The Tempest thread (confirmed 100% weaponry free)

While I believe that the AI should have some means to defend itself and its population, there's just no way they could defend themselves from such a threat. They are 100,000 strong ffs, they should count themselves lucky if they can defend themselves from a menace comparable in size with the Spanish military.

Agreed.

Perhaps, but the story development that leads to this design choice is still unknown.  Some have suggested it's ideological others have suggested it's legal. It also may not be addressed at all.

I'm beginning to think that I want out of this chickenshit outfit.

This we don't know yet with precision.
A strike team of crazed, bloodthirsty animals ready to be deployed when the diplomatic face of the pathfinder fails to... solve the situation, could be an interesting incentive to listen to the well-mannered invaders from another galaxy…
But here we’re stretching the realm of interpretations to suit best our perceptions, so I would just agree that a weaponless Nomad is silly. We will see the rest in game, I suppose.

In their defense, your suspension of disbelief seems to be held together with paperclips and duct tape, it shatters so easily.

No, not really. Its the same argument with civil gun ownership. Why own shotgun if you can simply call the police when someone breaks into your house? The police is well equipped to handle such situation - no brainer, right?

Well, I own a shotgun - reason is it takes the police about 15-20 minutes to get here, in an emergency that time span is an ETERNITY for being defenseless and could very well get me killed before the law enforcement officers arrive at the scene to fuck up the criminals.There is pretty much no drawback to owning a gun (if you know what you are doing) so for me it makes absolutely zero sense NOT to have one in my house. If somebody breaks in I go get my weapon AND call the police. 

Same can be said about the unarmed NOMAD and Tempest. Sure, you can call the cavalry from the hub to save your asses , but wouldn't it be a lot better if you can call the cavalry AND put up a good defense till it arrives, to avoid casualties? Like, with heavy crew-served weapons from the NOMAD and aerial support from the nimble Tempest so you're not a sitting duck? Also, I can see no real drawbacks from having heavy weapons on vehicles, for example rockets have a lot bang for their buck, you can put those on the lightest aircrafts (even drones) and have the ability to destroy tanks. 

I agree.  I'm more intrigued by this than turned off by it.

I have difficulties understanding your perspective then, living as I am in a country where the procurement of firearms for normal citizen is difficult and generally acknowledged as unneeded. Even when (Or especially because) I’m unfortunately able to break bones bare handed, I would be very open minded dealing with races of a new galaxy, preferring a brainy approach of a sort, studying potential menaces for longer than necessary on long range scanners, before trying a first contact face to face approach.
If the risk factors are too much for me or my companions, I wouldn't even bother with that, sending instead the Apex as first approach.
But as I've said we're talking interpretations here.

Our ship may be unarmed but our crew certainly isn't. Not if those gameplay videos are anything to go by. They're like 90% violence. I guess the Tempest is like a Trojan horse. We look innocuous enough, but let us land on your planet and we will f--k your s--t up!

True, still I believe the size of the stick we're debating here is a matter of personal interpretation (very Freudian, btw): if the role of the Tempest is akin to the SR71 from real life, I doubt more weapons would really make a difference. And it could also be a matter of inspiring trust with the locals at our first contact.

Also, now that I'm thinking about, I believe any member of the Pathfinder crew should be able to jury rig a nuke with the materials at our disposal on the ship. I mean, it isn’t so hard, with the technical know-how. So, maybe we’re not that defenceless from locals threats?