Launchers
While not strictly firearms, launchers include rifle-like weapons designed to project grenades and other special-purpose ammo downrange. At the extreme end of the spectrum are shoulder-fired launch tubes and recoil-less rifles suited to high intensity Mil-Spec operations. All launchers are bulky, somewhat unwieldy, heavy weapons with long ranges but limited accuracy against point targets.
Present day launchers are bulky compared to small arms, but significantly smaller compared to their ancestors. Single user, person-portable and used to deliver their devastating anti-vehicle munitions to their targets. Many are single use and disposable, while more advanced versions can be reloaded or take a variety of payload types.
Many are mass produced, surplus from WWIII and ongoing corporate conflicts around the world and are commonly available on the black market, regularly seen in use on the streets of New Carthage.
Be aware, person-portable launcher systems may be used as unwieldy blunt weapons in hand combat, but using them for their intended purposes requires no skill of any kind. Instead, your ability to hit your target is defined by the quality of the munition's guidance system. This may be further be affected by the agility of the target, its heat/radar signature, weather, range, or other factors.
For specific in-game use information, see help launchers
Missile Launchers
As missile launcher technology hasn't changed much over the years, the end result is still similar. Smaller, lighter, made of cheaper materials and much easier to produce, the primary improvements come from miniaturisation of targeting technology, being able to decrease the size of the munitions while keeping explosive payloads the same, and the ability to mass produce them on better scales. As a result of this, there are many cheap, disposable missile launchers available, though ageing and degradation of munitions occasionally sees the launcher explode in the hands of the user in an often spectacular fashion.
Recoilless Rifles
Recoilless rifle technology has improved significantly due to corporation's interests in arming their heavy infantry personnel with the ability to dump large munitions into fortified enemy positions, tanks, and gunships. Newer recoilless rifles are entirely self contained, single user units that can be easily carried and readily moved about the battlefield. Some of the key improvements over its ancestors are advanced targeting systems in the rifle package as well as the addition of self-adjusting kamikaze guidance systems and micro-thrusters to the ballistic payloads.