[SG2] vehicle weapons vs. infantry

Oerjan responded to Brian? perhaps:

>You may apply whatever PSB you like. They may throw slivers no >larger
than a needle, using the kinetic energy focused on an extremely >small
point to penetrate armor.

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.... 

------------------------------------------
Thomas R. S. Barclay
Voice: (613) 722-3232 ext 349
e-mail: tomb@bitheads.com

Do not go where the path may lead, 
go instead where there is no path 
and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)  
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