On Laser Effects [poll]

[WaffulMann]

Working on a big list of what the community suports, I just wanted to know what the community wants.

NOTE: The last 2 options should be this:​

• I want lasers to not disappear but lose damage over time​
• I want lasers to not disappear but lose damage over time and distance​

 

[ToyotaSupra]

Lasers to not disappear but lose damage over time.

I voted this, but I'd rather they were kept the same if paired with a sniper style kit. I always thought of kinetic being the sniper and laser being short range for some reason.

 

[WaffulMann]

Lasers to not disappear but lose damage over time.

I voted this, but I'd rather they were kept the same if paired with a sniper style kit. I always thought of kinetic being the sniper and laser being short range for some reason.

Added option
SHIT, MISTYPE --> "retain all damage but lose damage" should be "lose damage"
I can't edit the options now ): Mods plz?

 

[ToyotaSupra]

Retain all damage...but lose damage as well...I'm sure Schema in his infinite feline wisdom can code that in.

Yeah Site Guys can we have an option to edit polls at some point? Might kick it over to /site suggestions.

 

[Lecic]

What is a "laser"? The only weapons in the game are Cannon, Beam, Missile, and Pulse.

People use laser to describe both cannons and beams. This is extremely annoying and needs to stop. Please use the terms in the game to avoid confusion. Even the devs are doing it.

 

[WaffulMann]

What is a "laser"? The only weapons in the game are Cannon, Beam, Missile, and Pulse.

People use laser to describe both cannons and beams. This is extremely annoying and needs to stop. Please use the terms in the game to avoid confusion. Even the devs are doing it.

Both
EDIT: I mean salvage and beam weapons

 

[CyberTao]

Both

"Both"? These options apply to both Cannon and Beam? I'm afraid I'll have to throw a healthy "No thank you" then.
For beams, the most I would ever ask for is a fancy "fraying" effect at the end of it's range, so it looks like the beam disperses or something, and Cannons could do with a little bit of range tweaking (minor). Overall I think weapons need some sort of range adjustment based on possible roles of weapons and sector size (Since beams are PD now, dont really want them having huge range)... I think I just rambled o -o

 

[WaffulMann]

"Both"? These options apply to both Cannon and Beam? I'm afraid I'll have to throw a healthy "No thank you" then.
For beams, the most I would ever ask for is a fancy "fraying" effect at the end of it's range, so it looks like the beam disperses or something, and Cannons could do with a little bit of range tweaking (minor). Overall I think weapons need some sort of range adjustment based on possible roles of weapons and sector size (Since beams are PD now, dont really want them having huge range)... I think I just rambled o -o

Whoops, I misread Lecic, I mean both as in both beams and salvage beams.

 

[Qweesdy]

Whoops, I misread Lecic, I mean both as in both beams and salvage beams.

Only damage beams and salvage beams; or all beams (including shield drain/supply, power drain/supply, astro-techno and docking beam)?

 

[WaffulMann]

Only damage beams and salvage beams; or all beams (including shield drain/supply, power drain/supply, astro-techno and docking beam)?

Only damage and salvage, I will make another thread about support beams someday.

 

[Lord Daro]

While it would feel more realistic, if beams were THE weapon type for long range attacks it would be a nightmare on balance. Therefore i think the current properties are the best option so far.

Beams are the only weapons wich reach the target instantly and with that are very accurade ones (at least when controlled by players). I can think of three possibilities to balance this out.

1. Beams are weaker than weapons without instant travel. This is probably the first option that comes to mind. But it would also render them obsolete for anything else than support systems (traktor, salvage,...) wich pretty much defeats the purpose of sniper type weapons.

2. Beams pay their range and marksmanship with a lot more power consumtion. Ships wich are build to wield a single high power weapon with high range (kinda like some sort of super weapon) might be able to handle that.
But there are ships wich use beams as conventional weapons. These ships would have to size their beams down in order to even fire them, rendering them obsolete compared to cannon or missile based ships. This would be some setback on creativity.

3. Beams have higher realod times (similar to missiles). Again no real problem for heavy weapons, but also smaller arrays get problems again. Especially fighters wich often need quick reloads to battle similar small targets are fucked with this setting.

Maybe there are other options i didn't see or some combination of settings, but for now i can't make something out that doesn't have terrible side effects.

EDIT: Always those typos...

 

[NeonSturm]

I think we think about lasers the wrong way.

If I want IRL make a laser defense on a space ship, I would use fast rotating armour with a high light reflection and thermal dissipation.

At a distance > 1 light seconds, the behaviour would be very upredictable and the beam has a 2 seconds delay to adjust to target the very same spot.
This gives heat dissipation time to work.​

Lasers may be accurate, but they are not optimal - almost independent how much power you put into them, at > 1 light second they are even more inefficient and at > 10 light seconds maneuvering fighters may evade them randomly with increasing chance at grater distances.

You may use it against stationary targets though.​

Your best chances would be shells which rotate when they pass the target and self-destruct, releasing a giant energy burst or themselves another projectile which is more accurate.