| From: | s c rose <scrose@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Pistols are good |
| Date: | Thu, 15 Jan 1998 13:24:21 -0600 |
>
<snip> a great big one.
> >The cynic in me might say they chose it because they had burned their
> >boats and couldn't go back to 9mm :) If simple size was an issue, why
> >not go to .45 or something heavier?
> At the moment (or at least towards the end of last year) manufacturers
> had started to produce .40, 10mm and 45 ammunition that outperformed 357
> and in some cases 44 magnum rounds for "knock down" performance. 9mm
> started climbing, but purchasing trends in the US - which appears to be
> the market that affects all others, is not to buy 9mm in anywhere near
> the quantities they were. Whether the top dog round will be .40 or .45
> has yet to be seen, but with the guns coming on the market now, and
> those in development 10mm and .45 seems to be the way the industry is
> headed. In direct opposition to that, the European trend is still
> towards 9mm, and Beretta are supporting it with all the enthusiasm
> they've shown to date with some very nice sidearms last year including a
> pocket model. So far, we don't have anywhere near the same problems as
> those experienced by US forces, so European movement is not anywhere
> near as severe. Also, we don't have conceal carry permits available to
> the general public, so there's no "sizeist" problems regarding comparing
> firearms. :)
Is something that I have followed with interest but as you said who
knows how it will
come out and what if any effects it will have on the universe of shadow
run are anyones guess.
prehaps the sidearms that come out in the next few months will influance
what shows up in
SR3 for pistols. I still want to see medium pistols but I'm very opposed
to introduction of calibers into shadowrun. If I want to mess with all
that caliber stuff I'll play Aftermath or TL2K...
> However, I would much rather see players using sidearms, than attempting
> to justify owning assault rifles and sub machine guns and using these
> weapons on the streets. You know what happens when a gunfight erupts on
> the street, add into that automatic weapons in the form of SMG/MP/AR and
> it's not SWAT that comes looking, it's the military - loaded for bear.
> I think FASA are more than familiar with the munchkin aspect of many
> players in as much as if it's in the book they want one. For example,
> the Panther Assault Cannon. How many players, just on this list alone,
> have you read that have them as their preferred firearm? A military
> weapon that would normally send the law enforcment forces into fits of
> complete abandon, are used as casually as a pea shooter. We have
> differing opinions to most regarding logic in the game, but I think it's
> an attempt at keeping the munches with their grubby paws wrapped around
> a decent pistol, rather than arguing with GMs about carrying the latest
> mil-spec cannon. Game balance? Damn right game balance. :)
I know what happens when people actually get heavy duty weapons in the
games I run in.
They have lots of problems the least of which is the star wanting to get
that nice little
toy off the streets. Also whoever they got it from wants it back, you
can't buy this kind
of thing the rules (FOF etc) in regard to mil-spec stuff being rather
uncommon are best tools
the game master has. So it came from someplace either corp HTR or a
military unit. They really
want it back don't much care if the street scum who stole get geeked in
the process.
Makes a fun adventure in and of itself, what to do with this mil spec
gear we can't
actually use it on the streets it's to hot makes to much trouble to have
it.
<snip>
> >If your threat is that hard to stop, then maybe something like a shotgun
>
> Shotguns are already deployed to units, but not foot patrol officers.
> US policy is not to let the public know how much of a war zone the
> streets are. Can't have people dressed up like our boys in Ireland
> walking around Seattle/Hollywood/New York, it gives the wrong
> impression. There is also the other aspect that a lot of officers
> prefer sidearms. They're less obtrusive, easier to employ, and far more
> easily manipulated. Give them the right excuse though, and the Shotguns
> come out to play.
I also made mention of this in another post. SWAT teams tend to put
people on edge at the
very least. I mentioned counter terrorism as the main area. We also have
the assorted other
higher threat levels on the streets people hopped up who knows what.
That while a SMG might be
an option in europe. The average US citizen would not react well to
knowing that the police
considered it a nessary level of fire power.
<snip>
> So far, the greatest leaps in weapon technology have been during a war.
> You mention muskets and breech loaders. Why were they developed.
> Because there was a _need_ for something better than was used at the
> time. If there hadn't been we'd still be using muskets today probably.
>
> If there is to be another world war, of a scale experienced in the last
> two, I would be stunned to disbelief if weapons did not develop somewhat
> more rapidly than they do in peacetime - not only would it deny
> historical evidence, but it would not be traditional for the human race.
> We _love_ finding more efficient ways to kill each other.
This has been the case look at the advances made in both world wars. In
everything from infantry weapons to aircraft and even the event of
atomic weapons was the direct result of gobal warefare. What would all
out warfare be like in a war in which magic and awakened creatures are
fighting... I really can't even begin consider the levels of massive
distruction. It might make for an intersting game system but it would
not be shadowrun...
<snip> while intersting the bugs almost deserve a new subject in a of
themselves.
Regards
