Weapon

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Combat in Second Life

There are a variety of types of combat, and therefore of weapons, in Second Life. See Combat for a discussion of the types of combat and damage that exist.

Weapon Purpose: Inflicting Damage

Second Life supports the ability to damage an avatar with a device. In brief, a weapon is such a device that reduces a quantitative health statistic (AKA Hit Points) as permitted by local SIM or land plot conditions.

Generally, when an avatar's health is depleted--Hit Points reduced to 0--the avatar automatically telepoprts to its Second Life "Home" location. However, there are combat systems existing that allow a 0-health avatar to remain in the location, usually with limited permissions (for example, when your avatar is reduced to 0 health, your avatar is unable to stand or walk without some form of intervention such as virtual medical attention).

Other types of 'damage' for Second Life weapons includes inflicting inconveniences such as

push weapons to move an unwiling avatar
trapping weapons to immobilize or cage an avatar.

While any primitive can be used as a weapon, this article focuses on scripted objects intended to inflict health-style damage on an avatar or group of avatars.

Weapon Types

There are hundreds of weapons in Second Life to choose from. They can be classified in several categories:

Category 0 - handheld

Melee Weapons - Any prim that inflicts damage while remaining in the possession of the attacking avatar. This includes claws, knives, clubs, swords and such. Beam weapons such as flame throwers, lasers, light sabers, and dragon's breath are likely to be melee weapons rather than projectile weapons.

Category 1 - ranged

Basic Guns - Devices that inflict damage through instantiating and moving a physical projectile to inflict damage on a remote avatar. A gun itself remains in the possession of the attacker. Basic guns include slingshots, bows, crossbows, firearms, railguns, and siege engines: any object that flings projectiles that damage the remote target. In Second Life, projectiles generally die (self-delete themselves forever) when they strike a target. Projectiles or bullets generally can be stopped by "shield" systems invented for this purpose.

Advanced Guns - Guns that instantiate and move intelligent, non-physical "tracking" bullets. Tracking bullets typically are set to seek a specific avatar by name or intelligently pursue an identifiable (visible) avatar. Trackign bullets cannot be stopped by any but the most advanced (and expensive) defense systems.

Category 2 - complex

Explosives - These range from basic explosives such as hand grenades, through general bombs, to the most deadly nukes (weapons that kill everyone within 96m of the detonation point in a damage enabled area).

HUD Weapons - There are several quality HUD based combat systems available.

Robots and Turrets - These can be remote controlled, or set to fire on certain targets automatically.

Annoying Crap - Stuff like caging guns, anything that flings people into the air. Considered "noobish" and frowned upon by experienced combat people.

For more information, see Combat

Weapon Damage

Weapons in Second Life can inflict the following types of damage.

Kill with one hit
Partial damage from physical bullets
Push
Shieldbreaker
Caging - can confine an avatar

Weapon Quality

Free weapons tend to be badly scripted such that they cause lag and other problems. Second Life weapons are a case where you really do get what you pay for.