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I have a question about the pulse shot setting on many of the newer laser rifles and some of the pistols. Can you fire an aimed shot with a laser pulse shot or would that be considered a burst?

I honestly don't see why it would be considered a burst for a couple of reasons. A) Lasers have no kick, therefore the pulse shot feels just like firing a normal shot. B) It happens so fast that it almost appears to be one shot.

It's still a burst because multiple shots are being fired in rapid succession.

But do you see where I am coming from? In less time than it takes to blink you eyes, a laser rifle has released three (or four or five or however many) shots that do not have recoil. I could see it being a burst if it had recoil, but due to the fact that there is no recoil, it should be more accurate, even while firing pulse shots. That is all I am trying to say here.

Dont use realism.
Use verisimilitude.
Its already generally agreed that ANY multi-shot is a burst for aiming purposes. Of course, you can always do whatever you want.

For reference: If you use realism its totally possible. Theres a sniper rifle out there right now with an incredibly high cyclic rate. It can put 3 shots on the target before the barrel rises.

dragonfett wrote:I have a question about the pulse shot setting on many of the newer laser rifles and some of the pistols. Can you fire an aimed shot with a laser pulse shot or would that be considered a burst?

I honestly don't see why it would be considered a burst for a couple of reasons. A) Lasers have no kick, therefore the pulse shot feels just like firing a normal shot. B) It happens so fast that it almost appears to be one shot.

Pulse settings count as aimed shots, because the energy weapon fires them nearly simultaneously.

dragonfett wrote:I have a question about the pulse shot setting on many of the newer laser rifles and some of the pistols. Can you fire an aimed shot with a laser pulse shot or would that be considered a burst?

I honestly don't see why it would be considered a burst for a couple of reasons. A) Lasers have no kick, therefore the pulse shot feels just like firing a normal shot. B) It happens so fast that it almost appears to be one shot.

Page 361 of RUE has the answers you seek...

1 - counts as a single attack
2 - "not even considered a burst, but a single heavy blast"
3 - Can make Aimed and Called shots, but any/all strike bonus is reduced by half

Did you ever wonder why, if the shots are fired fractions of a second apart, they don't just leave the darned beam ON?

MegaverseTraveller wrote:snip...

In most science fiction settings, a beam laser will punch a single deep hole in the target (high penetration), while a pulse laser will hit multiple times in the same span of time and create multiple shallow holes in the target (low penetration).
...snip

Rebel/good guys' blasters
white trooper/bad guys' blasters

Killer Cyborg wrote:Did you ever wonder why, if the shots are fired fractions of a second apart, they don't just leave the darned beam ON?

Because these weapons probably aren't immune to the heating element over a prolonged time of a few seconds without some pauses, as well as the power strain on it's supply (even reactors don't hold all of their energy at once, and have to scale up to meat power demands with big power spikes such as firing, which would draw from a holding battery, and quickly be replaced, but if it's constantly being sucked, sub systems could be effected, and you'd need to wait for the reactor to play catch up, even millaseconds could effect high end power demands). Aside from the massive trail pointing right to the attacker, even a burst of a bright colored laser beam is less noticeable then EXACTLY where your opponent is in real time, if they have a buddy, the attackers just dead right out.

dragonfett wrote:I have a question about the pulse shot setting on many of the newer laser rifles and some of the pistols. Can you fire an aimed shot with a laser pulse shot or would that be considered a burst?

I honestly don't see why it would be considered a burst for a couple of reasons. A) Lasers have no kick, therefore the pulse shot feels just like firing a normal shot. B) It happens so fast that it almost appears to be one shot.

I consider a pulse burst to be a single/aimed shot. A pulse spray is considered a burst allows a split second to pass between pulses so the individual pulses go in different directions.

So in essence energy weapons usually have a low powered setting a high powered setting and a pulse spray setting meant for providing covering fire.

Cinos wrote:

Killer Cyborg wrote:Did you ever wonder why, if the shots are fired fractions of a second apart, they don't just leave the darned beam ON?

Because these weapons probably aren't immune to the heating element over a prolonged time of a few seconds without some pauses, as well as the power strain on it's supply (even reactors don't hold all of their energy at once, and have to scale up to meat power demands with big power spikes such as firing, which would draw from a holding battery, and quickly be replaced, but if it's constantly being sucked, sub systems could be effected, and you'd need to wait for the reactor to play catch up, even millaseconds could effect high end power demands). Aside from the massive trail pointing right to the attacker, even a burst of a bright colored laser beam is less noticeable then EXACTLY where your opponent is in real time, if they have a buddy, the attackers just dead right out.

I'm skeptical that small fractions of a second would allow any compensation for those factors.