Why does sci-fi not have energy-based automatic weapons?

Blackstar the Chakat · Sat May 24, 2008 8:37 pm

I've noticed a disterbing trend in not just Trek weapons but in Sci-fi in general. There are no energy-based automatic weapons. Ranging from Star Trek's phasers, to Andromeda's force lance, to Star Wars' blasters, to Stargate's staff weapons and countless other sci-fi weapons there seems to be a lack of rapid fire weapons in sci-fi. Or more specifically televised sci-fi, because there are many sci-fi games with automatic weaponry.

While energy weapons are more powerful they seem to fire much slower then modern projectile weapons. As Stargate SG-1's leader pointed out, his P-90 was a weapon of war, wheras the Staff Weapons were weapons of terror. However with most series the intimidation factor isn't a viable excuse.

stitch626 · Post by **stitch626** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:40 pm

I have wondered that as well. Many of the Star Wars games feature automatic blasters. However, (IIRC) they were not in the films. And I cannot think of anything in Trek that is automatic.

(Well, in Stargate, they have automatic weapons, does that count?)

Blackstar the Chakat · Sat May 24, 2008 8:42 pm

stitch626 wrote:I have wondered that as well. Many of the Star Wars games feature automatic blasters. However, (IIRC) they were not in the films. And I cannot think of anything in Trek that is automatic.

(Well, in Stargate, they have automatic weapons, does that count?)

Those are projectile weapons used by modern humans. Usually the MP5 in the earlier seasons or the P-90 when the budget got bigger, were the standard side arms of the Stargate teams. So...no I don't think it counts

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:44 pm

Yeah Wars has automatic weapons. Their e-11's are like an M-16 it has a semi-automatic mode which is what you see usually in the films. The E-web is a good example from the film of what you'd expect from a heavy machine gun.

Ship laser canons can do automatic but at a severely weakend state.

Post by **Graham Kennedy** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:45 pm

I think it's as simple as sci fi likes ray guns, with big glowing beams or pulses, and it's pretty hard to do the FX for automatic fire with those. Expensive business.

FWIW, the Jem'Hadar guns are seen to fire on automatic in "Blaze of Glory" and Andromeda force lances fired on auto many times.

stitch626 · Post by **stitch626** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:46 pm

[edit] Edited due to Graham's post (I was typing at the time)

An automatic type two phaser would be kind of funny.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:48 pm

Trek has a lot of automatic weapons, albeit aboard starships rather than on the ground. The Defiant's the best-known example.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Warhammer 40k has a few automatic weapons

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:12 pm

I think nearly all 40K infantry weapons have a full-auto mode.
Many SW rifles and carbines have a full-auto, and in some cases a burst, mode.
SG-1 seems to have few alien made automatic weapons, but this can be put down to the fact that things such as the staff weapons were made as instruments of terror rather than instruments of war.
Andromeda, as already noted, does have automatic weapons.
Starship Troopers (book, movie, and series) has automatic weapons.
Trek infantry weapons seem to usualy have no automatic mode, though I suppose it's possible you could just hold down the trigger and produce a continous beam.

Actualy, it seems that nearly all sci-fi series have auto weapons. In fact, I can't think of any that don't feature them.

Blackstar the Chakat · Sat May 24, 2008 9:16 pm

Rochey wrote:Actualy, it seems that nearly all sci-fi series have auto weapons. In fact, I can't think of any that don't feature them.

I guess I should've specified energy-based weapons(Lasers, phasers, disrupters, ect).

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:18 pm

Yes, that's what I'd assumed you meant. As I've pointed out above, virtualy all sci-fi universes have them. I've yet to see one without them.

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:18 pm

Mine certainly does, though the standard infantry weapon is semi-auto only (like the modern M16A4). Not having light, or general-purpose automatic weapons seems ludicrous to me.

Blackstar the Chakat · Sat May 24, 2008 9:22 pm

Rochey wrote:Yes, that's what I'd assumed you meant. As I've pointed out above, virtualy all sci-fi universes have them. I've yet to see one without them.

Some of the major ones yes, but usually not until they have bigger budgets.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:26 pm

And? They still have automatic weapons.
And I still have yet to see you name a universe without them.

stitch626 · Post by **stitch626** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:30 pm

I can't remember... does BSG (original and new, I count them as separate universes, though I ignore the middle one) have autos.