I was just wondering, if the Ark was designed to be a prototype to study reusable energy and the like, where did all the guns come from? I can see some handguns coming in with the refugees. Same with the Security, the would have a stock of handguns for standard law enforcement, maybe one or two light rifles for shotguns or SMGs, but then where did all the mini guns, grenade launchers, assault rifles and explosives come from? I am not expecting anyone to answer this, i just want to see how the debate plays out.

They could've easier brought them or make them, since Ark was supposed to be a lab where they create multiple stuff.

They also had some kind of corps to keep order around. Making guns doesn't require that many resources.

I'm quite sure the Security was a original part of the ARK and not just formed after the refugees arrived. But also it does seem very odd for them to have miniguns and grenadelaunchers lying around.

This thing will have to go with the "it's a shooter, they need guns" argument, I guess.

Well, the Founders maybe knew that if armed strife was to happen, they needed their soldiers decked to the teeth with weapons, so they obtained weapons of all different colours and sizes?

They were most likely shipped in from the mainland. Also, since The Ark was a essentially a research facility, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a secret section used to design weapons - most likely funded by the government.

But for what reason would they have weapon-research on an artificial island which is almost exclusively designed to be self-sufficient?

Sounds like a pretty good spot to hide a weapons research lab, don't you think?

Steel, petroleum, salt peter, sulfur, brass (copper + nickel) -

That's probably the base minimum, for the kind of guns in the game anyway. I suppose it's not too crazy to think that they have crates of that stuff stocked up and could make their own.

They ARE in international waters, so none of the governments would have been able to protect them once they moved from the California shore. The world's most high tech lab would be a good target for pirates, and they would need weapons to defend themselves.

So they probably stocked up on weaponry when they got towed out into the ocean.

Yea then the ark people probably 'salvaged' more weapons off any pirates lol

I think "They got them off pirates is probably the best answer.

That or they made them somehow.

The Security has always been there in one shape or form and they were always armed. Problem solved.

The Ark also had the technology to make a nuclear reactor from scratch, I don't think machining some guns is all that impractical. As other people have said, there aren't many materials in guns that are difficult to obtain, the most important part is just the precision you make them with. The biggest question would be what they are using for gun powder, as most of them use some petroleum based ingredients, but it IS a giant research lab, so they could figure it out.

I still think that "They already had a well stocked armory" makes the most sense. "Getting weapons off of pirates" wouldn't really be an ideal plan, as you would run out of ammo very quickly.

Actually that should be the DLC or Brink 2. The Ark is attacked by pirates or some other force and the Resistance and Security team up against an external force.

They are able to keep a whole city afloat with their resources, a couple of guns shouldn't be a problem then.

At least that how it appears. Perhaps the Ark has had contact with land this whole time....

You just hate the Security.

They'd have pistols, SMGs, some assault rifles, shotguns and the like right from the start, just for security and riot control. They'd make more, bigger guns from spare parts, and get more shipped in from the mainland as the situation required.

And if refugees arrived, then couldn't they have brought guns? You can accept homemade bullets in games like Metro 2033, so why not here? At least in Brink they have the excuse of science labs and machinery workshops right from the start.

Are they homemade in Metro 2033, or re loaded? Cuz those are two very different things. Reloading is much easier, but requires old spent casings. All you need to do is get some gunpowder and mold some slugs, then press it together.

Not sure. Haven't read the book. But still, the sentiment remains.

on the Ark the tooth fairy brings you a gun each time.

seriously though, facilities can be converted for weapons manufacturing. And I'll bet the refugees brought guns. At which point they would have mostly been confiscated by security I would think. Of course they have stock before hand. And then theres the home made stuff.

Gotta suspend your disbelief some times though.

I was joking about saluaging from pirates, It wasn't an explanation as to where the resistance got weapons.

All weapons get outdated a thrown away so that's one place they might. Also stealing from the security is another.
It is more than likley that the security will have a small weapons factory. So any guns or ammo with defects would also get dumped and could be salvaged/repaired.

essentialy with 5000 people you need law enforcement. only two known ways to control a large society peacefully and one is being more heavily armed than the populace

international waters would certainly mean pirates. pirates attack cruise ships right now it's highly likely something like the ark would attract attention. the security forces would be armed to deal with such a threat. modern pirates have been known to attack ships from jetski's with rpg's, as far fetched as it sounds a seabased community would have prepeared for exactly that. and a minigun would certainly be an excellent detterent.

the weapons are easy enough to explain away using real examples

i'm more concerned about the number of people on the ark being insufficient to supply as many security and resistence as the game will have. i know thats a ludicrous concern but it will always eat at me.

The populations is said to be in the tens of thousands as the war breaks out. Seems like that could reasonably account for every combatant in the game's main story and then some.