: I remember sort of wishing that they hadn't mentioned pattern buffers in the
: terminals at all when first playing. The effects such a device would have
: on a society would just be too bizarre. But if it creates conversations
: like this on the forum, it's all good!
Have you seen "The Sixth Day"? I imagine it would be something like that type of effect. In fact pattern buffers could easily be used for quick and easy human cloning, or replication whatever the hell you damn well please.
This is how I've always explained the Marine's ability to carry something like the SPNKR around without it being obviously on his back (aside from just "engine limitations"): he has in his suit or his cybernetics somewhere a portable pattern buffer that stores his entire inventory, which is managed (put away/retrieve) via a neurally-controlled display in his helmet interface.
Maybe the WSTE-M5s enigmatic reloading mechanism uses something similar... just beam the ammo into the chamber. An interesting extension of that for a weapon might be something that just beams, say, a toxin, straight into your enemy; or more lowtech, beams a rock into his chest. Of course any kind of energy shield would probably deflect against this type of attack.
