Speaking the same language
TERMINOLOGY
Table of Contents
Stopping Power
This term can cause a lot of debate in and out of Star Citizen. For the sake of clarity in the analysis in this page, the below will be the operational definition.
*Remember for this and all definitions below: We are discussing a video game, not the real world.
Definition
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The ability of a weapon to stop a threat.
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This does not require an immediate fatality or even a mortal wound. Nor does this mean the enemy needs to fall flat on the floor. Let's not forget, engagements could occur in Zero-G's where an adversary could simply stop moving.
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If a weapon can cause a mortal wound that takes 5min to kill the enemy, this is poor stopping power. If the weapon can immediately bring an enemy to a standstill, unable to return fire or cause any further damage to friendlies, then this is high stopping power. A taser, in this way, can have high stopping power. Again, this is the definition used in the studies on this site. If you ever want to spark an argument, ask a room full of FPS gamers or real-steel shooters what stopping power means. You'll hear a ton of different answers.
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Is Stopping Power the end-all-be-all of lethality? Of course not. If you carry a 50cal but can't hit the broad side of an Origin 800i, your hand cannon isn't doing much good. While Stopping Power is a critical variable for weaponry, it's not the end of the discussion. See Shot Placement for more.
Shot Placement
Where do YOUR rounds land? Not where you think they should based on the movies, but where do they really land? Do you hit the target in a critical area or skim their shoulder? Coupled with stopping power, your shot placement is essential to your combat effectiveness.
Definition
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How accurately and precisely you land your shots.
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This goes hand-in-hand with Stopping Power. Your Shot Placement is perhaps the most important variable to your engagements, and arguably the most critical skill you can maintain.
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Shot Placement vs. Stopping Power
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See Stopping Power definition above.​
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When is shot placement more important than stopping power? Simple. If you can hit the target in between the eyes immediately stopping the threat, whether you pulled this off with a 9mm or 50cal will not change the result. Can the 50cal do more damage? Of course. But if you can get the job done with a scalpel, using a sword is likely for a different discussion.
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Then why does Stopping Power matter? To oversimplify - we're not all John Wick and this is again, a video game. To hit a target in the chest is perhaps the easier shot, but whether this "stops" the threat now comes down to the round you fired, the shot placement, and the armor of the target. Want better odds of stopping the threat in a short amount of time, assuming you are not always immediately penetrating the armor with a kill shot? Mass wins.
Suppressive vs Effective Fire
Definition | Suppressive Fire
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The purpose of suppressive fire is to make the enemy less effective. If the fire keeps your enemy's heads down and deters them from making tactical movements/advancing, this is successful suppressive fire. You may want to completely trap your enemy in place (including stopping them from retreating) or simply keep them from moving towards friendly forces or seeing your friendly forces advance/escape. The key point here is that causing casualties is not the main objective, thought it could be a welcome side benefit.
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Suppressive fire can be delivered by infantry, armor, ships, artillery (none yet in SC, we know), etc. A squad that knows how to suppress the enemy while friendly forces prepare a flanking maneuver can prove quite lethal on the battlefield.
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In Star Citizen, suppressive fire's success can vary based on the game's evolution itself. Suppressive fire is promising damage/harm/death to your enemy if they move from their current position. But in a game where (as of this writing) the cost of death is low, this will diminish how "threatening" suppressive fire can be. That being said, as death becomes more costly (not just in terms of resources but potentially time as well - a key currency in tactics), suppressive fire may gain more validity.
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Definition | Effective Fire
This fire is meant to cause direct damage and casualties. A "call for effective fire" is referring to that objective. It's important to understand the difference between this and Suppressive Fire. They are two very different methods to employ.