Re: Heavy BlasterIt was much better with more OP, stronger skills (more flux and dissipation), and various exploits (fading shots did hard flux among others) in previous releases. Today, with weaker stats, cowardly AI, and tough enemies like Radiants, flux inefficiency is a real killer.
As a Wolf playership I prefer Heavy Blaster over Pulse Laser. It cannot support either well, but HB can punch through armor and no windup makes it better for hit-and-run. AI is a lost cause and should just use beams. (In old skill days, it could handle one HB without too much trouble.)
For Tempest, I consider the HB and Tactical Laser combo superior to two pulse lasers because DPS is close and costs less OP (16 OP instead of 20 OP).
Shrike and Medusa can handle one heavy blaster. I like Shrike (P) for being a budget Medusa. Normal Shrike needs to graduate to being a Shrike (P) with five more OP.
Aurora can handle two if built for it. It lost flux stats in 0.9.x, so it really needs to sac other weapons and min-max flux stats to support those two. (In the old skill releases, Medusa could handle two. Today, we pay 30 DP to do the job of what 12 DP used to do.)
Doom can handle two. That and some burst PD to pick off missiles, that is all it needs, thanks to the mines system doing a lot of the work.
Apogee, Sunder, and capitals should get plasma cannons instead. Well, Paragon might want blasters if player wants the four lance loadout. (I like four lance playership against any enemy that does not have Radiants in it.) Conquest should stick with more efficient 800+ range ballistics.
The real litmus test is what you would put in a Medium Universal on a Destroyer or Cruiser. I don't the the HB out-competes a Heavy Needler, HVD, or Heavy Mauler on most of my ships. Heck, I might put in a Dual-Flak, Sabot Pod or Reaper Launcher over a HB. That's not to say the HB is bad but I don't think it competes favorably against most elite Ballistics and some Medium Missiles.
For a ship with only one significant mount (such that mixing kinetic and HE is impossible), Heavy Blaster is good enough to pass the test. Before with better skills and fighters-as-ships, it was a good all-purpose weapon for Heron. Heron was super Wolf back in the day (when Wolf was strong enough to solo capitals). Today, with weaker stats and good fighters costing OP to equip, Heron cannot afford HB loadouts (at least not without destroying the point of using it, which is use good fighters).