Gunnery vs. Launch Weapons Options

[Kagetenshi]

I had heretofore assumed that Launch Weapons governed missiles and rockets (and grenade launchers, etc.) of all varieties, and that Gunnery applied to anything else that was vehicle-mounted. However, a reread of the rules seems to state that Gunnery applies to anything vehicle-mounted at all, leaving Launch Weapons to apply only to carried munitions. Is this correct?

Or, to put it another way: I'm rigging a van with a missile launcher. I launch a missile. Do I roll Gunnery or Launch Weapons?

~J

[Moon-Hawk]

Gunnery.
Although in the case of launched missiles, a house-rule wouldn't be absurd.
Remember though that launch weapons also applies to underbarrel grenade launchers and such.

[Pthgar]

My reading of the rules is that Gunnery applies to any ranged weapon fired from a vehicle.
I would do this anyway, if only to give a break to riggers who have to master enough skills already in addition to having to spend bags of cash on equipment.

[Austere Emancipa...]

I'd allow the use of either. If you can fire guided missile from the shoulder, you can fire them quite well from a vehicle mount. On the other hand, firing any weapon from a vehicle is pretty much like firing any other weapon.

Or perhaps allow Defaulting to Launch Weapons at +1.

[Rev]

Maybe gunnery should be used for all remote control vehicle mounted weapons, and the regular skill for all human operated vehicle mounted weapons. So a ring, or pintle mounted machinegun would use heavy weapons and a remote popup turret with anything in it would use gunnery? Or maybe more like if you are actually touching the weapon as with a ring or pintle mount you use the weapon skill, but if you are indirectly controlling it like a remote, or from inside a turret use gunnery?

I think that would take care of letting the rigger keep the skills he needs down to a merely unreasonable number rather than a completely absurd one, but would still allow other charachters to fire from a vehicle with mounted weapons set up for them.

[Moon-Hawk]

Heck, it wouldn't even be all that crazy to fold Launch Weapons into Gunnery completely and only have one skill.
I'm not advocating it, I'm just saying it woulnd't be all that crazy.

[Kagetenshi]

Rev: what you're talking about is already the case. If a weapon is actually mounted on a vehicle, it uses Gunnery. Pintle and ring mounts, however, are essentially fancy bipods and tripods, so weapons on them use the applicable weapon skill.

~J

[Siege]

You use Gunnery.

One explanation: To fire a missile through a vehicle's interface control system requires an entirely different set of skills than, say, a Stinger shoulder-mounted missile.

-Siege

[Arethusa]