Phase Shields?

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Oggy

Oggy

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Okay, so in WCI captial ships didn't have phase shields and they could be destroyed with your ships guns
in WCII, the ships have phase shields and require torpedoes to destroy them
in WC III/IV we are back to non-phase shielded ships and being able to destroy them with guns again
and in prophecy ships have phase shields again, so I am confused
what happened from WCII to WC III/IV to make ships go from phase shields to regular shields
:confused: <-----me
 
I am pretty sure Nap is right about that. IIRC, VS says something in that direction in the weapons section. Something like "with the upcoming shield breaking technology"...
 
oh okay, I wasn't trying to argue or anything, I had just never heard that before... a good explanation though!
 
Corvettes

Didn't the corvettes in WC2 have phase shields as well? Its been such a long time that ship stats are long forgotten, but I do remember you could kill the Kilrathi corvettes with nothing but guns in WC2. IIRC, this caused me problems in one mission because my light fighter swept by it on a patrol sweep, ignored it (because I thought it needed torpedoes), and then couldn't land because the corvette was at the extreme range of the Concordia's detection radius.
 
Actually, ship stats arent forgotten at all. Just ask Loaf. Or, you can always check the CIC ships database. They actually get talked about alot here. ;)
 
The corvettes' shields were probably just not strong enough or the corvettes didn't have enough power to stand up to gun fire.
And in Academy (the game), it describes the Wraith's reaper guns as developed to punch through phase shields.
 
So then...
Every cap ship from WC2 on (including the Corvette - I double-checked it) has phase shields. As the Corvette demonstrates, it IS possible to punch through phase shields with fighter cannons. This probably means that phase shields are a more efficient form of shielding than what cap ships had in WC1, but that Corvettes don't have enough power to regenerate them fast enough to counteract the guns on the Epee.
In WC3 and 4, the guns are uprated faster than cap ship shielding is, so the thickness of the shields once again becomes important.
In WCP, shielding has again outpaced weapons development, and both the Confed and the Nephilim (who have *amazingly* similar shield stats and set-ups despite the fact that the latter is a completely alien race :p ), and destroying the shield emitters becomes an important part of sinking a cap ship.
When (if?) we see WC6, I'm curious as to how the shield/weapon interactions will work.
 
Originally posted by Hoops
The corvettes' shields were probably just not strong enough or the corvettes didn't have enough power to stand up to gun fire.
And in Academy (the game), it describes the Wraith's reaper guns as developed to punch through phase shields.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I think you mixed sth up. The Wraith carries the Leech missile which can disable a cap ship's shields so that you can destroy the ship with your normal guns. But the Wraith's guns alone, albeit very powerful, can't punch through a Ralatha's shields.
 
Oh well. I distinctly remember reading something about a newly developed gun that could penetrate phase shielding. I thought it was the reaper guns on the Wraith in Academy, but I just read the stuff about the Wraith and the Reapers in Academy and they don't mention anything. And the description for phase shields says only torps, maces, and leeches can effect phase shields. And I'm sure it's not any other game (tho, Wraiths are in Armada).
 
Those too, but I was talking about from the Academy manual which doesn't mention either (probably because there's only one cap ship in the game.)
 
There's no fighter mounted weapon in the WC universe I recall being able to penetrate phase (in the WC2 sense) shields besides the plasma cannon from WCP, maybe your thinking of that one.

The Academy manual does mention the AMG and (Yes, I know I am annoying ;) ) there are at least two capital ships in WCA (Dorkathi and Ralatha), not counting the space station.
 
Corvettes in WC2 have phase shields.
You can kill a corvette with an Epee (which never carries torpedos).
Hence fighter mounted weapons other than torpedos (and, of course, the ever popular Mace) CAN penetrate the shields, but only if certain conditions are met (presumably, the Corvette can't provide enough power to the shields to rapidly regenerate them).
 
As I said phase shields in the WC2 sense, thus meaning no fighter mounted weapon can penetrate them. Keep in mind that every Capship shield is a phase shield even those from WC1.

For my part, I always considered that they made a mistake for the Kamekh's shielding in the WC2 manual (bad intelligence) but I have to say that I like the idea of the Kmaekh not having energy to recharge them quickly enough, it fits well.
 
Funny, I always thought the corvette having phase shields thing was a mis-print. Happens a lot in manuals. And I got tricked by that too, I also used to leave the corvette alone when flying that first Epee patrol with Spirit. One day I was shocked when I ordered her to break and attack, only to find her killing the corvette.
 
Phase transit cannon

was discontinued after constant problems, that's on the confed side, the kilrathi continued to employ them on the dreadnoughts right?
 
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