Forums » Suggestions
Exotic weapon: The Plasma Trace Cannon
As always, I am bad at naming things.
Over the years we've seen beam weapons in-game, from the training sector turrets to the old HAC-mounted ones. Whenever players would ask for their own beam weapon, however, the response was "This whole game is about dodging moving shots, and a hitscan weapon would break it and be essentially unbeatable." Which is 100% correct. But for fun, I was thinking of how a beam weapon could possibly work in a balanced way, and I came up with the Plasma Trace Cannon:
Basic stats:
Large Port Weapon
Mass - 1200kg
Energy/shot - 15
Ammo: 300
Delay: 0.15s
Damage: 300/s
Range: 100-250m*
The concept of the weapon is this: When you fire it, it continues until it hits someone and then stops, but hangs in space for 5-10 seconds. Anyone who makes contact with the beam will then take damage for as long as they're in contact with it. If it doesn't hit anyone, it will go to its maximum range of 200 meters and hang at that distance.
The design philosophy is this: You can't damage anyone directly, because it stops just short of its target, but otherwise functions as an area denial weapon. I think a turreted version of this would work nicely on a capship, functioning to keep harassing fighters off while not actually being able to destroy anyone at longer distances, but the standard version could be used offensively, if situationally.
All of this, especially the range, is up for debate. I certainly don't think this is a foolproof design, but I think it has potential to be interesting and shake things up just enough.
Over the years we've seen beam weapons in-game, from the training sector turrets to the old HAC-mounted ones. Whenever players would ask for their own beam weapon, however, the response was "This whole game is about dodging moving shots, and a hitscan weapon would break it and be essentially unbeatable." Which is 100% correct. But for fun, I was thinking of how a beam weapon could possibly work in a balanced way, and I came up with the Plasma Trace Cannon:
Basic stats:
Large Port Weapon
Mass - 1200kg
Energy/shot - 15
Ammo: 300
Delay: 0.15s
Damage: 300/s
Range: 100-250m*
The concept of the weapon is this: When you fire it, it continues until it hits someone and then stops, but hangs in space for 5-10 seconds. Anyone who makes contact with the beam will then take damage for as long as they're in contact with it. If it doesn't hit anyone, it will go to its maximum range of 200 meters and hang at that distance.
The design philosophy is this: You can't damage anyone directly, because it stops just short of its target, but otherwise functions as an area denial weapon. I think a turreted version of this would work nicely on a capship, functioning to keep harassing fighters off while not actually being able to destroy anyone at longer distances, but the standard version could be used offensively, if situationally.
All of this, especially the range, is up for debate. I certainly don't think this is a foolproof design, but I think it has potential to be interesting and shake things up just enough.
For clarification, are you imagining something like sticking an energy sword to the front of a ship? Or something like a shield turret/mine, where it drops an object in space (and if an object, a spear or vaguely like a can of silly-string)?
I think it's something like an energy sword. Atleast that's how I imagined it while reading. As long as this doesn't block damage from other weapons or block missiles, I don't see an issue with this. All weapons have a range more than 200m anyway.
+0.5. I don't see a reason why it shouldn't be there, but I don't particularly see what it would add to the game either.
+0.5. I don't see a reason why it shouldn't be there, but I don't particularly see what it would add to the game either.
I think both could be explored, but my initial idea was that of a standing object, almost like bars sitting in space. I feel the stationary beams would be less prone to abuse.
Would the bars standing in space move with the ship they have been fired from?
They would hang in space. Otherwise you could end up boosting and using them offensively - again, trying to think of all potential forms of abuse here.
Maybe they could start with your ship's velocity and quickly slow to a stop, actually.
I think them hanging in space would be more abused. They would essentially turn into nerfed lmines with huge amounts of ammo, but which bots can't shoot down. One could pretty much lay a field of these around their capship using a BHM2 with these chainfired. Thus creating a wall of death around it which will kill the Arklans standing still shooting the capship.
Boosting and using them like a jousters lance would be a legitimate use IMO. New tactic in combat: stab em through!
Boosting and using them like a jousters lance would be a legitimate use IMO. New tactic in combat: stab em through!
As per the OP, they're only meant to last a few seconds. They wouldn't be able to be stacked in numbers sufficient to instakill anything - and bots instinctively dodge shots, as well.
Regardless, if it's being released as an object that hangs in space for whatever duration, I think it should be released as a high-ammo mine, which is destructible like other mines. Also, how wide do you propose this beam should be? That would heavily influence its usage, as well as its abuse-ability.
imaginative