"AK47 for Sci Fi?" Topic

I was wondering if anyone had used AK47 for Sci Fi games?

I was thinking that the political charts could work well for different factions or alien races while the mechanisms could work fine as they are but with new types of weapon and vehicle technology?

Third Planet "Laser rifle republic" could be doable without any modern wehicles :>

There are not many M1s and F 18 in AK 47 anyway… :>

Bear in mind that AK47 does not have a wide range of wepon types: your best be might be changing the names. But using variations on the 'political' charts – sounds like a good plan.

Funny – I was thinking about using Metal Storm which are a sort of cousin (OK an illegitimate child) to the original AK

AK works for pretty well anything if you are willing to go with the flow and introduce a few period specific mods.

I've even seen them used for Biblical chariot warfare.

They are a very simple set of of toy soldier rules with some fun mechanics, so yes, they will work for Sci Fi.

I'm not even sure you need new weapon types unless you are looking at vastly different tech levels. small arms are small arms whether they are bolt action rifles or PGMP-13s. The only issue arises if one side has rifles and the other has plasma guns…

Plasma just doesn't work as a weapons system unless you practically use it like a flame thrower. Only weapons you'd have to modify for would be lasers, low miss rate and unlimited range. Also easily breakable and has a very expensive power system. :)

wolfgangbrooks: sounds like a TOW or similar guided missile, then. Not having seen the rules, I'm sure there is some combination of weapons systems that could be made to work.

Or there's always the Star Wars style "everyone has lasers, so armour is built to deflect lasers, so lasers are no longer special". This conveniently means you can go back to treating them as conventional small arms.

I believe there was a set called "AK47,000" devised by someone.

it's a neat idea- would work well for STRONTIUM DOG type settings

Umm, Traveller/Striker came up with some fairly good argments as to why plasma and fusion guns could be made to work. They do need a lot of energy though. Anyway this is Sci-Fi, everyone has 'ray guns', or light sabers…

@Martin Rapier: I guess I should've said that plasma doesn't work well as a weapon because it dissipates too rapidly to be used as an effective point fire "ball o' energy" weapon like it's commonly portrayed. Though I've read that you can actually guild plasma bolts along a laser path, but at that point why not use a laser? Especially since you can sweep with a powerful enough laser. I suppose a combination system could be useable, but regular weapons and even gauss style weapons are more efficient and cheaper. Same thing with grav effect vehicles versus specialized and more primitive ground and air units.

I suppose it depends on the cultural priority, tech level, and industrial base in question.

" Anyway this is Sci-Fi, everyone has 'ray guns', or light sabers…"

Isn't that the same as: "It's fantasy, everyone has wizards and shapechanging dragons"? If you're looking for hardish frontier style sci-fi, energy weapons are really a no go. A Flash Gordon version of warring banana republics could be interesting though.

Static Tyrant: "everyone has lasers, so armour is built to deflect lasers, so lasers are no longer special"

This can be very true. I think the problem with generic sci-fi is that unless you make some assumptions about advancement and future military theory you'd have to write a encyclopedia sized rule system trying to cover every possibility. And what are the essential differences between many of these weapon systems on an abstract level? For tabletop purposes casualties are casualties whether they come from laser blinding or a musket ball to the chest.

The rules make an excellent campaing aid, creating forces for the backwoods.

The naming, flag design part is a real help!

We have used it for 6mm Dirtside and 15mm Hammers Slammers more than the "intended".

"I suppose it depends on the cultural priority, tech level, and industrial base in question."

Sure. Our Striker mercenary company ditched vehicle mounted energy weapons in favour of auto firing mortars with cluster munitions, terrifyingly cost effective. Grunts had gauss rifles.

Energy weapons seemed to be an expensive Imperial indulgence as far as we could tell.

"And what are the essential differences between many of these weapon systems on an abstract level? For tabletop purposes casualties are casualties whether they come from laser blinding or a musket ball to the chest."

Exactly. The only thing be careful about is whether at particular tech levels the gun/armour balance has gone one way or another and also if there are huge tech differences so the inferior side literally can't hit/damage the superior one – but it wouldn't be much of game then anyway.