Hand-held weapons in Vorkosigan Universe
Apr. 14th, 2009 12:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackBujold is really wonderful at giving enough information everything makes sense, and hinting at more things behind the scenes, while actually leaving the details unspecified, so there probably isn't an exact answer to my question. My question is, in Vorkosigan-verse
* a plasma arc is a military-grade weapon that destroys everything
* a nerve disruptor is a military-grade weapon that destroys people
* a stunner is (?) shorter range and stuns people (which is not safe, but safe enough)
What is a needler? Physically, is it a flechette weapon? What is its defining features? My guess is that it's the state-of-the-art handgun or machine-gun equivalent, less effective than a plasma arc or nerve disruptor, but safer to use in areas filled with people or flammable things, and possible to miniaturize to carry concealed, and the weapon of choice by people who are not quasi-military. Does that sound reasonable? Alternatively, is it the best weapon in more specific circumstances, eg. more spread or more penetration?
There's half-a-dozen quotes, but I won't try to enumerate them yet as they'll be minor spoilers. ETA: Warrior's apprentice: Bothari is described as smuggling a "compact" needle gun into Betan customs. That seems to imply non compact needle guns. I don't know if that's like derringer/pistol or pistol/machine gun.
Diplomatic immunity: Miles describes a work suit from engineering, paraphrased "stunner and nerve disruptor fire will pretty much bounce off. Needler spines wouldn't penetrate immediately. Even plasma fire would take a couple of seconds to burn through."
Diplomatic immunity: someone is described as having gone beserk in Hassader square with an auto-needler. Is that more auto than a normal needler, or just a normal amount of auto. Is a needler better for that than a plasma arc, or just more readily obtainable.
Vor game: plamsa cannon "not normally an indoor toy, it would stop a charging suit of space armour". Which implies a nerve disruptor or plasma cannon wouldn't.
* a plasma arc is a military-grade weapon that destroys everything
* a nerve disruptor is a military-grade weapon that destroys people
* a stunner is (?) shorter range and stuns people (which is not safe, but safe enough)
What is a needler? Physically, is it a flechette weapon? What is its defining features? My guess is that it's the state-of-the-art handgun or machine-gun equivalent, less effective than a plasma arc or nerve disruptor, but safer to use in areas filled with people or flammable things, and possible to miniaturize to carry concealed, and the weapon of choice by people who are not quasi-military. Does that sound reasonable? Alternatively, is it the best weapon in more specific circumstances, eg. more spread or more penetration?
There's half-a-dozen quotes, but I won't try to enumerate them yet as they'll be minor spoilers. ETA: Warrior's apprentice: Bothari is described as smuggling a "compact" needle gun into Betan customs. That seems to imply non compact needle guns. I don't know if that's like derringer/pistol or pistol/machine gun.
Diplomatic immunity: Miles describes a work suit from engineering, paraphrased "stunner and nerve disruptor fire will pretty much bounce off. Needler spines wouldn't penetrate immediately. Even plasma fire would take a couple of seconds to burn through."
Diplomatic immunity: someone is described as having gone beserk in Hassader square with an auto-needler. Is that more auto than a normal needler, or just a normal amount of auto. Is a needler better for that than a plasma arc, or just more readily obtainable.
Vor game: plamsa cannon "not normally an indoor toy, it would stop a charging suit of space armour". Which implies a nerve disruptor or plasma cannon wouldn't.
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Date: 2009-04-14 11:33 am (UTC)I agree with you about more specific: I hadn't meant to say that "needler" meant any projectile weapons, just that needlers were the choice/only projectile weapons used.
anti-personnel style RPG, designed to kill even heavily armoured enemies.
That sounds about right. I'd definitely not considered needle-gun=needle-grenades, and wonder if it could be, but I think the quote above suggests not, or needlers would be used a lot more.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-14 12:08 pm (UTC)