Random thought: Station defences

[Bugbear]

(This is just a hit-and-run thought - I just wanted to record this for anyone else to run with it)

Is there any reason why stations don't mount plasma turrets or other more powerful weapons? It seems to me that if capital ships can sport defensive weapons, then why can't stations?

[Switeck]

Aiming them from a spinning station would be semi-hard, though they are on the Black Monks Monastery. Huge cost probably too which could better be spent on more defensive ships.

I'd suggested stations having missiles, since those could be fired from a launcher and then turn towards their target...but even that doesn't work very well if the missile has to go 180 degrees, plus any ECM activity in the area will destroy all regular missiles and possibly some ECM-resistant missiles.

[Thargoid]

Look at the Kiota stations in my Wildships OXP. They have both, and see how well they act as defense deterrents and how much they act as a pretty light show...

[Commander McLane]

You need to look no further than to Aegidian's own military station for a rotating station that defends itself with turrets. (It is for instance reused as Sentinel/Renegade Station in low-TL anarchies in Anarchies OXP.) I don't recommend shooting at it while you're on docking approach. You'll not make it to the dock alive.

I think it makes sense that dedicated military stations would have better defenses. Thus I'm fine with civilian stations not having turrets.