon depending on the individual flamethrower. There's no direct correlation between tank size and number of shots, though. (The one with the smallest tank has the largest number of shots! It also has the shortest range, which no doubt plays a major factor.)

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

There are many items that become not only cheaper, but often both cheaper and better as TL moves on.

That's an interesting opinion, but do you have any specific examples? Fine and Very Fine weapons are one.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

That's an interesting opinion, but do you have any specific examples? Fine and Very Fine weapons are one.

The Compact X-Ray Machine (TL8) is in all ways better than the Portable X-Ray Machine (TL7). Semi-Portable Ultrasound (TL7) vs. Portable Ultrasound (TL8).

[Polydamas]

Yes, but those are examples of new goods becoming available at higher TLs, not the price of extant goods changing. The authors seem to avoid the later in 4e. In my wristwatch example, they might create a TL 8 Digital Watch which was better and cheaper than a TL 6 Mechanical Watch.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

Yes, but those are examples of new goods becoming available at higher TLs, not the price of extant goods changing. The authors seem to avoid the later in 4e. In my wristwatch example, they might create a TL 8 Digital Watch which was better and cheaper than a TL 6 Mechanical Watch.

It's simply masked by picking names such as 'Thermal-Imaging Sight' and 'Improved Thermal-Imaging Sight'.

Or, then again, this:

Originally Posted by HT160

Bipod (TL6). Available in fixed, semi-permanent, and
quick-detach models (five seconds to install/remove). $100,
2 lbs. LC4.
Bipod (TL7). As above, but $100, 1 lb. LC4.
Bipod (TL8). As above, but $100, 0.5 lb. LC4.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

Yes, but those are examples of new goods becoming available at higher TLs, not the price of extant goods changing. The authors seem to avoid the later in 4e. In my wristwatch example, they might create a TL 8 Digital Watch which was better and cheaper than a TL 6 Mechanical Watch.

Well, the prices of extant goods probably will change. HT10, for instance, makes reference to deep discounts on "older but not-yet-obsolete" equipment. Of course, though it doesn't get into that there, the opposite can occur if there's a strong demand for the older goods. However, that's a side show, the real question is what happens with new-production versions of old items.

Often the answer is no or minimal new stats are given. High Tech on wristwatches doesn't give variable prices by TL, though it does make specific reference to TL7 watches being superior to TL6 ones. (Plain TL8 watches get no special note!) Sometimes the minimal stats are significant, though...consider, for instance, the circular saw (HT27), which has weight and cost halved at TL8.

In some cases, you can approximate or replace new production of older designs with Cheap versions of the latest-TL stats. A Cheap TL8 variable-power scope weighs as much as a TL7 scope, and costs a fair bit less. These might be very close to being the older stuff now made cheaper, or might be new designs that simply don't outperform the old ones except in ease of production. EDIT: Another great example: A cheap Advanced Night Sight is lighter, cheaper, more powerful, and less battery-hungry than the late-TL7 Improved Night Sight, and it might not add bulk to the weapon.