It was OK, I guess, but there wasn't anything new about it. Just some simple weapons designed to be used by all races where possible. I was hoping for something higher tech and more fun.
I will yield the point on high tech weapons. KITBAG 1 is strictly slug throwers from TL 5 to TL 10. Lasers and some other higher TL goodies will appear in future KITBAGS (I’ve seen drafts), but no books dedicated to very high TL stuff has yet appeared, so the KITBAGS will be hit and miss for you if this is your number 1 priority.
However, “Just some simple weapons designed to be used by all races where possible” deserves some comment.
From the introduction:
“There are two ways to approach the concept of a universal weapon system. One is to try to create a single weapon that can be used by anyone; the other is a modular approach which attempts to cover all eventualities by allowing the user to put together a range of weapons suited to many different applications.”
So the first two weapons are indeed a pistol and carbine “designed to be used by all races”. The rest of the guns explore the “many different applications” side of the equation. Overall, these are intended as the ‘ubiquitous’ weapons of Traveller … found everywhere without being completely boring.
For example, my personal favorite is the Heavy Hunting Weapon.
A group of intrepid adventurers arrives on a TL 5 backwater confidently superior in their cloth armor and gauss rifles and generally contemptuous of the backwoods militiamen. Until they see the heavy armor-piercing local rounds punch through the hide of the local fauna (and suddenly feel less safe in their vacc suit ‘armor’). And for up close and personal, these TL 5 ‘bumpkins’ have the use of any special shotgun shell from any Traveller book or TL that can be fired from the same ‘common’ hunting arm.
An all-purpose SMG/shotgun is available. Nothing extraordinary but it has some nice color text, a picture and is generally useful – something one might find in a typical ship’s locker.
A Modular Weapon System with lots of interchangeable parts that can create a range of weapons for a variety of situations.
Your “wasn't anything new about it” is an opinion which some will agree with and some will disagree with so that’s fair, but “Just some simple weapons designed to be used by all races” is a bit too general and, IMO not completely accurate.
Thank You for taking time to comment, it really is appreciated.
