The Black Campbell

MOntage of ICRA 2010:

A few modern weapons for HEX (who knows?  Maybe you’ve got time travel in your game…):

Colt AR-15/M-16/M-4 5.56mm

Developed during the 1950s, the Stoner-designed M-16 platform is the longest serving assault rifle in the US Army arsenal.  The 5.56mm round is arguably underpowered, but the yawing action of the bullet on impact makes up for the .223 caliber, 55-grain projectile.

Damage: 3W   Str: 1   Rng: 100′   Cap: 30 [m]   Rate: A   Speed: A   Wt: 7 lbs

(Other battle rifles fielded by NATO have comparable stats — the Steyr AUG, Enfield SA-80 and variants, the MAS of the French, etc.)  Semi-auto versions liket he AR-15 have a Rate of M.)

Kalashnikov AK-47 7.62x39mm

The Russian and Warsaw Pact answer to the modern battlefield, the AK-47 and its cousins are highly robust, powerful, and accurate enough for the ranges intended.

Damage: 3W   Str: 2   Range: 100′   Cap: 30 [m]   Rate: A   Speed: A   Wt: 10 lbs.

Heckler & Koch MP-5

The H&K submachinegun is chambered for the 9mm pistol round.  It is reliable, accurate, small, and light.

Damage: 3W   Str: 2   Range: 50′   Cap: 15 or 30 [m]   Rate: A   Speed: A   Wt: 6 lbs

FN P-90 5.7x28mm

The P-90 is an attempt to create a light, easy-to-use service weapon for personnel not needed a full-sized rifle (drivers, cooks, etc.)  The highly accurate weapon turned out to be an excellent platform for special operations work and operations in urban environments.

Damage: 3W  Str: 1   Range: 75′   Cap: 50 [m]   Rate: A   Speed: A   Wt: 5.5 lbs.

(The SS190 military round for the P-90 is designed to penetrate soft body armor.  Armor ratings from soft armor [leather, kevlar, etc.] lose 1W in effectiveness.)

FN FiveSeven 5.7x28mm Pistol

The FiveSeven is a companion sidearm to the P-90.  The round fired is similar to the 5.56mm projectile, but light and moving at a third less the speed.  The handgun is very accurate.

Damage: 3W   Str: 1   Range: 50′   Cap: 20 [m]   Rate: M   Speed: A   Wt: 1.5lb

Beretta 92SF (M9) 9mm

The US sidearm standard after 1985.  It uses a 9mm round.

Damage: 3W   Str: 2   Range: 50′   Cap: 15 [m]   Rate: M   Speed: A   Wt: 2.5 lbs.

(Similar handguns like the CZ-75, Glock 17, and other 9mm service arms will vary only in Cap and Wt.)

S&W Model 29 .44 magnum

This revolver was the most powerful handgun in the world from the 1970s to 1990s.

Damage: 4W   Str: 2   Range: 50′   Cap: 6 [r]  Rate: M   Speed: A   Wt: 4 lbs.

Desert Eagle .357 Magnum

This semi-auto handgun is made for hunting (or impressing your friends.)  If is chambered in .357 magnum, .44 magnum, and .50AE.  Ballistically, they are similar enough to have similar stats in HEX, but have different Capacity (.44 mag and .50 have 7 [m].)

Damage: 4W   Str: 2   Range: 50′   Cap: 9 [m]   Rate: M   Speed: A   Wt: 6 lbs.

Barrett M92 .50BMG Rifle

The bolt-action .50 rifle is a popular sniper rifle with the US and other militaries.

Damage: 5W   Str: 3   Range: 250′   Cap: 5 [m]   Rate: M   Speed: A   Wt: 12 lbs.

(Similar platforms like Accuracy International’s .338 Lapua sniper rifle would have about the same stats.)

Looking over the weapons chapter in Secrets of the Surface World, I realized there were a few things in the weapons listed that didn’t feel quite right.  Granted, the Damage rating is a combination of power, but also accuracy…but there is still a great deal of error on the damage ratings of some of the guns vis-a-vis each other and archaic weapons.

I would suggest that the average flintlock pistol is far too highly rated.  The average muzzle energy of a flintlock is on part with a .380 revolver or automatic, and they are terribly inaccurate.  Instead of a 3W, a 2W is much more realistic.  I’m a bit torn on the 3W for .22 target pistols.   Yes, they’re accurate, but I find myself thinking the damage should be 2W with a better range (to better simulate the speed of the round) or a 3W with a shorter range to model the tendency of the lightweight round to be blown off target.

The most egregious error is the .357 magnum pistol and rifle listed:  5W?  Seriously?  The .357 magnum round is powerful and effective, but it’s certainly no moreso than a .30-06 round.  The 5W listed is ridiculously high — a 4W is reasonable in the rifle, but questionable in the S&W Model 27 or Registered Magnum.  The damage for the Webley MK VI and Fosbury is too high — the short-box cartridge fires a heavy bullet (266 gr to the .45ACP 230gr), but it is slower by several hundred feet a second than the .45acp.  Both should be 3W.  The Colt Single Action  .45 Long Colt  was the most powerful handgun round until the .357 magnum; it should be 4W.

Rifles are worse in SOTSW:  Nearly all are .30-06 or some comparable round like the .303.  Damage for all the 3W “game rifles” should be 4W, 5W for the more accurate rifles like the Webley #3062.  In military weapons like the Enfield #2, etc. with the .303, 7.5mm, etc.  — all comparable weapons — should be 4W.

“Friggin in the Riggin”

New for 2015:  the Holo 2.0 has a holographic display, powered by the movement of your arm.

Wired has the story.  I understand that Facebook is an expensive proposition to run and maintain, and that the need to monetize its use was something that Zuckerberg could not avoid (welcome reality, open source folks!)  However, the sudden assault on privacy of the users of the service are creating a backlash.  Matt MacKeon of IBM has created an interactive chart showing the changes of the privacy policy and what information is exposed to friends, networks, and the internet.

Several of the people I have reconnected with on the service are bailing out, and I’m already thinking of bailing, as I did on MySpace.  This service might be the way to go.  Their project, Diaspora, is already funded and in the early stages of development.

Here’s a look at the changes from 2005…

…to today…

Here’s something for that James Bond: 007 campaign that’s taking place in the 1960s:  the Iso Grifo.  Built by the Iso Rivolta between 1961 and 1974, designed by Giotto Bizzarinni, who thought of it as an improved Ferrari 250GT (which he had also designed), with bodywork design by the Bertone coachworks.

The original Iso Grifo GL is a two door, two seat vehicle using a Chevrolet 327 V8 from the Corvette that was producing 400 hp, and after 1968 had a 427 V8 upgrade.  The vehicle was capable of 0-60mph in 6 seconds with a top speed of 170mph.  These cars were blazing fast and rare for their time, making them a great “style piece” for a character.

PM: +2   RED: 4   CRUS: 80   MAX: 170   RNG: 220   FCE: 2   STR: 6   COST: $7000 (1960s)

The 427 version…

And the AC/3 racing version…in action!