NPC battle templates

[Adm.Lee]

OK, the effectiveness of that muzzle brake is news to me. The AK-74's recoil figures are the same as the AK-47: 3 for a single shot, 7 for a 5-shot burst. M16A2 is 3/5, for a 3-shot burst. So, an Experienced NPC (STR 5) is going to lose 2 shots off his first burst, rolling 3 times. Any following burst goes off into the wild blue yonder, and you don't get to roll for any of the first burst, either. Add in any range, and you've got a really ineffective shooter.

As for the danger zone of a burst, unless I have been doing it wrong for all of these years, shots that aren't rolled for because of recoil, do not get re-rolled in the danger zone. So, if that NPC holds the trigger down and hoses down an area, he doesn't even get one roll at anyone in there. Now, I have been reading some accounts from the current wars that indicate there's something to that (the famous "death blossom" effect), the ineffectiveness of even a small burst seems excessive.

This is one of the things that's souring me on v2.2 rules: although I love the fact that recoil and strength are important factors, it seems to wipe out any effectiveness really quickly.

On the other side of things, in my players' group, one PC maxxed out his Small Arms skill and put in the points to get one level of specialization on the SAW. With a shockingly high Strength, he got to roll 42 dice after a 50-shot burst. Light MGs, and especially the SAW-type LMGs, seem to have phenomenally low recoil numbers for their ROF, and are effectively the perfect gun.

On the other hand, if the NPCs aren't hitting, the game's keeping the PCs alive just that much longer, isn't it?