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EVE New Citizens Q&A

 
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Lasers: Pulse or Beam

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Scynner
South of Heaven Ltd
Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive
#1 - 2013-02-06 20:42:23 UTC  |  Edited by: Scynner
Wondering what to focus on? Will be able to utilize T2 small lasers tomorrow. Mainly mission running in my harbinger. I was thinking of going with Beams to try and keep range, but I'm seeing a bunch of fits with pulse. Any advice?
Xercodo
Cruor Angelicus
#2 - 2013-02-06 20:51:01 UTC
Pulse are preferred because of the extra tracking and cause they usually have higher DPS...

They can achieve the range using scorch ammo

Until you can use the T2 ammo though I'd say just use focused beams for now

The Drake is a Lie
yopparai
ASTARTES CORP
Hashashin Cartel
#3 - 2013-02-06 20:52:45 UTC
Start with pulse lazors, you will get a lot more use out of those skill points than you will with beams.

There are a few mission ships and fits that use beam lazors, but they are not a versatile as a pullse fit mission ship.

Yopp
Scynner
South of Heaven Ltd
Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive
#4 - 2013-02-06 21:10:20 UTC
yopparai wrote:
Start with pulse lazors, you will get a lot more use out of those skill points than you will with beams.

There are a few mission ships and fits that use beam lazors, but they are not a versatile as a pullse fit mission ship.

Yopp


I appreciate the advice, but could you go into more detail about the versatility that you talk about? Looking at the T2 small pulse lasers with optimal ranges in the 5000-6000 m range, so with a DPS reduction in scorch you are looking at a 12k range. Which imo is a killer.
ISD Arkaroo
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#5 - 2013-02-06 21:39:58 UTC
Different tools for different jobs. I can say with confidence you'll want SP in both before long.

Here are the tradeoffs:

Pulse lasers are assault rifles.

They have higher tracking, allowing you to hit targets that are moving fast close to you, or while you are moving fast close to them.

Pulse lasers tend to use less capacitor to fire, making it easier to fit other active modules.

They do higher damage per second.

Beam lasers are sniper rifles:

They require more powergrid to fit then pulse lasers, and have the converse issues:

They use more cap, track slower and do less damage per second.

But, especially as you get into the battleship sized guns, the range difference starts to show. Beam lasers have a far longer range in the end.

Also, although this is not as accentuated as with artillary vs autocannons, beam lasers also do more damage in a single hit due to a lower firing rate compared to their DPS. They fire infrequently, but hit harder when they do.

This can be significant, as it means that although your DPS is lower, with the right tactics you can use this damage burst (known as "alpha strike") to insta-kill enemies, negating the DPS disadvantage for single targets. This is more a function of artillary (which have massive alpha, but a glacial fire rate) then lasers, but still, the principal applies.

Bring the right tool for the job, and you'll be fine.
Merouk Baas
#6 - 2013-02-06 21:50:45 UTC
BOTH pulses and beams.

1. You never know what you're going to need in the future, short range or long range. Depends on whatever situation you find yourself in.

2. You've already trained the longest skill, the prerequisite Regular Lasers to 5. You don't need the T2 skills trained to 5, 4 is sufficient, and that takes only a couple days. Because you've waited so long for the prerequisite, you might as well train both pulses and beams, to take full advantage of that time spent.
Zanzbar
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2013-02-06 21:57:06 UTC
Scynner wrote:
yopparai wrote:
Start with pulse lazors, you will get a lot more use out of those skill points than you will with beams.

There are a few mission ships and fits that use beam lazors, but they are not a versatile as a pullse fit mission ship.

Yopp


I appreciate the advice, but could you go into more detail about the versatility that you talk about? Looking at the T2 small pulse lasers with optimal ranges in the 5000-6000 m range, so with a DPS reduction in scorch you are looking at a 12k range. Which imo is a killer.



You usually want to use medium lasers on a bc, smaller guns have smaller ranges due to them being intended for ships that tend to have the speed require to dictate range.
Scynner
South of Heaven Ltd
Ishuk-Raata Enforcement Directive
#8 - 2013-02-06 22:00:12 UTC
Zanzbar wrote:
Scynner wrote:
yopparai wrote:
Start with pulse lazors, you will get a lot more use out of those skill points than you will with beams.

There are a few mission ships and fits that use beam lazors, but they are not a versatile as a pullse fit mission ship.

Yopp


I appreciate the advice, but could you go into more detail about the versatility that you talk about? Looking at the T2 small pulse lasers with optimal ranges in the 5000-6000 m range, so with a DPS reduction in scorch you are looking at a 12k range. Which imo is a killer.



You usually want to use medium lasers on a bc, smaller guns have smaller ranges due to them being intended for ships that tend to have the speed require to dictate range.



I've been doing level 2 missions mainly, for the speed, as the level 3's can get dicey at times...thus the small weapons. Will be working on the medium though right after.
Sasha Khaine
Ministry of War
Amarr Empire
#9 - 2013-02-07 08:30:03 UTC
Tt depends on the ship you fly and what you are using it for. At the moment I'm flying an abaddon for PvE purposes fit with 8 heavy megapulse lasers. Though I could swap to the apoc with beams for times when I need more range.

It's best to train both then fit your ships accordingly according to the situtation at hand.

[center]"The entire British empire was built on cups of tea... and if you think I'm going to war without one mate. You're mistaken."[/center]