If one were to make a guide, what questions should be answered

Understanding Textual Firearm Combat/Close Quarter Shooting for the Aspiring Duelist-
By RM Wright, aka Skallagrim

There are great many misconceptions about firearms, driven by inexperience with actual firearms and the constant and ridiculous Hollywood exaggeration of what a firearm is capable of doing. In textual role-plays those misconceptions increases, because writers choose to emulate what they have seen in movies, on television and in animes, instead of going for accuracy.

This guide, while not a substitute for actual firearms training is designed to help arena participants and textual role-players with little or no firearms experience understand and incorporate firearms into their stories realistically. Again this is a guide for writing a gunfight and is not intended for anything other than giving the writer a resource in using firearms in the arena or role-plays.

WHAT IS A FIREARM?
The first thing to understand is what a firearm is via a legal definition of a firearm: A firearms is any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive. Therefore, a firearm is a weapon that fires a projectile (bullet) using an explosive (gunpowder).

WHAT IS THE MAGAZINE CAPACITY AND THE CALIBER?

The firearms most often used in the arena and in role-plays are the handgun and the long gun.

A handgun is a pistol having a 7, 10, 13, 15, 18 or 20 round detachable magazine or a revolver having a 6-round cylinder.

A long gun is a rifle with a 5, 10, 20, 30 or more round internal/detachable magazines or a shotgun having a 5, 7, 8 or 10 round internal or detachable magazine depending on the shotgun.

Most characters tend to use handguns in the arena and in role-plays because of ease of convenience and concealability. After choosing the firearm for the character, a caliber for the firearm is decided.

These are the pistol and revolver calibers from least powerful to most powerful: .22, .25, .32, .38, 9mm, .40, 10 mm, .357, .45, .44, and .50.

These are the rifle calibers from least powerful to most powerful: .17, .22, .223 (5.56), .243, .270, .300, .308, .30-06, 7.62 mm sniper or battle rifle, .338 (sniper), .50 (sniper/anti-material).

These are shotgun gauges least powerful to most powerful: .410, 20, 16 (uncommon), 12, 10 (uncommon).

Once the character is fitted with the weapon(s) that suit them and fit into the role-play (we are focusing on relatively modern firearms and calibers. If you are a musketeer, the basic principles are the same but the firearms, their ranges and ballistics are different.)

HOW DOES A FIREARM WORK?

Before we look at the methods for killing a character with a firearm, we should examine the method of killing. Guns use projectiles to inflict damage. When the bullet is fired from a gun, the potential energy from the gunpowder transfer to the bullet, becoming kinetic energy. This kinetic energy propels the bullet from the barrel. A bullet increases in velocity after it leaves the barrel; this is where you get the feet per second (fps) rating of a firearm. Gather as much information on the firearm you want to equip your character with, it helps when writing your fight.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A FIREARM TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
Let us look at the specs for a rifle, the M4 (the standard weapon of the US Army and potentially the USMC who currently use the M16A4 as their standard rifle) and the Desert Eagle which apparently everyone uses. Looking at range and muzzle velocity of each.

M4-
Weight :
6.36 –lbs. empty
7.5-lbs. with 30 rounds
Length 33-in. (stock extended)
29.75-in. (stock retracted)
Barrel length: 14.5-in
Cartridge: 5.56×45mm NATO
Caliber : 5.56 mm (.223)
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt.
Rate of fire: 700–950 round/min cyclic.
Muzzle velocity: 2,900 ft/s (880 m/s).
Effective firing range: 500 m (550 yds/ 1,640 feet).
Feed system: 30-round box magazine.
Sights Iron sights or optics.

As we can see the M4 fires the 5.56 mm round, and has a 30-round magazine (NOT A CLIP!. A clip and a magazine are not the same thing. A magazine holds the bullets, a clip feeds a magazine.) Don’t be that guy who use them interchangeably, it ruins your credibility.

IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX
Weight: 4.4 lbs.
Length:
10.75-in (273.1 mm) (6in barrel)
14.7- in (374.6 mm) (10in barrel)
Cartridge:
.50 Action Express
.44 Magnum
.357 Magnum
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Muzzle velocity: 1541 ft/s (470 m/s .50AE)
Effective firing range: 200 m (218 yards/656 feet))
Feed system
Detachable box magazine; capacities:
9 rounds (.357)
8 rounds (.44)
7 rounds (.50 AE)
Sights Iron sights and optional optics.

These two weapons have limitations that every writer should know, specifically the weight, the muzzle velocity, the range and the magazine capacity. While the IMI DE has a perceived “cool” factor, the M4 may win the gunfight. Even with the power of the vaunted .50 AE, the range of the smaller caliber M4 (5.56mm) allows the character to engage with a much greater likelihood of success of stopping the pistol user.

RESOURCES FOR FINDING FIREARM DATA:
Here is a link to the top American gun manufactures.
Manufacture sites and obtainable data

RANGES AND OTHER FACTORS I NEED TO KNOW.

After the bullet is fired, the kinetic energy wears off, the velocity slows and gravity exerts its influence to pull the bullet to ground. Now if the bullet hits its target or something that is in the way, it will transfer what kinetic energy is has not expended into what it hits. This transference is the stopping power of a bullet. Since there is more kinetic energy the closer the target is to the shooter, it makes sense that the character should engage the target as close as possible without putting themselves in danger.

So what does that mean? It means you need to know your weapons range. Is there is quick and easy way to figure out the ranges? Yep and here they are. These will be a good range indicator when you are writing your gunfights.

Close range- 25 yards or less. Pistols or revolvers.
Medium range- 26-100 yards, small caliber rifles, slug firing shotguns.
Long range- 101-300 yards, large caliber rifles.
In addition, of course the one-shot, one-kill sniper rifle ranges- 301 – 2,000+ yards.

Now that we know the ranges, the secret of gunfights are simple. Most gunfights happen with only 3-yards (9-feet) between both combatants; and an average of 3-rounds are fired in the gunfight and are over in about 3 seconds. So you should be able to fire 3-rounds from your weapon in your post, conversely your target probably has done the same (see factors that can influence a gunfight).

It is important to note that just because you have a gun, does not mean an automatic kill. An opponent with a knife or other melee weapon that is within 7-yards (21-feet) can cover that distance and still kill the gun user, even after shot. Remember I said the closer the bullet hits the target the more kinetic energy is transferred to the target. HOWEVER, please remember this- any fired bullet can be lethal, but no bullet is always lethal.

When you shoot at a target, and the target is within your effective range, you have to determine the lethality of your shot. In the Arena, the lethality of a shot is dependent on many factors that translate to a normal role-play easily.

FACTORS THAT CAN INFLUENCE A GUNFIGHT:

Are both shooter and target moving?
What is the expertise of the shooter?
Are there any obstacles between the shooter and target?
Is the shooter firing in a chaotic situation (is the target shooting back, using magic or otherwise fighting back)?
What is the lighting?
Is it dark, dusk or bright?
Does the light impair the visual sighting of the target?
Is the shooter themselves hurt or injured?

All these factors can influence the gunfight and must be taken into account. Now if you are a deft and skilled writer and do included all these possible factors in your shooting, you need to indicate your intended target location.

SO I HIT, DOES THE TARGET DIE?

Bullet specs printed on the box don’t really matter in the end, well at least not very much. What does matters is what happens when the bullet hits the flesh. How the bullet actually influences the target’s tissue via rips and tears or crushes against bone, and of course, how much tissue/bone it destroys. How reliably and repeatedly it does this damage determines what makes a deadly bullet. It is not simply the ft/lbs of energy printed on the box by the manufactuer.

With that in mind, let’s look at locations that if you hit (again in the Arena no hit is assumed to be successful, but if you do hit your target in these areas the following is a reasonable assumption.)

A hit in these locations more likely than not will result in the death of your opponent: (Note you are not auto-hitting if you write that you are aiming for these targets and what you EXPECT to happen.)

Head, face, neck, chest (heart will kill in 1-2 seconds or lungs die by drowning), upper back (lungs fill with blood and they drown), middle of the back (kidneys a horrible way to die), the thigh (femoral artery- your target will bleed out).

These targets may not inflict death but will severely damage your target.

The spine, (well they become inert, alive but helpless). The arm (artery- your opponent may bleed out), the abdomen (they bleed out, suffer tremendously as stomach acid burns exposed tissue, unless medical attention is given will most likely die). The groin (do I need to say more?) and the rib cage (the bone splinters can ruin the targets day- lungs may be damaged from the splinters and the heart maybe punctured.)

These locations will suck and hurt like a bitch, but not necessarily kill the target.

Shooting the target in the face (without piercing the brain or neck), the hands, the knees, the feet, ankles and the outer arms or outer thighs.

When shooting a moving target, remember you need to ‘lead’ the target- that means you need to shoot in front of the target to hit them when they get where the bullet should intersect their movement. The greater the distance the more you need to lead them. Remember even if you manage to get a lethal hit on your target, they don’t necessarily die right away.

Everyone is different and this is seen in animals shot by hunters. These animals are able to still move sometimes miles before they die.

I WEAR A BULLET PROOF VEST, I AM INVINCIBLE!

But Skall, my character wears a bullet proof vest/Master Chief armor, I am Billy Badass and can take any shot and still win. Well, sort of. A bulletproof vest doesn’t mean that 100% of the kinetic energy of a bullet is stopped. A shot may still cause internal injuries, breaking ribs or even knock the target down. The larger the caliber the better chance that it will hurt the wearer since the kinetic energy is greater.

As for Master Chief armor types, I suppose if we are using those metrics we can also assume that the weapons/bullets are also advanced enough to affect the armor as well.

PRINCIPLES OF CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT SHOOTING:
When in a combat situation in the arena or in a RP we are assuming that the gunfights will be in relatively close proximity. That being said the basis of tactical combat shooting should be applied.

Tactics Accuracy Power Speed-

Tactics- It doesn’t matter how well of a shooter your character maybe if you make a mistake in reading your opponents post and place yourself in a bad situation. Always read your enemies post. In the real world, bad tactics can get you killed.

Accuracy- This is only applicable to the post you are writing. You should be able to clearly and with some skill, write that you are firing towards the kill zone on a human shaped target. Generally, the target's center mass. Remember you can indicate what target you are shooting for without it being an automatic hit.

Power- This is based on the weapon you are using, the ammunition (hollow points or not) and the number of shots fired. Remember I said that you can reasonably fire three shots into your target. Tactically speaking one or two shots to the chest and one or two to the head are enough to eliminate a threat. While that is good fire control, in the arena or in an RP most people won’t want to die so just fire into center mass allowing their armor, skill and abilities to offset your firearm.

**This does not mean they will always survive. Remember that while they have magic, your bullets can do damage as well. If they cannot logically avoid three shots in a fight through armor, magic or abilities they should be willing to accept the hit and then determine how badly YOU hurt them. However, they decide that not you.

Speed- This is really determined by the way the role-play is going. How close you and your opponent are and your abilities versus their abilities, and of course any attacks they may be directing towards you.

So this is probably a silly question, but i didn't see it anywhere. Is there a place that lays out the rules of an Arena RP a little more? I've read through RP's, and the FAQ's and what not. I just feel like there's still a lot I don't understand. Thanks!

@Shadowpenguin07 The rules are basically entirely negotiable. Once you get in the swing of things, they'll become second nature to you. Some things like healing, teleportation, space/time manipulation, etc., etc., in addition to no godmodding/metagaming/batmanning, etc. are the standard. We use T1 here, which is often up for debate, in which way to use it and whatnot.

Sorry if this has been answered before, but what are the rules concerning death of a character in the arena? Or at all, for that matter? I only have one character which I've been using since I started RPing as a teenager, and in my previous RP forum there used to be a 21-day re-spawning rule. Is there something similar here?

Sorry if this has been answered before, but what are the rules concerning death of a character in the arena? Or at all, for that matter? I only have one character which I've been using since I started RPing as a teenager, and in my previous RP forum there used to be a 21-day re-spawning rule. Is there something similar here?

Not at all. You can even have the same character in several fights at once, given it makes sense, such as the fight's happening at different points in time.

If one were to make a guide, what questions should be answered

Just gonna repost this. As Mod now, I suppose I should get around to writing it.

@Vordak

So there are no real consequences of your character dying either in the arena or outside of it?

@Vordak

So there are no real consequences of your character dying either in the arena or outside of it?

Yup. Unless there is some sort of stipulation, none at all, save for shed dignity and tears of defeat.

@Vordak

Awesome, thanks :)

Sorry if this has been answered before, but what are the rules concerning death of a character in the arena? Or at all, for that matter? I only have one character which I've been using since I started RPing as a teenager, and in my previous RP forum there used to be a 21-day re-spawning rule. Is there something similar here?

We tend to keep things on a multiversal/ parallel universe concept. Time is extremely wonky. You can be engaged in two fights with the same character but the fights are in different points on your character's historical timeline. Death when it does happen is not permanent unless you wish it to be for your characters.

I guess I'd like to ask the very open-ended question of "what do I do here?" Or rather "what is the correct protocol for engaging in activities?"

From what I could gather so far, this appears to be a rather small community, and with a large focus on the very physical combat, and usually using the T1 system I know nothing about. As a result, I'd like to know whatever you see fit to tell me before I try posting a thread, so that it conforms properly - unless it doesn't need to.

I've failed to find a better informational thread, which is probably my fault.

@Minnakht

I guess I'd like to ask the very open-ended question of "what do I do here?" Or rather "what is the correct protocol for engaging in activities?"

From what I could gather so far, this appears to be a rather small community, and with a large focus on the very physical combat, and usually using the T1 system I know nothing about. As a result, I'd like to know whatever you see fit to tell me before I try posting a thread, so that it conforms properly - unless it doesn't need to.

I've failed to find a better informational thread, which is probably my fault.

A couple of things.

A) Are you planning to become part of the ranking system? If so, then you should learn T1 Eden era Rules which is the system we use to facilitate textual combat. You should post in the Guild Rank HQ

B) There are examples of characters there that you can examine.

C) For ranked arena fights, we use a simple/complex system of character power ranks; Normal human, Powered characters, and god-like. Most people bounce between normal human and powered. Powered is a vast scale so don't stress about it. Your best bet is to make a character and allow the community to help balance it out in relation to the rest of the characters in a given category.

D) Become involved.

E) Of course none of this matters if you simply want to tussle with friends but not become part of the rankings, tournaments and overall multiverse/omniverse setting where any tech/magic and power can exist alongside any other.

Can I try roleplaying a sparring session between normal humans (with wooden weapons and the like) to learn both appropriate roleplaying and the T1 system?

Afterwards, I could attempt becoming involved in various tournaments and the like, but as an amateur and a foreigner I'm afraid my writing could not be up to scratch. That's the reason I'd like a trial at first as well.

I'll appreciate any help I can get! I did join the site pretty much due to friends asking me to, but now that I'm here, I might as well attempt seeing what else is on offer.

Can I try roleplaying a sparring session between normal humans (with wooden weapons and the like) to learn both appropriate roleplaying and the T1 system?

Afterwards, I could attempt becoming involved in various tournaments and the like, but as an amateur and a foreigner I'm afraid my writing could not be up to scratch. That's the reason I'd like a trial at first as well.

I'll appreciate any help I can get! I did join the site pretty much due to friends asking me to, but now that I'm here, I might as well attempt seeing what else is on offer.

If you don't mind sporadic posting(Given my RL and work schedule), I'd be down to help you out.

Never trust a man named Rilla, they are devious and dangerous.

Yes, yes we are. <3

Skally can give you advice with each of your posts.

Never trust a man named Rilla, they are devious and dangerous.

That's racist.

When is Rilla a race?

When someone names one that, I guess.

I can't say my posting schedule is particularly non-sporadic either, so... I guess I'll just throw up a thread here and you can respond whenever you're ready, Rilla.