Particularly looking for what each weapon 'should look' like. Like Masamune Shirow draws a lot of fictional slugger guns but we know they work based on gun features.
Just read this post on the quality of different particles in a beam weapon to have variety in a scifi story: https://www.reddit.com/r/MawInstallatio ... cientific/
Particle Beam Weapons
Charged Particle Beams: Can be deflected by electromagnetism, may need laser to create a path in atmosphere. Range greatly decreased in vacuum?
--Using Protons: Big energy requirements
--Using Electrons: Lesser energy requierments, can intercept neutral beams
Neutral Beam: Not affected by EM fields, rapidly loses power in atmosphere tho'?
Aesthetics...
A Sonic Hedgehog loopy thing makes particles go fast
![Image](https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/sites/default/files/styles/2015_inset_one/public/images/standard/Accelerator_InLine_Synchrotron.jpg?itok=H8Tzl0Zr)
So circular, disc shaped bits on a particle beam weapon are cool:
![Image](https://wiki.evageeks.org/images/thumb/9/90/NGE_positron_rifle_composite.jpg/800px-NGE_positron_rifle_composite.jpg)
What do you figure that 'torch' at the end of the barrel is for? The canister above the barrel could be coolant or providing the tiny hedgehogs to speed up.
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Lasers: Using multiple lasers in one 'cannon' is a cool aesthetic. Usually 'pulse' to cause stuff to break from rapid heat expansion. Diluted by dust, fog, certain mirrors but that's tricky to get right. Does it really matter what spectrum the laser is?
--Electrolaser: Laser plasma channel for a lightning bolt. EM field should greatly affect this yeah?
Aesthetics...
So the Donkey Kong Barrel contains multiple lasers focusing on one point, that's cool. Fiberoptics... carry the laser energy? I don't know but it lets you have a backpack and cool hoses going to a shoulder cannon
![Image](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/99/35/5e/99355edd750f0a3eb66015d4da4e188a.png)
Read that heat is a big big issue, so fans and liquids running around the laser barrel is cool.
Antimatter- used as a bomb, emits gamma rays. Gamma rays too tricky to use as a directed energy weapon.
Coilgun: Is that hardon collider already a coilgun? Uses magnet magic to throw stuff affected by magnets really far.
Railgun: Simpler, can be smaller like a man portable recoilless rifle vs a tank cannon
Aesthetics...
Railguns are square 'cause they got two rails to throw things
Coilguns got thick fat barrels for the coils
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Plasma: particle beams cover exotic ranged attacks, so this setting's plasma is a short ranged 'melee' weapon. Plasma torches and 'scalpels' are already real.
Is it somewhat plausible to emit plasma along an edge though?
High Frequency Blades: Vibrates fast to wiggle molecules apart. What's somewhat plausible technology to get such vibrations. Does it have some overlap with electromagnetic stuff?
Monomolecular edge: What are some ways to achieve that, crystals?
--Monowire: What would it be made of? Weighted at both ends so it can forcibly go through things? Counters would be blowing it away, freezing, burning yeah 'cause it's monomolecular?
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So... energy shields. Electromagnetic fields are cool but what 'could' the generators look like? A circular disc is very shield-ish, rods that stick out or spin are also neat.
Read about plasma run through mesh to deflect charged particles: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn ... mars-trip/
Not quite sure how that looks though.