Favorite fictional or sci-fi weapon?
- Thread starter Nightcrawler
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Anyone ever pick up a copy of the RPG "Underground" by Ray Winninger from Mayfair Games? I would really like a 15mm Urban Nightmare #802 (a revolver that Magnum Research is trying to make)....'course a 12mm Daemon Arms "Death's Head" semi-auto wouldn't be bad either.
The Tcnutpin (sp?) toy in Niven's "The Slaver Weapon" is neat, but impractical unless you want to carve holes in a planets crust. (Unless you want to get 'close' and use the monomolecular wire.)
So far as weapon systems go, the Sentinals in 'Matrix' have a alot of uses, but don't seem to have a ranged weapon, and depend on swarm tactics to do much. But honestly, it's hard to beat an Ogre Mk.5 in ground warfare, or some of the larger of Saberhagen's "Berserkers" a little higher up. (The Romulan singularity torpedos would work against Berserkers, but you need a lot of them...or just one Genesis Device and run like hell.)
The Tcnutpin (sp?) toy in Niven's "The Slaver Weapon" is neat, but impractical unless you want to carve holes in a planets crust. (Unless you want to get 'close' and use the monomolecular wire.)
So far as weapon systems go, the Sentinals in 'Matrix' have a alot of uses, but don't seem to have a ranged weapon, and depend on swarm tactics to do much. But honestly, it's hard to beat an Ogre Mk.5 in ground warfare, or some of the larger of Saberhagen's "Berserkers" a little higher up. (The Romulan singularity torpedos would work against Berserkers, but you need a lot of them...or just one Genesis Device and run like hell.)
Nightcrawler
Member
How come it's only in role-playing-games and comic books (ahem, graphic novels) that futuristic guns get cool names like "Death's Head" and "Urban Nightmare"?
What do we get? "GP100". "Glock 17". "Government Model". "Model 629".
OOOOh, scary!
What do we get? "GP100". "Glock 17". "Government Model". "Model 629".
OOOOh, scary!
HankB
Member
Unless you're using one of Keith Laumer's MkXXX Bolos on the ground, or piloting E.E. Smiths "Skylark of Valeron" or "DQ" a little higher up.
On the other hand, controlling the Markovian supercomputer at the heart of Jack Chalker's Well World would make you tough to beat, too.
My favorite nonexistent imaginary weapon can beat your favorite nonexistent imaginary weapon.
(Nightcrawler: At least we had Black Talon and Street Sweeper . . . and still have Golden Saber and Deep Shock.
)Because Comic Book and RPG publishers aren't (as) afraid of the PC nazis are are 'real' firearms manufacturers. Besides, the gun makers may at one time have read Orwell's "1984", but the game publishers have well-worn copies at their desks.
That, and they are better at marketing unlicenceable material to a hungry audience.
That, and they are better at marketing unlicenceable material to a hungry audience.
Nightcrawler
Member
Two ways to piss off both Star Trek and Star Wars geeks.
1) Tell them how the two shows are bound together in that Industrial Light and Magic did special effects for both of them.
2) Say that Babylon 5 was better than either of them. (This especially offends the Trekkers
)
1) Tell them how the two shows are bound together in that Industrial Light and Magic did special effects for both of them.
2) Say that Babylon 5 was better than either of them. (This especially offends the Trekkers
)fmjcafe
Member
Call me old fashioned but I always liked the rifles the apes carried in Planet of the Apes.
I once had a bumper sticker that said "Babylon 5: Our last, best hope for good sci-fi on television".
Speaking of B5, the phased-plasma pistols they were carrying were great. Enough power to take down a person, and able to do it without punching holes in walls or people.
vertigo7, who always listens to Ivanova.
Ed Straker
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Okay, Babylon5 - The Rangers' staff. I'd love to have one of those!
The beams from Babylon 5 (shadows) and the church ships in Dan Simmon's Endymion and Rise of Endymion are both rather cool, ergs being the coolest defensive mechanism ever (in Simmon's books).
But for personal handheld weapons, those sonic guns (I forgot what they were called) that could shatter people and other things in one episode of Time Trax (tv, 1996-ish) were pretty cool. I'd go for a keyfob that shot energy blobs that could knock people unconscious, too (every single episode).
But for personal handheld weapons, those sonic guns (I forgot what they were called) that could shatter people and other things in one episode of Time Trax (tv, 1996-ish) were pretty cool. I'd go for a keyfob that shot energy blobs that could knock people unconscious, too (every single episode).
Ahhhh
Aside from the obvious Planet of the Apes m-1 Carbine...
A Blade Runner pistol... and a Police Spinner.
A lightsaber, natuarlly.
Skin Reversing Rifle from tank girl. Actually, tank Girl's tank, Fluffy would be pretty cool. esp If Lori Petty comes with it.
Chewbacca's bowcaster is positively arcane.
Any of the big stormtrooper guns. Ala MG 34
Klingon disrupter. Doubles as a melee weapon. Try that with a phaser.
Phaser type 2 (a boosted power pack for the type 1 which can be removed and concealed)
The Golden Gun
The Cylon guns from Battlestar Galactica were proof that in the future you'll still need bayonets!
Jason's pistol from G-Force.
The Russian rocket pistol from Gibson's "Difference Engine"
Real Soviet 3 barreled space survival gun.
Johnny Socko Robot.
Batman Utility belt.
A-Wing fighter.
Aside from the obvious Planet of the Apes m-1 Carbine...
A Blade Runner pistol... and a Police Spinner.
A lightsaber, natuarlly.
Skin Reversing Rifle from tank girl. Actually, tank Girl's tank, Fluffy would be pretty cool. esp If Lori Petty comes with it.
Chewbacca's bowcaster is positively arcane.
Any of the big stormtrooper guns. Ala MG 34
Klingon disrupter. Doubles as a melee weapon. Try that with a phaser.
Phaser type 2 (a boosted power pack for the type 1 which can be removed and concealed)
The Golden Gun
The Cylon guns from Battlestar Galactica were proof that in the future you'll still need bayonets!
Jason's pistol from G-Force.
The Russian rocket pistol from Gibson's "Difference Engine"
Real Soviet 3 barreled space survival gun.
Johnny Socko Robot.
Batman Utility belt.
A-Wing fighter.
Those were chemicals? And they made people glow? Uh-huh. Silly TV show producers. The pellets didn't look remotely like matter.
Now that I think about it, wasn't there an instance in the same episode with the sonic guns where he fired repeatedly at a rope to cause it to fray? Some chemicals! Acidic or basic enough to cause rope to disintegrate, but doesn't have any serious effect on humans, floors, walls, ceilings, or anything else.
And acid/base destruction would have been gradual; this was instantaneous like a projectile's effect on rope.
Now that I think about it, wasn't there an instance in the same episode with the sonic guns where he fired repeatedly at a rope to cause it to fray? Some chemicals! Acidic or basic enough to cause rope to disintegrate, but doesn't have any serious effect on humans, floors, walls, ceilings, or anything else.
And acid/base destruction would have been gradual; this was instantaneous like a projectile's effect on rope.
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Yup, chemicals. Now, they might have been energy pellets that caused a forcefield with the necessary chemical imbedded therein, to be distributed around the person, resulting in an even distribution. (Nice Sci-Fi answer, no?) But they were called pellets in the show, and before prisoners could be transported back to the future, they had to be dosed with a chemical (TXP).
The key bob was also identified version of the standard issue PPT (Pellet Projection Tube) modified to look like a car alarm so as to blend in with the 20th century natives.
The key bob was also identified version of the standard issue PPT (Pellet Projection Tube) modified to look like a car alarm so as to blend in with the 20th century natives.
In David Brin's The Practice Effect, the main character has a weapon that basically looks like a pistol. However, to give it ammo you put any piece of metal you can find into the handle where the magazine would normally go. The pistol then shaves off pieces of the metal and propels them (using gas taken directly from the atmosphere, if I recall) at anything you point the trigger at. The beauty of the pistol is that it needs no propellant because it culls gas from the atmosphere and any metal that can fit in the handle is potential ammo. It was solar powered, too, so with air, sun, and any metal you have unlimited ammo.
Also, someone mentioned Saberhagen. In one of his Beserker series, the humans attacked the beserkers (robot ships bent on the destruction of all life in the universe) with what they called "C-plus" weapons. These were ships which carried one huge, massive "bullet"--the bullet itself was ship-sized. When the bullets were fired, they would skip in and out of hyperspace so that they couldn't be blown up. Right before the target they would exit hyperspace and strike the target at virtually light speed. Bye bye target. Think of a Titanic-sized solid mass striking a spaceship at that speed. The energy involved would be obliterating.
Also, someone mentioned Saberhagen. In one of his Beserker series, the humans attacked the beserkers (robot ships bent on the destruction of all life in the universe) with what they called "C-plus" weapons. These were ships which carried one huge, massive "bullet"--the bullet itself was ship-sized. When the bullets were fired, they would skip in and out of hyperspace so that they couldn't be blown up. Right before the target they would exit hyperspace and strike the target at virtually light speed. Bye bye target. Think of a Titanic-sized solid mass striking a spaceship at that speed. The energy involved would be obliterating.
wingnutx
Member
They had those ram-ships, too. Then it was old-school boarding with a gun and a cutlass, basically.
Andrew Wyatt
Member
the grav guns from the legacy of aldenata are pretty cool, but the best two weapons in the series IMO are the metalstorm turretted m-1a1 tanks and the she-va guns, which are anti- air SP 16 inch guns that fire shells with antimatter warheads.
From David Weber's Fifth Imperium series:
grav gun - gravitically propels (at around 3 klicks per second) flechettes capable of piercing most substances before detonating
warp rifle - sends anything caught within its beam irretrievably into hyperspace
grav gun - gravitically propels (at around 3 klicks per second) flechettes capable of piercing most substances before detonating
warp rifle - sends anything caught within its beam irretrievably into hyperspace
Mastrogiacomo
Member
I second the vote for Equilibrium -- I still dream about Beretta coming out with guns like that for 2004....
OEF_VET
Member
Hutch
Member
'Vet, thanks again for the holster, but ahhh,, it's an Illudium Q-36 interplanetary space modulator. The bazooka-thingie in the picture ain't it. Remember when Bugs swiped the little firecracker thingie? "THAT CREATURE!!!"
On to the question: I wanna plasma rifle as described in "March to the Sea" et al, by Ringo/Weber. Way cool stuff, prone to occasional kb's (which are not at all fun for the operator, and those in the same zip code). The effects as described on fixed stone fortifications (think medievel (sp?) castle) is awe-inspiring.
On to the question: I wanna plasma rifle as described in "March to the Sea" et al, by Ringo/Weber. Way cool stuff, prone to occasional kb's (which are not at all fun for the operator, and those in the same zip code). The effects as described on fixed stone fortifications (think medievel (sp?) castle) is awe-inspiring.
"..the bullet itself was ship-sized."
It's been a while, but I thought that the c+ cannon came in various sizes, mostly small-ish. The largest ones, as I recall, had bores that were not ship sized but fired hyperdense slugs had the mass of a ship.
Either way, lotsa fun.
It's been a while, but I thought that the c+ cannon came in various sizes, mostly small-ish. The largest ones, as I recall, had bores that were not ship sized but fired hyperdense slugs had the mass of a ship.
Either way, lotsa fun.
Hawk
Member
Modular and easily configurable:
Inner Sphere Timberwolf / Madcat II
with dropship
Inner Sphere Timberwolf / Madcat II
with dropship
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