Hey Holla Forums, this might be more of a /tg/ styled question, but it's still relevant to vidya I feel. How could one reasonably balance firearms in a fantasy setting where swords, shields, magic, et al are still useful? Especially if it's a more real time, action-oriented game and not a purely stat-driven game.
Bonus points if fantasy styled guns can work, too.
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Limiting ammunition seems like the safest and simplest option
if it's a fantasy rpg then make guns weak in comparison to the effort it requires to get up close for melee and sometimes magic
shit will be bullet spongey but rpgs never have good combat ever
You could either limit ammunition usage or drop rate or do like underrail were armors can block stuff based on the material they were crafted from, also I guess for sword and shields maybe some sub-sonic-tier sword that is specifically made to go trought certain materials guns cant, like say, shields
I feel like this is a bit too crippling. I didn't like how Bloodborne handled guns, since they felt way too weak and the limited ammo just made it worse.
Like I said, in a more action oriented game, not a strict RPG - although statistical shenanigans can still play a part.
I like the idea that "magic" stuff is able to resist bullets and shit, and you can't really mix magic and guns, but not sure how to come up with decent lore fluff to support that.
You fucked up.
I bet you don't even want to cast magic missile inside someone's armor.
Maybe the materials used to make guns and bullets go against eachothers nature making bullets moot unless you use different material-based bullets that could be placed on a market or something to gate how people can deal with it outside of just buying a sword and shield themselves. Maybe balance the bullets around it, it would even allow you to do special items like "super gun that can shoot magic infused bullets" or a one-shot pistol that can shatter shields or damage them, dunno
Sequel never.
Oh also pilebunker fists, that shit would be rad
Depends what kind of fantasy. Warhammer Fantasy for example balances firearms very well
GUNMANCY
I like this idea - guns are still valid, but are exponentially more expensive to keep up with the pace of magic, especially if shields can actually still effectively block bullets without the need of insanely heavy equipment or the like. So against an average retard bandit, guns are fine. Against actual armies or well-equipped knights or the like, you'll have a bit more trouble.
It's not hollow anymore then is it?
I've admittedly not delved into the ridiculous depths of Warhammer. How's Warhammer treat firearms in that regard?
Material or energy shields that are effective against fast traveling projectiles with small point of impact or some bullshit. How you want to explain this stuff in detail really comes down to the particular setting I feel.
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Oooah baby it's magic!~
Gunblade is my teenage wetdream fantasy weapon
Stargate SG-1 did that well enough. Energy shields that stopped bullets and other fast moving high energy weapons, but didn't stop slow moving weapons like a thrown rock. Of course the energy shields were fairly rare and limited to high level enemies. Shitgoons just had metal armor that couldn't stop a 9mm.
There was a game I saw here ages ago with a talking weapon you could romance, I wish I could remember what it was.
Yeesss, stuff like that would be perfect.
Would it be too much of a stretch to still have bows and crossbows work? They still don't travel as fast as bullets. This could make it a "balancing act" in both lore and gameplay to defend against "traditional" weapons, magic, and guns
What if the shields were powered by a magic battery pack so when mages use magic they have to channel it trought the battery pack that gives spells more stabilty and shit and can be used as a counter mechabic
being magic doesnt make you bulletproof