# Hello all + Question about energy weapons



## Criticalus Jules T. Geek (Nov 30, 2010)

Hello all. I'm attempting to write a story that involves energy weapons. Basically, the weapons are electricity based. They fire a pulse of electric current that's sure to cause damage. 

The question is: should there be a beam of light or something? You see it all the time in movies and shows, but I'm thinking that it might be just for show. Any feedback or ideas?

Thank you!


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## Scarlett_156 (Nov 30, 2010)

About Taser guns, from Wikipedia: 



> A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation"[1] and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) technology".[2] Someone struck by a Taser experiences stimulation of his or her sensory nerves and motor nerves, resulting in strong involuntary muscle contractions. Tasers do not rely only on pain compliance, except when used in Drive Stun mode, and are thus preferred by some law enforcement over non-Taser stun guns and other electronic control weapons.


 
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taser

Tasers work with wires to carry the electrical shock to whoever is unfortunate enough to be in the way.  What you're talking about is of course a little more futuristic. 

Any weapon capable of firing a pulse of electrical charge at a target would necessarily be quite heavy and hard to use, given current technology (thank goodness!).  The power charge would either have to be stored (as in a battery) and kept viable somehow until needed, or there would have to be some sort of generator in the weapon capable of producing a powerful enough electrical charge instantly. 

Naturally, there's no reason you can't have some sort of small-yet-powerful pulse-firing weapon in your story; it's really between you and your reader whether you can maintain believability in your story or not.  I just watched a movie about an old guy who escapes being sent away by tying a bunch of helium balloons to his house and floating away!! (Disney/Pixar's _Up_). Totally outlandish, totally unrealistic, but I loved every minute of it.  For another example, even as a fifth-grader I knew that the "phasers" Capt. Kirk and his posse used to shoot bad guys in space were mechanically implausible--that certainly didn't keep me and my friends from pretending that our walkie-talkies were weapons.  It's your story they're going to like or dislike, not the technology in the story. 

Anyway, I hope that helps.


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## Criticalus Jules T. Geek (Nov 30, 2010)

It does help. I want it to be a bit different. Most science fiction portrays energy weapons as a beam, and that just doesn't fly with me. I suppose what I'm looking for is something along the lines of the weapons found in the Mass Effect game series. They use thermal clips and something close to conventional ammunition. I want something a bit different, but it still has to make sense. Thanks again.


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## Tsaeb XIII (Nov 30, 2010)

Scarlett_156 said:


> It's your story they're going to like or dislike, not the technology in the story.


I must say that personally, while I read for the story, completely unbelievable technology detracts rather significantly from my enjoyment of a story. Taking your example of Up, while the movie as a whole was pretty decent, every time the balloons started to do crazy stuff, I wanted to stop watching (s'pose that's part and parcel of being an engineering student, but nevertheless...). 

My general rule when it comes to thinking about sci-fi technology is that some explanation is better than none. An energy weapon is implausible. If you generate a high enough voltage, air does becomes a conductor, but controlling the direction of the current flow would be difficult - it'd probably discharge directly towards earth. Therefore, if somebody just told me that the weapon charged up and fired, I'd have serious doubts. On the other hand, if it fired some sort of projectile first, which "attracted" the current discharge, given the material advances that could be made between now and a sci-fi setting, that would be enough for me to believe it. If you at least try to justify the weapon, even if it's difficult to believe, it'll be easier to accept than someone just saying "it works 'cause it works". As for the beam element, if you were passing a significant enough voltage across air to cause it to conduct, the energy dissipated would probably cause some sort of visible change - after all, that's what lighting is. Charge builds up, accumulating a potential difference with the earth, and when it reaches a high enough voltage for air to conduct, it discharges. So something like the Red Alert or Wolfenstein tesla weapons would probably be a believable visual effect if you were using electricity as a weapon. As I mentioned earlier, aiming them is the real issue that you'd have to justify for me to believe it.

The other thing to consider is, as mentioned above, the power supply. Your best bet is probably to emulate a spark plug, and use a coil with a constant current running through it. When you're ready to fire, you cut the current, and a rather high voltage is generated, which gives you your spark. Anyway, hopefully this is helpful


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## Criticalus Jules T. Geek (Dec 1, 2010)

Thank you. Good input, very helpful.


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