Smartguns

Smartguns. A recurring, almost cliche element of the major cyberpunk games (Cp2020, Shadowrun).

Smartgun technology in these games generally involves modifying the weapon extensively for exorbitant costs, in order to improve accuracy. The weapon, through sensors, would detect one's target, causing one's trigger-finger to jerk at the proper moment, highly increasing likelyhood of a hit.

I find myself asking….why?

Why one would desire higher accuracy is obvious: it could save one's life. That's not my why.

Why modify the weapon?

Because sensors, jacks, and the rest need to be installed in order to give the firearm it's new capability. Thus the expense.

And that still doesn't answer me. Some of the more astute among you will see where I'm going with this.

Modifying the weapon is extremely expensive, and makes the weapon very valuable. What happens in case of a misfire? If it jams? You have to switch to another weapon, obviously. If it's lost, or totally trashed, the entire unit needs to be replaced. Much more expensive than repl;acing a standard gun.

Seeing as weapons technology usually trickles down from the military, this seems like a stupid move. Surely defense contractors know how to design something more intelligently than that? Logistics, I say, logistics!

Today, we do have technologies to help improve a marksman's accuracy. Scopes, laser sights....

Laser sights.

A laser sight is basically a highly focused red flashlight set under a firearm's barrel. Usually, there's a pressure-sensitive pad installed over the trigger, so when your finger presses lightly on it, your sight is activated. One watches the dot, and when the dot is on the target, one knows the bullet will end up somewhere near there.

Although some of these are made for particular lines of pistols, many laser sights can fit a wider variety of firearms.

So why are we modifying the pistol when we could modify the sight?

Why not just jam all the sensors and jacks needed in a laser sight-like, modular, under-barrel attachement? The effect will be the same - but it will be cheaper, and modular. MODULAR! MODULAR! MODULAR! Your gun is jammed? Broken? Bent? Take the SmartSight(tm) off and fit it on your spare (you DO have a spare, don't you?). The same sensors that can be installed inside a pistol's frame can surely be installed in an attachement. Add that pressure-senstitive trigger cushion for activation, maybe along with another cable that might reach to the back of the weapon (so you don't have to chip in up front), and ta-daa. It's practical, it's cost-effective, and it's smart.

SmartSight (tm) has been brought to you by an SD player with too much time on his hands right now.

Yeesh.

CP2020 p.72 - "Smartguns are modified versions of normal firearms, linked to an internal microcomputer, which in turn is jacked to a human operator. A smartgun uses a small sonic or laser projector to lock onto the target, scanning it thousands of times per second. As the gun traverses the desired target, the computer link picks up your mental fire signal (or incoming data from the targeting reticule of your cyberoptic) and triggers the gun. Smartguns are far more accurate than other guns; using them gives you a +2 to any firearms attack you are making. The cost of adapting a normal gun to smartgun configuration is twice the normal cost of the gun."

By vanilla CP2020 rules, the cyberoptic w/reticle is optional, and, vanilla CP2020 being the 'standard' reference, it's what I base my observations on at this point. Unless of course you have a website listing the changes you made to your CP2020 games, in which case I WANT TO SEE (the only other rule/gear/tech mods I've seen are my bro's, and they're virtually identical to mine, which isn't much fun).

Mind you, I understand the balance issues - but there are ways around. For instance, make it more expensive. More finicky (like it being used to the barrel length and recoil of the previous model, thus providing NO bonus until you've fired off a number of rounds with it - maybe even a penalty). But, say, for instance, if I have a Beretta 92F and a Taurus knockoff, my laser sight'll fit on both and I'll use them both just the same way. Same goes if I have a Glock 17 .40 S&W and a Glock 20 10mm Auto - the rounds and weapons themsevles are virtually identical (but then if your Glock 20 is compensated, it's a whole other ball game). Or, say, if I had two identical firearms, why smart-chip both?

I doubt a SmartSight made for semi-autos could fit a revolver, period. Today, revolvers require a particular laser sight, as their frame is completely different.

But say, a Mk23, Glock (any model, really), P7, et cetera follow the 'standard' lines for a semi-automatic, with slide and all - mind you a real P7 is pretty damn small.

I am shamefaced

So the principals of cyber-necromancy stilll apply, no?

[ Disclaimer: This statement has no relation to anything that might happen on Sindome, there is -no- magic in SD. ]

-Kevlar

A smartgun works two ways:

1. Smartgun Link / Interface Plugs  + Smartgun
   +1 to WA as it reduces the reaction time to pull the trigger.

2. Smartgun Link / Interface Plugs + Targeting Scope (Eye or Mirrorshade mounted) + Smartgun
   + 3 to WA as the firing of the weapon works something like this: The targeting scope can mark 3 individual targets and when your neural processor perceives the intention to shoot it waits until the weapon scope (+1 from item 1) matches one of the targets and then it sends the signal to the weapon to shoot.

This variation comes from Soldier of Fortune supplement, who also has the Friendly Fire option. FFire works the inverse way that the secod item, it stops the gun from firing when it comes close to a 'buddy' even on the case of supressive fire (creating a corridor of bullets).

Normally the cost of the weapon per se is doubled for it to be smart.