Full auto weapons, and Rates of Fire.

[hiro]

I think gauss rifles are subject to the same issues as ACRs - recoil and weight and the addition of a power source adds to the weight.

As has been pointed out, they represent the ultimate in slug throwers but it's an incremental improvement over the ACR.

The boring way of looking at it is to simply make a progression across TL - drop weight, increase damage and number of rounds in a magazine or whichever combination of features work for the rules/setting. What you call it becomes the way you want to dress it up for the setting.

[kilemall]

Originally Posted by Condottiere

Basically, optimal combat gear load is around thirty kilogrammes, allocated between offensive and defensive measures, and has been for millenia, the usual formula of personal firepower, mobility and protection, subsidized by collective firepower, mobility and protection, supported by available logistics, and directed by current doctrine.

This is about as good as it gets, without improvements in material science, the addition of exoskeletons, or a jump in technological levels to utilize gauss.

Or genetically engineering people.

[Condottiere]

Given a choice, combat troops seem to prefer lighter firearms with more rounds, as long as the rounds are effective within the anticipated engagement zone.

At some point, the gun is going to overheat.

[hiro]

Originally Posted by Condottiere

Given a choice, combat troops seem to prefer lighter firearms with more rounds, as long as the rounds are effective within the anticipated engagement zone.

At some point, the gun is going to overheat.

Which brings us nicely back to the stat that most infantry combat casualties are currently caused by crew served weapons and high explosives. I've read it somewhere, can't find where now so please do point out if I'm talking baloney.

CSWs are designed for sustained fire, most small arms are not. Will that change in the future? Does it need to? If your rifle won't overheat, how long will it take you to expend all the ammo you're carrying?

My, haven't I gotten way off topic...

[wellis]

Considering the propensity of militaries, and troops, to overload with ammunition, body armor, and equipment (especially electronic stuff nowadays), what kind of body loads do you think Third Imperium or other troops might have?

I ask this because currently modern soldiers are often wearing 80-100 pounds more stuff than prescribed.

[hiro]

I don't think I've seen any version of Traveller fully describe this as it's out of the remit for most aspects of an RPG, even Striker and Book 4 don't go into as much detail.

Not that that stops us taking about it 😂

To answer I think we'd need to list what's being carried. Bit of a chore to do on my phone at lunch and might need a separate thread.

But most games don't track weight and encumbrance and it's also complicated by powered armour. How many pics of people in powered armour show anything like a combat load out?

[Condottiere]

We tend to look at encumbrance as how much we can lift, discounting form fitting armour.

Then we figure out movement rates, and balance that between equipment carried, and if we're mostly mounted.

[CaptRet]

After accounting for the increased range and accuracy of such weapons platforms as the ACR and then the gauss rifle, the next big leap in infantry firepower will be the smart round. This is almost within reach now. After all, if the individual round has the capability to hit the target regardless of such factors as the recoil of the firing weapon, there is a reduced need for large quantities of ammunition. During the Napoleonic Wars anc Civil War, it has been estimated that roughly 250 - 300 musket rounds were fired for every casualty inflicted. In Vietnam, the US ratio was 50,000 small arms rounds per NVA or Viet Cong casualty inflicted.

[wellis]

Originally Posted by CaptRet

After accounting for the increased range and accuracy of such weapons platforms as the ACR and then the gauss rifle, the next big leap in infantry firepower will be the smart round. This is almost within reach now. After all, if the individual round has the capability to hit the target regardless of such factors as the recoil of the firing weapon, there is a reduced need for large quantities of ammunition. During the Napoleonic Wars anc Civil War, it has been estimated that roughly 250 - 300 musket rounds were fired for every casualty inflicted. In Vietnam, the US ratio was 50,000 small arms rounds per NVA or Viet Cong casualty inflicted.

That's because we have kuch, much higher rates of fire now.

Semi-auto nowadays is far faster than the majority of muzzleloaded ridles in hse in the ACW.

[hiro]

Or really poor trigger discipline?