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so when using a pistol or rifle or whatever what is your favorite type of beam?

Favorite for damage,range, payload, rate of fire? Or for how I imagine the beam looks/sounds?

Toc Rat wrote:Favorite for damage,range, payload, rate of fire? Or for how I imagine the beam looks/sounds?

All of the above, I imagine.

I like Particle Beams for their power, but I like lasers best overall.

More the imagining part but also the technical. Damn I forgot to push the button to update to include the other option. Damn.


as for myself I prefer lasers. My favorite rifle is still the ja-11 from rmb. Now if you guys can show me another rifle that also fires ion and bullets with comparable range, and payload I might be inclinded for that one instead.

For the style I like Plasma cannons

Ever see Tekwars? I picture them sounding and looking a lot like the hand weapons they used there. Or the PPGs from Babylon5.

For versitility and ease of use by humans/humanoids I like the tried and true Laser. Good range, good rate of fire(most weapons), easy to recharge the E-clip, light wieght, durable, accurate and good damage too. The only short coming for the laser is if you run into baddies that are impervious to energy. Then you got a problem. Time to reach for your railgun with vibro-bayonet

Larsen wrote:More the imagining part but also the technical. Damn I forgot to push the button to update to include the other option. Damn.


as for myself I prefer lasers. My favorite rifle is still the ja-11 from rmb. Now if you guys can show me another rifle that also fires ion and bullets with comparable range, and payload I might be inclinded for that one instead.

The JA-11 was the best rifle in the game for a LONG time...
But power creep made some more powerful guns, and the GMG nerfed the JA-11.

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Larsen wrote:More the imagining part but also the technical. Damn I forgot to push the button to update to include the other option. Damn.


as for myself I prefer lasers. My favorite rifle is still the ja-11 from rmb. Now if you guys can show me another rifle that also fires ion and bullets with comparable range, and payload I might be inclinded for that one instead.

The JA-11 was the best rifle in the game for a LONG time...
But power creep made some more powerful guns, and the GMG nerfed the JA-11.

yea but most of the guns i've seen hit more damage but not as good a range or payload. they also don't fire ion or bullets and don't seem to be sniping weapons. Thats more what I'm looking for in a rifle.

Doesn't the New Navy have something that fires MDC energy and has a SDC bullet thrower too?

Plasma.

I've been partial to PPC's since the old Battletech days.

The Naruni NE-6 Magnum is one of the coolest guns ever.

So I have to go Plasma.

Misfit KotLD wrote:Not to nitpick, but rail guns don't fire beams, they fire projectiles. And the JA-11 does rock mightily.

I do have or whatever rail guns use in parenthesis. I wasn't quite sure what they used.

Firstly, we have rules for folks taking damage inside of armor. As a result, when dealing with infantry, I prefer plasma ejectors. Even if you don't deplete the armor, a good solid hit usually results in your' enemy losing ALL desire for combat, as he is burned by the incredible heat bleeding through the resistance of the armor's heat protection. Then he's out of the fight and under their' medic's care, likely to live to fight another day, after his treatment in the burn unit.

Pulse weapons are good for laying down barages of gunfire to keep your' enemy's head down. They also aren't bad as far as lasers go for putting an enemy out of commission, but nowhere near as good as a plasma ejector. Particle beams are my last choice due to their high energy consumption rate, but they aren't bad for taking out unshielded electronics.

When dealing with aircraft, I prefer missiles at ranges, but if necessary I'll fall back on rapid firing cannons with E-mag acceleration banks.

When dealing with armor, I prefer large slugthrowers like rail guns, large caliber cannons, howitzers, etc. for general armor combat. To take out things like sensor banks, tank treads, weapon systems, etc. infantry missiles are good, but a high power precision laser is also effective.

When dealing with enemy camps or fortifications I like mortars. High caliber mortars are pretty effective for armor too.

Call me old fashioned but i love slug throwers give me a chunk of metal spalling through my enemy causing massive physical trauma. I don't care how much they are nerfed in the game.

Ion... because the NG-57 is an ion blaster! That gun is the greatest!

Blight wrote:Call me old fashioned but i love slug throwers give me a chunk of metal spalling through my enemy causing massive physical trauma. I don't care how much they are nerfed in the game.

Yea I prefer bullets too but I figured it I made the topic about which sdc weapon they prefer all I would get is a bunch of sdc? pah mdc is better type answers.

Particle Beams

For when you absolutly, posotively, are about to get your butt kicked. Use every e-clip you've got and take new ones off what remains of your enemies smoking corpse.

Big fan of NG-P7 from RMB, Big@$$ kick w/o the alien stylings.

Railgun rounds.

Long time fan of the old NG-P7, ever since the RMB was released. Excellent power, you get your Aimed bonuses (slap on a targeting scope for an extra +3 to Strike), the range doesn't matter (we rarely shot at anything 2000ft away anyway), and the CS doesn't try to fry you for carrying it. It's great!

gadrin wrote:
hopefully, the guys over at http://www.nexusnine.net are doing a Northern Gun netbook and I hope they ripoff one of Naruni's Multi-Weapons in some way/shape/form.

We just might indeed.

well, im of the beleif that you need a variety of weapons. a laser rifle for range (the JA-12 is best, with the wilks 457 coming in close second), a particle beam for sheer damage (the NG-45LP is a beutiful pistol). a plasma cannon, because you need fire to kill some things. a railgun for those pesky immune to energy. and silver ammo for vampires and werewolves.

of course, if you only get one gun (like say a tanks main cannon), you should probably go for a particle-beam. damage will be more important than range in many cases simply because of how the rifts combat system works.

Tokkabei Necromancer wrote:Arkhon Tri-beams are just cool.

Agreed.
My character (Killer Cyborg) uses paired TB-9 auto pistols.

I'm kinda partial to Neutron Guns, Tachyon Accelerators, and X-Ray Lasers myself.

SirTenzan wrote:Firstly, we have rules for folks taking damage inside of armor. As a result, when dealing with infantry, I prefer plasma ejectors. Even if you don't deplete the armor, a good solid hit usually results in your' enemy losing ALL desire for combat, as he is burned by the incredible heat bleeding through the resistance of the armor's heat protection. Then he's out of the fight and under their' medic's care, likely to live to fight another day, after his treatment in the burn unit.

Pulse weapons are good for laying down barages of gunfire to keep your' enemy's head down. They also aren't bad as far as lasers go for putting an enemy out of commission, but nowhere near as good as a plasma ejector. Particle beams are my last choice due to their high energy consumption rate, but they aren't bad for taking out unshielded electronics.

When dealing with aircraft, I prefer missiles at ranges, but if necessary I'll fall back on rapid firing cannons with E-mag acceleration banks.

When dealing with armor, I prefer large slugthrowers like rail guns, large caliber cannons, howitzers, etc. for general armor combat. To take out things like sensor banks, tank treads, weapon systems, etc. infantry missiles are good, but a high power precision laser is also effective.

When dealing with enemy camps or fortifications I like mortars. High caliber mortars are pretty effective for armor too.

What does Particle weapons have to do with taking out unsheilded electronics? A Plasma weapon has a strong mag field on the magnetic bottle used to contain the plasma. A Particle weapon should only have a magnetic force acting upon it when it is being accelerated after it leaves the barrel all the particles act as bullets. Without a laser firing first or in the case of Rifts since they don't fire a laser first it has reduced range. Now if your going to do extra damage you can always use an ion gun (aka lightning gun). If you think the plasmas heat is going to get through armor designed to reduce those effects then that same armor probably isn't grounded either, not to mention most are non-metalic. That would make the occupant the most conductive material, so depending on where you hit the person would determine the additional damage from electricution. I guess your unsheilded comment on the particle beams may be influenced by Ghost Busters. In that case... THERE IS NO LIGHTNING from a particle gun. Oh and if you cross them... NOTHING HAPPENS! If it is some other reason I appologize for yelling, but am interested in knowing why you think that way.

GMastEr wrote:I voted for the laser. Overall, they tend to have the best range, damage and payload, as well as (by Rifts rules) being silent and invisible.

For effect, I prefer railguns and plasma weapons.

BY RIFTS RULES?? How about by realities rules.

Zer0 Kay wrote:BY RIFTS RULES?? How about by realities rules.

Those rules suck.

teulisch wrote:well, im of the beleif that you need a variety of weapons. a laser rifle for range (the JA-12 is best, with the wilks 457 coming in close second), a particle beam for sheer damage (the NG-45LP is a beutiful pistol). a plasma cannon, because you need fire to kill some things. a railgun for those pesky immune to energy. and silver ammo for vampires and werewolves.

of course, if you only get one gun (like say a tanks main cannon), you should probably go for a particle-beam. damage will be more important than range in many cases simply because of how the rifts combat system works.

Well if we're upgrading to a vehicles weapons. I choose to go munchkin and pick the SDF's main cannon... I think someone already said wave cannon.

Dr. Doom v.3.1.3 wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:BY RIFTS RULES?? How about by realities rules.

Those rules suck.

I wouldn't say that the rules for Reality suck, but there are some significant problems.
For example, there seems to be no in-game reason for mechanics like Gravity. Sure, it provides some laughs and cheap thrills, but is seems like a blatant case of artificial game balance to me... there's no real reason why it should be there. This is compounded by the fact that most of the rest of the mechanics hinge one it.

And, of course, the entire system tends to break down if you look at it close enough, on the quantum level.

Still, I'd say that it gets the job done.
I just wish I had a better GM.

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Dr. Doom v.3.1.3 wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:BY RIFTS RULES?? How about by realities rules.

Those rules suck.

I wouldn't say that the rules for Reality suck, but there are some significant problems.
For example, there seems to be no in-game reason for mechanics like Gravity. Sure, it provides some laughs and cheap thrills, but is seems like a blatant case of artificial game balance to me... there's no real reason why it should be there. This is compounded by the fact that most of the rest of the mechanics hinge one it.

And, of course, the entire system tends to break down if you look at it close enough, on the quantum level.

Still, I'd say that it gets the job done.
I just wish I had a better GM.

Don't worry to much, I hear they're due for a new edition. Due to numerous balance issues and public outcry, the antiquated theorys of "time" and "space" are on the way out.

Space and time, some quantum gravity theorists say, are most likely a sort of illusion - or less sensationally, an "approximation" - doomed to be replaced by some more fundamental idea. If only they could think of what that idea is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/scien ... 0&emc=eta1

ION WEAPONS ROCK THE MEGAVERSE!!!

Give me my trusty NG-57 and TX-30 and Im the happiest gamer in the world, and a TX-5 for those annoying mages with impervious to energy.

Lasers. Especially Wilks. I love the range and accuracy.

P Beams.

There are armors that are immune to lasers.

There are critter that are immune to fire (Plasma).

P Beams rival Rail Guns in damage, except they dont need to be reloaded with physical rounds. Hook the dern thing to a nuke power supply, and its unlimited shooting.

Although, Rifts lasers are silent and invisable (ever wonder why there are pictures with CS grunts shooting lasers and you can see the beams in the pics?), their damage is less than desirable.

Now, I do like the Juicer rifle that has the 7.62 single shot SDC round in it. Thats just good role playing right there. I personally would pick something that would give me a warm fuzzy when role playing rather than how much damage it can deal.

Taythan wrote:I like Rail Guns myself, loud and heavy with belts of heavy ammo, do excellent damage and good range.
As a GM I have my own way of describing the different beam weapons. (I've never been for laser beams don't make noise reality thing it's more fun to have things zap and sneer, whine and hiss in a flurry of colorful explosions)
The Laser zaps with a high pitched sneer and the blasts are Red in color a narrow beam of light that leaves a small hissing burn.
An Ion beam is blue and has a crackling of energy sound and a sharp snap. the ion beam is also narrow and leaves the target in a charcoal like state.
Plasma is a firey orange with the little black dots kind of like Wildfire in the old Legion of Super Hero comics (man am I dating myself) and has a slow whooshing sound. A Plasma blast is more of a salvo than a beam hits with more force and is generally more painful than the others.
A Particle Beam is a Low Hum and zap. The beam is thick and Green and sears the target.

Yeah and you probably have the rail gun round travel with a bright coil like in "The Eraser" or Mechwarrior: Mercenaries too eh?

PBs "searing" the target? You realize the PB's do equivalent rail gun damage because they throw billions of sub atomic particles at the target in a cohesive stream right??

Plasm seems alright but why a "salvo" instead of just one large plasma sphere?

P-Beams are nice, but nothing rolls of the tongue quite like "Plasma," so I gotta go with that.

right now here are the weapons i like best :

Bore cannons
Casting Guns
Bio-Energy Expulsion Vents
Gore cannons
Needles Death Bloossom
Omega Blaster
Quill/Spike Launcers
Super Light Cells
Flame Weapons - Fire Breath/Plasma Breath
Heat Projector Cannon

But My Favorite is :

OMEGA BLASTER with Mega Upgrade, Omni Upgrade, Super Upgrade...
Single Omega Cannon :
2d8x10 Mega-doubles the damage.
1 mile range Omni-Doubles the Range
Once per melee round Super-doubles the availiblity
So thats :
4d8x10, 2 miles range, Unlimited Payload, Fire it Twice per melee round
Now if you have TWO Omega Blasters...wow:
16d8x10, 2 mile range, Fires twice each melee round, Unlimted payload.

320 MDC minium for a single 640 MDC maxium for a single
Two at once = 640 MDC minium and 1280 MDC imax in a single attack

So OMEGA BLASTER WINS my vote

Particle Beam. In my upcoming article for the RIFTER I was going to include a Particle beam that Triax reverse engineered from alien technology that did 5D10+25. hahaha (its from ROBOTECH)

nah, The CS needs to adopt Bio-Technology from Splicers.

The Rifts "beam" weapons are underpowered for the larger guns.
The handguns/rifles are fine. But the Big Guns are weaker. Tank Weaponary is pettiful indeed.

Lets up a can whupazz with a few Omega Blasters ppl...

Top favorite weapons.
C-40R
C30R

Best overall weapon choice.
JA-11


I like rail-guns

Some of the Naruni stuff from the Wave 2 book looks really cool, a plasma mini-gun how can you go wrong?


Soundly ignoring the munchkinism.

Nxla666 wrote:Some of the Naruni stuff from the Wave 2 book looks really cool, a plasma mini-gun how can you go wrong?

You could not pay for it...

Nxla666 wrote:Some of the Naruni stuff from the Wave 2 book looks really cool, a plasma mini-gun how can you go wrong?


Soundly ignoring the munchkinism.

I agree, I just got the book and I like the Naruni stuff that looks like SDC weapons. Thats really cool.

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Toc Rat wrote:Favorite for damage,range, payload, rate of fire? Or for how I imagine the beam looks/sounds?

All of the above, I imagine.

I like Particle Beams for their power, but I like lasers best overall.

My thoughts, exzachiary!

If there was any real differences in the beam type then i would care, but as it is all flavour text, then sorry, no.