QUOTE (Meatbag @ Jun 20 2009, 12:28 PM)

Good calls all around. On auto-adjusting weights, I'm thinking that strapping one to a melee weapon would grant extra DV (due to the extra weight at the moment of impact) without the dice pool penalties that should logically result from strapping a large weight to an otherwise well-balanced weapon. That one's a reach.
Not that melee needs more damage, mind you - and there are always martial arts.
No, adding more weight to a club doesn't get you a more powerful club, not to the point of adding +1 DV, not unless you add enough weight that it's no longer useful. The difference between light pistols and assault rifles is only DV2 after all, though people will tell you that these days, an AR punches right through a kevlar vest and a light pistol never will. +1 DV isn't just a little bonus, it's coming close to changing the class of weapon. Adding DV to melee weapons is the mistake that SR3 made with dikote. The question to ask was not, "Hey, should I dikote my *insert any melee weapon*?" The question was "Duh, me dikote, or iz me stupid?" Mods shouldn't add more damage, that makes them no-brainers, and no-brainers are bad.
QUOTE
Say, speaking of which, how would you rate a +1 reach. -1 concealability mod? I'm thinking "as Barrel Extension, applied to a sword."
The thing is, +1 Reach is actually +1 meter in length. If you want a +1 reach katana, you get a nodachi, if you want a +1 reach sword you get a claymore, if you want a +1 reach club you get a staff. Doubling the length of the weapon makes it into a really bad weapon, it needs to be constructed to bear the added weight and be balanced while being longer. You can't just add blade and say "when" when you feel like it's long enough... And having a claymore, nodachi, or staff that's 3 meters long? Nuh-uh, not happening.
And barrel reduction is much the same. If it's a claymore with -1 reach, it's a crappy broken claymore. Better to get a sword. If it's a sword with a -1 reach, it's a broken sword, better to get a knife. And if it's a knife with -1 reach, then it's just a tiny sliver of steel that can't hurt anyone...