Re: [FMA] Shotgun spread, was Re: [OFFICIAL] FMA playtest version

> >> I wouldn't bother to model "spread effect" for shotguns, as that
> >> is mostly a goofy rpg convention.	In Real Life (TM), the spread is
> >> minimal from a combat load of a shotgun.
> >
> >I would agree...what if you did something like ignore light cover for
> >shotgun targets, shift hard cover to light, and test for suppression
> >if you're within 1" of target base at short range, or 2" at medium or
> >long?
>
>
> I also think spread effect is goofy.	Kind of reminds me of the "knock
back"
> effect some games model for shotguns.

    I didn't attribute the three posts, since it didn't auto-copy well.
. .

    Anyway, to the first gentleman' comment, FMA isn't just about combat
shotguns, the mention of gang members and all brings up what kind of
weapons
they will be using and a sawed-off shotgun is not altogether uncommon in
terms of such things and MUCH more common in reality than any sort of
automatic weapons in a gang members hands.  If an individual with a
sawed-off double barrel shotgun shoots at two men exiting a doorway with
buckshot rounds, there is a great chance that they will both be hit. 
This
suggest that there does need to be some spread effect for some weapons
(not
just shotguns) to emulate this level of detail, (sure in warfare, guys
don't
stand shoulder to shoulder. But gunfights in an urban environment are
much
more crowed and a "streetsweeper" is wonderful in such environments. 
FMA's
scope of operations seems to warrant at least optional rules for such an
event.

    The second rule isn't bad and my initial idea of 1 target/any within
2"/any within 4" should certainly be much closer to 1 target (or within
base-to- base or 1/2"?)/any within 1"/ any within 2" for wide spread and
perhaps no multiple targets except at long range for buckshot from
single
barrel shotguns or something similar (the names don't matter just effect
and
point value), i.e.. . . 1target/1 target/ any within 1". (In actuality I
don't care if it is a hyper velocity sliver gun with a 100 round per
second
rate of fire, some ability to spread damage from one attack should be
there.)  Shotguns do raise an interesting point regarding weapons that
can
have multiple weapon profiles for the same weapon as the profile for a
slug
is very different than the one for buckshot or lighter loads.  I mainly
mean
from a cost perspective since generally it is either effect A or effect
B
that can be chosen, not both at once (except for multi-barrel weapons).

    Ass for the third comment, I agree that knock-back is a silly
hollywoodism, but spread fire is a reality (albeit not necessarily to
the
extent as shown in film).

    Now I certainly don't want a bunch of hyper-detailed, yet impossible
to
play rules, but  I think that a system that is capable of dealing with a
cops versus gangers setting (as mentioned in the playtest) should have
some
rules for weaponry and effects that are likely in that environment. 
This
includes things like ammunition as being discussed in other threads,
after-all, gangers and police officers don't go into fights with the
same
sort of ammunition supplies or reliable weaponry (at least on the
gangers
side) as line infantry, nor anywhere near the same weapons (though this
varies by setting and locale).	I want simple rules that play well and I
think that close/medium/long range multiple targets is a simple rule,
whether it plays well, is not 100% certain, since I haven't tried it yet
(at
least not w/FMA, YET!).

Hoping that I made some sort of sense. . .

Voivode Shrike (Ryan Fisk)
voivode@voyager.net
"It's not denial.  I'm just very
 selective about the reality I accept."
-Calvin
(Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson)