Clearer labeling of race specific weapons would be nice. For instance the howitzer or some others.
As for comparing weapons, it would be very useful if all the data was always in the same cell. So if a weapon has a max range, another weapon has their max range printed in the same place. If a wapon doesnt have a certain stat (Say fuel) that cell is left blank. Quick comparison would be very handy, saves having to re read or learn off the wepons.
I want this to, It’s rather annoying trying to compare a stat and you have to keep looking for the stat.
Agreed on all counts.
It’s like a little logic puzzle when you unlock a new race (i.e., Alliance), go to the design screen and start looking for a specific weapon, but can’t find it because there’s a few missing and a race-specific weapon in place, which knocks the whole sequence you’re used to off.
And I hate trying to find the min, max and optimum ranges on a weapon that is missing one bloody stat. It’s jarring.
good thing they don’t inter-space missiles with lasers!
I think looking through the NPC ships that the Fusion Beam has race specific flourishes on its stats.
For example…?
In fact, if memory serves, only the Federation and Rebels have the Fusion Beam available. Alliance has the Fusion Torpedo kind of in its place, but for Empire and Tribe it is simply missing.
any differences in stats?
I will check. yes there is I recorded these stats on paper by hand so sorry if there are any errors. I’m thinking of changing my Main Cruiser Lines Beam weapon to the Rebel Fusion Beam, I’m worrying about the Min Range though, Cruiser Lasers range in the Attack Orders is like 340. As a Rebel player I’m jealous, the Federations Fusion Beams Min Range is like only 15 points higher then the standard cruiser beam laser. Oh and Imperials and Alliance do have there versions of it, they are called the Imperial Beam Laser and the Alliance Beam Laser with there own variation, but the Tribe doesn’t.
Rebel Fusion Beam
Cost 109
Weight 102
HP 105
Power 12
Crew 8
Damage 60
Shld Pen 22
Armr Pen 72
Range 800
Tracking 0.85
Firing Interval 3000
Opt Range 650
Min Range 310
Federation Fusion Beam
Cost 112
Weight 79
HP 105
Power 16
Crew 8
Damage 52
Sheld Pen 24
Armor Pen 60
Range 705
Tracking 1.50
Firing Interval 2500
Opt Range 600
Min Range 275
Ah. I hadn’t compared the stats, and since I don’t think I’ve ever tossed the Fusion Beam in there, I simply didn’t notice that it was basically the same weapon. That actually makes some sense.
Actually the Alliance and the Imperial beam lasers aren’t fusion beams, but they are there own little flourishes on the beam laser like the fusion beams is, I wonder what the difference is supposed to be between race specific fusion beams and race specific beam lasers?
I hadn’t specifically compared the Fusion Beam to the Beam Laser either. I think the first couple of times I glanced at the Fusion Beam I decided it was a bad fit for whatever reason, and then never really got back to looking at it as a primary weapon. And since its requirements aren’t well suited to filling in holes (that’s usually quantum blasters or the like) I haven’t looked at it in detail since.
I don’t use any weapons apart from the cruiser laser, GSB and the supercharged tractor beam!
And fiddling with several ship designs last night, I find that the fusion beam (at least for Federation ships, which I was building) serves apparently no purpose for my style of play. I use either a beam laser or a proton beam.
Really? You don’t like that tracking of 1.5?
I tried fighting the Alliance in Defending Sirus Mission the first one after the tutorial, its the mission I deem whether my ships are good enough or not and I try to keep my honor gains at 10k plus, because I do know that the NPC ships aren’t as powerful as player ships, I use it as a first test to determine if my ships are any good (my 2 cruisers and 1 or 2 fighters) and I have come to the conclussion you always need at least 1 armor cracker whether it is the generic beam laser or the species specific one such as the Federation/Rebel fusion beams or the alliance/empire cruiser beams I always need something to pound through that armor, or you won’t break there ships.
oh yes, if there are no fighters, I replace the tractor beam with a heavy plasma cannon. Otherwise, crits all the way, baby!
EDIT
(it does help I mass deploy them. you get quite a lot of crits from seventy cruiser lasers!)
I’ll agree that its tracking speed is an attractive feature. Problem is, in order to squeeze the Fusion Beam and its power/crew requirements in, I seem to always wind up having to shuffle around power generators and crew modules, which almost invariably winds up with a ship that is both slower and more expensive. For myself, I find that when I need decent tracking speed and damage, it’s usually easier to use an escort frigate.
But like I say, it appears that’s just sort of the way I play.
It is also much easier to destroy a escort frigate, so I the way I play, I don’t use them!
I’ve noticed that some reace weps are tied by similar game strat (like the Alliance weps are lowere power requirements and have shorter ranges) etc
maybe the Imps will get their own shield in the future