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Firearm suppressors, modification and ammunition crafting


Morbo513

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Disclaimer: I've only played a couple hours since 2012 so I'm not entirely sure if some of the mechanics and additions I describe would fit in with the game, or be possible in the engine, but here goes.

 

Suppressors

I think firearm suppressors would be a great addition to the game because right now, firearms are very rarely a viable option, and can turn an emergency situation into an even worse one by attracting more zombies.

 

Crafting:

This would necessitate the existence of a mechanics/physics skill, or maybe a firearms knowledge skill?

Anyway, the player would need several materials, tools and the correct level of said skill/knowledge. This would make it difficult to acquire quickly.

There could be several levels of crafted suppressors, each being more effective than the last, but likewise requiring more materials, time and knowledge.

 

Looting:

Pre-apocalypse manufactured suppressors would be extremely rare (There'd be a good chance of none spawning) but to make up for this they would be more effective than a DIY one. However, they would only work for a certain class of firearm and no others, whereas crafted ones can be made for any firearm.

Gameplay:

When attached to a firearm, a suppressor would nullify the report. However, the volume of the shot in the direction of fire would remain similar to that of an unsuppressed gunshot. This means that if there are zombies between you and your target, they will also hear the shot, however the radius the noise travels from the shooter would be reduced. At longer distances though, it would be practically silent.

 

Ammunition crafting:

Now this one is a bit complicated and probably won't be added, but with advanced firearms knowledge the player would basically be able to craft different loads, IE high-velocity, or sub-sonic ammuntion. Sub-sonic ammunition would reduce the volume in the direction of fire at a cost of decreased penetration and damage, and would be practically useless without a suppressor.

High-velocity ammunition would be the opposite, it would make the firearm have a louder report in exchange for increased damage and penetration. It would also degrade the firearm and the suppressor faster than regular or subsonic ammunition. 

The player could also manufacture hollowpoint rounds which have increased damage against a single target but virtually no penetration. This doesn't yet seem necessary since zombies will die to one shot anyway, but if there are any changes to that it would be a welcome addition.

 

 

Weapon Modification:

With advanced knowledge in firearms, survivors would be able to make minor modifications to their weapons provided they have the materials. These would include magazine size (In the two higher reloading difficulties, these modifications would be made to the magazines themselves where applicable), stability/accuracy (Stocks and grips [Though they seem 100% accurate at the moment]) and view distance (Improvised/looted optics). With a scope attached, when in aiming mode your field of view would be very narrow, but very long and increase the distance you can scroll off-screen. If you've played Jagged Alliance 2, you have some idea of how I imagine it in my head.

Firemodes would also be another possible modification, in other words making a semi-auto weapon full-auto. The rate of fire of shotguns could also be increased by converting it from pump-action to semi auto (I'm not sure how possible this would be IRL but I'm sure it would be, given enough patience and knoweldge)

 

The main suggestion here is suppressors. The other two are ballpark, but I included them anyway.

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To be fair suppressors has been talked around the forum a fair bit:

 

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/5395-diy-suppressor-maglite-suppressor/

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/3515-silencer-for-weapons/

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4811-some-ideas-from-a-survivalist/

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4179-pistol-silencer-pillow/

 

Ammunition crafting:

 

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4797-crafting-ammo/

http://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php/topic/4634-reloading-benches/

 

However for the sake of not being an ass, I'll summarise my opinions on the features in any case. ;)

 

Regarding supressors people don't like it because they are an extremely rare commodity. Finding one is hard, but they are also allegedly not as effective as people would believe them to be. For me on the other hand it's more of a case that I believe guns are actually balanced really well right now. Guns at the moment are really kind of balanced nicely in my opinion. They are incredibly powerful weapon that can kill the zombies in one go, but obviously bring the dangers of attracting the horde. That when it comes down to a bad situation do you fire the gun or don't you? I think that's a nice feature for the game.

 

Ammunition crafting is just because it's very specialised knowledge that I doubt someone who wasn't a gunsmith or had the specialised equipment would be able to pull off. Maybe if you had an NPC who had skill in this area, then maybe. However, I don't know.

 

Weapon Modifications, I don't have an opinion on the matter right now, but if I do get one I'll be sure to revisit this thread. :)

 

Also, welcome to the community btw. :D

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This is exactly my point. The suppressors wouldn't make the guns silent as everyone believes. A high-level or commercial suppressor would severely reduce the radius yes, but if there were zombies about a quarter-way across the screen from the player, they'd still hear it. The point of their inclusion in the game would be so when you fire the weapon, every zombie on and off-screen wouldn't come bearing down on you, it'd reduce but not nullify the risk of having to deal with a much bigger horde. And their extreme rarity is what makes them a good thing to add, it'd be no fun if you could just run around killing every zombie you see, 20 mintues into the game. As for crafted ones, it'd be a good pay-off for all the time and effort put into creating it.

 

There are many examples of improvised suppressors around the world, some more effective than others. I don't see why, with the right tools, material and knowledge it would be impossible to make one.

 

 

Thanks for the welcome by the way!

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