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Old 05-24-2024, 11:23 PM   #1
PBarone714
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Glendale, Calif. near L.A.
Default Assault Rifle for the driver???

I do not think that the driver can properly drive while he's trying to use the Assault Rifle. I'm considering a house rule that states that the driver (on the left side) can not use the Assault Rifle, but that the gunner can. The driver may use the Hand Cannon if the Assault Rifle is equipped.

What do you guys think of this house rule?
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Old 05-25-2024, 08:36 AM   #2
JimTullis
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

My first bit of advice concerning this question would be to not think about the cars as standard American (or even British right hand drive) cars.

A lot of folks have suggested thinking more along the fighter plane concept with in-line seats, giving both crew full access to the side arcs. And there are suggestions that the controls are all electric to allow the gunner or driver to easily take over when the other is injured.

And, yes assault rifles do seem a bit unwieldy for a driver to use. Mad Max manages a sawed off shotgun so maybe these are short barreled bull-pup configured rifles.
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Old 05-26-2024, 11:45 PM   #3
PBarone714
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Glendale, Calif. near L.A.
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

The picture of the Assault Rifle on the Assault Rifle card looks like a full-length military assault rifle similar to the M-16 and AK 47 assault rifles. According to the illustration, it looks like a 2-handed weapon.
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Old 05-27-2024, 12:04 AM   #4
PBarone714
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Glendale, Calif. near L.A.
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

The windows on the car models suggest that the crew members sit side-by-side, left and right.

I'm thinking of adopting another house rule that only one crew member can shoot a sidearm out of a particular side because if the other crew member tries to shoot out of the same side, he risks shooting his own team-mate!
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Old 05-27-2024, 04:10 PM   #5
43Supporter
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

Strictly speaking: A Driver should not be able to use hand weapons at all -- he's too busy Driving. (For a Real-World Example: Look up "Leo Prinsloo".) The stuff one sees in movies is... well, Stuff.
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Old 05-28-2024, 11:58 AM   #6
Aleph
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The Central Network
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

If it helps you to resolve things in your head canon, both the driver and the gunner have full control of the car and weapons systems, and can continue operating them if the other crew member is taken out of commission. This could imply duplicate or centrally accessible controls for both. So the gunner could literally 'take the wheel' while the driver takes a shot with his sidearm.

On its face though, we prioritized gameplay over exact simulation. We found the need to have non-destructible sidearms available to the crew to take their full amount of shots out of the side arcs of the car. Often if you are down to using the sidearms instead of your vehicle weaponry you are already in a rough spot, and we didn't see the need to penalize you further by also halving the amount of attacks you get with already-reduced weaponry.
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Old 05-28-2024, 12:58 PM   #7
HeatDeath
 
Join Date: May 2012
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

You can houserule the game however you like. The only thing you're going to run into, game-mechanic-wise, is that the sidearms are pointed on the assumption that they each get two attacks, and each attack can aim into either side arc.

If you houserule sidearms to e.g. not be usable by the driver, you will find that they are now significantly overpointed, relative to the amount of damage you're likely to get out of them. If you prevent the driver from using them [which is not unreasonable, thematically], you'll need to lower their point cost accordingly, or they will start to feel unbalanced.
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Old 05-29-2024, 12:29 AM   #8
PBarone714
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Glendale, Calif. near L.A.
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

Thanks guys for your thoughtful responses.

I guess I’ll allow both the driver and the gunner to use the assault rifle and that they can both shoot out of the same arc of fire.
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Old 05-30-2024, 02:57 PM   #9
Overload
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

I thought I saw somewhere that hand weapons were implemented to shorten games, or at least allow offense after vehicle weapons were disabled?
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Old 05-30-2024, 03:19 PM   #10
HeatDeath
 
Join Date: May 2012
Default Re: Assault Rifle for the driver???

Yes. One of the designers, Sam, has stated here and on Discord that one of the main design intents of the game is that everyone can always do the main play mechanics - driving and shooting - right until the very end of the game, because being stuck in a pillbox or driving around in a completely disarmed car is not a fun experience for the affected player.

This is why sidearms are indestructible, why immobilizing wheel shots have been removed from the game, and why even cars at 0 tires can still move, albeit slowly.
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