Unconventional weaponry is literally "anything that's not complicated but not point and shoot". Special melee or thrown weapons are pretty much the only things that come to mind for classification, but there can be a whole lot of those.
Re: examples:
If someone were to grab a metal sword it would fall under uncon not dex/str.
Doesn't require operation. Same with hitting someone with a thrown rock, or an inactive grenade. All skills are for things that require being "used" in some way - your clause of "activation" is common between all of them.
The point i was making is that you never made that distinction, if someone were to make swords or shurikens they would expect them to fall under your unconventional category because they are universally acknowledged as manual weapons but are not point and shoot.
I didn't add "anything that needs activation" to all skills for the same reason that I don't add "user needs to be conscious to use". It's kind of implicit. Must be my russian mentality and our taking common sense for granted speaking.
If i were to use my hardmount it would fall under exotic instead of auxilary because it is computer operated and requires no special knowledge.
It's aimed and activated manually through your suit's controls, which require that the user is capable of interfacing with them (which isn't even done by hand). If it were controlled through your brainwaves or with an implant, it would be Exo.
my hardmount is aimed by my suits computer and it is aiming which determines the skill used, i do not physically operate it beyond selecting a target and pointing my arm in the general direction.
In your system computer operation would fall under non manual and therefore exotic.
"Do not physically operate it
beyond..." - but you do physically operate it then. How do you pick the target? How do you you mark or unmark it so your computer knows what to fire and what not to fire at? In my system computer operation falls under manual operation if there is human input involved, and various direct brain links are not. If your hardmount were entirely computer operated, it would pick its own targets, and would likely give you some kind of Con bonus.
If Lars made a grenade that required the recitation of specific biblical passages to detonate it would fall under auxilary instead of uncon because he is required to know the verses.
Agreed here, somewhat imprecise definition on my part. However, you could say the same for, e.g., the hand laser - knowledge of where the trigger for the weapon is and how it is pulled does not constitute "special" knowledge. You could make a better case for a manipulator, even though it's still mostly a fancy aiming and trigger mechanism, requiring no knowledge more special than high algebraic notation.
Auxilary would be more along the lines of computer assisted and the operation of machinery.
Exactly. It's operating something that requires specific, complex knowledge of how to operate the device in question. Piloting, operating a computer, technical knowledge in other words. Not necessarily a computer, but a device with non-straightforward operation. It's the reason I'd like to see manips use Aux. (and not just because it'd allow techs to be more combat-capable)
If someone were to spinally mount a laser in a bumper car it would require conventional instead of auxilary because the vehicles is manually operated and the weapon is point and shoot.
The vehicle, however, is not, and operation of the vehicle requires knowledge of how to operate the vehicle - therefore, Aux. If you pick up the vehicle and point it to aim, then it's Con.
The reason i used a bumper car in that analogy is because it requires no special knowledge, it has a gas pedal and a steering wheel, it requires no specialised knowledge and therefore doesnt fall under aux categorisation, it basically just becomes a mobile conwep turret... which sounds awesome...
Controlling a bumper car is still Aux, though. Heck, controlling a bicycle would be Aux, technically, and not a mere Dex check. It's a device with non-straightforward operation. "Pointing" it involves turning the wheel 90 degrees and accelerating, to turn on the spot, assuming an electric bumper car. Far from "point and shoot".
edit: I would, incidentally, not mind at all if Manipulators were Auxiliary instead of Unconventional. They are just so far out of the usual Uncon lineup (mostly grenades and melee weapons) that they make the skill kind of broken. Aux covers programming and interfacing with computers - it would make perfect sense for manips to be Auxiliary.
edit2: then again, manips make up the larger part of the Uncon skill items, so...
Maybe we just need more non-space-magic Uncon weaponry?
While i agree that it would make sense for computer wizards to be able to operate magic calculators, aux isnt meant to be a direct combat skill. its meant for controlling and manipulating entire systems and vehicles in a support role.
Allowing technicians to use manips would cause our pilots to be more dangerous when shot down.
It does make more sense than making molecular-edged swords, force-amplifying boxing gloves, nuclear hand grenades, and high-intelligence-requiring magic calculators all use the same skill, however.
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Topic: Einsteinian Roulette: OOC and NEW PLAYER INFO (Read 2539141 times)