My take on a new AMC system

[ltmauve]

The more AMCs you have connected to a weapons computer, the slower the reload speed. Not the AMCs that are connected, just the amount of you have connected to a single computer.


Wait, do you mean: each individual cannon connected to a computer, each individual block connected to a computer, or each individual block in a cannon? Keep in mind that if you have dps go down as the number of blocks goes up, you give very little reason to actually build large cannons/ships.

Currently DPS decreases as you take the same number of blocks in fewer groups. Shotguns that spam have more of a chance of hitting than a single cannon, and should therefore do less DPS then a single cannon of the same block count. This is especially true if you consider making ti so larger cannons reload slower.

 

[Saria]

I very clearly said the blocks connected to a weapons computer, but I also said that they would gain AoE damage as a tradeoff so that weapons batteries get slower as they get bigger, but they also become more destructive.

 

[ante185]

Should that really be setable by the host? I mean options are good by some thing shouldn\'t be able to vary as that would create multiple \"WTH! I*VE BEEN PLAYING ON THIS SERVER FOR A WEEK NOW AND THEY HAVE THAT OPTION ON!?!?!? I AM OUT!\"

 

[Kaelum]

That\'s sounds way to much like the stuipid schemanerf. The larger round the gun fires, the slower reload. It does not make sense to do this instead of the current system on this post. AoE damage would be based off of round size and the round would stop penetrating once all of its damage was dealt. Please explain why your system would be in any way better or more realistic. (to a point, I just mean that a massive checkerboard of tiny lasers should not have massive AoE per laser.)

 

[ardiel]

But I like for my AMC array to sound like a weed whacker!

On the one that I just tweaked a bit ago, you don\'t even hear the individual pew pew pew anymore, you just hear BZZZZNNNNNNNN and I find that to be hilarious.

 

[ardiel]

I think the main thing might be to get rid of shot convergence which is what makes a bunch of tiny weapons actually work.

Additionally a large cluster of relatively low damage but fast firing weapons which converge on one block have a tendency to spall when punching through any interior spaces, or when the block in front is taken out before following shots get there. That\'s because they\'re aimed at the same point in space but there\'s nothing there, so the cone becomes inverted when they cross each other. And actually in some cases this can protect your core, at least for a split second, because when the first burst punches out a hole and the second one already came out and is aimed at the same place, it will fan out inside the ship and actually miss the core (but tear up a lot of things if they\'re high powered shots)

 

[Kael]

I love this idea! +1!

 

[ante185]

someone needs to read OP.

 

[ltmauve]

Currently DPS favors shotguns. A penalty should be applied, either fire speed or damage, to shotguns to make make block count the only factor in DPS. I personally would prefer seeing a damage reduction to shotguns. This results in specialization: shotguns are used to spam smaller shots to take out fighters, while larger single cannons are used to focus down larger ships.

Also, perhaps we could have a system where the number of cannons determines the convergence. So with a few cannons, the shots converge within about 2-3 blocks of the target point. After about a dozen cannons, the shots are about 6-7 blocks away. With about 20 cannons, there is effectively no convergence. As opposed to ardial\'s idea, which completely removes convergence, this means that having a few smaller, faster cannons for intercepting smaller ships doesn\'t result in complete damage spread. Having incomplete convergence also means it is harder to core drill.

 

[ante185]

This thread is 6th placed in number of replies with the personal defence being first!

 

[KuramaFox]

Conditional agree.

Specifically, a 2x2 barrel cannon should have its \"damage value\" reduced to 1/4 of normal, since it applies that damage to 4 blocks (total damage is unchanged vs. a 1x1 barrel cannon). This means it will not penetrate as far too.

This will stop ships from just having giant \"radar dishes\" on the front of them as their weapons systems.

.

 

[Kaelum]

Never use a fixed number for something like that. Eventually for larger ships you need more guns to be effective. For a massive ship 20 guns won\'t cut it. Also, convergence is usually bad. If you are firing at fighter and your bullets are converging, he can dodge most or all of them by moving a meter or two. If you are firing your checkerboard cannon spread... well, he probably will not dodge it easily. About core drilling, why do you think he will be letting you drill a straight line though his ship? Anyone THAT stupid will probably die to pirates.

 

[Kaelum]

Read the OP. Damage value should not be reduced. The system already works. In your post you mentioned it not piercing as far, but what is especially stuipid of you is the fact that you did not even consider the piercing system itself. Right now you currently act as if the bullet reapplies that same damage to whatever it touches, therfore it needs a nerf because it will do that same damage value to groups of blocks. It would ACTUALLY work like this: The bullet would have its regular damage value based on number AMC blocks regardless of bullet size. It would keep this damage stored instead of using all of it upon impact. It would use just enough damage from its stored damage to destroy blocks it comes into contact with. In the case of not having enough, it would spread its remaining damage among the next blocks it hits. Therfore, a 366 damage 2x2 projectile would not do 366 damage to each of four blocks, it would actually spread its damage so that each block had 81.5 damage done to it. Your idea of damage value makes no sense as for it to be a valid, bullets would currently have to apply a repetitive damage value. If they applied a repetitive damage value it would allow bullets with a damage value of 400 (Or 1200 if your so-called nerf is applied) to do more than a billion points of damage. Good job.

 

[ltmauve]

As you, we are planning to nerf the firing rates of large cannons. This means that our firing rate might drop down pretty low. I think it might be interesting if instead of having a reload speed that changes with block count, we have a \"heat\" buildup in place of this. The amount of heat generated by each shot would be maybe 1/10 the total heat capacity, and the time it takes to cool down the weapon is your \"reload.\" This means you could rip off a burst of heavy fire before waiting to cool down. If the weapon overheats, it suffers damage and shuts off for a bit.

Of course, this leaves the matter of how fast you actually want to fire when you hold down the trigger. For shotguns, which you want to continously spam, you probably want to have the reload time the same as the time it takes to cooldown after one shot. There should be an option in the weapons computer that changes the fire rate for all cannons. By default it is the one-shot cooldown time. However, you can set it lower so you can burst-fire, or higher to reduce average energy consumption. AIs would not fire if the weapon heat would damage the weapons.

 

[ante185]

so big fucking guns will could shoots in bursts you mean?

 

[Lecic]

It\'d be really cool for a big 5x5 gun to shoot a beam that size.

 

[Sintinall]

I don\'t mind how they work, I just want the damn things to keep a link to adjacent AMC blocks! I pretty much have to scrap my 600,000 block ship because I accidentally picked up the weapons computer... What kind of garbage is that?! The player should be able to (C) the computer and only have to (V) ONE AMC to link up the whole group. Seriously. I have no doubt many of you have built gigantic ships and did the tinyest of oopsies and felt this serious rage/panic.

 

[Angus and Alexis]

Bahahaha...

Try using shift+V on a group of AMC.

Magic, no?

 

[Bucfan]

Those ships are pretty kool. Wats the download for them?

 

[Winterhome]

*bump*
This really should stay up on the top of the board.