Gritty Scifi Weapons compatible with BRP? Can be from other systems, some conversion notes would be helpful but not mandatory :)

[jfr4lyfe]

1 hour ago, Atgxtg said:

A direct hit is pretty much the end of the character (maybe a generous GM might give a PC a POWx1% chance to get thrown clear of the blast). There is a story about a tank that was unlucky enough tp suffer a direct hit from a naval shell. Not good. And that was a tank.

I suppose I'm getting into Mech and Godzilla territory now. 

 

27 minutes ago, g33k said:

I have no problem envisioning a future weapon which could target an individual porthole... if someone were stupid enough to put such a thing on their combat starship.

How far away can they target a plot device from? 🤣

[Atgxtg]

10 minutes ago, g33k said:

In the real modern day, precision-guided munitions have as good as a 1-meter accuracy... that they are willing to admit in unclassified documents.

Some have meter accuracy. Most don't, and for a very good reason- it costs a lot  more.  Most anti-ship weapons are not precision-guided either.

The Circular Error Probable (CEP) for most weapons, even precision ones tends to be higher than one meter. Of Course if you bomb has a 50 meter blast radius, does it matter if the CEP is only  20 meters? I mean there is still a greater than 95% chance of the target being in the blast radius.  

10 minutes ago, g33k said:

I have no problem envisioning a future weapon which could target an individual porthole... if someone were stupid enough to put such a thing on their combat starship.

Me neither, but I have a problem justifing it.  Chances are if they can hit a porthole, they probably can just blow through the ship. I mean it a weapon is designed to blast through a ship in the first place, the porthole doesn't really matter.  Plus, if the target has some sort of energy shields, it probably doesn't matter exactly where you hit, as the shield could deflect or absorb the attack.  It all depends on how the tech plays out and why.

For example, today most anti-ship weapons are not designed to target a single person because there is no real benefit for that kind of accuracy. They just need to be able to hit a ship.  If some reason reason they needed to put a missile up someone's tailpipe, they might have (or call call in) something specialized that can do the job, but not a Harpoon or SLAM-ER.

[Atgxtg]

10 minutes ago, jfr4lyfe said:

I suppose I'm getting into Mech and Godzilla territory now. 

Yeah. For that there is BRP Mecha. Basically something big, like a Battleship Gun does 3D6 mecha scale (or 3D6x10 character scale). Chances are  even the minimum of 30 points will drop most PCs, and 3d6 Mecha scale will aggravate Godzilla. 

10 minutes ago, jfr4lyfe said:

 

How far away can they target a plot device from? 🤣

From at least one episode, longer at the end of a season or during sweeps week.  

Edited December 21, 2023 by Atgxtg

[g33k]

23 minutes ago, Atgxtg said:

Some have meter accuracy. Most don't, and for a very good reason- it costs a lot  more.  Most anti-ship weapons are not precision-guided either ...

As with most technologies, these things will get cheaper, and work their way downmarket.

Antilock brakes were originally an aircraft system, first introduced to the auto market by Dunlop, who was in both aircraft and automotive industries.

Then it came broadly to the luxury market; then it was an option for the mid-tier.

As of 2012 in the USA, antilock brakes are mandatory on all new cars.
(For big trucks, it was earlier to reach the market, and earlier to be mandated)

===

Not every target will have a Thermal Exhaust Port leading directly to the reactor system... but I expect that many of them will have *SOME* sort of weakness that precision can exploit!

[Atgxtg]

53 minutes ago, g33k said:

As with most technologies, these things will get cheaper, and work their way downmarket.

Sure, but only if there is a reson for it. I'm not so sure people in the future will need to snipe people from orbit with ship's weaponry, and I'm kinda worried if they do.

53 minutes ago, g33k said:

Antilock brakes were originally an aircraft system, first introduced to the auto market by Dunlop, who was in both aircraft and automotive industries.

Then it came broadly to the luxury market; then it was an option for the mid-tier.

As of 2012 in the USA, antilock brakes are mandatory on all new cars.
(For big trucks, it was earlier to reach the market, and earlier to be mandated)

Yup, and my first VCR cost $400 (over $1200 in today's money) back in the day, and now I can get one for $20. But today I don't have much use for a VCR, so the drop in price doesn't matter much. So sniper people from orbit might not be worth pursuing. 

Plus defense tends to try and keep up with offense, so chances are if they can make the targeting cheaper they can probably make the counter measures cheaper, too. 

 

53 minutes ago, g33k said:

===

Not every target will have a Thermal Exhaust Port leading directly to the reactor system... but I expect that many of them will have *SOME* sort of weakness that precision can exploit!

Sure. But not every engagement uses precision weapon or should. You have to wonder if spending $10 million to blow up $100 thousand worth of equipment is worth doing.

 

With a Sci-Fi setting I suppose it comes down to what the setting creators decide is possible. 

[g33k]

2 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

...

With a Sci-Fi setting I suppose it comes down to what the setting creators decide is possible. 

☝️ THIS ☝️

It's a chronic issue with all the "vs." face-offs in fiction/fandom/rpg/etc.

Borg Cube vs Death Star
Gandalf vs. Dumbledore
etc etc etc

The only real answer is "whatever the author/creator decides."

[Atgxtg]

43 minutes ago, g33k said:

☝️ THIS ☝️

It's a chronic issue with all the "vs." face-offs in fiction/fandom/rpg/etc.

Indeed. It applies to all crossover stories too. 

43 minutes ago, g33k said:

Borg Cube vs Death Star
Gandalf vs. Dumbledore
etc etc etc

The only real answer is "whatever the author/creator decides."

Except when you are doing the face-offs you have to deal with two sets of creators, who themselves might not agree.

 

Now if you can find some common ground, and avoid playing favorites, you can get good answers, but that isn't always possible,  or acceptable to fans of both sides.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Atgxtg

[g33k]

14 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

... and avoid playing favorites ...

I think this is incredibly difficult to achieve!

[Atgxtg]

23 minutes ago, g33k said:

I think this is incredibly difficult to achieve!

It is  incredibly difficult to achieve! Especially when the comparisons between the IPs are like comparing apples and. oranges. 

It's why good crossovers are so tough to pull off. Usually they require the participation of the authors of both franchises, or that both properties be so old that nostalgia will override any reservations. Even then it's a tightrope to remain true to both franchises. Often you have to bend something in one of the franchises just to make the crossover work -like with King King. vs. Godzilla. 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Atgxtg