Increase PD Range

I’ve been screwing around with finding ways to counter missile block fleets without having a fleet that’s bad against everything else, and I realized that regular point defense lasers wouldn’t be so awful if they actually had some range. Their main problem is that by the time a missile comes in range, they can only fire off one shot before the missiles hit. I think their range should be boosted to around 450 at least so they are actually a viable option to use instead of the guidance scrambler, but that’s just me.

Yeah, they can shot just one time, but they are suposed to be slow, adding a scanner = more effective, but if you want more effectivenes just mod it…

Point defense, Qwepir? Awww, come on…the Guidance Scrambler still loves you, even if you don’t love it back. :wink: Even if PD guns’ range did get buffed such that the outer edge is 450 or even 500, the extra reaction time likely won’t beat the GS’ performance. I’m not even sure it can be matched under those conditions.

Depending on the density of an oncoming missile wave, one GS can be about as effective as three or more PD guns of whatever sophistication you choose. You can try to buff some muscle back into the PD concept via modding, but I find it’s usually quicker to stick with the GS in quantity throughout my cruisers. It’s regrettable that Cliffski made such a performance gap between the two missile interception methods, as it means that cruiser PD is seldom used. It’s still used on frigates sometimes, but only because there aren’t any GS’ for those hulls. :confused:

On the subject of PD turrets, I will say that frigate PD doesn’t seem to be nearly as useless as I thought at first. I designed a simple Fed frigate to use in a punching-bag fleet (i.e. for testing my own ships) and stuck in one PD turret just for S&G. I am surprised at how well three or four of those frigates can block moderate missile/rocket fire. Will they stop a dedicated missile spam salvo? No. But then, I’ve never had any luck really stopping that kind of missile fire even with scramblers.

And I will say (technically repeat, since I know I’ve said it somewhere else on the forum) that I think a big reason the scrambler is so overpowered in comparison to cruiser PD is that PD turrets have the “fire_interval” variable, while the scrambler does not. So the scrambler winds up with an insane rate of fire.

My two cents anyway.

I know the guidance scrambler is great, but it’s so great it’s just a direct upgrade. There is literally no reason to use any point defense systems. I think they should be different somehow, like having point defense be a longer range weapon to be able to shoot down missiles headed for other ships. On the other side, the guidance scrambler does a better job of misdirecting missiles, but the short range means it only really protects the ship it’s installed on, and possibly anything really close to it.

Also I don’t know how to mod the game :frowning:
If anyone could help me with that, I’d appreciate it. I’m running a community forum game on another forum, and I don’t think it would be fair to the participants to get killed by missile blocks that they couldn’t even hit.

Come into the light, my dear friend…come into the light. Join us here, and all your questions will be answered.

yesssssss…

join ussss… join ussss… JOIN USSSS!!!

sorry couldnt resist >:D

Don’t do it Qwepir! Its a conspiracy! Its a- urk
Yes, please, visit the modding forums, You may find you never want to leave…

I kinda figured it out on my own. I didn’t know changing stats was as simple as editing a text file.

" . . and as the very essence of GSB unfolds before his eyes, there comes realisation of the unlimited potential . . ."