quote:
Originally posted by Neb:
I beg to differ, ranged weapons will not necessarily ALWAYS dominate the battlefield as they are usually more or less useless in close combat, and once someone invents teleportation technology(If they ever do) then it would simply be a matter of equipping some people with close-combat weapons, which are usually not quite as useless as ranged weapons in close combat, and teleporting them within close-combat range of the people armed with ranged weapons.
If that ever happens then ranged weapons won't dominate the battlefield, or how about a very foggy battlefield? More chance of hitting friends than foes and opponents can easily get to the troops armed with ranged weapons without getting noticed under cover of the fog.
Or perhaps in a very dense jungle or forest? The trees would get in the way of the projectiles and those not armed with ranged weapons could then get close and attack their foes.
Sorry Nebbers! You're talking to military experience on this one. The only melee weapons that even exist now are bayonet knives and you could spend the rest of your life trying to find a soldier that ever used one for something besides opening his rations. Firearms are just as effective in close combat as ranged. The bullet is at maximum velocity as soon as it leaves the barrel. Fog doesn't affect artillery, you never had to see your target to begin with. Map grid locacations and mathematics are all you need to nail targets. Guided weapons use IR signatures or laser guiding, so fog is no biggie there either. It doesn't help mind you, but it doesn't cripple either. No sir, as romantic as the sword is, it's fairly useless in modern combat.