Give Pulse-Master some love!

[MrFrech]

Hey I know it is nothing new that nobody uses pulse weapons,
but I found no post adressing that issue so I thought let´s make it sipmle and quick:
Pulse master weapons need a huge damage buff to compensate for their very limited range,
to make them viable as some high risk ramming sorta thing which cripples anything when it gets close enough.

Let me hear what you think!
Greetings

 

[Megacrafter127]

Hey I know it is nothing new that nobody uses pulse weapons,
but I found no post adressing that issue so I thought let´s make it sipmle and quick:
Pulse master weapons need a huge damage buff to compensate for their very limited range,
to make them viable as some high risk ramming sorta thing which cripples anything when it gets close enough.

Let me hear what you think!
Greetings

Another option would be to remove the range-cap from them. So a 100/200 pulse/beam would have twice the range of a normal pulse-beam combo.(However, no damage is added beyond the 100% mark)

 

[jorgekorke]

Honestly, I have no idea how to make pulses good. I will fear the same when Minelayers come. (if they even come)

 

[jayman38]

Honestly, I have no idea how to make pulses good. I will fear the same when Minelayers come. (if they even come)

Similar to how demolition/destruction blocks are highly specialized, I figured Pulses were highly specialized, and useful for their specific domain.
1. Boarding Defense (Kill those hostile astronauts.)
2. Lance Ship weapons (Ramming speed!)
3. colored spherical visuals (Did you see the tutorial on using logic-driven pulses to add a large engine exhaust effect?)

Edit:

Another option would be to remove the range-cap from them. So a 100/200 pulse/beam would have twice the range of a normal pulse-beam combo.(However, no damage is added beyond the 100% mark)

The problem with more range is the lag caused by massive block calculations. Each mutliple in range will cause a geometric increase in block damage calculations as the pulse radius effects more and more blocks.

 

[Megacrafter127]

The problem with more range is the lag caused by massive block calculations. Each mutliple in range will cause a geometric increase in block damage calculations as the pulse radius effects more and more blocks.

True, but have a pulse move much slower the greater it's range and only damage a block on actual collision with the pulse's wave[once the pulse moves sufficiently slow]. Similar to a missile's stages.
All I want is a slow moving sector-purge-pulse :D

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

Pulse weapons sure does need some love, Lancake and I have discussed it at least once and we came up with a big no idea.

 

[MrFrech]

I build a couple designs which use a pull effect pulse combination, first the enemy ship gets sucked into some kind of recess and is bombarded by 4 pulse/pulse/overdrive modules. I thought it is almost impossible to survive that but turns out that pulses are even less effective than same sized missile modules (and I think I don´t have to explain why missiles have a huge advantage over pulses anyway) so I think pulses except pulse/beam don´t need more range they should only get a big big damage buff. This would also greatly improve the purpose of pull beams since they are kinda useless now.
What concerns pulse/ beam I´d also love some great range buff, however I would be very carefull with that since that would be crazy effective vs small ships making gaint ships even stronger so I don´t think that is a good idea, when however the pulse would only spread in a cone with say γ=45° it would be still suit every purpose but wouldn´t give gaint ships the ability to anihilate everything around them, which I think is a good idea for all pulses, also it would be more sensefull having ashockwave not pass through the own ship.[DOUBLEPOST=1418057202,1418056821][/DOUBLEPOST]

Pulse weapons sure does need some love, Lancake and I have discussed it at least once and we came up with a big no idea.

Coned pulse + damage buff? Sounds good to me... :P[DOUBLEPOST=1418057827][/DOUBLEPOST]

True, but have a pulse move much slower the greater it's range and only damage a block on actual collision with the pulse's wave[once the pulse moves sufficiently slow]. Similar to a missile's stages.
All I want is a slow moving sector-purge-pulse :D

sorry I messed up the quote system i adressed yor ideas in the post however

 

[AtraUnam]

Can't we just bring back dimension based range? I want to build a 2km ship that fries everything around it with a pulse + cannon slave attached to a clock.

 

[MrFrech]

Can't we just bring back dimension based range? I want to build a 2km ship that fries everything around it with a pulse + cannon slave attached to a clock.

well I think dimensions for weapons are past and will stay past (I really liked that system though)
adding them now into the game would be much work and a bit complicated due to the big variety of weapon systems also like I said I am not sure (although I´d say too that it would be awesome in some point) wheather sector purge ultimate system annihilating shockwave pulses from vast ships are a good idea balancing wise.

 

[Megacrafter127]

well I think dimensions for weapons are past and will stay past (I really liked that system though)
adding them now into the game would be much work and a bit complicated due to the big variety of weapon systems also like I said I am not sure (although I´d say too that it would be awesome in some point) wheather sector purge ultimate system annihilating shockwave pulses from vast ships are a good idea balancing wise.

If the pulse moves vers slowly, it's not much of a danger, but a good way to keep hordes of enemies away.

 

[MrFrech]

If the pulse moves vers slowly, it's not much of a danger, but a good way to keep hordes of enemies away.

ok yes maybe but imo it shouldn´t go past 200- 300m but what about cones?
with this you could make your sector purge system while still not giving giant ships a huge combat advantage.

 

[Mariux]

I think that all pulses need is larger default range (bubble size).