quote:
Originally posted by Noble713:
When the Yamato was destroyed, I've read she was even using her 18" guns to try and shoot down fighters. With 18" HE rounds you don't exactly need to _hit_ a fighter to rip it to pieces.
Gee, you'd think the Wave Motion Gun . . . oh, *that* Yamato . . . never mind!
Seriously, I think part of the concept of PD weaponry, and the reason for its exceptionally high damage, is a high rate of fire that can be distributed across a number of targets, like the members of a fighter squadron. Those 18" shells still needed to tap into something to be set off, and a concentrated energy beam, even if it does produce a splash effect upon impact, still needs to connect to "detonate".
This is completely my individual interpretation, of course, but I picture anti-ship weaponry as being designed for maximum penetration against armour and shields - one big bLast instead of multiple small ones. I also see them as being mounted in ultra-precise mountings for targeting over extremely long ranges, not in quick-aim "swivel mounts" like PD weaponry would use.
With all the room in space to fly in, fratricide can't be much of an issue and there's no point in flying close formation under the situations modelled in the game. I think it makes both logical and game-balance sense, especially considering the cost of fighter research, to make most weaponry able to take out only one fighter per hit and I think there should be a decent to-hit penalty assessed for trying to nail such a small target. I can see how there might be other cases, such as the capital ship missiles, as well as the PD cannon which could qualify for killing [damage/fighter strength] fighters in one blow but I don't think the majority of weaponry should be able to perform that feat.
As for how the improved fighters available in the full game will change things . . . well, I'll have to wait and see, or take the input of the beta-testers, to know about that. It might well change the whole balance issue but somehow I doubt it unless they are really *much* faster.