How are people going to deal with firearms? Thread mostly aimed at the melee people

[Chris Ganale]

There's also the fantastic point of how people are capable of standing against the might of the Garlean Empire. Considering there was a rather sizable force here in Eorzea and we're all running around using all manner of "inferior" weaponry compared to their tech and even their mech suits, we were capable of standing against them without. Sure, the Warrior of Light + allies managed to commandeer one of them, but I'm referring to the basic, rank and file soldier that was fighting while the Warrior of Light was doing his heroism. If the basic rank and file soldier stood something of a chance, which they clearly did when looking at the Battle at Cartenau and then throughout all the other battles to come, then there's got to be some manner of defense implied against guns, otherwise it'd just be instant auto-kill shots.

 

As has been stated before, the rank and file of the Garlean Empire does not have guns. It's reserved for what appears to be their officers and higher. Twin Adder Mook #295 doesn't have to deal with Garlean Mook #918 shooting him, he has to deal with that mook coming at him with a sword.

[Mordred Lyloche]

As has been stated before, the rank and file of the Garlean Empire does not have guns. It's reserved for what appears to be their officers and higher. Twin Adder Mook #295 doesn't have to deal with Garlean Mook #918 shooting him, he has to deal with that mook coming at him with a sword.

 

I'm skeptical to imagine that in the entirety of the force presented in Eorzea that there weren't officers or anyone of the like that the Warrior of Light didn't deal with and instead the Grand Companies had to deal with. With such a sizable force, it sounds almost ludicrous to think that there were only three imposing figures carrying around firearms.

[Chris Ganale]

I didn't say there were only three officers. But the thing about officers, is that the kind of officer that leads from the front? Usually winds up a dead officer. Not for nothing the officers we saw in End of An Era were hanging out back by a reaper, which was acting as artillery, and opened up on the Warrior when he left his brain at home and stopped in the middle of a friggen battlefield to lift his visor and stare up at the frelling moon.

 

Short version is, you'll typically have one officer for every hundred or so mooks in a Roman-style formation like the Garleans seem to favor, and they'll be as far back from the front as possible directing their troops, so it stands to reason they won't commonly be seen in a massed battle.

 

Unless you're the kind of dick (me) that goes hunting enemy officers.

[Proud Dahlia]

 

Short version is, you'll typically have one officer for every hundred or so mooks in a Roman-style formation like the Garleans seem to favor, and they'll be as far back from the front as possible directing their troops, so it stands to reason they won't commonly be seen in a massed battle.

 

This is true, but Garleans also have artillery equipped with guns (Magitek armor, etc) that they seem to use in fairly large numbers. They also, from what I've seen if I recall, don't make regular use of any sort of non-magical ranged weaponry apart from these. Garelean units seem to be all melee infantry, mages, and magitek. As noted before, fielding mages is a very potent option, but costly. As a well-oiled authoritarian machine with a surplus of able bodies and coin in the war chest, they can spare that cost.

 

Its entirely possible that personal firearms are more symbol of office than anything especially practical, much like a military officer's saber in the real-world gunpowder era. That is not to say they aren't deadly, especially in the trained hands of the Garlean elite, but again the reason they're not so prevalent in the rank and file might simply be because they're obsolete compared to what else Garlemald has going for it.

[Chris Ganale]

The rank and file are also conscripts, not actual Garleans. Putting game-changing technology in the hands of your glorified slaves is how you get an uprising.

[Flashhelix]

I think the reason a lot of people seem like they're assuming martial weapons > firearms is because a lot of people are afraid of just the opposite. Combat RP starts, gun is drawn, and a lot of people fear they'll be ostracized just for even thinking that they can do anything against a gun, whether it's via armor, magic, weaponry, etc.

[Steel Wolf]

Perhaps...though I'd like to think (or at the minimum suggest) that rules of engagement be decided upon before the fight begins. That's just good etiquette all around, yo. :3

[DoomsdayClock]

Lho has regretfully been on the recieving end of a near death experience from a man wielding a firearm. Despite being a boastful, arrogant, and overconfident magic user..Lho sees guns as a horrible equalizer now.

So for Lho these provide a horrid sense of terror whenever they come up.

The last time one was drawn on him he patheticly curled up in a ball and pleaded.