Ranged Combat, the SR3R way Options

[Kagetenshi]

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SR3R Master Thread

Jon’s Glorious Karma Character Generation System (S3CKS)

Decking

Astral Space, Essence, and the Awakened

Backporting Gear

Cyberware

Time, Pool, and the Flow of Combat
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Decided:
(All of these are subject to reopening for discussion should there be any strong argument for a different path)

3) Skill groupings

Laser weapons are still their own skill but are now grouped with other firearms (can default to/from).

Bracers and gun canes now use Pistols. There's a reason somewhere, I'm sure of it.

Rifles and Assault Rifles now use the same skill.

Eye guns, cyberguns, etc. now use Ranged Cyber-Implant Combat. I'm not entirely happy with this and would prefer to lump them with another skill, but I can't see one that makes sense.

The Blowgun is now under Projectile Weapons

That leaves us with a final skill list of:

Quickness

<begin linked skill block>

Pistols
Submachine Guns
Rifles
Shotguns
Laser Weapons

<end linked skill block>

Ranged Cyber-Implant Combat


Strength

Throwing Weapons
Projectile Weapons

<begin linked skill block>

Heavy Weapons
Spray weapons

<end linked skill block>


Intelligence

<begin linked skill block>

Gunnery
Launch Weapons

<end linked skill block>

4) Armor-defeating rounds of all shapes and sizes

Standard armor-piercing rounds are only available in Heavy Pistol and heavier varieties. Antivehicular rounds are only available in rifle-class or larger weapons, and do not have bronze cores. While this generally does allow rounds to show up in weapons that might benefit from them in real life, it does avoid some ridiculous situations (like the famous hold-out with AV rounds wielded by an adept taking down APCs).
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In progress:

1) Shotguns are your new god

Now, not to say that I don't enjoy having ten successes on a 2S attack on everyone in a cone ninety meters long and nine meters wide at the far end, but it's absolutely absurd. What do we do with shotguns?

2) Light pistols are worthless

I'd argue that hold-outs still have a place due to their sky-high conceals, but Light pistols… are not much more concealable than heavy pistols, and orders of magnitude weaker. One suggestion has been to make them more on the order of 9L rather than 6L. Opinions or other suggestions?

5) Flechette Rounds: what do we do with them?

Do we change them? Remove them entirely? Leave them as is? Leave them as is but rename them?

6) Armor Layering

If nothing else, we need to clarify this. I'm fine with the status quo of only-top-two-layers-count, with the second at half value, but I'm also open to suggestions. This one will vary in terms of proper approach based on what else we do with weapons.

7) Binocular Vision Works Backwards

I propose that henceforth monocular vision shall give no penalties to ranged combat. When the melee combat section is opened, a proposal will go up to assign a penalty for monocular vision to it. This is both more in keeping with reality (binocular vision only helps within 25-30 feet anyway, and at that range you don't need to know how close something is to shoot it—on the other hand, how close that fist/knife/whatever is is very important information) and serves to encourage single-eyed characters, as ranged deficiencies are generally more crippling than melee issues for non-close/general-combat characters.
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Here it is, the one you've all been waiting for. Ranged Combat is specifically focusing around firearms and projectile weapons in combat, and the skills for them. I may address things like weapon weights/costs/etc. here, but it will take a back seat to issues like damage, skills, soak tests, etc. With that said, let's get this party started. Feel free to suggest issues in addition to commenting on those I put forward, and also to ask any questions.

With that in mind, let's get started.

1) Shotguns are your new god

Now, not to say that I don't enjoy having ten successes on a 2S attack on everyone in a cone ninety meters long and nine meters wide at the far end, but it's absolutely absurd. What do we do with shotguns?

2) Light pistols are worthless

I'd argue that hold-outs still have a place due to their sky-high conceals, but Light pistols… are not much more concealable than heavy pistols, and orders of magnitude weaker. One suggestion has been to make them more on the order of 9L rather than 6L. Opinions or other suggestions?

3) Skill groupings

SR2 had "Firearms". SR3 divides rifles and assault rifles, where it's more sensible to divide rifle semi-auto and rifle automatic fire (yes, having two skills apply to AR. No, I'm not suggesting it, but it makes more sense than what we have right now). What's the happy medium?

That ought to get people started.

~J