Measuring weapon effectiveness

[Shaft]

At present, it seems that determining the best weapons can be difficult.  I am assuming that the pulse rifle is awesome based on the name and price.  It would be nice to see weapon stats to make better decisions about what weapons to equip.

Here is one idea.
Have the weapons broken down into:
- shots per volley
- damage per shot
- reload time
- list special properties at the bottom

It might be more visually appealing to have them in bar form, where the more the bar is shaded in, the better.
Special properties might be "sets target on fire" or "destroys objects" for fire based and explosive weapons respectively.

[Tynan]

There will be a weapon stats card you can inspect.

[Spike]

One thought that I've had on the weapons is that maybe you should generalize them a bit more.  Right now, you have Pistols, M-4s, Uzis, Lee-Enfields....  Would it be better just to go with a more standard Pistol, Hunting Rifle, Assault Rifle, Sub-machine Gun, etc?  (Plus I don't know what kind of, if any, flak a trademarked name might bring.)

[British]

Having specific names for weapons is a good thing, as having those called as you proposed would make the game feel streamlined and dull, IMHO.

[TankaaKumawani]

We could come up with names that maintain the feel of real-world weapons without infringing on copyrights.

Pistols:
Savanna Special R6 - Light Pistol
Sweeper MP9 - Machine Pistol
Komodo P44 - Heavy Pistol
Firefly FG1 - Flare Pistol

Longarms:
Muffalo BR77 - Bolt-action hunting rifle.  (We might as well make them the game's mascot, right?)
Legionnaire AR19 - Assault Rifle
Buckminster SG12 - Shotgun
Stuhl MG77 - Machinegun

Heavy Weapons (vehicle, tripod, or autoturret):
Clydesdale MG12 - Heavy Machinegun
Viridian AC25 - Autocannon
Big Mike HW76 - Howitzer
Steel Toe VM90 - Mortar

How about those?

[Dragula]

I think having named weapons is a good idea instead of generalization. I'm more of an action/combat oriented player but it increases tactical options by a long shot. pun intended

-Revolver; slower rate of fire(single/double action) and more stopping power. Short range.
-Pistol; faster rate of fire but less stopping power. Short range.
-Rifle, bolt action or semi-auto; Slow rate of fire, high stopping power. (very)Long range, increased with scope.
-Submachine gun; High rate or fire, decent stopping power. Short-mid-range
-Assault rifle; decent rate of fire, high stopping power. Mid-long range
-Machinegun, high rate of fire, high stopping power, large spray, deployable to increase accuracy. Short-mid range
-Melee; deadly or neutralizing. Short range

I could come up with loads of weapons for each category but this might be a bit elaborate for such a game. If these categories aren't already.

Steel Toe VM90 - Mortar

Name it it "Muffalo toe" and i'm in

[Morrigi]

Personally, I see generalized weapons as doing more harm than good, especially in a game like RimWorld. In using such a system, the game sacrifices believability and depth for....what?

In my mind the more variety there is to weapons the better, especially with such a solid combat system. Many weapon types allow the player to make more tactical decisions and take advantage of the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Question: Will handheld weapons require some form of ammunition eventually?