The C-14 Rifle

[Killer Cyborg]

Here's why the C-14 is tricky:
In the main book, the ROF is listed as
"Laser- Standard
Grenades- one aimed, four fired in rapid succession"

There are no other mentions of any restrictions or special circumstances.
According to Kevin Siembieda's lengthy explanations of the rules in Conversion Book 1 (unrevised), this means that the weapon should be able to fire bursts and sprays as per p. 34 of the main Rifts book.

Then in Coalition War Campaign, they changed the ROF to
"Equal to the number of combined hand to hand attacks of its user".

By my interpretation (which is being debated in the C-12 thread), this means that the C-14 used to be able to fire bursts and sprays, then it suddenly was only able to fire single shots.

Some people (Dead Boy for example) have a different take on things.
They see this change of wording as confirmation that "ROF: Standard" and "ROF: Equal to HTH attacks" are really the same thing.

The GM's Guide complicates things further, by describing the ROF in an all new way:
"Each Laser blast or Grenade Fired counts as one melee attack"

There are a number of possible interpretations of this:
1. The gun could originally fire bursts, as per p. 34 of the main book, but the writers changed things in CWC for unknown reasons.
2. The gun could originally fire bursts, as per p. 34 of the main book, but the writers changed things in the GM's Guide for unknown reasons.
3. The original ROF of Standard was a typo and the weapon was always supposed to fire single shots. This is confirmed by the later correction in both CWC and the GMG.
4. All of the ROFs... "Standard", "Equal to the combined number of hand to hand attacks", and "Each blast counts as one melee attack" mean the exact same thing.
5. "Standard" and "Equal to HTH attacks" mean the same thing. The GM's Guide obviously has a typo.

So what's your take on things?
How do you play the gun and how do you think it was meant to be played by the writers?
Which of the five above interpretations do you ascribe to?
Or do you have your own theory?

[Svartalf]

Well... since the beginning PB has designed weapons thet were able to shoot bursts, to the extent of making such a caâbility part of the "standard" rate of fire for modern weapons.

I don't know why they started trying to reduce that capability (Conversion Book 1), then take it away altogether ... but I just know I don't agree, and will go on ignoring the new versions... After all, the thing has it's own check and balance in that burst fire is a frigging clip guzzler.

[Nekira Sudacne]

fire bursts. "equal to number of hand to hand attacks" just means that a burst counts as one action.

[Dr. Doom III]

fire bursts. "equal to number of hand to hand attacks" just means that a burst counts as one action.

If the weapon description says it can fire bursts. If it doesn't it can't.

[Nekira Sudacne]

fire bursts. "equal to number of hand to hand attacks" just means that a burst counts as one action.

If the weapon description says it can fire bursts. If it doesn't it can't.

standard means aimed burst or wild, roll your GM's guide up and smoke it.

[Dr. Doom III]

standard means aimed burst or wild, roll your GM's guide up and smoke it.

Doom doesn't smoke.

[Dead Boy]

The GM's Guide complicates things further, by describing the ROF in an all new way:
"Each Laser blast or Grenade Fired counts as one melee attack"

The many revised ROFs in the RGMG are obvious and deliberate changes in the game to nerf things out, big time. The C-14 is a great example of this. Never mind the laser, (we're still hashing that one out). The best feature on that weapon was it's ability to fire a volley of 4 greandes, as could the CP-50. But all of a sudden that very helpful ability is now GONE. Talk about your rect-con, B.S. re-writing of well established facts.

There are a number of possible interpretations of this:
2. The gun could originally fire bursts, as per p. 34 of the main book, but the writers changed things in the GM's Guide for unknown reasons.

Of the listed psccabilities, I'd say #2 is the most likely, and here's why. As you pointed out, the C-12 too was changed to the "Equal to number of hand to hand attacks" ROF, but it still retains its five shot burst ability. That isn't to say that it can fire bursts, but to limit what it already could do. The C-14 has no such limiting line in its text or stats, ero it can burst with impunity limited only by its payload.

[Nekira Sudacne]

standard means aimed burst or wild, roll your GM's guide up and smoke it.

Doom doesn't smoke.

wise man.

[Killer Cyborg]

fire bursts. "equal to number of hand to hand attacks" just means that a burst counts as one action.

If you are correct (and you're not), then that ROF is actually much more powerful than Aimed, Burst, Wild.
Why?
Because under A,B,W a full clip burst counts as two attacks.

[Svartalf]

Interesting Point on the nerfing down of the grenade launcher's RoF :

the thing a) happened between CWC and the GMG (the nerfing down of the C12 was already in CWC for instance)

b) it applies to both the C 14 and the CP 50 ...

[Nekira Sudacne]

fire bursts. "equal to number of hand to hand attacks" just means that a burst counts as one action.

If you are correct (and you're not), then that ROF is actually much more powerful than Aimed, Burst, Wild.
Why?
Because under A,B,W a full clip burst counts as two attacks.

still have that, it'd be just like a power punch. I thought that would be assumed.

[Mack]

I use the orginal C-14 description. I allow the laser to use the p34 burst rules, which given it's limited payload is not too powerful.

My rule of thumb is that rifles (excluding Plasma Cannons and Particle Beams) with ROF Standard can burst, provided there's no contradicting information.

[Killer Cyborg]

fire bursts. "equal to number of hand to hand attacks" just means that a burst counts as one action.

If you are correct (and you're not), then that ROF is actually much more powerful than Aimed, Burst, Wild.
Why?
Because under A,B,W a full clip burst counts as two attacks.

still have that, it'd be just like a power punch. I thought that would be assumed.

So it doesn't mean that "a burst counts as one action"...