Weapon Analysis - Part 3 (Weapon Ideas)

In part 1 we looked at the basic game setup, part 2 analyzed the game's basic weapon systems, this post will see what can possibly be added and/or changed.

Two websites that have done a similar analysis, and given game proposals, are the friendly killers of NOVA and this article (PDF) by PDF Oliver Bollmann (main site here).

The three problems we came up with from the previous analysis were:

1. Consolidation of weapon categories (e.g. AC into MG)
   
2. Categories without full distribution (e.g. RR, ATG)
   
3. Possible missing weapon systems (e.g. mortars).

Problem #1 & 2 can be combined. The simple recommendations are these:

1. Autocannons be part of the Machine Gun family with the same stats. The 6-accuracy is like the vulcan and the fewer shots (10 from 20) is indicative of the higher rate of fire for the same caliber ammunition. The only change is that the AC should be area effect (like all weapons which depend on making holes in the target as opposed to applying concussive/blast force). This means modifying the HVMG into a legal item, like the "blast cannon".
   
2. "Anti-Tank Gun" is a misnomer; everything that can pierce tank armor is anti-tank (grenades, rockets, recoilless rifles). This is just a small artillery piece (as the classic "State of the Art" articles by Sheely & Olnes established). As such, I'd like name this category "howitzers" to distinguish it from the mortars (see below), recoilless rifles, and the bona-fide artillery pieces which aren't allowed in the AADA arena (and are called tank-guns). This category is ripe for scaling-expansion.
   
3. "Blast Cannon," like "anti-tank gun," a misnomer for a large-caliber recoilless rifle; this category also needs to be expanded
   
4. "Rocket launcher" - as I analyzed here, the Car Wars RL is in fact a rocket-propelled grenade. And, like the ATG & RR, should be scaled to allow greater "caliber"s (in this case, sizes of explosive). Thus "micro-missile launcher" is another misnomer. The basic difference between a missile and a rocket is guidance. As such, the current Car Wars systems of (guided) rocket (MML, RL), (unguided) rocket (HR, MFR), and missile (WGM, RGM, SAM etc), needs to be clarified. My best guess is that an 8-accuracy is a guided small explosive (real world RPG): the warhead is small and the weapon's space in the car is used for aiming and for velocity, 9-accuracy is for a generally unaimed large warhead rocket, and 6 or 7 (the Car Wars "missiles") are for a large warhead with a sophisticated aiming system.
   
5. Grenade Launcher - As I griped about here, this has a bad fit within the Car Wars system. I believe it should be collapsed into a large-bore, low velocity, category that includes the shotgun, flachette gun, and mortars.

With all that A new weapons chart could thus like this:

1. Flamethrowers (Unchanged)
   
2. Gauss Guns
   1. 1 Space = [not possible; the energy delivery system takes 2 spaces]
      
   2. 2 Space = Gauss Gun (6acc, 3d)
      
   3. 3 Space = Rail Gun (new)
3. Grenade Launchers
   1. 1 Space
      1. Vehicular Shotgun (6acc, 2 hits) - moved,
      2. Flachette Gun (6acc, 1d+1 to tires) - moved,
         
      3. Light Mortar (new)
   2. 2 Space
      1. Grenade Launcher (7acc, 1d*),
         
      2. Heavy Mortar (new)
   3. 3 Space = none [unnecessary because the next tech up is artillery/howitzers]
4. Howitzers (formerly 'Tank Guns')
   1. 1 Space = Light Howitzer (new)
   2. 2 Space = Howitzer (new)
   3. 3 Space = "Anti-Tank Gun" (Heavy Howitzer) (8acc, 3d)
5. Lasers (Unchanged)
6. Machine Guns
   1. 1 Space
      1. Light MG (7acc, 1d-1),
      2. MG (7acc, 1d),
      3. Heavy MG (7acc, 2d-2)
   2. 2 Space = Vulcan MG (6acc, 2d)
      
   3. 3 Space = Autocannon (6acc, 3d)
      
   4. 4 space = Heavy Vulcan (modified)
7. Missiles (Unchanged)
8. Recoilless Rifles
   1. 1 Space = Light RR (new)
      
   2. 2 Space = Recoilless Rifle (7acc, 2d)
      
   3. 3 Space = Heavy RR (new)
      
   4. 4 Space = Blast Cannon(7acc, 4d)
9. Rockets, Guided
   1. 1 Space = Micro Missile Launcher (8acc, 1d)
      
   2. 2 Space = Rocket Launcher (8acc, 2d)
      
   3. 3 Space = Heavy Rocket Launcher (new)
10. Rockets, Unguided [all 9acc]
    1. 1 Space
       1. Mini (1d-1),
       2. Light (1d),
       3. Medium (2d),
       4. Heavy (3d)
          
       5. Mini Rocket Pod (new)
    2. 2 Space = MFR (9acc, 6x1d)
       
    3. 3 Space = VFRP (9acc, 1-6d)

Another option is keep the Autocannon in it's own category, split off the Vulcan from the MG, and make a new 3 space scale: 1 space = Minigun, 2 space = Vulcan, 3 space = Autocannon. The machine gun scale would be Light & regular in one space, Heavy in 2, and larger than that impossible for regular cars (recoil etc).

Summary - Possible New Weapons:

1. Railgun (3 space Gauss Gun)
   
2. Light & Heavy Mortars (in new category that combines Grenade Launchers & Shotguns)
   
3. Light & Medium Howitzers (new category to re-house the ol' ATG)
   
4. AC moved to MG family, modify the HVMG
   
5. or AC in own family, move VMG into that, add new weapon: minigun, then change HMG into a 2 space weapon
   
6. Light and Heavy Recoilless Rifles
   
7. Heavy Rocket Launcher (3 space in guided-rocket category)
   
8. Mini Multiple Fire Rocket Pod (1 space unguided rocket)