Player Features and Ideas Discussion

What happens with lasers where reloading isn't a thing?

Instead of rapidness, those lower-tier weapons could get a boon by having a targeting resolution halfway between the normal size and the next size down.

I'll use railguns as an example, because everyone loves railguns. On the medium side, a dual 150mm railgun (D150) has a resolution of 125m. For the smalls, a 150mm railgun has a resolution of 40. That's a difference of 85. Cutting that in half, this proposal would give the Dual 150 a resolution around 83, halfway between 40 and 125, slightly erring in favor of a larger resolution.

This then works for lasers too because it doesn't relate to reloading.

I don't know if all the dual/quad weapons have the same relation to their smaller counterparts, but in this case the D150/150 have a lot of stats in common. Same optimal and falloff. Makes sense. The D150 already has worse tracking, since it's a size up. Again, makes sense.

So weapon for weapon, with the smalls still having better tracking and a smaller resolution, you'd still be better off using a small weapon against a small target. But at least the D150, being a medium weapon, would utilize the bonuses from cruiser hulls and still be a viable weapon against small targets, considering you're already trading off range and damage to get a halfway decent chance of hitting smaller targets.

Perhaps the specifics could use some work, but I think it has potential.

Whilst we're dreaming (and you're dreaming) where are my "smaller" missile launchers. Not rapid, the equivalent of:

Dual 180mm AC
225mm AC
425mm AC


They are all "medium" sized. I get....heavy assault missile launcher.

Don't tell Mr. Hyde that. In fact, most fits I found for the dual XLASB Sleipnir used 220s at a minimum.

But their tracking and fitting don't make up for the DPS. Otherwise they wouldn't be the "Well, I can't actually fit the bigger gun" option. Maybe we can't find a way to get the 180s to compete directly against 425s, but I think we can find a way to give it a purpose in life.

It looks like you can do 425s without the bling if you're willing to swap out a Gyro.
Well, most of it. Those MACR II's aren't cheap. But then, you can go down to the MACR I if you're also willing to go down to 220mm.

And maybe my EFT-fu is weak, but I'm seeing very little DPS difference between a triple Gyro 180mm and dual Gyro 425s.

Edit: Not that the idea of "I can make a fit work with smaller guns" is something I'm opposed to. I call it out in the OP after all. But I'm not seeing why you'd need two extra versions of each weapon for that purpose.

180 version still tanks more, since you can drop the MACR for another resist rig. Either thermal or explosive, whichever you prefer.

Tracking of 180s is far superior to that of 425s, and will track frigs very well on their own. Yes the 425s work with the sleip since you can still squeeze in 2 neuts, but that is one example. You have the hurricane, stabber, vagabond, scyfi, rupture, and probably a few more ships im forgetting that regularly fit dual 180s. XLASB stabber or XLASB+LSE vagabond are good examples.

The main reason is so you can squeeze in a decent tank without gimping the fit with fitting mods. I will list another example. This is my own personal fit for a fleet hurricane. Im using my phone, so it wont be well formatted.

x6 180s
meta3 medium neut
meta3 small neut

Meta4 scram
meta3-4 web
Fed navy 100mn afterburner
medium micro jump drive

x2 gyro
x2 Energized adaptive nano membrane
T2 DCU
Meta4 1600 plate

x2 trimarks
MACR (i think, it might need t2).

Its 81k EHP, can still dictate range on most brawlers, can neut out cruisers and frigs with ease and MJD away from kiters. Ive used this fit with great success, and 220s or 425s will not fit, unless you sacrifice a neut maybe, which would be dumb. You gain maybe 30 more dps and 1km more falloff... not worth it.

Low tier weapons allow flexability in fitting so the person can make a ship that fits their goals. Turning these weapons into a rapid gimmick will ruin many ships that brawl with these weapons. You can kite with RLML/RHML. You cannot kite with quad light beams or 180s (unbonused for range anyway). Stick a RLML caracal in a frig blob. Once it has no missiles, it just waits to die.

Recheck the afterburner. Its a 100mn AB, not 10mn. 10mn with plates doesnt have the speed to out manuever frigs/t3d, especially 10mn ab t3d.

Ah, ok - good catch. I was paying too much attention to FN, and didn't notice I had dropped the prop a level.

Yep.

And the smaller bore size gets better tracking. While not an option many use...it is there. for pure frigate/drone popping on frigs I have used 125's in the past. Little bit of an edge better than nothing, especially when you know your targets will be slippery fish.

But I tend to lean towards applied damage. Better damage of the biggest bore can not be the green grass people see it as. It has to hit and hit well to hurt. Smaller bores, not a lot of room to put in tracking mods/rigs....can get you some more help there..

It be nice if we got this for missiles. different variants same class...does some voodoo magic to some aspect to missiles well covered in the fix missile threads. All missiles get is change ammo. I am excluding the obligatory use paint someone will say....I am looking at pure hull only. that and paint helps both so lets remove it as a common factor. Web same lines and not factored in.