Latest real-world weaponry

[homunculus]

[...]we'd rather not rewrite articles unless absolutely necessary.[...]

yeah, so the "deuterium poisoning" is there to stay, i guess.
or maybe it was an attempt to add some humor to the game.

[Darkpriest667]

if we were taking into account all the health concerns none of those soldiers would want to fire the plasma gun without the radiation suit... thats if they could survive the heat being emitted

[Captain Bipto]

@ Sophis: Good idea on the tech branch off of research kerrblades for new ammo types. Of the management features in the game, I love the reasearch and equipment screens. I think shotguns could shine with new ammo types. A very versatile weapon because it can load all sorts of different rounds specialized for a job. I also think shotguns should get gas shells, which has been mentioned before.

1.) Upgraded Sabot/Armour Piercing slug
2.) Upgraded Flechettes
3.) Gas Shells, possibly lethal ones though I don't know if lethal gas is planned or not.

In game it can be justified that the shotgun is focused on because just the invasion of laser weapons pretty much shows projectile weapons are being phased out against the alien threat (ok not all). Have the description wax poetic over the shotgun's ongoing useful etc etc.

Love this site.
http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh00-e.htm

[homunculus]

if we were taking into account all the health concerns none of those soldiers would want to fire the plasma gun without the radiation suit... thats if they could survive the heat being emitted

i have sometimes wondered what a plasma weapon would really be about (sorry if that is not latest real-world weaponry).
tried wiki but didn't get any clue about what those weapons could be like.
do you have a link or something that would explain plasma weaponry a bit?

i was thinking of suggesting reactive armor that would specifically protect against plasma.
it would be covered with tiny explosive charges that would blow the plasma away from the soldier.
but, as i thought about it, i figured out that i have no idea of how a plasma projectile would respond to such tiny explosions or anything.

[Darkpriest667]

plasma will melt just about anything.... the radiation output alone would kill you within minutes...


there is no armor to protect you against plasma.. or if there was we'd build probes out of it and send them into the sun..

[Captain Bipto]

Well if aliens use armor (the one that gets you to nano-armor) that should suffice as the least most acceptable armor that provides safety for firing plasma weapons (for now unless the devs are changing that, which I doubt).

I think a minimal amount of armor for the safe use of plasma weapons could be an okay idea but Nano-comp armor is valuable enough on it's own I don't think it needs to be "sweetened up" any further. Armor requirements would also bottle neck safe use of plasma weapons (and I thought researching the weapon was supposed to cover how to safely use them). From what I have seen in the dev version so far (limited experience really) I do not think it makes sense to apply this to other non-plasma weapons.

Also don't forget that that plasma bolt is leaving the weapon at extreme speed, the short range is more due to the bolt losing energy and coherence as it travels than slow speed. I am no physics major but I think high speed would probably provide the best protection from a plasma bolt, the faster it leaves the area the less chance of it doing something unpleasant to the firer. Finally, plasma is nothing more really than ionized gas. Shielding within the weapon would protect the wielder from any sort of unpleasantness occurring in the weapon with every shot.

[Valis]

Did you really tried wiki?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_rifle

I think some ppl are missing the point that this is only a game. Fun > realism. It is important that things are plausible and most relistick as possible. Every one is used to things like plasma [and maybe even phasors ] so our job is to create a plausible explanation to how plasma works and not to think how it could not work.

Smae goes to armour. There is no computer firewall that can not be cracked and I like to think in this way about everything. Humans can and will adjust to anything, even to plasma weaponry and somebody will come up with an idea how to build an armour against it.

For example, if plasma 'projectile' is a highly condensed ionized superheated gas that is enveloped in some kind of magnetic 'shell' then the armour against it could be something that redirects those magnetic shells or disrupts its coherence before the projectile would get close enough to the target.

Already today the battlefield is filled with computers, I would imagine that in year 2087 the miniaturisation[and having alien nano technology] would allow to fill an armour with lots of defensive gizmos.

[I think the reall problem of the game is the time, to simplify nations of the world were united in few blocks so it could not be in presence but year 2087 is to far for me, 2027 would sufice, but that is a topic for a whole thread]

[Darkpriest667]

Well if aliens use armor (the one that gets you to nano-armor) that should suffice as the least most acceptable armor that provides safety for firing plasma weapons (for now unless the devs are changing that, which I doubt).

I think a minimal amount of armor for the safe use of plasma weapons could be an okay idea but Nano-comp armor is valuable enough on it's own I don't think it needs to be "sweetened up" any further. Armor requirements would also bottle neck safe use of plasma weapons (and I thought researching the weapon was supposed to cover how to safely use them). From what I have seen in the dev version so far (limited experience really) I do not think it makes sense to apply this to other non-plasma weapons.

Also don't forget that that plasma bolt is leaving the weapon at extreme speed, the short range is more due to the bolt losing energy and coherence as it travels than slow speed. I am no physics major but I think high speed would probably provide the best protection from a plasma bolt, the faster it leaves the area the less chance of it doing something unpleasant to the firer. Finally, plasma is nothing more really than ionized gas. Shielding within the weapon would protect the wielder from any sort of unpleasantness occurring in the weapon with every shot.

Aliens from a different planet lightyears away.... that have different biological qualities.. one which is probably high resistance to radiation.... more than the 4000 celsius you have to deal with is the radioactive output of most plasma... i hope no one plans on walking where you fired that thing for 10000 plus years... else they are going to have a bad life... even at high speeds.. exposure to these temperatures and radiation levels will kill you.... the armor you are talking about would have to be a new alloy that is not on earth (where do you get the materials) that is not only heat resistant but also deflects radioactivity... it would have to cover you from head to toe... and again... id like to mention.. i hope you dont expect civilians to reoccupy a house for 10k+ years after you and mr orknok have been firing plasma bolts through it...

[Captain Bipto]

Plasma and radiation do not go hand in hand...now if the devs had written in anti-matter weapons I'd be crying about radiation too.

Defense against plasma? The devs have said that shields (and I think fields) are not fitting for the setting so the next best defenses are:
1.) Not getting hit (with a wide berth)

OR

2.) Insulating the target from the heat of the bolt...that means super materials, in this case nano-based armor.

[Darkpriest667]

maybe you havent heard.... of cold plasma.. its not always a matter of insulating from heat... there are so many different types of plasma you could really only focus on one for protection


I do agree with the 2 points you made.. not all plasma has radioactive properties and that nano armor would be the way to go ....


However given the high variable in temperature alone i just dont see how you could protect yourself from all the forms that exist


The reason i mention radiation so much is that well... most of the plasma we are able to produce that could be weaponized has a high radiation output due to the processes involved in producing it..... im sure they can work that out in the next 75 years but I am still skeptical of "radiation free" plasma

[Captain Bipto]

Geez, Okay okay there is cold plasma too but I doubt the PHALANX guys are going to just stand there and let the  alien spray them with it. However...cryo weapons are a pretty cool idea.

As far as the radiation goes, like I mentioned before, if you accelerate that plasma bolt away from you at high speeds...less exposure time.

NOW, as far as collateral damage goes (i.e. starting fires, irradiating the area...) I think the devs are entitled to a little artistic license and the ability to decide whether or not their plasma weapons also spew dangerous amounts of rads everytime they are fired.

[odie]

WOW!

Wat a discussion on plasma. lol.

Okie, i agree that Fun > realism is impt. But i dun mind force-fields!

[Captain Bipto]

BTW one current theory on making cool (pun intended) conductors for coil guns is to use plasma in tubes instead of wires.

I liked forcefields in the x-com clone done by Microsloth...you wanna talk about radiation problems though...some sci-fi settings have units emitting alpha-particles to form a field. However I think it has been mentioned before somewhere that fields and riot shields are not fitting in the setting.

[DuKe2112]

The plasma guns in UFO:AI use a micro fusion reactor to generate a helium hydrogen plasma.  Which in itself is barely radioactive.
So all that the armor has to really protect from is the intense heat and some ceramics and polymers do a pretty good job of that.

The most radiation would come from the reactor, but there are several different reactions possible in this context and I'm pretty sure, with their advanced technology the aliens can adjust the reactor's settings to favor those reactions that produce the least excess radiation and the casing would protect the shooter from most if not all of that.

[Frungy]

Latest real-world weaponary? Bah, where are the crossbows, swords and garottes? Let's get medieval on those aliens!

Okay, real question. Is there any stealth element? Sneaking up on the aliens seems nigh on impossible, and almost every time I've tried it I've been given a bracing hot-plasma enema as I ran for cover when the alien turned around to face me at the last minute.

If there is a stealth element then there could be a whole range of designated 'stealth' weapons. The game has knives, but I never get close enough to use them. The curving requirement of the material to make kerrblades (s.p.?) would make an almost ideal shape for a mono-molecular boomerang (anyone remember Mad Max 2, the kid with the steel boomerang?).

Just an idea. Normally I have three elements in my teams, snipers (for long-range engagements and to provide covering fire for the forward team to advance under), assault (for moving in close, despite the name this doesn't mean assault weapons, and is normally a mix of heavy and assault weapons), and finally scouts (for moving ahead of the assault element and identifying targets to be taken out by the snipers or assault team so I'm not walking into situations blind, but they also double as melee and silent kill specialists). On the 2.2.1 version I'm playing I've pretty much had to remove the scouting element or rename them something appropriate like "Deadmeat", because the aliens spot them every time and come around corners to find them, requiring me to advertise for replacement scouts as follows:
"Scout wanted - bring your own body bag.".

Okay, I'm drifting off topic. Real-world weaponary I'd like to see.. hmmm...
1. If/When Tanks are implemented you should be able to run people over, because there's nothing like a little vehicular alien-slaughter to brighten up your day . Hell you could even mount kerrblades on the exterior  of the tank (the UFO equivalent of a huge pair of bull's horns) and drive through the aliens at high speed... Wheeeee!! It slices, it dices, it goes through New York traffic like a dream! (disclaimer: if your dreams don't involve people screaming and running, and you slicing through other people's cars then this product may disappoint). This idea may be a little red-neck for some people, but personally I think its great. If this is implemented the tank also needs bumper stickers and a confederate flag .

2. Proper heavy weapons - The machine gun is all very nice, but where are the real heavy weapons? The type where the soldier has to crouch in order to put down the tripod and stabiliser, and has to carry a backpack of belt-fed rounds (no more reloading... or at least not for 4 or 5 seconds of continuous fire!).

3. Civilian pacifier - Okay, civilians have an irritating habit of clustering around my soldiers and getting in the way of my aim. Now every grunt knows that there is no lower life form than a civilian (except possibly an officer). I'd like a little something to 'persuade' civilians go away! I mean I do appreciate the meat-shield, but often it just blocks my reactive fire as aliens come around the corner. Possible a 'shove' or 'fist to the gut' option to get them to crouch out of my line of fire? I know the civilians are clustering around my men in the hopes of protection, but do they have to cluster near the business-end of my gun?

4. Entrenching Tool - A mono-molecular entrenching tool would be way cool. I mean imagine the joy of slicing through a wall to create a keyhole for firing! Also handy for self-defense, and for slicing off a chunk of that all-you-can eat salad bar (gotta get value for money!). Ooopps, just remembered that destructable terrain isn't possible. Darn. Still, good for that salad bar and for opening pesky cans.

Okay, this is getting a little silly, but I was so elated by the lack of flaming at my first post that I felt free to express my inner wombat. This is what happens when you're too nice to noobs