Re: Weapons interface conundra - SG2

On Fri, 11 Feb 2000, Thomas.Barclay wrote:

> Infantry attacked with a 20-30mm RFAC take hits rolling d8 impact.
Infantry
> attacked with a HAMR (12.7mm probably) take hits rolling d12. Infantry
hit
> with a SAW firing (presumably) a 4-8mm projectile take hits rolling
d10
> impact. The same d8 Impact is applied if I get hit by an RFAC/2... a
big ass
> penetrator like that fired from the GAU-30 on the A-10. I pretty much
think

Actually all of the Battle Field Used 30mm cannons are not the same 
cartridge as the GAU-8 (not 30, its a model number, not a calibre 
indicator). They have far less propellant behind them. Be careful one
.30 
calibre (or in this case 30mm) is not the same as another .30 calibre. 
for example, .30 cal carbine (nominally the same calibre as .30-06 or 
.303 brit. Both of the rifle cartridges (.30-06 and .303) have far more 
velocity and energy than the .30 carbine. (2200fps and a 160 grain
bullet 
vs 1800fps and a 100 grain bullet). 

Your 30 mm chain gun is going to probably have less rounds out per
second 
than a saw is going to spit. Where the difference should be made up on
is 
range and penetration. 

> one of these would leave a softball sized hole through any
infantryman. As
> it is, if the troops have good armour (d8), it's got about a 50/50
chance of
> doing nothing to them. 
> 
> A HAMR is more deadly to light armour than an RFAC which I assume is
> patterned somewhat after a Bushmaster or other chain gun - which is
for
> killing light armour!

> An RFAC with enhanced (which I assume means more than 2183 average) FC
rolls
> d8 + quality to attack infantry. If this is something like a
bushmaster,
> that might make sense. If it is a Vulcan... that seems kind of weak.
> Especially when a SAW rolls d10 for FP. Seems to me I know which I'd
choose
> to be shot at with - I've seen the Vulcan in action vs. infantry mock
ups.
> Death incarnate. 
> 
> The system kind of fenced itself into a corner by doing d10 or d12
impact
> from personal weapons, when autocannons and such get as low as d10
(actually
> d8 when firing at infantry because it uses the dispersed targets
rule). Even
> if it was d10, it is significantly less than would be just, given a
d10 from
> a rifle! 

One is better off at shooting at infatry with the saw's on board and HE 
than with a 30mm cannon. 

> The same is true on the firepower front. Which would you rather have:
A
> manually fired SAW rolling d10 or conceivably d12 for FP, or a basic
fire
> control RFAC rolling D6? The manually fired SAW will be loosely
equivalent
> to the SAW of today (faster RoF maybe, better accuracy, but limited by
the
> human). The basic FC of 2183 should dwarf our FC of today, and I'm
> reasonably sure that a Vulcan backed by modern FC (even if it is an
optical
> sight!) is way worse to have pointed in the direction of your squad
than a
> single SAW.... only the game doesn't reflect that well. 

The thing with the Vulcan is that it should be worth 3-4 RFAC 1s. The 
Russian ZSU-23 Shilka uses 4 water cooled 23mm to lay the same amount of

firepower out. When a Vulcan type system is placed, build it as 4 
RFAC-1s. A 20mm multi barrel eats up far more ammo space than a single 
barrel 20mm cannon.

------------------------------------------------------------------
- Ryan Montieth Gill	  NRA / DoD# 0780 (Smug #1) / AMA / SOHC -
- ryan.gill@turner.com	    I speak not for CNN, nor they for me -
- rmgill@mindspring.com 	     www.mindspring.com/~rmgill/ -
- '85 Honda CB700S  -  '72 Honda CB750K  - '76 Chevy MonteCarlo  -
------------------------------------------------------------------
-  No more limits on the 2nd amendment. Enforce the extant laws  -
------------------------------------------------------------------