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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Andor" data-source="post: 2783439" data-attributes="member: 1879">Sure, but they're big, bulky, and non-lethal.The big problem with energy weapons is energy storage. Right now chemical energy is our most efficient means of energy storage, even the Air Forces anti-missle laser is chemically powered. If we had an efficient, light, and safe means of storing absurd amounts of energy and (as importantly) getting it out of the storage medium at combat speeds then you might start seeing lethal energy weapons. But for now a bullet is our best means of both storeing and delivering energy. In the Lensman series they didn't switch to handheld energy weapons untill they found a material that can store 10% of its' mass in energy. (They routinely measure energy by mass in that series.) And even so they still use ballistic weapons where called for. If you consider a planet a ballistic weapon. Now granted in a SF setting you take it as given that some means of storing weapon useful amounts of energy compactly has been invented but it doesn't automatically follow that ammunition has stopped being a concern. The amount of radiant energy needed to quickly kill a human being is immense. To be really effective you'd probably use a laser tuned for efficient absoption by water so you turn a cylinder in your target to steam causing burns and pressure damage. (IE: People go boom instead of cauterizing.) Of course that means you've got real issues in nasty weather.Personally I find the physics we haven't invented yet weapons like Nivens 'digging tool' almost more plausible than infinitely firing laser pistols.</blockquote>

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