The Nightstar Zoo

I think we need some hard data on how much the beam "firehoses" over a certain distance.

Variable, i think, depending on the setting, though it depends on how the settings work.

Suppose the tracer bullets were shaped like civil war mini balls with concave or even hollow backs. Only someone with the goggles viewing the tracers from behind would be able to see them. Presumably, your enemy is mostly forward of your position so even with uv goggles they wouldn't see the tracers. Actually, with this arrangement, you wouldn't even need uv, regular phosphor dots would work just as well and not require any special equipment. Plus, with phosphor in the tracers, they become weapons themselves.

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Everything has a melting point.

Hey Hey Hey no sneaking in the back, this is a mildly organised operation we got going on here. You just stay right there and Zinho will get round to issuing you your forum weapon. That will be the entirety of your orientation. Welcome to the forums!

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"You think you know munitions? Darling you don’t know jack. What do you know about micro-missiles and nerve disruptors? What do you know of micro-janglers and variable grenades? Have you ever seen an e-dust commando? No? Well come talk to me when you earn your claws. It’s a big universe out there and most of it is trying to kill you already."

'Big' Kat Mikkelson to John. J. Johnson on his first day at boot camp.

If I wanted to see bullets I'd use a high-speed camera and just plot anything moving too fast....

@mesmorino: What, I stumble into the Armory and suddenly I'm the only one on duty? I'm pretty sure I'm not even on the roster for this post!

@Moosedr00l: Welcome to the forums! I have the honor of giving you your site orientation, I think by virtue of being the closest one to the entrance who didn't call "not it!" Let's get you a weapon issued. You're in luck, the bin for gnarled staves of topical necromancy is empty; that's the traditional weapon issued to first-time posters replying to a 4-year-old thread. I think I've got just the thing for you, though. The Fondant Fountain of Cervidae Saliva: this more closely resembles a grecian urn than a gun, but don't let looks fool you. Upon activation it superheats the contents of its fluid reservoir (preferred ammo: saliva from the Cervidae family of mammals, preferably Alces Alces if available), then projects it onto your target, instantly melting whatever it hits on contact. Unfortunately, the process of superheating the reservoir to temperatures that will melt anything also, by necessity, melts the reservoir. The Fountain's body also ablates as part of the shaping action for the shot. Protective attire is recommended.

Pfft, you wandered too close to the entrance and got sucked in (Naked Singularities, remember?); you've been volunteered now. You want out, talk to Whitehawke, torrenal or Johno. Or appeal to the Malevolent god of the Schlockiverse, but be aware that he's called malevolent for a reason. You just might find yourself in charge of -gasp- personnel

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"You think you know munitions? Darling you don’t know jack. What do you know about micro-missiles and nerve disruptors? What do you know of micro-janglers and variable grenades? Have you ever seen an e-dust commando? No? Well come talk to me when you earn your claws. It’s a big universe out there and most of it is trying to kill you already."

'Big' Kat Mikkelson to John. J. Johnson on his first day at boot camp.

Hence the preference for magnetic launchers. Magnetic pulses are much harder to see, and, in a universe where superconductors can be packed into a handgun, that can be damped down to almost nothing.

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"A sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke
"Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology."
Jack L. Chalker
"Magic is just another way of saying 'I don't know how it works.'"
Larry Niven

shoot fast enough and the bullet will be it's own tracer, witness the naval railgun tests where the projectile has quite a bow wake of plasma.

A plasma stream will spread rapidly in an atmosphere due to turbulence and cavitation, unless the muzzle has a magnetic containment field. Given the fact that plasma is a superconductor, it would be possible to embed a current flow in the plasma stream to make it coherent longer. In any event, the BH series of plasguns aren't long-range high-precision weapons.

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"A sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke
"Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology."
Jack L. Chalker
"Magic is just another way of saying 'I don't know how it works.'"
Larry Niven

No, they are massive destruction with the Ominous Hummm of impending doom so the target knows (s)he is about to be toast.

I most certainly want at least one. It will round out the arsenal here nicely.

I am still looking for a decent Trebuchet just for the archaic group.