From: Barclay, Tom <tomb@b...>
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 17:51:43 -0500
Subject: [SG2] vehicle weapons vs. infantry
Oerjan responded to Brian? perhaps: > You may apply whatever PSB you like. They may throw slivers no >larger Unfortunately armour penetration isn't as simple as increasing the kinetic energy :-( Slivers as small as needles simply don't have enough material to do more than damage the outer layer of a composite armour, even if you can give them the structural integrity they need to not burn up during the flight or shatter on impact. -------------------------- I take it then, as makes sense, that there is a maximum amount of energy you can usefully impart to a projectile. I know the point of some penetrators is to get a good length/cross section so they can pack a lot of mass behind one small impact area - thus giving a good whack to the target. But as you said, you run into issues of structural integrity for the round and the problem of shattering. I'd also think, at some point, you run into the issue of the round sublimating to molten metal or gas because it hits so hard... hence it can't liberate any more KE into the target (though hot gas or metal might be uncool for the target...). Is this what happens? Relatedly, you mentioned that D8 might be a bit low for beehive rounds. I'd guess so.... I think that all vehicle weapons may have some anti-infantry mode. Let's review how these might work briefly: RFAC - small ones are like the Vulcan - anyone who has seen one deployed vs. infantry will know exactly how nightmarish that is. Large ones undoubtedly can fire proximity fused rounds with laser range finders thus making life bad for the infantry. HVC - Well, I wouldn't want to get hit by one of these as an infantry guy. It'd kill you I'd think. But it would only affect one man in the squad if that. Hard to hit with. But maybe there are HVC rounds that actually are anti-infantry in design that can fragment with some sort of fusing (sensor triggered or pre-set distance). They'd make a pretty effective beehive if I'm not mistaken. Some of the rounds might actually have explosive contianed within. HKP - I think these rounds could work the same as HVC rounds. DFFG - DFFGs like the ones on the Phalanx APC are obviously rapid fire multi barrell versions of the Infantry Plasma Gun. Not pleasant! And the larger ones probably have larger explosive effects which can hurt infantry. In fact, they may even be able to adjust the size/intensity of the burst. HEL - Instead of taking one super high intensity pulse or a long tracking beam to kill a tank, turn onto short, medium intensity pulses that will cook infantry like a laser machine gun. Not something I'd want to see. In fact a Laser SAW, if they ever perfect it, will be easy to aim, have little or no recoil, and will leave nasty burns as it causes water in the tissues to sublimate blowing big chunks out of the squishy human. Also note, set on very wide aperature, no doubt mass blindings or surface skin burnings could be administered. GMS - Expensive, but feasible. Cannister heads, gas warheads, other kinds of scatterable chemical or biological agents. Just plain big ass HE. Flechettes fired by a charge. Napalm. MDC/GAC - For the large MDC, perhaps there are splintering projectiles or explosive ones. Or perhaps they can fire shorter ones at a higher ROF to engage infantry. For the small MDCs, they seem ideally suited to anti-infantry. With these technologies, plus anti-infantry charges, SAWs, etc, infantry attacking armour in 2183 might have a hell of a rough time (esp with reactive armour and PDS to reduce the threat of GMS). However - and this is the clincher - Jon wanted SG2 to be an *infantry* game. This is probably why these large weapons are rated so weakly. So, you can feel free to upgun the dice used (use FP dice rep volume of fire rather than a fire control dice, for example) including the impact roll to more correctly model the lethality of vehicular weaponry. But then you change the infantry focus of SG2 (in which case, why aren't you playing DS2 eh?). Vehicles are fairly deadly, but modelling them even more accurately would lead one to question the achilles heel armour (roll a 1 on a d12 for an armour check and you die even with level 4 or 5 armour usually) or the fact a vehicle can't drive and shoot all its guns (SAWs, main guns) in one turn too easily. This is because of the focus of the game being on footsloggers getting in there and shooting each other with rifles.... So, do what makes you and your group happy. But realize the game rules are as they are not because of a mistake, but because of a flavour....