Rate of Fire

[dph]

Do you folks use the ROF rating for Blasters?

We never have...

The numbers seem so arbitrary, almost like it's a mistake (I've actually read that it was but can't confirm). It also seems to go against the whole idea of multiple actions given the predominate use of Blasters in combat.

But... I'm now thinking that a ROF of 1 might mean more accurate shots and shorter rounds.

So, what's the rule in your games? Do you sue it, ignore it or maybe you know something I don't!

Thanks all

D
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[CRMcNeill]

Rate of Fire, IMO, is best used to represent a tech restriction of some kind. If, for example, a character is firing a laser cannon with a RoF of 1, it's because that laser cannon has a 5 second recharge time that must take place before it can be fired again. Increasing the RoF to, say 2/1 would require a Technical skill roll, modifying the weapon with extra capacitors or an improved power pack.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[garhkal]

[Mamatried]

I have not really used them as written.

To me they make only somewhat sense on some heavy canons and the like.

a normal handgun on earth can with ease empty a 12-15rnd clip in 5sec or less
not to mention a modern rifle, even a bolt action in the hands of a moderately trained shooter is capable of 2 rounds in 5 seconds.
A modern Assault rifle easily empties a clip on full auto in 1-2 seconds.
A Semi Auto version you can at with relative ease fire up to 10 rounds in 5 seconds.

THis is why to me much of firearms ROF rules in 5Sec round game mechanics don't make sense.

What I did for SWD6 was actually to houserule the standard guns being airly slow to fire, though we do see in the movies they do fire faster than 1 shot in 5 seconds.
This also include heavy weapons and starship weapons
Unless fluff text states a spesific ROF

I then house ruled that the ROF # Indicated a (chosen) penalty that could be at MAX #D 0 to ROF #.
This D can be devided into pip.

If you choose to take the penalty, you shoot three shots in a round with ROF 1, each shot including the first hes a -1 to hit.


So to me the whole ROF concept really only partially make sense.

[Grimace]

Yeah, I've never used the ROF rules as written in the Star Wars book. They didn't make much sense, so I tossed them out.

I came up with my own set of rules for Rate of Fire, but they weren't for Star Wars.

[OuttaWindu]

[Naaman]

One thing to remember about all this rate of fire stuff is that "rate of fire" for game purposes does not correlate into real world max rate of cyclical fire.

In other words, mention of a full-auto rifle running through 30 rounds in 2 seconds is somewhat of a dubious comparison.

When you "fire" a blaster in-game, you are making an attack roll against a target that is harder to hit than the proverbial "broad side of a barn."

There is the implication that the character firing the weapon is aiming and must overcome certain obstacles (moving target, being shot at, etc) all while trying to shoot with enough accuracy to end the fight in his favor.

I think it's worth considering looking at rate of fire as including more variables than simply a "recharge time." Here are some potential elements that may affect how quickly a weapon can be fired:

-Recharge time (duh!)
-Complexity of sighting system
-Recoil (weapon may be difficult to control for rapid fire)
-Manual operation (some weapons may require some sort of actuation between shots)
-Complexity of fire control system
-Special purpose/application of the weapon (not a rate-of-fire issue per se, but may affect the rate at which the weapon can be effective for it's intended purpose; consider the Mk12 SPR as an example).

As for something that "makes sense," I'd recommend coming up with a house rule to simulate automatic or burst fire. The RAW don't come anywhere close to making such weapons useful relative to a "slower rate" weapon of the same damage.

[garhkal]

[OuttaWindu]