After running lots of scenarios with fleets of either mass plasma frigates or mass plasma cruisers I still don’t think plasma is overpowered. But I do find it highly annoying at times. Just the fact that you can spam so much of it is why it seems so good. The only solid weakness I could find to it was speed. Fast frigates destroy anything equipped with plasma. I was able to make some cruiser fleets that could handle it, but it wasn’t pretty.
If one thing changes with plasma I would recommend reducing it’s armor penetration. Make it good at popping shields, but not tearing down a ship. Make the person use missiles or long ranged beam weapons. Something like 20 armor penetration would probably be good. For frigates you will never get this high, so speed is still the only defense. But you can make cruisers that don’t just melt under waves of plasma.
Damn good point – the long arming cycle makes it far too easy for divisions of fast attack frigates to zip up to close range and massacre you. Umm, not that I’ve actually done that to anyone, of course [activate=FALSE MODESTY; intensity=82%]. Yes, massed 30-point plasma warheads will quickly mash a frigate’s defenses like tissue paper in your fist, but the wait as your launch tubes cool before firing again…well, that sure aids in game balance, indeed.
I must reluctantly agree. Having it be such a great anti-shield and anti-armor weapon at the same time is somewhat unbalancing. Either keep both attributes but dial them down, or keep one at the expense of the other. I would be pleased if plasma was the #1 anti-shield weapon, with a modest anti-armor effect as well.
I’d rather keep Plasma as a the jack of all trades weapon (ie good at penetrating both armor and shields) but if consensus is reached on them being overpowered, dial down the damage.
I agree with Harathan, I like plasma as a versatile weapon class that can do both shields and armour, but isn’t brilliant at either. Perhaps it should use more power than it does, instead of doing less damage?
Yes, massed 30-point plasma warheads will quickly mash a frigate’s defenses like tissue paper in your fist, but the wait as your launch tubes cool before firing again…well, that sure aids in game balance, indeed.