Dream Weapon (No, I'm not proposing another OXP here)

[Okti]

Will be ready in 10 Minutes

Can be downloaded from here.

Warning: This OXP seriously harms the game balance.

[Grey Area]

How about a chain-driven Gatling cannon as a short-range last ditch defence?

Something like the real-world Phalanx autonomous missile defence system, for instance,without necessarily being turret-mounted.

A suitably high rate of fire combined with short range and a limited ammo supply should ensure that it doesn't have too negative an effect on game balance.

[Commander McLane]

How about a chain-driven Gatling cannon as a short-range last ditch defence?

Something like the real-world Phalanx autonomous missile defence system, for instance,without necessarily being turret-mounted.

A suitably high rate of fire combined with short range and a limited ammo supply should ensure that it doesn't have too negative an effect on game balance.

Depends on what kind of damage-dealing you have in mind. If you want a pure kinetic impact, use a Small Railgun. Something much smaller than that wouldn't do anything to any target.

If you want the projectiles to explode, you would be talking about some kind of mini missiles. In that case the projectiles' mass wouldn't matter so much.

[Okti]

If you want the projectiles to explode, you would be talking about some kind of mini missiles. In that case the projectiles' mass wouldn't matter so much.

The post two above exactly does that.

[Dragonfire]

I have to say, the buzz bomb is well worth the investment (and power loss,) as long as you have at least five energy banks. It never misses. You can get it from Missiles and Bombs OXP.

[DaddyHoggy]

How about a chain-driven Gatling cannon as a short-range last ditch defence?

Something like the real-world Phalanx autonomous missile defence system, for instance,without necessarily being turret-mounted.

A suitably high rate of fire combined with short range and a limited ammo supply should ensure that it doesn't have too negative an effect on game balance.

Depends on what kind of damage-dealing you have in mind. If you want a pure kinetic impact, use a Small Railgun. Something much smaller than that wouldn't do anything to any target.

If you want the projectiles to explode, you would be talking about some kind of mini missiles. In that case the projectiles' mass wouldn't matter so much.

One of my jobs with the MOD was modelling KEPs (Kinetic Energy Penetrators): take several rods of tungsten (ratio of diameter to length is the classified bit as is the shape of the nose) stuff them into the nose of a Mach 3+ missile, fire them at the target, proximity sensor detonates another charge behind the rods which accelerates them up to Mach 6+ and well... let's just say, no explosives needed...

[Cmdr Wyvern]

I have to say, the buzz bomb is well worth the investment (and power loss,) as long as you have at least five energy banks. It never misses. You can get it from Missiles and Bombs OXP.

Correction: It's in Armory.oxp.

[Grey Area]

Depends on what kind of damage-dealing you have in mind.

I was thinking in terms of a high rate of fire (5-10 rounds a second), short range and small non-explosive kinetic impact.

Will the small railgun deliver that?

[Commander McLane]

Depends on what kind of damage-dealing you have in mind.

I was thinking in terms of a high rate of fire (5-10 rounds a second), short range and small non-explosive kinetic impact.

Will the small railgun deliver that?

Yep. (Perhaps the impact is a little bigger than you had in mind. Comparable to a laser hit.)

[Grey Area]

Depends on what kind of damage-dealing you have in mind.

I was thinking in terms of a high rate of fire (5-10 rounds a second), short range and small non-explosive kinetic impact.

Will the small railgun deliver that?

Yep. (Perhaps the impact is a little bigger than you had in mind. Comparable to a laser hit.)

Oh. I'll have to try one out, then.

[Thargoid]

Come on you lot, lets have some more ideas.

I'm updating Armoury at the moment, and at least a couple of the less oblique ones may well end up being added (a stun missile rack and a void bomb are already in the updated version on my HD). And some sort of decoy and/or fake ships are also going to go in during this week.

[CommonSenseOTB]

Here's an idea for you Thargoid.

Most of the time when I use a missile it is just to provide a distraction to a tough ship while I deal with the large number of easier ships.

Why not have some kind of dumdum missiles, both normal and part(1/2) ecm resistant. No explosive warhead. Faster than a normal missile. Cheap!!! say 10 credits for the normal one and 50 credits for the (1/2) ecm resistant version. It does NO damage. It provides a REAL distraction. Cheap enough to waste testing for ECM of enemy ships or to cause a tough ship to run away.

As a side thought, a third variety (similar) in AI to the military missile that goes after pirates and thargoids when ECMed. The difference is that there is a 50/50 chance for the missile to change targets. Watch the enemy play hot potato as they ECM and have the missile chase a different enemy each time. This would be a dumdum just like the first 2 and do no damage. Cost would be 75 credits.

You could also have something interesting happen when these missiles hit. They could say "Boom!!!" or Dum Dum!!! or have a unique loud sharp bang when they hit. Bark worse than their bite!

Some of the best military tactics involve distracting the enemy.

[Capt. Murphy]

I like the idea of cheap dummy missiles....I use the standard hard heads in exactly that way, but only when desperate given the cost.

[Okti]

Come on you lot, lets have some more ideas.

I'm updating Armoury at the moment, and at least a couple of the less oblique ones may well end up being added (a stun missile rack and a void bomb are already in the updated version on my HD). And some sort of decoy and/or fake ships are also going to go in during this week.

What about a special bomb that will not kill the ships nearby but force them to get away from the player. (Retro rockets for NPC's) Will be too friendly to be called a weapon . But may save a lot of players from difficult situations.

[Capt. Murphy]

It could be called the Tsunami - sends a tidal wave of gravitic force out from the player ship sending enemies spiraling away out of control for a short period. Excellent weapon to use pre escape from nasty situation via a witch space jump. Small mass ships should be thrown further than large mass ships.