Which weapons do you prefer to outfit your ship with? Also, which ship do you prefer to use?
Weapon Analysis:
Proton Torpedoes:
Speed: 1200 kps
Damage: 20 cm
Proton Torpedoes inflict more damage than missiles, and are much cheaper, but they are essentially big dumbfires, making them ineffective against more agile targets expect at point-blank range.
Dumbfires:
Speed: 1000 kps
Damage: 13 cm
Dumbfires do the least damage of any missile type. You are better off buying some other type instead. They also cost more and do less damage than proton torpedoes.
Heatseekers:
Speed: 800 kps
Damage: 15 cm
Heatseekers are slow enough that faster ships such as the Centurion can evade or outrun them, but they are cheaper than any other guided missile. They also inflict more damage than Dumbfires.
ImRecs:
Speed: 850 kps
Damage: 17 cm
ImRecs are a bit pricier than Heatseekers, but are a bit faster and more powerful. Additionally, they can acquire and maintain lock from any angle, making it impossible to shake them off through evasive action. Great if you can afford them.
Friend or Foe:
Speed: 900 kps
Damage: 17 cm
FF missiles are expensive, but need no target lock. Also, if the target blows up before they arrive, FF missiles will automatically head for the next nearest enemy target.
Guns Analysis:
Laser:
Damage: 2.5 cm
Charge: 16 GJ
Speed: 1400 kps
Refire: 300 ms
Lasers are rapid-firing and shoot fast-moving bolts at a low energy cost. However, they inflict so little damage that you are better off with buying heavier guns unless you have more than two of them.
Mass Driver:
Damage: 3.0 cm
Charge: 17 GJ
Speed: 1100 kps
Refire: 600 ms
Despite the slower refire rate, mass drivers have an energy cost comparable to lasers, and inflict higher damage. A decent low-cost weapon.
Meson Blaster:
Damage: 3.5 cm
Charge: 21 GJ
Speed: 1300 kps
Refire: 400 ms
The meson blaster packs a bigger punch then mass driver, with a faster refire rate, but at a slightly higher energy cost. A good upgrade from lasers.
Neutron Gun:
Damage: 6.5 cm
Charge: 37 GJ
Speed: 900 kps
Refire: 650 ms
The cheapest of the heavy-hitting guns, the neutron gun is handicapped by its slow-moving bolts, which can be more easily dodged by enemy craft. However, since fewer shots are needed to down an enemy, some pilots would consider this to be a fair trade-off.
Particle Cannon:
Damage: 4.4 cm
Charge: 28 GJ
Speed: 1000 kps
Refire: 600 ms
This is a medium gun all around--medium damage, medium energy drain, medium refire speed, etc.
Tachyon Cannon:
Damage: 3.8 cm
Charge: 21 GJ
Speed: 1250 kps
Refire: 400 ms
The Tachyon Cannon is the strongest of the rapid-fire, low-energy-drain guns, but some pilots may feel that it lacks "oomph".
Ionic Pulse Cannon:
Damage: 5.5 cm
Charge: 36 GJ
Speed: 1200 kps
Refire: 700 ms
Packing a fair punch, the Ion Cannon's bolts travel significantly faster than those from the Neutron Cannon.
Plasma Gun:
Damage: 7.2 cm
Charge: 39 GJ
Speed: 840 kps
Refire: 800 ms
The Plasma Gun hits hard, but its bolts are the slowest-traveling in the game, making it hard to hit agile targets except at short range.
Fusion Gun:
Damage: 10.0 cm
Charge: 42 GJ
Speed: 1000 kps
Refire: ??? (anybody know?)
The Fusion Gun hits harder than the Plasma Gun, and has faster-moving bolts. Well worth the extra 25% purchase cost.
Ship Analysis:
Tarsus:
Shields: Lowest of any ship (level 2 in Priv, level 3 in RF)
Armor: Thinnest of any ship (10/10/8/8 cm)
Speed: 300 kps/600 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: medium
Guns: 2
Weapons/tractor: 2
Cargo: 100 (150 with expansion)
The Tarsus is inferior all around--the Galaxy equals or surpasses it in every area. However, pilots who want a challenge may prefer to stick with their Tarsus instead of buying another ship.
Galaxy:
Shields: Medium (level 3 in Priv, level 5 in RF)
Armor: Medium (25/20/17.5/17.5 cm)
Speed: 300 kps/700 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: medium
Guns: 2 forward, 2 (top turret), 2 (bottom turret)
Weapons/tractor: 2 forward, tractor in top turret, tractor in bottom turret
Cargo: 150 (225 with expansion)
The Galaxy has more fighting power and cargo space than the Tarsus--its cargo hold is the largest in the game. The pilot who enjoys cargo runs will like this ship, but a pilot who prefers heavy combat may want an Orion or Centurion instead.
Orion:
Shields: Heavy (level 5 in Priv, level 7 in RF)
Armor: Thickest of any ship (48/50/35/35 cm)
Speed: 350 kps/800 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: poor
Guns: 2 forward, 2 (rear turret)
Weapons/tractor: 1 forward, tractor in rear turret
Cargo: 50 (75 with expansion)
The Orion is good for the defensive player, due to its unequalled shield and armor strength. It is also faster than the Tarsus or Galaxy, although it is a bit slower to turn. Its main drawback, in my opinion, is that it can only mount a single missile launcher instead of the two that the other ships can carry.
Centurion:
Shields: Medium (level 3 in Priv, level 5 in RF)
Armor: Medium (20/15/15/15 cm)
Speed: 500 kps/1000 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: excellent
Guns: 4 forward, 2 (rear turret)
Weapons/tractor: 2 forward, tractor in rear turret
Cargo: 50 (no expansion allowed)
The Centurion is for the attack-oriented combat pilot. With its four main guns and unequalled speed and agility, this ship is the closest civilian equivalent to the Confed Sabre fighter. Be aware that it has less protection than the Orion, however.
Weapon Analysis:
Proton Torpedoes:
Speed: 1200 kps
Damage: 20 cm
Proton Torpedoes inflict more damage than missiles, and are much cheaper, but they are essentially big dumbfires, making them ineffective against more agile targets expect at point-blank range.
Dumbfires:
Speed: 1000 kps
Damage: 13 cm
Dumbfires do the least damage of any missile type. You are better off buying some other type instead. They also cost more and do less damage than proton torpedoes.
Heatseekers:
Speed: 800 kps
Damage: 15 cm
Heatseekers are slow enough that faster ships such as the Centurion can evade or outrun them, but they are cheaper than any other guided missile. They also inflict more damage than Dumbfires.
ImRecs:
Speed: 850 kps
Damage: 17 cm
ImRecs are a bit pricier than Heatseekers, but are a bit faster and more powerful. Additionally, they can acquire and maintain lock from any angle, making it impossible to shake them off through evasive action. Great if you can afford them.
Friend or Foe:
Speed: 900 kps
Damage: 17 cm
FF missiles are expensive, but need no target lock. Also, if the target blows up before they arrive, FF missiles will automatically head for the next nearest enemy target.
Guns Analysis:
Laser:
Damage: 2.5 cm
Charge: 16 GJ
Speed: 1400 kps
Refire: 300 ms
Lasers are rapid-firing and shoot fast-moving bolts at a low energy cost. However, they inflict so little damage that you are better off with buying heavier guns unless you have more than two of them.
Mass Driver:
Damage: 3.0 cm
Charge: 17 GJ
Speed: 1100 kps
Refire: 600 ms
Despite the slower refire rate, mass drivers have an energy cost comparable to lasers, and inflict higher damage. A decent low-cost weapon.
Meson Blaster:
Damage: 3.5 cm
Charge: 21 GJ
Speed: 1300 kps
Refire: 400 ms
The meson blaster packs a bigger punch then mass driver, with a faster refire rate, but at a slightly higher energy cost. A good upgrade from lasers.
Neutron Gun:
Damage: 6.5 cm
Charge: 37 GJ
Speed: 900 kps
Refire: 650 ms
The cheapest of the heavy-hitting guns, the neutron gun is handicapped by its slow-moving bolts, which can be more easily dodged by enemy craft. However, since fewer shots are needed to down an enemy, some pilots would consider this to be a fair trade-off.
Particle Cannon:
Damage: 4.4 cm
Charge: 28 GJ
Speed: 1000 kps
Refire: 600 ms
This is a medium gun all around--medium damage, medium energy drain, medium refire speed, etc.
Tachyon Cannon:
Damage: 3.8 cm
Charge: 21 GJ
Speed: 1250 kps
Refire: 400 ms
The Tachyon Cannon is the strongest of the rapid-fire, low-energy-drain guns, but some pilots may feel that it lacks "oomph".
Ionic Pulse Cannon:
Damage: 5.5 cm
Charge: 36 GJ
Speed: 1200 kps
Refire: 700 ms
Packing a fair punch, the Ion Cannon's bolts travel significantly faster than those from the Neutron Cannon.
Plasma Gun:
Damage: 7.2 cm
Charge: 39 GJ
Speed: 840 kps
Refire: 800 ms
The Plasma Gun hits hard, but its bolts are the slowest-traveling in the game, making it hard to hit agile targets except at short range.
Fusion Gun:
Damage: 10.0 cm
Charge: 42 GJ
Speed: 1000 kps
Refire: ??? (anybody know?)
The Fusion Gun hits harder than the Plasma Gun, and has faster-moving bolts. Well worth the extra 25% purchase cost.
Ship Analysis:
Tarsus:
Shields: Lowest of any ship (level 2 in Priv, level 3 in RF)
Armor: Thinnest of any ship (10/10/8/8 cm)
Speed: 300 kps/600 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: medium
Guns: 2
Weapons/tractor: 2
Cargo: 100 (150 with expansion)
The Tarsus is inferior all around--the Galaxy equals or surpasses it in every area. However, pilots who want a challenge may prefer to stick with their Tarsus instead of buying another ship.
Galaxy:
Shields: Medium (level 3 in Priv, level 5 in RF)
Armor: Medium (25/20/17.5/17.5 cm)
Speed: 300 kps/700 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: medium
Guns: 2 forward, 2 (top turret), 2 (bottom turret)
Weapons/tractor: 2 forward, tractor in top turret, tractor in bottom turret
Cargo: 150 (225 with expansion)
The Galaxy has more fighting power and cargo space than the Tarsus--its cargo hold is the largest in the game. The pilot who enjoys cargo runs will like this ship, but a pilot who prefers heavy combat may want an Orion or Centurion instead.
Orion:
Shields: Heavy (level 5 in Priv, level 7 in RF)
Armor: Thickest of any ship (48/50/35/35 cm)
Speed: 350 kps/800 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: poor
Guns: 2 forward, 2 (rear turret)
Weapons/tractor: 1 forward, tractor in rear turret
Cargo: 50 (75 with expansion)
The Orion is good for the defensive player, due to its unequalled shield and armor strength. It is also faster than the Tarsus or Galaxy, although it is a bit slower to turn. Its main drawback, in my opinion, is that it can only mount a single missile launcher instead of the two that the other ships can carry.
Centurion:
Shields: Medium (level 3 in Priv, level 5 in RF)
Armor: Medium (20/15/15/15 cm)
Speed: 500 kps/1000 kps with afterburner
Turn rate: excellent
Guns: 4 forward, 2 (rear turret)
Weapons/tractor: 2 forward, tractor in rear turret
Cargo: 50 (no expansion allowed)
The Centurion is for the attack-oriented combat pilot. With its four main guns and unequalled speed and agility, this ship is the closest civilian equivalent to the Confed Sabre fighter. Be aware that it has less protection than the Orion, however.
the energy stats in the gun chart are way different from those provided by Ijuin... why?
Each game had its own technology too, remember...
) and 4 Fusion Guns in RF (of course @ a Centurion).