New type of Assault Rifle/micro missile launcher

[Quester]

Been playing again, and looking over the weapons.  For me, the rocket launcher, at least in early game, seems kinda pointless.  But, what about some kind of weapon that is a sort of compromise between a large rocket launcher and a heavy machinegun or assault rifle.  The way I see it, it would have a 3 to 5 round magazine and fire armour piercing, mass-reactive high explosive micro rockets, ok, I know that is a mouthfull, but, the way it would work would be the weapon's payload would be line of sight, not an arc like the grenade launcher.  Good for medium and long range fire fights.  However, the shells or rockets, would work in the following manner: 

With an outer core of tungsten it would have the ablity to penetrate meduim armours, and, when the shell has entered the body a small micro-chip inside the shell causes the inner core of the shell to detonate.  An internal explosion of this magnitude is devastating on all biologicals, and, as such, one hit is usually enough to guarntee a kill.

[Quester]

Actually, I did some research and thinking.  Using a microchiop leaves ALOT of room for error considering the level of EW emited by the alien's vessel.  However, I think I figured out a way around the weakness of that chip, using a contact detonator.  The tungsten shell would use mass and velocity to punch through the armour while the internals prime, and detonate.  Even if it did not penetrate, it would still casue some damage to even a heavyly armoured target.  Tungsten shrapnel to the face is not a pleasant thought.  And, becasue it is being accelerated by the internal charge, it has a chance to still penetrate the target that just caught one of the microrockets.  As for the weapon, it would be assault rifle in looks, but with a 6 round magazine.  I know, tiny, but, it would have two modes of fire, single shot and double shot.  If you need to kill it in a hurry, then hit it twice with this puppy.  Please, let me know what you think and I will start an actual write up a proposal if the mods and coders want to see how I envision this weapon.  I can not draw, but, I am sure I can find a base line to work with from current history, or work with someone to come up with an actual look. 

[Lew Yard]

The sniper rifle will already reliably kill anything but a medium-armored Ortnok in two hits (if not fired through walls), with two killing some Ortnoks and the rest taking three; the coil gun does so much damage that two hits will currently kill anything in the game even if medium-armored and it will often one-shot an unarmored Ortnok.

Also, tungsten won't be sufficient unless you have velocity, and that means a long barrel and lots of acceleration.

So how would this differ from the existing sniper rifle / coil gun combo?

[Hertzila]

If the rocket part would be left out though, this could work as a coilgun alternate ammo. I haven't gotten it yet so I don't actually know if the ammo would fit but basically the coilgun accelerates the projectile that penetrates the armor and then an internal explosion turns the projectile into shrapnel. Lethal if it penetrates and would still cause damage if it doesn't. The minus side is that this is less likely to actually penetrate the armour than the normal round (high risk=high reward).

This idea could also fit as an upgrade ammo to the normal rocket launcher, though with a different mechanism. Explosives inside would, instead of turning the rocket into shrapnel (at least primarily), launch a secondary projectile on hit that would penetrate the armor. Lesser area damage equals less total damage if it misses but hitting the target would cause massive damage alongside the lightened area damage.

[Quester]

What I kept seeing in my head was something that would fire small rockets.  In our current time we have something similer with the GAU-88 30mm vulcan that is mounted on the Warthog (A-10 Thunderbolt II).  The thing there is that is a rotary cannon system that does damage with both volume of fire and the explosiveness of the system.  I was trying to envsion a future with the Land Warrior assault rifle still in development.  Also, this weapon type was meant to be avalible early game, before ortnocks begin wearing body armour.  New ammo types could be researched as armour types are recovered.

But, I will admit, I have not got the coilgun system yet.  But, the weapon you are talking about, with the two stage detonation has exisited since at LEAST the Second World War.  It is called a HEAP round.  High Explosive Armour Piercing, or shape charge.  Basically, using a small cone, it turns its explosive payload into what amounts to a cutting tourch, roasting, and, creating shrapnel on the inside of everything.  The spalling and heat would be the killer.  On a humanoid body, will, we are talking massive, critical wounds on a hit.  Though, it woudl still cause some splash if it were to miss.  And, agaisnt bugs like the Bloodspider, if it hits the thing, in theory, it is possiable to achive a critical kill where the robotic could detonate its battery pack and, cause a sympathtic detonation of onboard ordnance.

[Hertzila]

But, I will admit, I have not got the coilgun system yet.  But, the weapon you are talking about, with the two stage detonation has exisited since at LEAST the Second World War.  It is called a HEAP round.  High Explosive Armour Piercing, or shape charge.  Basically, using a small cone, it turns its explosive payload into what amounts to a cutting tourch, roasting, and, creating shrapnel on the inside of everything.  The spalling and heat would be the killer.  On a humanoid body, will, we are talking massive, critical wounds on a hit.  Though, it woudl still cause some splash if it were to miss.  And, agaisnt bugs like the Bloodspider, if it hits the thing, in theory, it is possiable to achive a critical kill where the robotic could detonate its battery pack and, cause a sympathtic detonation of onboard ordnance.

Ah yes, HEAP rounds, forgot about them completely. Though they could then be simply activated once you do the armor research, since the rocket we have now is not a HEAP but a normal HE. In a way, my +/- about them still holds.

[Quester]

Could larger rockets of the HEAP variation be included as armours are researched?  It would make the starter rocket launcher alot more viable as well, instead of just putting in a new weapon like the micro launcher.

[Lew Yard]

Wouldn't make sense to have them require research.   Warheads using shaped-charges have been in use since during WW2, they're ubiquitous with the RPG-7, and fairly nifty tandem HEAT warheads (one blast to trigger common explosive reactive armor such as Kontakt-5 ERA, a follow-up to keep going aren't all that rare these days, either). 

HEAT, T-HEAT (not terribly applicable, however -- there is no evidence of the /aliens/ using ERA, so a standard HEAT charge would be more logical), thermobaric, and the current ordinary HE warheads would be quite reasonably available at the beginning.  Plasma (think a 'Plasma and the Rocket Launcher' tech ala the GL) and antimatter (!), OTOH, would require more research.

[Quester]

I think we got something.  3 types of warhead avalible at the begining, HEAT, HE, and, a thermobaric round.  Follow ups on the tech tree would be plasma rockets, and, perhaps antimatter rockets, with OTOH a possiblity.  I like how this is going.  How, in game would it be implimented though, and, do they fit with the beliveablity standpoint?  Those are my last two concerns now that we have gotten this far and moved away from the thought of a 'new' missile launcher and instead attemt to breath life back into the old one.

[Hertzila]

Weapons like rocket launchers and recoilless rifles tend to be used for many decades. Instead ammunition is upgraded.

What's an OTOH round? I thought it stood for "On The Other Hand".

[Quester]

I misunderstood that one as well.  Please, scratch OTOH from the last post and chalk it up to a LACK of coffee moment.

[val]

So, XM25?
I support!
Possibility of airbust shells? Timed shells preprogrammed before firing. Doesn't need sensor input otherwise, so Faraday cages can be used.