01-11-2017, 10:02 PM
Handheld laser weapons wouldn't really be suitable for combat until more than a couple of hundred years from now; they will have to wait until compact, high density power sources are available. Luke didn't really put a timescale on the development of laser weapons- but we can assume that good laser blasters won't be available until the mid- to late-First Fed era.
Plasma cannons have the problem that the plasma expands thermally over time, so they have a limited range. In the meantime projectile weapons will also be improving- some of the best guns in OA are actually explosive bullets (like Boom Bullets) which contain tiny amounts of antimatter (presumably in shockproof traps of some sort). I'd venture to say that smart or hyper-powerful projectile weapons will be the weapon of choice for a great many uses.,
Plasma cannons have the problem that the plasma expands thermally over time, so they have a limited range. In the meantime projectile weapons will also be improving- some of the best guns in OA are actually explosive bullets (like Boom Bullets) which contain tiny amounts of antimatter (presumably in shockproof traps of some sort). I'd venture to say that smart or hyper-powerful projectile weapons will be the weapon of choice for a great many uses.,