Uglies
Uglies (More systems) posted in Spaceships & Vehicles forum comment posted by cobalt_phoenix | Author |
| Probably any competent engineer can make weapons from the prior PL given time and resources. Heck, look at how many hobby metalworkers we have making swords, daggers, flintlocks, etc. |
Well, that is kind of a false equivalence.
For one, all of the items you just listed are at least 2 PLs older than current according to Alternity.
Second, you added in a specific point that is kind of the problem: "resources".
My aunt's first husband (I never met the man, they were divorced before I was born, so I'm going off of information that other family members gave me) made replica antique firearms. I've been told they were flintlocks, though I have a feeling that they were actually hammer locks. However, no one told me if he made his own parts, especially barrels. And that is a very important point.
Firearm barrels aren't just metal pipes. You need a barrel that is strong enough to survive the explosion of the propellant (even black powder weapons can quickly become pipe bombs if you screw it up), and they have to be built with the proper diameter to work (or they can become a pipe bomb again).
Which is why you don't actually see a lot of homemade modern weapons. I know zip guns exist, and even 3D printed pistols, but those tend to use low-pressure ammunition for a very good reason, and you almost never see a modern rifle-caliber weapon made in a basically stocked shed. Those people who actually do make them (often called Wildcats) have properly stocked gunsmith facilities and will order parts like a barrel specifically for safety and regulatory reasons.
So how does that actually apply to this topic?
Well, "resources" doesn't mean "raw materials" like just steel or iron, but actual manufactured parts. They aren't making circuit boards and electromagnetics and superconducting rails from scratch, they are getting the parts premade (yes, they could finish their own circuit boards, but they are still getting the components pre-made).
As an example, think about a jammer.
In reality, no government would allow easy access to jammers by civilians. One user could bring down Air Traffic Control radar/comms, as well as First Responder comms, in just a matter of moments, and the damage caused could be massive. So that technology is going to be tightly controlled to the extreme.
Now, it isn't actually that hard to build a jammer
in theory. However, it isn't that easy to build an effective one
in reality. You need to have access to multiple antenna or a frequency-agile radio with software that is often based on cryptography equations that are regularly considered classified by governments. And then you need to be able to build it.
Which is why I can see a pirate/raider building one from one or more radio transceivers, but they may not be as effective as the military ones.
And that would apply to all of the other extremely restricted military weapons and technology seen in the GMG/Starships and Warships equipment lists. I can see making something similar to them using easier to find equipment, but there is no way for them to build the real thing.
Post replies at
AlternityRPG.net forum#alternity #rpg #alternity-rpg
