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Author Topic: New Weapon Group: Point Defense  (Read 3177 times)

cp252

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New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« on: April 18, 2012, 12:30:16 AM »

All weapons put in here, no matter their normal role or their size and type, automatically prioritise fighters and incoming munitions. This group can target multiple targets at once, and cannot be player-controlled.
It sounds like a cool concept to me, though I'm not such a minor feature really warrants the effort...
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geekysauras

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2012, 12:39:19 AM »

Ah yes, but it is the little things that make the whole great. I think you may be on to something
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Kill All The Zombies

Emailformygames

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2012, 01:04:11 AM »

Don't most of the point defense weapons already prioritize the fighters/missiles?
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Zapier

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2012, 01:18:30 AM »

They do, but I believe the OP is intended for you to put other non PD weapons into the group that would essentially ignore their feelings towards attacking ships sometimes and instead prioritize fighters and missiles (although the missiles you'd still need proper PD weapons or the Integrated Point Defense hull mod or whatever for the small weapons) if in range. Something to that effect, I think.

Personally, I think this could still be done by having some sort of basic targeting order for ships that would allow you to prioritize what you feel should be done. If you have a ship where you don't fear ships and missiles, but fighters, being able to have that ship change it's priorities to [ fighters > missiles > ships ] would be nice and that it would apply to any and all weapons capable of tracking those targets. That way all your weapons would say target fighters given the chance, and then ships. PD weapons would naturally be able to target the fighters, then worry about missiles, then ships... that way you could also really create say "PD frigates" that would use all its capabilities to target [ fighters > missiles > ships ]. Or how about a torpedo frigate where you want to prioritize [ ship > fighters > missiles ] Then you could have capital ships maybe go [ missiles > ships > fighters ] or whatever. Putting that selection at the bottom of the refit screen might work, because it'd be down there with customizing ship name and it's "role" name. Also, you wouldn't lose the ability to control your weapons manually if you decide in the middle of combat that want or need to aim them yourself as the OP's weapon group could result in.
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cp252

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2012, 02:29:46 AM »

But that's too complicated for the player. Here's what I meant: say for some reason I'm flying an Aurora, and I want my graviton beams to target fighters and missiles (they're great PD.) I'll just dump them in PD group, that's all.
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Thaago

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2012, 08:25:58 AM »

I like this idea. I also think it should cost some OP to do: gravitons can't normally target missiles etc.
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cp252

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2012, 08:49:27 AM »

Yeah. But this way you can get anything to do PD, not just the small slots like with point defense hullmod or whatever it's called.
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factotum

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2012, 11:41:54 PM »

Yeah. But this way you can get anything to do PD, not just the small slots like with point defense hullmod or whatever it's called.

That right there is why your idea wouldn't work as stated--presumably Alex thinks that being able to use non-PD weapons as PD requires a significant ordnance point cost, or else that hullmod wouldn't exist; to literally allow *ANY* weapon to be used for point defence would have to be even more expensive. This is almost certainly for balance reasons, because as you say yourself, graviton beams are enormously effective against fighters and missiles!
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Kommodore Krieg

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2012, 06:52:12 AM »

If any weapon can be a PD weapon, there is no reason to use pure PD weapons.  Lore wise, PD weapons have the targeting systems and turn rate required to track missiles, while bigger guns were not designed with that purpose in mind, and therefore lack the functionality.  Game play wise, all current true PD weapons would become obsolete.  Not to mention you CAN use any weapon as a PD weapon, you just have to have the skill to do it.  
« Last Edit: April 21, 2012, 06:53:56 AM by Commissar Krieg »
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cp252

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Re: New Weapon Group: Point Defense
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2012, 07:52:14 AM »

Have my bigger weapons learn to target fighters, then. The graviton beam is excellent for this, but I need to switch to manual control to do that. Can't I just tell my crew to do it? Obviously you can't use them for missile defense.
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