Interesting crossbow thought...

[Shark_Force]

That definitely seems a lot more balanced, and make the bow version SDC damage too.

Although that still makes it frickin' great in SDC settings, no?

Not to mention those classes out there with SDC>MD abilities.

if someone decides to allow a weapon intended for the rifts RPG weapon in their non-rifts game, that's their problem.

still, with a maximum damage of 1d6, costing 4 actions (3 to prime, 1 to fire), i feel like this is not going to become dominant in *any* palladium setting.

as to classes with SDC>MD abilities, well, it's not like they're hurting for better options any more than people in other settings. i'd much rather pack a simple SDC pistol that deals 4d6 damage per round, can handle different ammo types (silver, wood, etc), and which has ammo that's dirt cheap anyways - a couple hundred credits for hundreds of rounds being entirely possible.

if this breaks anyone's game, i'd be very, very surprised.

[Killer Cyborg]

That definitely seems a lot more balanced, and make the bow version SDC damage too.

Although that still makes it frickin' great in SDC settings, no?

Not to mention those classes out there with SDC>MD abilities.

It's not bad... But it's still not very good damage, even in an SDC setting.

[Tor]

True, but the unlimited ammo aspect is pretty good, I imagine the cost of arrows builds up. I bet that's one major reason a lot of people would rather use slings, for the free ammo.

I suppose picking out decent sling stones is part of the WP sling/shot skill from PRPG, I guess perhaps part of the WP Targetting that replaced it in other books. I remember picking good stones was a big part of one fantasy book I read, forget title.

If the Spirit West spell for creating permanent arrows leaked into PF that would be a huge economy upset.

[Shark_Force]

well, let's put it this way... if it takes you 3 actions to run up to a guy and punch them for 1d6 damage (which is relatively speaking on the low end of the scale for punches, particularly since the punch can add PS damage and PP bonus to strike), for every single punch, you're not particularly better off using this gun than you would be using your bare hands.

if you could punch them after three actions of closing distance, and then can expect to continually be able to punch them once per round, you're better off using your bare hands.

simply put, if you're *that* desperate for cash that you can't afford arrows or bullets, you probably can't afford to buy this gun in the first place.

[Tor]

Talking about long-term investments here. The whole reason that an infinite laser-bow would cost more money in PF compared to standard bow and arrow (even if it did same or less damage) would be saving on ammo cost, not to mention the space taken up storing them, time spent reloading your quicker, etc.

Not sure why you make a punch comparison, I should not have to explain the benefits of range here. Not all opponents are 3 actions of sprinting away. There can be people on top of walls or roofs, across a river, a friend tanking, etc.

[Mack]

I take a different approach with the Laser Bow... I just add an e-clip to it and ignore the power generation mumbo-jumbo.

[Tor]

Enjoy your Sub-Particle Acceleration

[eliakon]

Talking about long-term investments here. The whole reason that an infinite laser-bow would cost more money in PF compared to standard bow and arrow (even if it did same or less damage) would be saving on ammo cost, not to mention the space taken up storing them, time spent reloading your quicker, etc.

Not sure why you make a punch comparison, I should not have to explain the benefits of range here. Not all opponents are 3 actions of sprinting away. There can be people on top of walls or roofs, across a river, a friend tanking, etc.

I think the comparison is because this does damage that is on par with an untrained punch and takes three APM per attack. Its not going to be in someplace like PF, its an ultra-tech weapon. Its going to 'cost more money in PF' because its a unique alien device that works off of mysterious unfathomable principles. Not because its ammunition efficient (though with shorter range, and less damage than even a short bow). In the sort of world where it COULD be made...its going to be either a novelty, or a hunting weapon, or possibly a civilian self defense weapon. Its never going to be much of a combat weapon.

[Shark_Force]

Talking about long-term investments here. The whole reason that an infinite laser-bow would cost more money in PF compared to standard bow and arrow (even if it did same or less damage) would be saving on ammo cost, not to mention the space taken up storing them, time spent reloading your quicker, etc.

Not sure why you make a punch comparison, I should not have to explain the benefits of range here. Not all opponents are 3 actions of sprinting away. There can be people on top of walls or roofs, across a river, a friend tanking, etc.

the weapon KC posted takes *three* actions to reload once for 1d6 damage. the average damage per hit (not action, because you'll miss sometimes) peaks at 1 point (the first option), and goes down the moment you take the time to charge it up more strongly.

it is not a good weapon. it is an absolutely awful weapon, and you'd have to buy an awful lot of arrows before it ever came close to paying for itself, particularly since there's a fair chance you can pick up your own arrows if you're still in the area after a fight, or pick up arrows off of enemies as you go.

i mean, look, yes it's true that arrows will *eventually* cost you more money in ammunition. but at some point, you've got to take into account how you've spent your actions. if your actions lead to you needing to constantly spend money on hospital visits, healing spells, potions, and funerals for your friends, you're going to spend a *lot* of time firing "free" energy blasts before you get your money's worth.

unless you're talking about the regular laser bow. in which case, yes, that thing is completely ludicrous and if the GM leaves it in the game unmodified i couldn't blame anyone for picking one up.

[Tor]

Even the KC version would still be very useful in certain circumstances.

Obviously it sucks on a flat battlefield, but for perching up on top of a wall or firing through archer-slots in a castle during a siege (you cannot retrieve your arrows, people cannot charge you, you can duck for cover while pluck-charging) it would be excellent.

For similar reasons this is also one major benefit crossbows would have over bows, since you can spend that needed time under cover winding them up with a crank, and presumably a bolt being cheaper and easier to fashion than an arrow.

[Killer Cyborg]

Even the KC version would still be very useful in certain circumstances.

Agreed.

[Shark_Force]

bolts are generally made of solid metal. an arrow is made out of mostly wood, with a bit of metal on the tip (at least, for metal-using societies... you can of course make an arrow with stone, bone, or even just a sharpened/fire-hardened wooden tip).

in societies where those types of weapons are likely to be commonly in use, wood is by far the more easily obtainable material.

the advantage to a crossbow bolt is that it takes a heck of a lot less time to train someone to use (mostly because the trajectory is flatter, as i understand it), you can use it more easily from cover (you *can* use a bow while presenting a low profile... i've seen my brother fire arrows while drawing the string with his hands, and holding the bow with his feet... but i couldn't imagine him being very accurate with that), it requires less physical strength, and as a result you can make it pack more of a punch than a conventional bow (though to be fair, a longbow in the hands of a competent user was likely just as capable of punching through armour).

as to using KC's weapon while being sieged, it's generally easier to stockpile arrows to last through a siege than it is to stockpile enough food to last through a siege. a siege is characterized mostly by neither side doing much of anything until the sieging forces give up (usually because the siege isn't working and their enemy is expending fewer troops to hold a larger force in place, or because the siege is about to be lifted by a stronger force while the besieged soldiers pin the enemy in place if they stick around longer) or the besieged forces surrender (usually because the alternative is "starve to death and lose the stronghold anyways").

i wouldn't be too surprised to discover that there was a siege at some time where the besieged lost as a result of not having enough ammunition. but i certainly can't think of any. generally speaking, sieges are characterized by not having major combat actions occurring on a regular basis.

and frankly, for the cost of one of KC's rifles, you could probably stockpile several thousand arrows (and bows) in a fortress. for the cost of outfitting everyone with KC's rifles, you could stockpile enough arrows that you're effectively not going to run out in any reasonable circumstance.

it has its uses. it is not, practically speaking, going to replace much of anything as the standard weapon for any sort of military organization.

[Killer Cyborg]

it has its uses. it is not, practically speaking, going to replace much of anything as the standard weapon for any sort of military organization.

Agreed.
I think of it more as the laser version of a pellet rifle, or perhaps a very slow .22 caliber rifle.

It's more of a survivalist tool than a military weapon, mostly for hunting small game or putting holes in things. The only time when it might be a viable weapon is in situations where the unlimited ammunition comes in handy (some zombies chase you up a tree or something, and you have time to safely plink), or situations where the simple fact that it's an energy weapon gives it an edge over other weapons.
When fighting a MDC monster that has a vulnerability to Energy, even this simple laser will inflict mega-damage. In that case, it would be a better weapon than a bow and arrows (just as the bow would be a better weapon against vampires or other creatures with a vulnerability to wood).

It might be interesting to make a military version, but it would realistically take quite a lot of pumping to build up enough energy to do significant damage in Rifts Earth.

Hm...
Using the Laser Bow's damage and energy consumption, that's 2d6 MD/50 car batteries worth of energy. Which would likely be about 1d6 MD/25 car batteries.
That might mean that you could assume 1 MD per about 4 car batteries worth of energy.
So... how many pumps of a pump-action would it take to charge 4 car batteries...?

[ShadowLogan]

that is, assuming you don't just write the silly thing out of existence for your campaigns. I do.

I eliminated it from my games, and replaced it with this:
viewtopic.php?p=2675415#p2675415
BH-6 "Infinity" Pump-Action Laser Rifle
In the tradition of a number of pre-rifts designs that remain popular today, this pump action laser weapon can be used to hunt small game without any fear of running out of ammunition. Ever.
Pumping the slide on this weapon powers an efficient internal generator, which powers the laser. You'll never need to replace batteries, and you'll never have to worry about expensive E-Clips!
Weight: 8 lbs
Damage: Varies depending with charge: 1 SDC, 1-2 SDC, 1d4 SDC, or 1d6 SDC.
Rate of Fire: Single shot only- all stored energy is used when the weapon is fired.
Charge Rate: Pumping the slide multiple times are required for each shot. In less than one action (leaving enough room to also aim or fire the weapon), the weapon can be charged with enough energy to fire a 1 SDC blast. If the weapon is charged for an entire action, that stores enough energy for a 1-2 SDC blast. If the weapon is charged for two actions, that creates enough energy for a 1d4 SDC blast. If the weapon is charged for three actions, that creates enough action for a 1d6 SDC blast. The weapon's internal capacitor cannot hold more energy than that, so further charging creates no further effect.
Range: 500'
Features: The improved balance of this weapon provides a +1 bonus to strike.
Payload: 1.
Price: CR 400 for the standard model, or CR 4,000 for a MDC version (12 MDC)*.

*The MDC version does not inflict Mega-Damage, it simply has a sturdier frame.

Question how would the different strength levels (normal, augmented, robotic, supernatural, etc) effect charging rates? And could exceptionally strong (~17+ PS score) also alter the charging rate since the pump action mechanism might be able to handle more force than a typical person can put out. I ask because a PS of 15 is not the same on the various PS types, so a SN PS could theoretically put more energy in per action than a normal PS.

[Killer Cyborg]

that is, assuming you don't just write the silly thing out of existence for your campaigns. I do.

I eliminated it from my games, and replaced it with this:
viewtopic.php?p=2675415#p2675415
BH-6 "Infinity" Pump-Action Laser Rifle
In the tradition of a number of pre-rifts designs that remain popular today, this pump action laser weapon can be used to hunt small game without any fear of running out of ammunition. Ever.
Pumping the slide on this weapon powers an efficient internal generator, which powers the laser. You'll never need to replace batteries, and you'll never have to worry about expensive E-Clips!
Weight: 8 lbs
Damage: Varies depending with charge: 1 SDC, 1-2 SDC, 1d4 SDC, or 1d6 SDC.
Rate of Fire: Single shot only- all stored energy is used when the weapon is fired.
Charge Rate: Pumping the slide multiple times are required for each shot. In less than one action (leaving enough room to also aim or fire the weapon), the weapon can be charged with enough energy to fire a 1 SDC blast. If the weapon is charged for an entire action, that stores enough energy for a 1-2 SDC blast. If the weapon is charged for two actions, that creates enough energy for a 1d4 SDC blast. If the weapon is charged for three actions, that creates enough action for a 1d6 SDC blast. The weapon's internal capacitor cannot hold more energy than that, so further charging creates no further effect.
Range: 500'
Features: The improved balance of this weapon provides a +1 bonus to strike.
Payload: 1.
Price: CR 400 for the standard model, or CR 4,000 for a MDC version (12 MDC)*.

*The MDC version does not inflict Mega-Damage, it simply has a sturdier frame.

Question how would the different strength levels (normal, augmented, robotic, supernatural, etc) effect charging rates? And could exceptionally strong (~17+ PS score) also alter the charging rate since the pump action mechanism might be able to handle more force than a typical person can put out. I ask because a PS of 15 is not the same on the various PS types, so a SN PS could theoretically put more energy in per action than a normal PS.

I'd assume that the charging rate would be the same for that weapon, but there could be other weapons with better charging rates that require more force. Like how different bows have different draw strengths.

[Tor]

Perhaps you could have 1 person pluck-charging KC's wuss-bow and another firing it and they trade off, allowing something for those with bad aim to do.

[Zer0 Kay]

I hare auto correct sometimes

Some times I hare it too and then I'm like "God rabbit this stupid autocorrect," but looking back on it I always think it's bunnie.

[Killer Cyborg]

Perhaps you could have 1 person pluck-charging KC's wuss-bow and another firing it and they trade off, allowing something for those with bad aim to do.

Yup.
If you've got one shooter, and a handful of non-combatants, and the GM didn't make it take an action to hand off weapons, you could have a steady stream of fire.

Although my version is a rifle. The whole bow motif is pointless.

[Zer0 Kay]

Perhaps you could have 1 person pluck-charging KC's wuss-bow and another firing it and they trade off, allowing something for those with bad aim to do.

Yup.
If you've got one shooter, and a handful of non-combatants, and the GM didn't make it take an action to hand off weapons, you could have a steady stream of fire.

Although my version is a rifle. The whole bow motif is pointless.

Sure it has a point as a flippant near racist nod to the American Native.

[ShadowLogan]

Don't feel like starting a new thread, but does anyone think the TK Pistol/Rifle type weapon construction requirements would also work for a TW-Bow or TW-Crossbow? (spells and gems aspect as obviously the mechanical requirements would be different).

[taalismn]

Don't feel like starting a new thread, but does anyone think the TK Pistol/Rifle type weapon construction requirements would also work for a TW-Bow or TW-Crossbow? (spells and gems aspect as obviously the mechanical requirements would be different).

You could format the bow device along the lines of a NERF archery kit(w/ a captive arrow-plunger), pulling a line and plunger to fire, but the result isn't an arrow but an energy blast or spell effect.

[Shark_Force]

Don't feel like starting a new thread, but does anyone think the TK Pistol/Rifle type weapon construction requirements would also work for a TW-Bow or TW-Crossbow? (spells and gems aspect as obviously the mechanical requirements would be different).

what, you mean, can you make a TW bow?

sure. why not. there's TW swords. i'd say a bow is at least more mechanically complex than that.

[eliakon]

Don't feel like starting a new thread, but does anyone think the TK Pistol/Rifle type weapon construction requirements would also work for a TW-Bow or TW-Crossbow? (spells and gems aspect as obviously the mechanical requirements would be different).

what, you mean, can you make a TW bow?

sure. why not. there's TW swords. i'd say a bow is at least more mechanically complex than that.

A TW Crossbow would make perfect sense for most rifle mods....pulling a trigger to fire a spell bolt is pulling a trigger to fire a spell bolt.
An TW Bows would actually be MORE in line with how the laser bow should work (energy bow that is 'low tech').....

[ShadowLogan]

Don't feel like starting a new thread, but does anyone think the TK Pistol/Rifle type weapon construction requirements would also work for a TW-Bow or TW-Crossbow? (spells and gems aspect as obviously the mechanical requirements would be different).

what, you mean, can you make a TW bow?

sure. why not. there's TW swords. i'd say a bow is at least more mechanically complex than that.

Yes I know I can make a TW Bow/Cross-bow in theory. What I am asking about is the Spell Chain requirement for a TW device. Would the TK Gun Spell chains (and thus gems) also apply to Bow/Crossbows without modification or would you have to make something more customized or require large degree of modification to the chain or physical requirements because the starting mechanisms are different?

[Shark_Force]

i'd make it more or less the same. there might be specific instances where there was a specific arrow-based spell (i'm not aware of any specific ones, but i am allowing for the possibility) that you may wish to use instead of just using generic spells, but for the most part the same spell chains would be used.

[Tor]

Perhaps you could have 1 person pluck-charging KC's wuss-bow and another firing it and they trade off, allowing something for those with bad aim to do.

Yup.
If you've got one shooter, and a handful of non-combatants, and the GM didn't make it take an action to hand off weapons, you could have a steady stream of fire.

Although my version is a rifle. The whole bow motif is pointless.

Whatever it is, let's call it the KCplucker with rifle being default and with options to adapt it into bow or crossbow, I guess.

Although it is possible for people to stockpile arrows for sieges (and there are advantages there, like being able to add poison to them, set them on fire, cause bleeding, enchant it) the KCplucker would still be great for helping extend such supplies, or give time for them to be brought to the shooting pits.

Hiring mundane pluckers would also be cheaper than hiring fletchers, I imagine, easier to train and replace too.

[Shark_Force]

the main advantage to the arrows come from the extremely low (comparative) cost. particularly if we're talking about a setting where the "plucker" is most likely equivalent to a magical item.

simply put, i can afford to buy many, many, many arrows for the cost of one plucker. so many arrows, in fact, that i can afford to have enough of them to functionally never run out of arrows for any archer at a given location in my fortifications, at least, not before other much more critical resources are expended (like food, medicine for the wounds gained in constant combat which has likely been going on for days, etc). i can likely afford to have more archers (if i want) as a result of massive cost savings as well, and more importantly food enough to feed more people for longer - which is far more important in a siege than arrows, because a siege is not constant warfare... by definition, if someone has laid siege to your fortifications, they're trying to starve you out. if they're just trying to overwhelm you with a massive assault, that's not a siege, that's just a fight where your enemy is really really dumb (or just doesn't care at all about losses, as might be the case with a cabal of necromancers sending animated dead or similar to attack).

the secondary advantage is their substantially higher effectiveness in crunch situations. if you need 3 people to pump rifles for every one on the firing line, you've just multiplied your required rations to survive the siege by 4. not only that, but you've limited the amount of people you can effectively use; you now need room enough for 4 people on the firing line, not just one. your firepower is less concentrated, and more prone to be defeated by a concentrated assault (you'd be surprised at how much of warfare basically boils down to cramming more resources into the fight than your opponent can bring to bear in a localized area... it's the entire reason why a smaller force can actually defeat a larger one, if they outmaneuver the enemy). alternately, you can use just the one guy with a "plucker" and you've got 1/4 the effectiveness, which means that you're effectively fortifying your base with 1/4 the number you *could* be using.

and this further assumes that the archers aren't, say, scavenging arrows fired at them by the besieging force, which will further increase the amount of time before the besieged will run out of arrows.

KC's plucker is a handy hunting rifle, basically. if your main livelihood comes from shooting rabbits or something like that, buy one; this thing will eventually save you a lot of bother. if you're buying a weapon to hold off a siege... well, find a better one. this isn't the weapon you're looking for.

[Killer Cyborg]

It's also lighter than carrying hundreds of arrows with you if you leave your home.

[Tor]

You can't always control who you'll have to feed in a siege. You may have non-combatants lurking around with nothing to do anyway.

Sending them out of the castle COULD stretch your food supplies longer, of course.

Or they could even become the food supplies.

[Shark_Force]

spending massive amounts of resources just in case you might get stuck with a bunch of extra non-combatants (who are for some reason perfectly willing to stand on the front lines of combat without a weapon, armour, or training) sounds pretty unlikely. but in any event, i'd rather stock up on extra crossbows and bolts, which will be considerably less expensive, and spend some time giving basic training in those to the non-combatants. if, that is, i feel like making an investment in an improbable scenario at all. which most people won't.

it's a handy weapon. it has its uses. withstanding a siege is not one of the better ones.

[Zer0 Kay]

You can't always control who you'll have to feed in a siege. You may have non-combatants lurking around with nothing to do anyway.

Sending them out of the castle COULD stretch your food supplies longer, of course.

Or they could even become the food supplies.

Too much of those supplies and you suffer a disease that shows up as pin holes in the flesh of the brain, same thing as mad cows.

[Daniel Stoker]

Is that really true or is that just one of those urban legends? It happened in that one X-files episode because one of the people they ate DID have Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and that was passed on when others ate the contaminated flesh, but I've never run across anything saying there's something inherent in human flesh that would do that.


Daniel Stoker

[Killer Cyborg]

Eating brains will, iirc.


Edit:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_%28disease%29

[Daniel Stoker]

Yeah, basically what happened in the X-Files episode which is what I had seen before.


Daniel Stoker

[Zer0 Kay]

So I wonder if there is a neurological disease that is common among all cannibal tribes?

[Slight001]

Actually true cannibals would likely have either stopped eating the brain and intestines or they would have rapidly developed immunity to the associated diseases via the process of natural selection... 'course they could also figure out how to properly prepare the meal.

[Zer0 Kay]

Actually true cannibals would likely have either stopped eating the brain and intestines or they would have rapidly developed immunity to the associated diseases via the process of natural selection... 'course they could also figure out how to properly prepare the meal.

Or maybe the disease is nature and natural selection trying to weed out the weirdo's who are more a danger to their species than not.

[Killer Cyborg]

Hard to get an immunity to prions, I think.

[Killer Cyborg]

Also, cannibalism tends to pop up in places where there is a delicate balance and the human population needs to be kept in check more than it needs to increase

[Zer0 Kay]

Also, cannibalism tends to pop up in places where there is a delicate balance and the human population needs to be kept in check more than it needs to increase

Uh... Yeah and what delicate balance would that be?

[Slight001]

Actually true cannibals would likely have either stopped eating the brain and intestines or they would have rapidly developed immunity to the associated diseases via the process of natural selection... 'course they could also figure out how to properly prepare the meal.

Or maybe the disease is nature and natural selection trying to weed out the weirdo's who are more a danger to their species than not.

One mans weirdo is another's garbage removal service.

Hard to get an immunity to prions, I think.

IIRC, that's not entirely true... can't remember where I read it though.

[Killer Cyborg]

Also, cannibalism tends to pop up in places where there is a delicate balance and the human population needs to be kept in check more than it needs to increase

Uh... Yeah and what delicate balance would that be?

Islands, usually. Isolated places where there aren't many predators that target humans, and there isn't a lot of food that yields protein.
Too many humans, the food supplies run out, and they have to turn to cannibalism to survive.
If this happens often enough in a location, it becomes part of the culture, ultimately making humans serve the role of predator against other humans, keeping the population in check.

[Zer0 Kay]

Also, cannibalism tends to pop up in places where there is a delicate balance and the human population needs to be kept in check more than it needs to increase

Uh... Yeah and what delicate balance would that be?

Islands, usually. Isolated places where there aren't many predators that target humans, and there isn't a lot of food that yields protein.
Too many humans, the food supplies run out, and they have to turn to cannibalism to survive.
If this happens often enough in a location, it becomes part of the culture, ultimately making humans serve the role of predator against other humans, keeping the population in check.

Island... protein... what happened to fish?

[Killer Cyborg]

Also, cannibalism tends to pop up in places where there is a delicate balance and the human population needs to be kept in check more than it needs to increase

Uh... Yeah and what delicate balance would that be?

Islands, usually. Isolated places where there aren't many predators that target humans, and there isn't a lot of food that yields protein.
Too many humans, the food supplies run out, and they have to turn to cannibalism to survive.
If this happens often enough in a location, it becomes part of the culture, ultimately making humans serve the role of predator against other humans, keeping the population in check.

Island... protein... what happened to fish?

Not all islands have good fishing spots.
And for people living away from the coasts of the island, the fish don't necessarily do much good.

[Zer0 Kay]

Also, cannibalism tends to pop up in places where there is a delicate balance and the human population needs to be kept in check more than it needs to increase

Uh... Yeah and what delicate balance would that be?

Islands, usually. Isolated places where there aren't many predators that target humans, and there isn't a lot of food that yields protein.
Too many humans, the food supplies run out, and they have to turn to cannibalism to survive.
If this happens often enough in a location, it becomes part of the culture, ultimately making humans serve the role of predator against other humans, keeping the population in check.

Island... protein... what happened to fish?

Not all islands have good fishing spots.
And for people living away from the coasts of the island, the fish don't necessarily do much good.

Hmm, I'd never think of an island not having fish. How large would an island have to be to make the shore inconvenient and yet not have wildlife? That on its own seems like a delicate balance of creation. We have fish but it is to difficult to get to the shore but the island is too small to support wildlife or have protein sufficient plants... Dang I don't wanna get out of my recliner, come here so I can take a bite out of your arm.

[Svartalf]

Just look at Papua New Guinea... the folk there who are known for eating dead people's brains are pretty far inland

[Zer0 Kay]

Just look at Papua New Guinea... the folk there who are known for eating dead people's brains are pretty far inland

And yet that balance spoken of by CK is not there, there is wildlife on the island that isn't from infestation by exploration or colonization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of_New_Guinea

So where has cannibalism been due to maintaining a balance rather than human choice to do so?

[Killer Cyborg]

Just look at Papua New Guinea... the folk there who are known for eating dead people's brains are pretty far inland

And yet that balance spoken of by CK is not there, there is wildlife on the island that isn't from infestation by exploration or colonization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauna_of_New_Guinea

So where has cannibalism been due to maintaining a balance rather than human choice to do so?

It's not a matter of there being wildlife.
It's a matter of whether there is enough wildlife to support a constantly growing human population.

[Killer Cyborg]

Just look at Papua New Guinea... the folk there who are known for eating dead people's brains are pretty far inland

Exactly.

[Zer0 Kay]

Just look at Papua New Guinea... the folk there who are known for eating dead people's brains are pretty far inland

Exactly.

and that is due to ritual NOT necessity, therefore it doesn't support your response of needed to maintain a balance.