 March 23, 2008 - 10:30am | I thought Zeram made some good observations concerning the sniper rifles in Star Frontiersman #8. He said: March 23rd, 2008 - 11:43am I had a big problem with the sniper rifles (laser and gauss). Both of these are just long-range, low rate of fire versions of their regular cousins (except the gauss sniper rifle somehow gets an extra 1d10 to damage). Neither of these rifles would be suitable for a character trying to be a sniper. Both give tell-tale signs of where the shots originate and thereby making it suicidal for the would-be sniper. Once you fire they know where you are since the laser is either a beam or a pulse of light easily seen and the gauss rifle's projectile "leaves a short red or blue streak trailing the projectile". Continuing with the sniper rifles, the note about allowing a sniper to multiply the damage by their weapon skill level is way too far out there in balance IMO. At least with the sniper rifle in Issue 4 you were looking at a maximum of 60 points of damage. The damage output of the rifles in Issue 8 just made this a real problem to look at. Maybe lessen the bonus to adding an extra 1d5 or 1d10 per level of the sniper's weapon skill instead? Just to touch back on the regular gauss rifle a moment, I would probably back off on it being able to fire a burst. But that's just me personally. So I see the following points: 1. The shot path should not be traceable 2. Single shots will be more important (goes back to traceable). 3. Damage management. (One shot, one kill should be able to be upheld.) 4. weapons skill. (Should there be a Sniper Rifle weapons skill?) |
 March 23, 2008 - 10:52am |
<insert witty comment here> |
 March 23, 2008 - 11:00am | Why not go with a projectile weapon. This is the future it is more likely that the military and even civilians will be able to get there hands on a long-range projectile round sniper rifle. You could also use gyroject rifles as long-range weapons (put on a scope and you basically have a sniper rifle). Now, the problems with say lasers and gauss is the energy is going disapate and not be a tight beam. Where as gyrojects and special projectile rounds are going to be designed for longer range. But, sniper rifles should have a skill connected to them as well because nobody can shoot someone a 800+yards without practice, experience, or even special training. Untraceable ways can come from special rounds. Like say you have a gyrojet round that only the rocket part of the round cuts off at a certain distance making it harder to determine the range it was fired at. Bullets on the other hand are harder to trace and are more likely to be your weapon of choice with long-range targets. The only problems with this is the sound coming from the weapon itself which is very lound unless you have some sort of sound supressor. Confucious Says: Man with one chopstick go hungry. Man who eat many prunes get good run for money. Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement. |
March 23, 2008 - 2:34pm | In Delta Dawn skills I had come up with two things that can help: Subdue and Improve Skill (see below). Subdue would not be redundant to any skill and has better benefits than just sniping. It helps green barret tactics, as well. It provides instant subduing. Improve Skill allows a person to advance by essentially half levels. SUBDUE Success Rate: 20% + Level (Col: Level) Prerequisites: Weapons (any) 4 This allows a combatant to quickly neutralize a stationary opponent with minimal effort, or moving target with difficulty, whether just getting them under control or killing them with a single action. Roll Subdue skill check only after a successful attack roll. If the Subdue skill check is successful, the character has disabled their opponent through the stated action. IMPROVE SKILL Success Rate: +5 modifier/Level or the level modifier of the skill, whichever is lower (+1/2 CS) Prerequisites: 6 levels in the applied skill This skill may be taken multiple times, but only once for each skill. Improve skill is an advanced skill and only works for skills with physical applications and only when physically applied. Example: "Vehicle: Evasion" becomes "Improved Vehicle: Evasion". At first level improved skill, this skill now has a +21 modifier (+3 per level is lower that +5, so +3 is what is applied; (3 x 6) + (3 x 1) = 21). |
March 23, 2008 - 2:39pm |
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March 23, 2008 - 2:51pm | Why not go with a projectile weapon. This is the future it is more likely that the military and even civilians will be able to get there hands on a long-range projectile round sniper rifle. You could also use gyroject rifles as long-range weapons (put on a scope and you basically have a sniper rifle). Now, the problems with say lasers and gauss is the energy is going disapate and not be a tight beam. Where as gyrojects and special projectile rounds are going to be designed for longer range. But, sniper rifles should have a skill connected to them as well because nobody can shoot someone a 800+yards without practice, experience, or even special training. Untraceable ways can come from special rounds. Like say you have a gyrojet round that only the rocket part of the round cuts off at a certain distance making it harder to determine the range it was fired at. Bullets on the other hand are harder to trace and are more likely to be your weapon of choice with long-range targets. The only problems with this is the sound coming from the weapon itself which is very lound unless you have some sort of sound supressor. A gauss weapon is meant to accelerate a projectile. It's not a beam. It's similar to a rail gun. It uses magnets to accelerate a projectile in a similar way to how a monorail accelerates a train. |
March 23, 2008 - 3:08pm | Oops my mistake. Confucious Says: Man with one chopstick go hungry. Man who eat many prunes get good run for money. Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement. |
March 23, 2008 - 3:10pm | I was thinking pretty much the same thing in all those except for the skills I mentioned. A beam beyond our spectrum would be effective. However, in using those spectrums there is a prolonged exposure hazard to the sniper at least similar to a nurse administering the radiation coctail for blood tracing. Possibly, although the housing (barrel/stock) could be shielded in ways - after all, this is a sci-fi version, and they might employ materials or construction techniques that surpass our current tech. The final focus point would or could be said to occur right at the end of the barrel, limiting the exposure by the increased distance as well. fyi, I have some knowledge in the area of radiation exposure. As a Navy ELT for nuclear propulsion systems, I was the individual who sets and monitors radiation controls during maintenance and operations. I would measure exposure rates and accumulated exposure (via dossimeters of various types). In the event of radioactive contaminants being released, would lead efforts for cleanup (in the Hazmat sense)... and during my training radiation effects on the human body was one of the fields of study. Bearing that in mind, and what I know of medical radiation now, I would say that the peripheral or secondary exposure surrounding a laser beam would be limited even if the beam was UV or higher, and not likely any higher than that of a targeting 'red spot' which is essentially a beam of light (a low power laser in effect). Realistically, most radiation hazard is more associated with specific materials (namely corrosive byproducts) that have extremely long half-lifes in conjunction with specific wavelengths that tend to be more damaging than other wavelengths. A beam weapon would have a specific wavelength that is not particularly damaging to tissues at short ranges... but as the energy level is dicipitated over a little bit of distance, the damaging qualities could change dramatically.... this is because certain energy levels have more or less penetrating potential in tissues, and other energy levels might pass completely through certain material without interaction, or might be blocked easily by small bits of materials (surface burn only with little penetrating power).... this can all get very technical, but my point is that one could say that the technology level of the Star Frontiers setting may have solved some of these issues or figured out work-arounds while still achieving the weapon damaging qualities that are desired. <insert witty comment here> |
March 23, 2008 - 4:05pm | I agree. There is also the anti-rad pills that can be taken. |
March 24, 2008 - 10:17am | March 23, 2008 - 5:44pm Well, using the
skills I've added an advanced Sniper skill set for Delta Dawn could look like this:One thing that this post did spark in my mind, is that the Military PSA needs a Sniper skill. This skill could include certain subskills that mirror some Environmental skills, namely camoflage, stealth, but could also add certain extras for 'careful aim' or reductions in Range Penalties... not everything need be a direct increase in 'to hit chance' or damage modifiers. This is an ommission that I think needs a real place in the Military PSA skill choices. Camouflage Stealth Concealment Subdue Improve Skill (PGS or Beam Weapons) |
 March 23, 2008 - 11:52pm | Any current sniper rifle is JUST as traceable as the battle rifles in current use... In general, unless using acoustic systems, it takes several shots to get an idea where the shot came from, and even then, return fire requires finding the camoflaged sniper in his hidey hole. Sniper lasers are the least likely to be counter-fired at. Haivng worked with lasers a good bit, you don't see the beam in clear air. Weapons grade lasers generally clear the air of their path... They also produce a much different sonic pulse from along the whole beam length, and the accoustic methods pinpoint them just as well, but may not be tuned for them. The radar based traceback won't work on them. Keep in mind also: current top end tactical radars (for example, the CIWS point defense system of the navy) can track 1cm objects out well over a mile. Both accoustic and radar based shooter location systems exist, and most can find a shoter in 2-3 shots, to within the weapon's length... |
 March 24, 2008 - 12:44am | I disagree with the idea that there needs to be a separate skill for snipers. Please note that one Beam Weapons skill, for example, covers the use of pistols, rifles, heavy/mounted weapons, and even sonic stunners and disruptors... It is not a separate skill to snipe. It's just rifle skill, stealth, and application of intellect and perception. I agree with the desire to have a one-shot-kill, but that is already present in the solutions provided in both Issue 4 and Issue 8 (at least the Projectile and Laser sniper rifles) have a multiplier to damage for snipers with high skill levels who are of a military profession. Thus, a level 6 Beam Weapons specialist gets to multiply his damage x6 as long as he takes 2 consecutive turns to line up his target, anticipate movement, etc. This seems balanced and realistic, and causes a skilled sniper to be quite deadly. I'm the one who imposed the limitations that the multiplier is only provided for those in the Military PSA. That makes sense to me. Technologists and Environmentalists by profession aren't going to be as capable at the finer aspects of long-range attacks. Most snipers today are taught to take a few shots then relocate. They normally aren't used for large-scale combat; they're used for high precision attacks. Thinking on game balance, if someone is sniping at my character, I want to have the limitations that he must take two turns to properly aim before getting that amazing damage bonus, don't you? And if my character is being hired to take out the leader of some group, and I have such a weapon, I'm going to take best advantage of my skill and take my two turns and try to take him out in one shot. If I have to keep firing in subsequent turns, I've not been a very good sniper. I should be able to take out the leader, maybe one or two of his higher-ups, all from 1km away, then sneak off into the night. By the time the survivors search the direction the attack came from, they find an impression in the grass and nothing more... and wonder if they're in my character's sights. The one-shot-one-kill aspect of gaming is potentially dangerous to allow because it can be done to your characters as well. But it's not a separate skill. It's just not. It also should be reserved for folks with high enough skill level that the damage multiplier does the trick... otherwise such lethality becomes the obvious choice for all PCs even from a low level. These are my observations, but individual tastes may vary. 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
March 24, 2008 - 4:13am | I was speaking of a Sniper skill set in a purely alpha dawn rules sense. If one uses a piecemeal skill system (such as Zebulon's or another houserul system) then this need not apply. I just cannot imagine military training for Sniping to include 'analyze ecosystem' or similar subskills just to get access to camoflage and stealth skills. I tend to think of all the rules adjustments that are crafted should be first adapted to fit within the original Alpha Dawn rules, and then into various 'new' systems only as secondary considerations... but I do think using a more Zeb's guide style skill system is more desirable. <insert witty comment here> |
March 24, 2008 - 9:09am | By having to take the Subdue subskill for Zeb's (I call skill) or the Sniper skill (I call skill set), one is taking up skill slots in their training, offsetting the ability. You also have to remember that our heroes are heroes. They get training normal people don't. Not only that, the Referee needs to be discerning about who of their enemies is going to have or hire a sniper. Outside the military, the only thing sniping is going to get anyone is assassination jobs. However, the Subdue subskill would also help with hand-to-hand combat. Perhaps a limitation could be placed on it. I did set it up in a more expensive Advanced Skill. Even the subskill requires the person have 6 levels in a PGS or Beam weapons skill. The idea of the subskill is to provide the realism. There are people out there who are able to make one shot, one kill because they have the training. Why can't we do that in Star Frontiers? Besides, a screen would make it more difficult to do it. That's why I set up the skill that first the shot has to succeed. THEN you roll for success to subdue. Not only this, I set the skill up for Delta Dawn only, showing its reliance on combat training. Perhaps something could be added to the prerequisite to make it even harder to acquire. Perhaps a military background. There are ways to tame the ability so that not everyone has it. I think the heavy prerequisites are fine myself, but if its not enough, we can still do more. But I think a one shot, one kill mechanic should exist, and I don't think a sniper rifle should just suddenly give someone mad skills. You need skill and knowhow to use a sniper rifle effectively. You don't just suddenly have the skill because it's in your hands and you have a few days training with PGS or Beam weapons. |
 March 24, 2008 - 10:19am |
Or simply apply the Selective Targeting penalty from KH to aimed shots in AD, and come up with an appropriate skill or subskill which offsets the penalty(to no better than +0%). The subskill would also allow for a sniper to take head shots or whatever critical shots are needed for "one hit, one kill" w/o having to triple the weapon's orginial damage(which is unrealistic to me). "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
March 24, 2008 - 11:15am | Here's an adjustment to the Subdue skill and the Sniper skill set: IMPROVE SKILL Success Rate: +5 modifier/Level or the level modifier of the skill, whichever is lower (+1/2 CS) Prerequisites: 6 levels in the applied skill This skill is taken to enhance existing skills, adding up to +30 to skill checks using those skills. This skill may be taken multiple times, but only once for each skill. Improve skill is an advanced skill and only works for skills with physical applications and only when physically applied. Example: "Vehicle: Evasion" becomes "Improved Vehicle: Evasion". At first level improved skill, this skill now has a +21 modifier (+3 per level is lower that +5, so +3 is what is applied; (3 x 6) + (3 x 1) = 21).SUBDUE Success Rate: 20% + Level (Col: Level) Prerequisites: Improve Skill (PGS Weapons, Beam Weapons, or Martial Arts) This allows a combatant to quickly neutralize a stationary opponent with minimal effort, or moving target with difficulty, whether just disabling them or killing them with a single action as stated by the player. Roll Subdue skill check only after successful attack and damage rolls. Damage must be done to the target in order for Subue to succeed. Screens, helmets, armor, and suits affecting damage affect the success of the subdue skill. If damage is done and the Subdue skill check is successful, the character has disabled their opponent through the stated action. SNIPER (ADVANCED SKILL SET) Prerequisites: PGS or Beam Weapons 6 Difficulty: 1 (See Advanced Skill Set Cost Table for Difficulty cost) The Sniper skill set allows a character to kill from great distances. This helps a character take up a prime position to surupticiously acquire a target from up to a mile away with no one being the wiser. There are seven Sniper skills: Camouflage, Concealment, Geography, Improve Skill (PGS or Beam Weapons), Stealth, Subdue, Survival. You will note that circumstances can still cause a sniper shot to fail and that the skill level affects how good they are at it. Thus, they may often requires a second shot to fulfill the task. |
 March 24, 2008 - 11:15am | I personally like the idea for sniper rules as presented. If a target is unaware and you have plenty of time to aim, and you make a clean shot. The target should die. As far as being able to place a sniper by the laser shot or the plasma created by a gauss rifle. The same could be said of a conventional muzzle flash. Some one might be able to make a rough guess by these factors as well as where the target was hit and the angle of the shot. With one shot the enemy can't easily find the sniper. Unless someone is looking at the spot where the sniper is hiding at the exact moment the shot is taken. They just won't be able to locate them. The drawbacks of laser vs. gauss vs. conventional bullet. They are largely personal preference. That is why there are so many guns built. No one can agree on what the best gun is for the job. At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
March 24, 2008 - 11:24am | The drawbacks of laser vs. gauss vs. conventional bullet. They are largely personal preference. That is why there are so many guns built. No one can agree on what the best gun is for the job. Or because there are advances being made all the time and the latest hardware costs more, along with the fact that there are different guns for different jobs. Along with the fact that different gun manufacturers are trying to cash in on the same advances, and each one has varying quality for different parts of the gun. Personal preference actually plays little into the existence of all the variety. Personal preference only matters where the end consumer makes a choice among all that variety. |
March 24, 2008 - 11:31am | The drawbacks of laser vs. gauss vs. conventional bullet. They are largely personal preference. That is why there are so many guns built. No one can agree on what the best gun is for the job. Or because there are advances being made all the time and the latest hardware costs more, along with the fact that there are different guns for different jobs. Along with the fact that different gun manufacturers are trying to cash in on the same advances, and each one has varying quality for different parts of the gun. Personal preference actually plays little into the existence of all the variety. Personal preference only matters where the end consumer makes a choice among all that variety.Sure... So, we basically agree.  At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
March 24, 2008 - 12:02pm | Actually, the ideas are reversed from each other, but...okay, sure. Why not?  |
March 24, 2008 - 12:33pm | I personally like the idea for sniper rules as presented. If a target is unaware and you have plenty of time to aim, and you make a clean shot. The target should die. Currently there's no rule that says this, which is part of the problem. Also, while the aiming mechanic allows you to hit a target better, it doesn't allow you to shoot a tiny target very well, which is essentially what sniping does. You not only want to hit the head, you want to hit it so that the person dies instantly. You not only want to hit the arm, you want it hit it in such a way that your taget is only disabled and not bleeding to death.As far as being able to place a sniper by the laser shot or the plasma created by a gauss rifle. The same could be said of a conventional muzzle flash. Some one might be able to make a rough guess by these factors as well as where the target was hit and the angle of the shot. With one shot the enemy can't easily find the sniper. Unless someone is looking at the spot where the sniper is hiding at the exact moment the shot is taken. They just won't be able to locate them. If there is a silencer on the muzzle, there is no flash, unless it's night time. Also, unless it's night time, the bullet has no visible streak. Sniper shots are virtually untraceable. You have to have a person with his sights trained in the same direction as the sniper to figure out where he's shooting from. Otherwise, all you can do is trace the direction of the bullet or beam. If you know which side of the target the projectile or beam entered or where it ended up in relation to the target, then you can figure out what general direction the shot came from. However, this usually takes time and investigation. After you figure that out, you still have to scour a fairly large area to find the evidence, if any. By that time the sniper is long gone. |
March 24, 2008 - 1:10pm | By the way, gauss weapons and beam weapons have no sound to trace. A gyrojet rocket likely has a whirring sound which may indicate from what general direction it came from. Though that brings up an intresting question. What about guided gyrojet rockets (movie: Runaway, 1984, Tom Selleck)? You could mark your target and then shoot the gyrojet in a slightly different direction so that when it finds its mark on the target, everyone would think it came from a different direction than it actually did. Food for thought. |
 March 24, 2008 - 2:16pm | With energ weapons, they leave a thermal trail and/or an ion trail that is tracable if the right sensors are available. So, don't just discount energy type weapons as a safe form of weapon to use as a sniper weapon. Just about any weapon that is used would be tracable in this type of futuristic setting. Even now a lightining bolt leaves a thermal trail when viewed with the right kind of IR camera. And, in the doppler can pinpoint lightining strikes. Hate to put a damper on your ideas. Snipers in the future will have a very difficult time doing their jobs. I like seeing your comments on these ideas but you need to keep in mind on the time settings of in the future. |
March 24, 2008 - 2:49pm | Yes, you have to have the instruments. My point was, you won't be able to identify the source just by looking (unless the character has infravision, of course). |
March 24, 2008 - 2:53pm | Interesting idea. Tracking a sniper. I suppose if players or Npc's are wary enough they could scan for interlopers. At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
March 24, 2008 - 3:07pm | One shot, one kill snipers would also make for some great campaign ideas and can add a new dimension to previous concepts. 1. Your group is hired to protect an important figure. 2. Your group is hired to track down a sniper. 3. Your group is hired to take down a crime lord in any way they can. 4. Your military group is up against another military group, with your sniper against their sniper. 5. Your swat team needs to take out the bad guy. |
 March 24, 2008 - 8:23pm | I disagree with the idea that there needs to be a separate skill for snipers. Please note that one Beam Weapons skill, for example, covers the use of pistols, rifles, heavy/mounted weapons, and even sonic stunners and disruptors... It is not a separate skill to snipe. It's just rifle skill, stealth, and application of intellect and perception. I agree with the desire to have a one-shot-kill, but that is already present in the solutions provided in both Issue 4 and Issue 8 (at least the Projectile and Laser sniper rifles) have a multiplier to damage for snipers with high skill levels who are of a military profession. Thus, a level 6 Beam Weapons specialist gets to multiply his damage x6 as long as he takes 2 consecutive turns to line up his target, anticipate movement, etc. This seems balanced and realistic, and causes a skilled sniper to be quite deadly. I'm the one who imposed the limitations that the multiplier is only provided for those in the Military PSA. That makes sense to me. Technologists and Environmentalists by profession aren't going to be as capable at the finer aspects of long-range attacks. While the Beam Weapons skill does cover all beam weapons and sonic weapons etc. there were no sniper weapons in the original rules so it's all a matter of opinion. Even the bonus mulitiplier is a new addition as far as I remember. Personally, I would rather see heavy weapons stripped out of their respective areas and separate skills created for each as well but I digress. I guess I don't really like the one-shot, one kill idea. There should be potential there for it just like getting shot in "normal" combat, but I don't like a guarantee. Think about it, a Beam Weapons 6, Military PSA laser sniper set to 20SEU can do anywhere from 120 to 1200 points of damage! Too much, way too much IMO. I don't even like normal laser rifles getting 20d10 damage potential, though. The one-shot-one-kill aspect of gaming is potentially dangerous to allow because it can be done to your characters as well. But it's not a separate skill. It's just not. It also should be reserved for folks with high enough skill level that the damage multiplier does the trick... otherwise such lethality becomes the obvious choice for all PCs even from a low level. These are my observations, but individual tastes may vary. Agreed that it is dangerous to balance. So much so that I would probably remove sniper weapon usage if I ran a campaign. It is too much a niche for a normal SF campaign to be useful enough. Which is another good reason to require separate skills to build around it if you did run a more specialized campaign that gave more opportunity for its use. |
March 24, 2008 - 10:07pm | It is too much a niche for a normal SF campaign to be useful enough. Which is another good reason to require separate skills to build around it if you did run a more specialized campaign that gave more opportunity for its use. That's exactly why I think the skill is needed and why I only want it in Delta Dawn. But I think it necessary because someone WOULD eventually want to use it. The key is to make it hard to obtain. It's a very specialized skill, but it's a skill that you find in many great video games, which suggest there are a lot of people who like the idea of playing snipers. Let them. By designing the means, we relieve people from having to create the means (By having to create the means, people are often turned off from playing things they have to work to create, so that's why you don't often see rules for things that aren't already in the game. Make it and they will come). Snipers are powerful, but in no way unpreventable or impervious. Snipers have to do things like sit for hours, even days to acquire a target. They have to run at top speed to escape capture. They are awesome survivalists and have plenty of opportunities for adventure, and they are a vital part of war. |
March 25, 2008 - 8:39am | Yes - the sniper versions are nothing but longer range versions of their conventional counterparts. But that's pretty much what a sniper rifle is. It usually has powerful sights, often electronically enhanced. It usually has a longer barrel, which helps with muzzle velocity and steadies aim when time is taken to line up the sights. Complete the image with a folding stock and sometimes a larger shell size, and there you have it: a rifle that has longer range and causes more damage. That's the whole idea of a sniper rifle. I playtested and use regularly the Sniper Rifle from Issue 4 in my games. It's not over-powered at all. The best a level 6 character can do is 1d10x6, which is dangerous but not deadly with an average roll, and common skeinsuits would prevent the one-shot-kill completely. I didn't test the laser sniper rifle submission. The author didn't specify the highest SEU setting of the sniper rifle, but I would assume he meant it to be the same as a conventional laser rifle (1-20SEU). With that in mind, yes, it's overpowered. 20d10x6 would be one helluva shot, especially considering the chance to hit that 6th-level Beam Weapons specialists have. To the average, it would cause 660 points of damage. If the target were protected by an Albedo screen with a full power backpack, it would be drained of all 100SEU and 150 points of damage would still get through. If also protected by an Albedo suit, that suit would absorb 100 points of the damage... leaving 50 to hit the target, which would kill most characters. And all of that was with 1) an AVERAGE damage roll, 2) a target protected by an Albedo Suit with FULL reflectivity remaining, and 3) a target protected by an Albedo screen with FULL power remaining. And the target still had NO chance to survive. It might be too powerful. It's not unreasonable to remedy the problem. First of all, beam weapons create a precise burn, while projectiles enter the body, tear into bones and tissue, expand, rip tendons, bore into muscle, and cause general trauma and nasty amounts of hemorrhaging. So maybe the damage multiplier for a carefully-aimed shot wouldn't be as high for such a precision weapon as a laser. The elegant beam burns and damages tissue, but it cauterizes the injury and creates a generally clean wound. Perhaps the level multiplier should be halved. For example, a level 1 or 2 Beam Weapons specialist wouldn't get a bonus at all (multiplier of 1). But a Level 3 or 4 Beam Weapons specialist would get a multiplier of x2... and of course a level 5 or 6 character might have a multiplier of x3. A x3 multiplier might still sound pretty severe, but consider that an average shot with a setting of 20SEU could be completely defended by an Albedo Screen alone. I still think its own skill would be unnecessary. But skills in general are a bit wacky in Star Frontiers... so yeah, things could be improved. I'd love to see a submission for the Star Frontiersman that is a completely new skill system that still maintained the simplicity of the Star Frontiers game. Zebs Guide made too many skills (and named them stupid names - any skill with numbers in the name is poorly named). I honestly think that a skill system for Star Frontiers, if reworked from scratch, should have no more than 20 skills in the list. Comprehensiveness is best achieved through categories and generalities rather than through exhaustive finite lists. 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
March 25, 2008 - 10:55am | Well I was able to cut the combined AD/KH/Zeb's list down to 100 subskills. Any less than that, and I think it would be changing the game too much for many people. A few of us also worked out a Basic skills system using just PSA's that I could perhaps do an article on. A list of 20 subskills would represent a whole different game. Even when we were working with Art on skills, I only got the list down to 38. 20 subskills could be done, but you might as well disregard PSA's and skill sets. I disagree with your estimation of how sniper rifles help. A sniper rifle only allows you to hit a target from long range. Just like a guy with gun training can shoot someone from 10 meters, so too can the same person use a sniper rifle to hit a guy from 200 meters, but that doesn't mean he's going to hit his target in the head every time; in fact, it's not likely. It's the training that lets the sniper make such an accurate shot from such a long distance. Picking a peach pit off from 200 meters can only be done with someone who has trained extensively, far beyond most shooters. This guy works exclusively with sniper rifles and has specific knowledge of where to hit a person on the human body to get a guaranteed kill. Take the guy who can shoot a peach pit from 10 meters and put him behind a sniper rifle, and he won't be able to hit that pit from 200 meters. Also, it is a likelihood that weapons would be developed to compensate for screens through such things as frequency modulation and just straight power. Such weapons would likely only be available through the military and the black market, but I'm certain they would exist. So one shot, one kill would still be possible. Of course, the sniper has to be cautious. A sniper chooses his weapon and ammunition based on the effect he wants to produce. A sniper may just want to put a bullet into the person's brain, and not through it. Most snipers also aren't looking to turn the person's whole head into spaghetti. So they want a weapon that is just powerful enough to penetrate the screen without scattering the person's skull all over the insde of their screen. And if the person isn't wearing a screen, they don't want the skull scattering over every innocent bystander, so they will want the right ammunition available. You see, there's more to it than just "I shoot guns, me have big gun, therefore me be sniper." Take a look at those two guys that were shooting people in the Washington D.C. area. The old man picked people off easy because of his experience in the military as a sniper. The kid, however, had trouble getting kills. The kid could shoot a gun, but he wasn't a sniper. He would have needed years of experience to get that good. |
March 25, 2008 - 11:06am | You know, I just found out that there is a difference between a "sniper" and a "sharpshooter". A sniper shoots from a concealed position, while a sharpshooter is of the variety of which I speak, being able to hit a tiny object from long distances. So the skill set would have to be called "Sharpshooter", but we can give them the sniper training in those things I pointed out, plus "infiltration" (or stealth), "reconnaisance", and "surveillance", which I found out is the primary purpose of a sniper. These would also fit well into Delta Dawn. |
