Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

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Haruhi
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Haruhi »

Simon_Jester wrote:If this is true, then "fantasy" is a useless word and means nothing, we might as well just copy-paste the word "fiction" every time we say "fantasy."
No, that is not fantasy fiction series Sherlock Holmes, something that could happen but we know that has not happened. Science fiction is fantasy because we do not know if it could happen.
Simon_Jester wrote:The laws of nature don't really care about whether an object has one 'piece' or many. Atoms are atoms, inter-atomic forces are inter-atomic forces. At the basic level, the only reason some "pieces" aren't part of a single object and others are is because the atoms in the separate "pieces" don't have bonds. Heck, sometimes you can just leave objects touching one another and they'll spontaneously form one "piece," because the atoms at the surface DID form bonds.
You assume a form of mechanicism; I do not.
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Haruhi
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Haruhi »

Another idea is exoskeletons that absorb the energy of impact and can only be damaged if a large amount of energy is released in a small region, something only achievable by thermal sword or plasma weapon, but this can only be short range.

Or genetically engineered bacteria to eat gunpowder and drain energy from batteries of rail guns and energetic weaponry.
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Esquire »

All of the above are actively worse than simply not saying why people use melee weapons, because they're actively ridiculous.
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Simon_Jester »

Haruhi wrote:
Zwinmar wrote:How to beat a jedi with a lightsaber and hes blocking your blaster? Pick up your scatter gun. They can't reflect lead back at you and they will have a hell of a time trying to dodge that area attack.
Then the Jedi carry a lightshield and with telekinesis bring back the projectiles to shooters.
Jedi do not possess such shields, and have never shown a telekinetic ability to stop a salvo of bullets or shrapnel on film.
Haruhi wrote:
Simon_Jester wrote:If this is true, then "fantasy" is a useless word and means nothing, we might as well just copy-paste the word "fiction" every time we say "fantasy."
No, that is not fantasy fiction series Sherlock Holmes, something that could happen but we know that has not happened. Science fiction is fantasy because we do not know if it could happen.
Simon_Jester wrote:The laws of nature don't really care about whether an object has one 'piece' or many. Atoms are atoms, inter-atomic forces are inter-atomic forces. At the basic level, the only reason some "pieces" aren't part of a single object and others are is because the atoms in the separate "pieces" don't have bonds. Heck, sometimes you can just leave objects touching one another and they'll spontaneously form one "piece," because the atoms at the surface DID form bonds.
You assume a form of mechanicism; I do not.
The second reply here is literally gibberish.

The first makes little if any more sense.

You are speaking the English language. In English, "fantasy" refers to a specific type of fiction. It does not refer to ALL fiction. And it does not refer to every piece of fiction that has even one part you don't think could happen.

So either:
1) Recognize that it is dishonest to call just any story 'fantasy,' and to claim that you can ignore physics whenever you want because 'science fiction is a subtype of fantasy...' OR...
2) Stop pretending that you speak English well enough to hold an adult-level conversation on science fiction in it. Either learn what the words mean, or find another language in which they mean what you think they mean.
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Zwinmar »

What Jester said; by the time they can react to the round leaving the chamber they are shot. Never have they shown as being able to stop something going that fast. Even Kylo Ren's little display with a blaster bolt is a moot point as it is slower than lead going down range. The only way they could 'dodge' it is the same way everyone can...aka, not be there when its fired, after the trigger is pulled they are screwed, assuming of course the round is well aimed.

Now, a thrown grenade I can understand them being able to stop/deflect it..right up until it detonates, then they might as well kiss their own ass. An arrow on the other hand flies slow enough for them to actually dodge.
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Haruhi »

Esquire wrote:All of the above are actively worse than simply not saying why people use melee weapons, because they're actively ridiculous.
Why would I agree?
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Haruhi »

Simon_Jester wrote:Jedi do not possess such shields, and have never shown a telekinetic ability to stop a salvo of bullets or shrapnel on film.
But they could have it. And that ability appears in the EU.
Simon_Jester wrote:The second reply here is literally gibberish.

The first makes little if any more sense.
All science fiction is fantasy, but not all fantasy is science fiction.

The machines are built with pieces made separately. No living being is born that way, you fool. But let's not anymore.
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by NecronLord »

Haruhi wrote:
Esquire wrote:All of the above are actively worse than simply not saying why people use melee weapons, because they're actively ridiculous.
Why would I agree?
Do you want advice, or do you want to shout down any objection to your ideas?

I'm asking in my official capacity.
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Re: Ideas on how melee weapons can be more efficient than range weapons in fantasy / science-fiction.

Post by Crazedwraith »

Zwinmar wrote:What Jester said; by the time they can react to the round leaving the chamber they are shot. Never have they shown as being able to stop something going that fast. Even Kylo Ren's little display with a blaster bolt is a moot point as it is slower than lead going down range. The only way they could 'dodge' it is the same way everyone can...aka, not be there when its fired, after the trigger is pulled they are screwed, assuming of course the round is well aimed.
Jedi are precognitive and sense danger. It seems plausible to me that there shouldn't be a can't react faster enough situation. If the threat is faster. Precog should give them more warning.

Obviously though it's not foolproof. That guy Jango guns down in the area is a good example.

There's no obvious reason they shouldn't be able to Telekinetically affect bullets either. (Kenobi did in the original now, non-canon, Clone Wars cartoon) and IIRC the AtoC Novels have a reference to a force wall. They might not have to concentrate on the bullets themselves which would be the biggest barrier to it.

Given we've never seen a Jedi Hunter with a shotgun. I'd assume there is a good reason for it and not everyone is stupid.
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