On the dangerous end of a Raygun. (Opinions required).

[Dr cornelius quack]

It's like this, you see.

I'm working on another version of my 'Astrogator' series and have a question about the pointy end.



Now, as it stands, it has a flat slotted disc at the muzzle, which sort of looks OK, but, I have this odd nagging feeling that a raygun ought to have a pointy bit.

You know what I mean. Some sort of electrodey, dischargey, focusingy type thing.
I mean, It's sort of expected. Isn't it?

Input please.

Is this some deep seated unconscious cultural expectation?
Does it matter?
I am aware that Douglas Adams had very clear thoughts on this one, but what does the team think?

[Lady Chrystal]

I don't see why it would need to be pointy. If the slotted disc could spin whilst the gun powers up noisily, that would be very menacing - it would certainly let you know you were at the wrong end of said weapon.

Or maybe a light shining on the back of it - blue feels quite theatening to me...

[Herr Döktor]

I though the dangerous end was the one you were holding, but I digress...

The pointy bit (as we shall now call it) is something of a trope, but some do buck the trend:



Mine seen to be flaring or have a sphere these days, so there's several trains of thought right there...

[Steam Titan]

electrodes can be neat and all. I know on my steam/ray guns that are gonna be lightning based I like the idea of an electrode at the tip to focus and fire from. Cabinet knobs work well for that.

[Dr cornelius quack]

Hmmm? This raises several questions.

1. What is the most threatening colour?

2. Should it be a blinking light?

4. Does it depend on what one's raygun fires?

5. What has that imposter done with the 'real' Marvin?

6. What happened to question number three?

[Steam Titan]

Hmmm? This raises several questions.

1. What is the most threatening colour?

2. Should it be a blinking light?

4. Does it depend on what one's raygun fires?

5. What has that imposter done with the 'real' Marvin?

6. What happened to question number three?

1. Red tends to be viewed as aggresive and threatening.

2. Blinking or solid could work quite well. Or lights up when trigger pulled or such.

4. I tend to think so. I use blue tubes etc for electricity based stuff most of the time out of pref for that color to signify electricity.

5. Stuffed him in a trunk than put in storage in a crate along with other historical artifacts to never be seen again.

6. It fled in terror because seven eight nine

[Hollywood Jim]

Looks great !!

Can you bend the 10 little disks back at a 45 degee angle and not have them break?  It would look more pointy like, the way you want.

[Mr. Boltneck]

The most obvious practical reasons to have a pointy bit at the end of a raygun would seem (to me at least), to be either for creating a discharge point for a high-voltage generator of some sort, or if it is for equipping the sort of low-level stooges that like to march people around, jabbing them in the back with the pointy end and yelling things like "resistance is useless!" If I ever have minions, they will be re-educated out of such bad habits, of course. Not only because it's needlessly rude and tacky, but because it's using a ranged weapon at personal distance, and that's just asking for trouble.

[von Corax]

The Strohl Munitions BH-209 Plasma Cannon is notable for having a wide aperture:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

allowing your target to clearly view the Glow of Doom which, combined with the Ommminous Hummm of the warmup cycle, makes the BH-209 particularly intimidating at close quarters.

[Hektor Plasm]

The Strohl Munitions BH-209 Plasma Cannon is notable for having a wide aperture:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

allowing your target to clearly view the Glow of Doom which, combined with the Ommminous Hummm of the warmup cycle, makes the BH-209 particularly intimidating at close quarters.

Seconded! And a nifty personal propulsion system too... 

HP

[Mr Addams]

As a general rule of thumb,
Electrical discharge weapons should be pointy or conical,
Plasma weapons should be flared like a funnel, &
Particle accelerators should be long and cylindrical, preferably with at least one coil somewhere along its length.

[Dr cornelius quack]

As a general rule of thumb,
Electrical discharge weapons should be pointy or conical,
Plasma weapons should be flared like a funnel, &
Particle accelerators should be long and cylindrical, preferably with at least one coil somewhere along its length.

Oh, good!!
In that case, I've got all the bases covered.



Anyone want a Raygun?

[Herr Döktor]

As a general rule of thumb,
Electrical discharge weapons should be pointy or conical,
Plasma weapons should be flared like a funnel, &
Particle accelerators should be long and cylindrical, preferably with at least one coil somewhere along its length.

Oh, good!!
In that case, I've got all the bases covered.



Anyone want a Raygun?

Ooh! Nice hardware!

[Major Vincent Smith]

That one 4th from the left (v pointy one) looks likeit would finish off the end of the raygun nicley! 

[navydoc8778]

The open chambered one (3rd from Left) seems like it fits the flow of the rest of it quite well also. Very similar in the basic areas to an m-16/m4 muzzle break.


(my very uninformed opinion...please excuse if I am waltzing on toes)

[Dr cornelius quack]

As a general rule of thumb,
Electrical discharge weapons should be pointy or conical,
Plasma weapons should be flared like a funnel, &
Particle accelerators should be long and cylindrical, preferably with at least one coil somewhere along its length.

Oh, good!!
In that case, I've got all the bases covered.



Anyone want a Raygun?

Ooh! Nice hardware!

Yes. And only a small part of the collection.

[oldskoolpunk]

Of course, real directed energy weapons look like telescopes.

[celephicus]

Sir,

I have found the series of flanged discs mounted on a common shaft the most efficacious. They don't actually do anything, but they look like they get extremely hot and have to dissipate a lot of heat. As prior art I give you the uppermost pointy bit of all models of dalek, and they were a common trope in 1930's pulp SF art, and William Gibson's "The Gernsback Continuum" refers to them as: "Lots  of  them featured superfluous central towers ringed with  those  strange radiator  flanges  that were  a signature motif of  the style, and made them look as though they might generate potent bursts  of raw technological  enthusiasm, if you could only find  the switch
that turned  them on.". They originated with Art Deco I expect, I should find out the inspiration.

Flanged discs on a common shaft are also practically non-existent as engineering components in the Real World*, so they have a certain novelty value, and you have to make them yourself out of various sizes of washers. For extra marks make the first one concave so it looks like a reflector. The stack should be finished up a Pointy Bit^TM, with or without a small knob.

Hurrah for flanged discs!

[Dr cornelius quack]

Of course, real directed energy weapons look like telescopes.

What?

Like this?


(I include this image mainly because it was the mob I work for who did the light show on this gig.)

[Hektor Plasm]

...Flanged discs on a common shaft are also practically non-existent as engineering components in the Real World*, so they have a certain novelty value, and you have to make them yourself out of various sizes of washers...

Au Contraire.... in the circles of Those Who Bother The Aether Quite Rapidly they are quite common-

eg:-

http://andycowley.com/valves/power/rf/2C39A/2C39A-03.jpg

as an example. I am sure there are more impressive devices out there 

Hurrah indeed for flanged disks!

HP

[Dr cornelius quack]

How about this?

[Steam Titan]

How about this?

looks good to me

[Herr Döktor]

How about this?

Oh Yes! It's always good to have a knob on at least one end of a raygun...

[Siliconous Skumins]

Oh Yes! It's always good to have a knob on at least one end of a raygun...

Now why did that make me think immediately of Lady Clankington?....

SS

[Hektor Plasm]

How about this?

Oh yes. I can almost see the vortex forming in that area....     Goggles on!

HP