Ammunition based weapons

    Good idea? Bad idea?

    • I like it

      Votes: 4 30.8%
    • I hate it

      Votes: 6 46.2%
    • I kina like it but...

      Votes: 3 23.1%

    • Total voters
      13

    AtraUnam

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    I was going to post a long list of alternate versions of weapons systems that also involved the re-naming of missiles to something else. Then I had a better idea.

    For each type of weapons computer have an ammunition computer that can be linked to it;
    Ammunition computers can then be linked to ammunition storage blocks (Each block can only hold a finite amount of ammunition so bigger weapons need bigger blocks);
    Each weapon type has its own ammunition which is determined by the weapons primary system;

    The amount of ammunition used by a weapon would use the following formula:

    Damage Per Second/Shots Per Second^0.95
    Ammo per shot = ----------------------------------------------------
    (Blocks In Weapon/1000000)+1
    Using this formula rapid fire weapons consume slightly more ammo for their DPS than slower firing weapons and larger weapons are slightly more efficient than multiple smaller weapons, If you do not like this then:
    • Changing the first red number to 1 will make rapid fire weapons have the same efficiency as slower weapons; lowering it will make them less efficient and increasing it will make them more efficient.
    • Raising the second red number will decrease the efficiency gained by increasing weapon size, lowering it will increase the efficiency gain.
    • Removing the first red number and deleting the entire second line will make everything linear
    With the numbers given here are some examples of how weapon design effects efficiency:
    • 1 cannon with 5000 DPS and a ROF of 1 shot per second uses: 4995 ammo per second and 4995 ammo per shot
    • 1 cannon with 5000 DPS and a ROF of 2 shots per second uses: 5171 ammo per second and 2586 ammo per shot
    • 1 cannon with 50000 DPS and a ROF of 1 shot per second uses: 49505 ammo per second and 49505 ammo per shot
    • 2 cannons with a total of 5000DPS and a ROF of 1 shot per second use: 4998 ammo per second and 2499 ammo per shot
    • 2 cannons with a total of 5000DPS and a ROF of 2 shots per second use: 5174 ammo per second and 1293 ammo per shot
    So why would anyone want to use ammunition based weapons? They would not require any power to function, using ammunition instead. The ammunition storage blocks would also be volatile like Disintegraters.

    By using ammunition based weapons fighters would be able to dedicate more space to engines, shields or more guns making them more viable in battle. Larger ships could afford to use the current weapons to allow them to function in prolonged engagements or use ammunition based weapons to pack a bigger punch for a short amount of time. Of course ships could also use a combination of normal and ammunition based weapons (think Startrek where they have the virtually unlimited phasers and the much more powerful, but limited, photon torpedos)

    The red numbers in the formula and the amount of ammo each ammunition storage block could hold would be configurable in the server.cfg
     
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    I don't think you're going to get a lot of support... That is because right now, energy is your ammunition, and not using energy would allow for more shields, and even with the new update they would be overpowered again. And how will the support and effect systems work? Because you don't actually use them, so you won't use any ammo, which means that you would only need the blocks and you wouldn't get any additional penalty during combat. Now if that isn't overpowered, I don't know what is.
    One more thing: how on earth will you be able to carry enough ammunition around?!!!!!!!!
     

    AtraUnam

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    • The calculation would include all the blocks linked to the weapons computer, not just the weapon blocks.
    • You have more shields but also the potential for massive ammunition explosions.
    • Ammunition would be stored in ammunition storage blocks similar to plex storage blocks and part of the balance is that you would run out of ammunition and have to keep buying more.