In my opinion, called shot should be more difficult. Expert marksmen don't have to hit moving targets while in live combat. If called shots aren't going to be difficult, then players are going to use them every round that they can.
Update #6 is live!
Our group playtested Accurate weapons with an alternate rule: the bonus damage dice are only granted if you spend a Full Action aiming. We liked the way this rule played; it let you fire quick snap shots that did "only" 1d10+4 damage with 3 Pen when needed, but if you really wanted to put the hurt on somebody you'd take a Full Aim and let loose on the next turn. Telescopic sights already have this limitation built in so it doesn't require any core rule changes, and the lack of a Bracing requirements prevents awkward rules abuse with suspensors/Bulging Biceps.
I really like the fact that a good aimed shot with an Accurate weapon can take out an average enemy in one hit. So many games have no way to one-shot enemies with a sniper from hiding using RAW, but the Accurate weapons can do that and feel great to use. Therefore, I think nerfing the damage is not a good idea because it saps much of the fun out of Accurate weapons. Restricting the bonus damage to Full Aimed shots keeps the high damage potential but makes the players work for it a little more.
Enemies can also counter sniper-wielding players by shooting them while they are Aiming. If the player elects to Dodge the hit, they lose their Aiming bonus. This encourages more tactical combat as players are encouraged to snipe from a safe position rather than running about in the open 360 no-scoping n00bs.
This is also an indirect buff to Called Shots. Since players have to spend a Full Action aiming before they can get the bonus Accurate dice, they will be more inclined to spend their following turn to make a Called Shot. With the talent that lowers penalties for Called Shots, they'll only miss out on the +10 to hit from Single Shots. Called Shot would not be objectively better than a normal attack in all situations, but it would be far superior if your target is in cover.
Honestly, the ability to hit a target behind heavy cover in the location of your choice is quite a strong ability. I don't think Called Shot really needs a buff -- IMO it should be used when you really want to hit a specific location on a target, but in normal circumstances a Standard Attack would be superior.
Edited by Covered in WeaselsRemember, a +0 is still challenging.
In my opinion, called shot should be more difficult. Expert marksmen don't have to hit moving targets while in live combat. If called shots aren't going to be difficult, then players are going to use them every round that they can.
They are more difficult.
The "problem" is that with the OTHER changes that are introduced (compared to DH1) They become ALOT MORE difficult.
Consider DH1. Called shots are Hard (-20). Not just Difficult (-10), but Hard.
In DH2, they are still Hard, but they are now also a Full Action (so they take longer), and the "baseline" they compare to (Standard Attacks) have become Ordinary (+10).
So what used to be a -20 difference has become -30, AND it takes longer so you can no longer mitigate some of the difficulty by Aiming.
Thus, in a single turn, you used to be able to do either a) Aimed Standard for a +10 shot, or b) Aimed Called Shot for a -10 shot.
Now, you choose between a) Aimed Standard for a +20 shot, or b) Called Shot for a -20 shot.
The difference is doubled.
For no real reason.
Edited by Darth SmegYes! That is my point exactly.
-20 Full Action
VS
+20 Half Aim + Standard Shot
I don't mind it being hard, but the current state is absurd. A -20 Half action changes it up to be useful, though a -30 modifier would let you just aim your shot where you want practically (to equal DH1 after single shot modifier)
Also, on that note.
Last session my PC made a shot on a thick wire cable to knock out a "turrets" power supply, that was a -30 before range, but with half aim and single shot I could mitigate the penalty. If it was a person's hand let's say it would be -20 before range, but with no +10/20 chance to bring it in my favor, I would have missed.
Hitting particular parts in the middle of a firefight is really really hard . MUCH harder than in this game system, where people are freakishly accurate.
Hitting a wire cable -- what, 5 cm in diameter? That's really really hard . Try it. Throw a rock a a 5-cm spot from 10 meters away.
Edited by bogi_khaosaThrowing is harder, than hitting it with a gun with any kind of sights.
This is an Imperium of Man cable, thick, big and banded, think the kind you see on a lascannon.
Shooting a 5-cm cable, or 10-cm cable, from any distance in the middle of a firefight is going to be hard, period.
This is smaller than a housecat.
Which is why it was the smallest size penalty.