Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

Back to the torpedoes vs. missiles question: are we talking about the anti-matter/quantum torpedoes, or the Plasma Torps you get at the top of the seeker tech tree (after missiles)? I agree about the AM/Q Torps being completely different from missiles. However, the plasma torps are fairly similar to missiles (seeking weapon, long range); the major differences are that Plasma Torps have better speed, better damage resistance, and better damage at short ranges. The damage drops below missile damage at mid- to long-range, but I think the Plasma Torps also have better range than missiles (or at least the higher-level Plasma Torps have better range than missiles).

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

Yes, in my original question I meant Plasma Torps, I never even got to the point of researching Quantum Torps. Are those good?

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

CSM V: 0.8 damage
PM V: 1.0 - 0.27 damage

From close up, you get more damage. With the extra speed, you face fewer turns of PDcannons. Both factors help you get more bang for your buck, but if you want an extreme-range artillery effect, go with CSMs.

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dragonlord:
10: Ripper Beams...am still not really convinced, maybe they get better at levels 3 or 4...but a level 1 or 2 is useless compared to other weapons I had at that stage. (I loved the level 5 phased weapons!)
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've tried to use them in both SE3 and 4 by loading up destroyers and such with them, trying to make some kind of fast attack ship, and it's never worked. I think someone mentioned the following ship design/tactic in another thread:

Baseship hull
make sure the weapons are put in the following order:
Massive Mount Tractor Beam
Massive Mount Ripper Beams (a bunch)
Massive Mount Repulsor Beam (at least 1, maybe 2 or 3)

The plan is for the tractor beam to grap a ship from across the tactical map, pull it in to close range, gut it with the ripper beams, and then push it back across the screen again. You're opponenent ends up with a wrecked ship that isn't in position to even fire back or ram something.

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I've tried to use them in both SE3 and 4 by loading up destroyers and such with them, trying to make some kind of fast attack ship, and it's never worked.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>You definitely need a tractor beam for them to be effective. The longer the range the better.

In SE3, they were useless on offence, but kicked *** on defence.
As the defender, you got to move just before the firing stage, so you could catch up and rip em a new one before they could evade.

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 22 June 2001).]

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dragonlord:
Yes, in my original question I meant Plasma Torps, I never even got to the point of researching Quantum Torps. Are those good?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

From suicide_junkie's post(s):
damage rating (damage per turn per Kt space)
Anti-Matter Torp V: 0.625, normal
Quantum Torp V: 1.25, normal

Which means the Anti-Matter Torps are fairly weak, but the Quantum Torps are among the better heavy weapons. IIRC, the Quantum Torps have pretty good range as well; don't recall the ranges on the Anti-matter torps.

Speaking of range, the main reason to use Hellbores is that they're one of the few range 8 direct-fire weapons. The damage at range 8 is kinda small, but at least you can do damage that far out.

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Which means the Anti-Matter Torps are fairly weak, but the Quantum Torps are among the better heavy weapons. IIRC, the Quantum Torps have pretty good range as well; don't recall the ranges on the Anti-matter torps.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>AFAIK, quantum torps are merely an extension of AM torps with more powerful warheads. As you research torpedo tech, AM torps turn into quantums.

Levels 1 - 5 give you torpedoes with increasing range and a slowly rising damage, then levels 6 - 10 give your torpedoes increasing damage only.

It's just like the electric discharge vs the lightning gun. Exact same thing, just a different name halfway through.

Thus, you can't really compare them like two different weapons. I only included them as seperate entries because they have a different name.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Speaking of range, the main reason to use Hellbores is that they're one of the few range 8 direct-fire weapons. The damage at range 8 is kinda small, but at least you can do damage that far out.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Aside from the Shield Regenerator V, the WMG is the only other error from SE3.
Since the battle grid was enlarged, all of the weapon's ranges increased as well, except for the WMG in SE3, the WMG had the same range as the longest-range missiles, and more than any other beam weapon. IMO, the WMG should not be extended to range 20, but some increase is definitely needed. I set my mod weapons to 11,12,13 range for the three tech levels of WMG.

Re: Many (semi) newbie questions...advice requested.
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
Which means the Anti-Matter Torps are fairly weak, but the Quantum Torps are among the better heavy weapons. IIRC, the Quantum Torps have pretty good range as well; don't recall the ranges on the Anti-matter torps.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by suicide_junkie:
AFAIK, quantum torps are merely an extension of AM torps with more powerful warheads. As you research torpedo tech, AM torps turn into quantums.

Levels 1 - 5 give you torpedoes with increasing range and a slowly rising damage, then levels 6 - 10 give your torpedoes increasing damage only.

It's just like the electric discharge vs the lightning gun. Exact same thing, just a different name halfway through.

Thus, you can't really compare them like two different weapons. I only included them as seperate entries because they have a different name.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's been a while since I bothered with the AM/Quantum Torps, mainly because the AM Torps are fairly weak, and I don't want to bother researching long enough to get to the Quantum Torps. I discussed them as separate weapons because I couldn't remember if they're in the same weapons family, thus allowing you to upgrade an AM torp to a Q torp. Or if they're like the High-Energy Weapon series, which (IIRC) doesn't allow upgrading from Ripper Beams to Incinerator Beams to WMGs.

[This message has been edited by DirectorTsaarx (edited 25 June 2001).]