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Message no. 1
From: zebulingod@*******.net (zebulingod)
Subject: Quick Question re Ares Viper
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 16:36:30 -0700
What type of ammunition can the Ares Viper fire?

I say Flechette because the books all say it fires flechette and the damage
code is 9S(f) which suggests that it can only fire flechette. Someone else
is arguing that because it doesn't say it can't fire something else, doesn't
mean it can't fire something else.

Zebulin
Message no. 2
From: maxnoel_fr@*****.fr (Max Noel)
Subject: Quick Question re Ares Viper
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 02:47:00 +0200
Le jeudi, 7 aoû 2003, à 01:36 Europe/Paris, zebulingod a écrit :

> What type of ammunition can the Ares Viper fire?
>
> I say Flechette because the books all say it fires flechette and the
> damage
> code is 9S(f) which suggests that it can only fire flechette. Someone
> else
> is arguing that because it doesn't say it can't fire something else,
> doesn't
> mean it can't fire something else.
>
> Zebulin

SR3, around page 270 (273 in the French version). The description of
the Ares VSG explicitly states that it only fires flechette ammo.

(warning, flavor text ahead) IIRC the VSG doesn't even fire 'real'
flechette ammo. Inside the gun, a ceramic disc spins at a very high
speed, and comes in contact with a diamond blade when you press the
trigger, which sends shards of ceramic flying toward your target (hence
the name Slivergun). This does the same as flechette ammo, damage-wise,
and explains why the gun can fire bursts too.
Side effects of this are:
- The Ares VSG is very quiet. Far quieter than a silenced heavy pistol,
in any case.
- Due to the lack of a chemical propellant, its ammo is immune to
chemsniffers. Unfortunately, there are a lot of other ways to detect a
firearm.
- An Ares VSG clip contains 30 shots' worth of ceramic and battery
power. It can not be reloaded. However, most of the materials used in
its construction can be recycled.
- When used under water, the VSG's behavior will be completely erratic
at best.
- The fact that its clip basically contains a gyroscope (the spinning
ceramic disc) would in my game grant it one point of recoil
compensation. However I'd also require a simple action to start/stop
the spinning (when the disc is not spinning, the weapon can not fire.
When it is, the clip loses 1 shot per minute due to the battery power
usage)

Hope that helps...


-- Wild_Cat
maxnoel_fr@*****.fr -- ICQ #85274019
"Look at you hacker... A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting
and sweating as you run through my corridors... How can you challenge a
perfect, immortal machine?"
Message no. 3
From: robertennew@*****.com.au (Robert Ennew)
Subject: Quick Question re Ares Viper
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 15:00:56 +1000 (EST)
--- Max Noel <maxnoel_fr@*****.fr> wrote: >
> SR3, around page 270 (273 in the French version).
> The description of
> the Ares VSG explicitly states that it only fires
> flechette ammo.
>
> (warning, flavor text ahead) IIRC the VSG doesn't
> even fire 'real'
> flechette ammo. Inside the gun, a ceramic disc spins
> at a very high
> speed, and comes in contact with a diamond blade
> when you press the
> trigger, which sends shards of ceramic flying toward
> your target (hence
> the name Slivergun). This does the same as flechette
> ammo, damage-wise,
> and explains why the gun can fire bursts too.
> Side effects of this are:
> - The Ares VSG is very quiet. Far quieter than a
> silenced heavy pistol,
> in any case.
> - Due to the lack of a chemical propellant, its ammo
> is immune to
> chemsniffers. Unfortunately, there are a lot of
> other ways to detect a
> firearm.
> - An Ares VSG clip contains 30 shots' worth of
> ceramic and battery
> power. It can not be reloaded. However, most of the
> materials used in
> its construction can be recycled.
> - When used under water, the VSG's behavior will be
> completely erratic
> at best.
> - The fact that its clip basically contains a
> gyroscope (the spinning
> ceramic disc) would in my game grant it one point of
> recoil
> compensation. However I'd also require a simple
> action to start/stop
> the spinning (when the disc is not spinning, the
> weapon can not fire.
> When it is, the clip loses 1 shot per minute due to
> the battery power
> usage)
>
> Hope that helps...

Woah, Wildcat, I know you warned us about flavour text
but where did you come up with this. I beleive that
what you 're saying really makes sense but what source
did that buetiful peice of info come from so I can
read It myself?

GZ-Wow :0

http://personals.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Personals
- New people, new possibilities! Try Yahoo! Personals, FREE for a limited period!
Message no. 4
From: arclight@*********.de (Arclight)
Subject: Quick Question re Ares Viper
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 08:53:00 +0200
At 15:00 07.08.2003 +1000, Robert Ennew wrote:

<snip>

>Woah, Wildcat, I know you warned us about flavour text
>but where did you come up with this. I beleive that
>what you 're saying really makes sense but what source
>did that buetiful peice of info come from so I can
>read It myself?

From BattleTech (Classic, that is).


--
Arclight

Death to all fanatics!
Message no. 5
From: maxnoel_fr@*****.fr (Max Noel)
Subject: Quick Question re Ares Viper
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 10:22:05 +0200
Le jeudi, 7 aoû 2003, à 07:00 Europe/Paris, Robert Ennew a écrit :

>
> Woah, Wildcat, I know you warned us about flavour text
> but where did you come up with this. I beleive that
> what you 're saying really makes sense but what source
> did that buetiful peice of info come from so I can
> read It myself?
>
> GZ-Wow :0

Well, thanks... Now that's weird, I'm quite sure I've read that
description somewhere in the SR 1 or 2 main rulebook (along with
numerous times on the 'Net), but I can't seem to find it ATM. As
Arclight said though, it also matches the description of the Needler in
Battletech, to which the VSG is very often compared. Except that IIRC
(I don't play Battletech) the Needler uses a plastic cube as its ammo
instead of a ceramic disc, and I don't remember how that works.

-- Wild_Cat
maxnoel_fr@*****.fr -- ICQ #85274019
"Look at you hacker... A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting
and sweating as you run through my corridors... How can you challenge a
perfect, immortal machine?"
Message no. 6
From: gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Quick Question re Ares Viper
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 10:42:53 +0200
According to zebulingod, on Thursday 07 August 2003 01:36 the word on the
street was...

> What type of ammunition can the Ares Viper fire?
>
> I say Flechette because the books all say it fires flechette and the
> damage code is 9S(f) which suggests that it can only fire flechette.
> Someone else is arguing that because it doesn't say it can't fire
> something else, doesn't mean it can't fire something else.

I've always ruled that the only ammo it can fire is flechette, for exactly
the reason you mention: the Damage Code reflects that ammo.

--
Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Don't you know you know what's right?
-> Probably NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

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