It's hard to get around the obvious upsides of a gun in settings that have guns. I think making the learning curve for guns way steeper would be better. Your aim is shaky af, longer time between shots, shitty accuracy at range and it should tske way longer to level up to being very useful than melee and also don't give every enemy npc guns and ammo. I'm mostly thinking Fallout rn, wouldn't play Stanfield even if I could. Guns and ammo should also be really rare and usually locked up or hidden, not just laying on a table or whatever.
I made my own post apocalyptic TTRPG and was aiming for some degree of realism. Guns were borderline none viable as anything much more than a threat. Almost none worked, the bullets they had were probably all you'd ever find so you maybe have like 2 shots and then you may as well toss the gun and you suck at using them, there's no real time or place or extra bullets to practice. There was a chance it'd just backfire and blow your hand off. This counted for enemies as well. So either side having a firearm was basically just being able to pull out a total wildcard that's super dangerous.
See, I dig it. Quick trip to the hardware store and you have any number if old fashioned weapons quickly and easily. A few bits if scrap wood amd you got an an atlatl that can quietly take down someone as far as you cna see them in a city.
No one thought to make an atlotl, I would've for sure let them, but many spears were made out of random stuff which worked okay. I think the top tier player weapons were rusty hatchet and piece of rebar with a bit of concrete on the end.
It's hard to get around the obvious upsides of a gun in settings that have guns. I think making the learning curve for guns way steeper would be better. Your aim is shaky af, longer time between shots, shitty accuracy at range and it should tske way longer to level up to being very useful than melee and also don't give every enemy npc guns and ammo. I'm mostly thinking Fallout rn, wouldn't play Stanfield even if I could. Guns and ammo should also be really rare and usually locked up or hidden, not just laying on a table or whatever.
Guns are ideal for killing someone at 30 to 100 feet away. More or less than that and things get weird.
I made my own post apocalyptic TTRPG and was aiming for some degree of realism. Guns were borderline none viable as anything much more than a threat. Almost none worked, the bullets they had were probably all you'd ever find so you maybe have like 2 shots and then you may as well toss the gun and you suck at using them, there's no real time or place or extra bullets to practice. There was a chance it'd just backfire and blow your hand off. This counted for enemies as well. So either side having a firearm was basically just being able to pull out a total wildcard that's super dangerous.
See, I dig it. Quick trip to the hardware store and you have any number if old fashioned weapons quickly and easily. A few bits if scrap wood amd you got an an atlatl that can quietly take down someone as far as you cna see them in a city.
No one thought to make an atlotl, I would've for sure let them, but many spears were made out of random stuff which worked okay. I think the top tier player weapons were rusty hatchet and piece of rebar with a bit of concrete on the end.
That kinda thing does take a bit of practice to get right though
If they thought to make an atlotl I'd just let it give a bonus to range and power cause being clever should have rewards.