From: cjudd@esk (Craig Thomas Judd)
Subject: Re: Weapon for RIFTS or similar Palladium game...
Organization: University of Tasmania at Launceston
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 92 03:56:17 GMT

In article <1992Apr10.174507.27171@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v054p8yx@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Daniel J Kowalski) writes:
>
>In article <1992Apr8.114442.4776@cam.compserv.utas.edu.au>, 
>	cjudd@esk (Craig Thomas Judd) writes...
>> 
>>You now have a constant-firing 90mm Recoilless Rifle and a 40mm Grenade 
>>Launcher in one. Let's do some calculations.
>>She was considering adding a Flamethrower to the side...
>
>[character stuff deleted]
>this is a girl (no offense) now i recall rifts rules being ridiculous but a 
>90mm recoilless is nowhere near a handheld weapon

Well, it may be heavy, but it IS RECOILLESS, ie no kick. It is a personnel
weapon.

>make it automatic (as far as i can tell this is impossible, if it is possible
>it requires building an entirely new reciever(we're talking a lot of high 
>quality steel, and lots of very large machine tools(a very specialized shop, or
>a major corporation _might_ have the necessary equipment)

She worked on it for a couple of years; bit here, bit there. 

>and first you have to 
>design it, did this girl study under Galil or Kalashnikov or anyone who is 
>even knowedgable in weapons design?) 

Check out the character notes; she was a pure Telemechanic. Just by touching
a machine she knew all its intricacies. Design, for someone who knows the 
machine inside out, is no obstacle.

>and it becomes a _lot_ heavier
>we're talking no less than 40 lbs to start and at least that again for auto
>90mm recoiless rounds weight at least 3lbs each that's a total of about 100lbs
>and this chick can carry it? aim it? but wait add a 3rnd 40mm grenade launcher
>more weight more ridiculous! i won't even mention the flamethrower

Hmm, well I don't speak in pounds, but in kg. If I have it right, 1 kg=2.2lb.
So, a 100lb gun would weigh approx. 45kg. Well, that's a bit heavy I admit, but
there are two things I would point out: 1) she had a PS of 15, which is above
average, and a bike to cart it around on most of the time, and 2) it was not
a general-purpose gun, but was planned to be a Special Save-The-Day weapon to
get rid of Big Nasties in a hurry.

>i was in a video store about a month ago and saw a movie called something like
>"the big gun" featuring a guy wielding a "big gun" it was one of _these_ 
>ridiculous weapons with barrels all over the place 
>you people should know that you can fire a rocket with a standard m16
>its not a heavy rocket, you can carry several along with standard GI gear,
>it takes about 2 seconds to ready, is quite accurate, and quite deadly

Well, I didn't know this. Usually I'm not a weapons monger, and so don't always
optimise my players for max. damage. The weapon went well with the character,
and I roleplay for the characters. Not everything is perfect.

>there is no reason to go taking specialized weaponry and modifying so you think
>it can do a general job.
>general weaponry is easily adapted to do specialized jobs...AND A HUMAN BEING 
>CAN CARRY IT!!!

I could carry 45kg for short periods, and I wouldn't consider myself to have a
PS of 15. That's all she would have been doing.

>sorry if i rambled as well			dan

Hmm, interesing points though. I hope I calmed you down a bit.

Yours defensively;


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