That would be a kind of solution too . .

Hm. That is kind of interesting. Ironically, that's *more* like D&D's exotic weapon proficiencies. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

true, but its a happy medium between current overly expensive and limiting exotic weapons, and the overly generalized "no such thing as exotic weapons", and the extremely generalized "melee weapons skill and ranged weapons skill only"

Yeah, it sounds like it might be good. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The existence of the MA system in generic is just feat-like… possibly opening the door for more featlike things, like your suggestion. The fact that it's based on Karma, instead of (super-limited) feats like D&D, could be the crucial difference.

Not to mention, using a Laser weapon is very different than using a FireArm weapon. A Laser is a CUTTING device, whereas a normal firearm is an IMPACT/PUNCTURE device.

Using a Laser effectively means knowing how to hold the beam on a specific location to burn or melt through, or slashing the beam across an area to cut. This is very different from a firearm where a shot is more of an impulse type attack.

In terms of aiming the laser, they tend to be similar to firearms, is the issue. So there *are* similarities and also crucial differences. People usually want there to be at least some bleedover. This is (roughly) why you used to be able to default to similar skills, to me. So I could see adding laser experience to your 'shooting' skill via a MA-style 5BP (10karma) addon… just as one example of a mechanical house rule.

Obviously, we lose something in the service of abstraction and simplicity, but that's usually unavoidable with any rules scheme.

I agree with you that there should be a median defaulting step for similar skills.

Maybe...
If you have the skill: Attrib + Skill
If you have a similar skill: Attrib + SimilarSkill - 2
If you are just winging it totally: Attrib - 2

The GM would determine if the Similar Skill is Similar enough for this situation.

Unfortunately, this is not in the rules.

It was in SR3
It is called defaulting.

That's what I said: you used to be able to default to similar skills. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) A laser, then, would be similar-but-not-same as your Pistol/Rifle/whatever skill.

This doesn't really work for monowhips at all, but screw them.

No, it does not work for the Monowhip.
Because it did not need to work for the Monowhip under SR3.
Because with the Whips skill, you could use both normal and Monowhips.

… Yes, but we're talking about SR4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) As you say, there's no Whips skill. Personally, 'Whips' already *is* an Exotic skill, because that's a tiny, narrow category even if it contains 2 whole things.

So, my point was that there's no skill for whips (mono or not) to be 'similar' to, that's all. This would be the case for other things, I imagine, so the basic 'exotic problem' remains for at least several things.

That's questionable. Descriptions I've read of how a RL laser weapon might work emphasize flash-vaporization of the water in tissue, basically blasting craters in a person.

Also pulse lasers not beam lasers.

It doesn't really matter, because they're still gonna be un-gunlike. But since it was brought up again… 'pulse laser' doesn't mean anything at all like 'shoots something analogous to a bullet', right? AFAIK, it means the beam is pulsed very, very rapidly, for too rapidly to be anything like 'a shot' in the sense that a firearm has. Fluorescent lights pulse, but we wouldn't say they shoot 'pulses' (like 'shots' or 'bolts') of light. That's not too say no one could ever make a laser that fires in intervals analogous to the firing of a bullet, but it's just silly when people say, 'well what about pulse lasers!?'.

That's one possible interpretation of a "pulse laser," and is the way most laser instruments work AFAIK. Weapon lasers are a different beast, though. Increased power requirements might mandate that at least the first models be "semiautomatic," so to speak: you squeeze the trigger once, you get one pulse.

I agree, and this is readily understandable as the same reason guns have 'burst' triggers instead of just 'hold down full auto'. I'm not sure 'semi-automatic' is a valid meaning for 'pulse laser', though. Luckily, it's sci fi and we can do what we want. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Obviously, that kind of operation is much simpler for the SR4 combat system than 'slow burn' lasers, and I don't agree that we should *assume* SR4 lasers are 'slow burn'.

My point was that even 'semi-auto' lasers have a lot to distinguish them from guns, as others listed above. They're similar, but different enough.