ROF hits question.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

Lasers in Ultratech are considered beam lasers by default. See UT.118 under "Pulse Lasers".

You still need to have the target at the focal point, and deformation effects can interfere with your beam while it is on target.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

Lasers in Ultratech are considered beam lasers by default. See UT.118 under "Pulse Lasers".

They're not a continuous beam - if they were they wouldn't have variable (and often quite low) RoF.

It's short pulses versus ridiculously short pulses, more like.

[GodBeastX]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

They're not a continuous beam - if they were they wouldn't have variable (and often quite low) RoF.

It's short pulses versus ridiculously short pulses, more like.

The standard high-energy laser is a beam laser. An alternative is the pulse laser, which fires a wider pulse of higherenergy coherent light with an extremely short duration.

This part is conjecture, but I don't think that a hit is considered a "Hit from a pulse" I think a hit is considered a length of time in which the beam significantly damages a region. Thus you hold down the trigger long enough to laser an area. I believe there was a whole thread talking about this when someone asked why lasers have RoF at all.

Of course that was like, two years ago, so digging it up would be a headache. Either way, it's theoretical devices so they can work how you wish. I was just quote Ultratech.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

This part is conjecture, but I don't think that a hit is considered a "Hit from a pulse" I think a hit is considered a length of time in which the beam significantly damages a region. Thus you hold down the trigger long enough to laser an area. I believe there was a whole thread talking about this when someone asked why lasers have RoF at all.

Of course that was like, two years ago, so digging it up would be a headache. Either way, it's theoretical devices so they can work how you wish. I was just quote Ultratech.

There's no way that interpretation can possibly justify the existence of high-damage low-ROF lasers and lower-damage high-ROF lasers, which are right on the page.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

Lasers in Ultratech are considered beam lasers by default. See UT.118 under "Pulse Lasers".

See p114 under High Energy Laser: "The beam usually has a duration of only a few microseconds; lasers cycle multiple times per second." Pulse lasers are designed to have durations short enough for shockwave formation.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

It is true that lasers have no reason to scatter their shots much unless doing so is a deliberately added feature.

Likely, if the weapon is designed to have a high RoF in the first place. High RoF autofire is usually about purposes other than carefully aimed fire -- suppression, recon by fire, or increased chance to hit, especially vague targets (because the target and firer are moving and jerking their weapon around and whatnot). You don't want all the pulses headed down the same path.

If the idea were to put more power on one spot, for snipers or target ranges, you'd built the weapon to have a higher power pulse and RoF 1.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Likely, if the weapon is designed to have a high RoF in the first place. High RoF autofire is usually about purposes other than carefully aimed fire -- suppression, recon by fire, or increased chance to hit, especially vague targets (because the target and firer are moving and jerking their weapon around and whatnot). You don't want all the pulses headed down the same path.

If the idea were to put more power on one spot, for snipers or target ranges, you'd built the weapon to have a higher power pulse and RoF 1.

Spreading shots out in time but not scattering them in space has some use, for suppression and fast-crossing targets. But mostly, yes.

Although under GURPS rules, high RoF and lower power is spectacularly devastating to soft targets. A laser rifle shreds poorly-armored people or civilian machines much better than a dino laser.