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[Killer of Fate]

The LAG is, I'll admit, a rather niche gun. But it's actually quite good in that niche, and I do use them.

The specific niche for the LAG being: A ship where either small ballistics are all you've really got to work with (For example, Lashers), or where you have primary anti-armor covered but still want secondary anti-armor to help deal with frigates, fighters, and even some destroyers (For example, a pair of LAG in the left/right turrets on a Dominator that uses hellbores and flak).

Now, overall, the LAG is notably less valuable in recent versions of Starsector... but that's because fighters got nerfed, so something that's really good at anti-fighter work is simply less valuable than it was. And it's still quite good against the sort of maneuverable threats a Dominator can't really turn to face. So. I wouldn't be averse to it getting a buff - probably best to improve flux efficiency much like the HAG - but I'm not convinced it needs one.

I honestly agree, I feel like we should leave HAG as is...

[HeimrArnadalr]

LAG is so bad that I often forget it even exists. Could really use a big of HAG treatment(slightly better efficiency, less spread)

it has perfect accuracy...
The issue with buffing LAG is that then Light Mortar would be even more useless...
Buff both if you are going that way

The issue with buffing the LAG isn't with the Light Mortar, it's with the Heavy Mortar. The LAG isn't quite as damaging or as flux-efficient as the Heavy Mortar, but it's not terribly far off. It already is more accurate than the HM, and fires a steady stream of HE projectiles that can't be shield-flickered against (a LAG shot that hits armor is better than a Mortar or Mauler shot that hits shields).

If it was made more damaging or more efficient, it could fit well on one of the Eagle's medium slots.

[Siffrin]

The issue with buffing the LAG isn't with the Light Mortar, it's with the Heavy Mortar. The LAG isn't quite as damaging or as flux-efficient as the Heavy Mortar, but it's not terribly far off. It already is more accurate than the HM, and fires a steady stream of HE projectiles that can't be shield-flickered against (a LAG shot that hits armor is better than a Mortar or Mauler shot that hits shields).

If it was made more damaging or more efficient, it could fit well on one of the Eagle's medium slots.

Unless if you were to give it both a ridiculous damage buff and efficiency buff it will never be able to compete for an Eagles medium ballistic slot simply because it isn't kinetic damage.

[Princess of Evil]

You'd think all the frigate issues of a ship with a Deva would be covered, you know, with a gun that considers frigates to be oversized fighters.

[kaoseth]

There's only one weapon that desperately needs a rebalance. 
 
Tactical Laser.  I don't have a strong opinion on what direction it should be as the weapon role is so ill defined.  It's literally "Non-pd small beam weapon".  And that in is it's problem.  Role should be what part in combat it plays, not what kind of weapon it is. 

 

Here's a few extra suggestions for things that I've noticed need some more help, but isn't at "desperate."

Heavy Mortar should have an 800 range.  There's too many posters saying that there should be a 800 range explosive ballistic weapon, then giving a recommendation for a new weapon.  Just up Heavy Mortar's range.  The weapon needs a buff anyways. 

Graviton Beam should hit 50% harder (with a matching 50% increase in flux costs).  It doesn't do enough for a medium slot in terms of damage.  Nearly everyone takes an IR Autolance over a graviton.  Graviton is 100 kinetic.  Ion Pulsar is 900 dps + 600 em damage burst.  Or perhaps, instead of the damage increase, shrink it to small size.

Astral.  Lots of people calling for a buff to this ship as it's not worth the DP.  Honestly, I think changing fighter replacement rate to be per bay instead of ship wide, goes a long way. 

DEM missiles fall flat. They don't have the staying power for long term engagement, and that's a serious problem.  My suggestion is to make them into a hybrid omega missile weapon- Infinite ammo, but require energy to launch.  Infact, let's step back one level.  Personally, Missiles should respawn like fighters. Have a replacement rate. Perhaps even the replacement consuming Combat rating. 


AI fixes. 

AI for burn/plasma burn/Orion ships should know to turn away and the system to escape.  Not just backpedal. 
AI for retreating ships shouldn't activate phase jump (or any system really) that will move the ship towards an enemy ship. 
AI chasing a ship should move the ship to be completely in range before firing, not get stuck in a loop of stop at max range, raise shields, then find target ship has moved out of range, drop shield and chase. 
AI for Escort Package ship should factor in extra range given by Escort Package. 

I should be able to assign a ship to generic Harass duty, like one assigns Search and Destroy.  Likewise, I should be able to assign a carrier to guard with fighters another ship (as you can do this as a player if you control the carrier).   

 
 
Wishlist: 

Pirate Champion with large ballistic mount.   LG Champion with all energy mounts.  Hegemony Wolf should have ballistic mounts. 

Ability to purchase LG ships and rare weapons.  There's a mod for this, but it really should be in core somewhere. 

Nose small energy turret of Odyssey changed to a medium.  I find the damage just a touch low and this would solve it.  Normally, I use the small phase lance omega weapon, but that usually doesn't work when you have more than one Oddyssey. 

[Draba]

or where you have primary anti-armor covered but still want secondary anti-armor to help deal with frigates, fighters, and even some destroyers (For example, a pair of LAG in the left/right turrets on a Dominator that uses hellbores and flak).od against the sort of maneuverable threats a Dominator can't really turn to face.

Huh, Dominator would be the last ship I consider LAG on. Side plinkers take away flux from the big guns, making it wiggle and/or lose otherwise easy fights.
Drop the flak, the wide arc Ms are just as important as the fixed Ls and any combination of mauler/railgun/HVD in the front nails smaller ships while not being a handicap against everything else.

The specific niche for the LAG being: A ship where either small ballistics are all you've really got to work with (For example, Lashers)

IMO Lasher is actually a good example against LAG: nothing but smalls and it still doesn't like it that much.
With 5 mounts and low flux stats 160/s is a lot for a gun that doesn't help at all against shields AND sucks against bigger ships.
Railguns are universally good with good enough hull DPS against frigates, slap 2 light mortars in the fixed mounts and you are still ahead in flux while having a bigger bite against heavies.
Even without the fixed mounts just spamming railguns and giving anti-armor to something else(or relying on missiles) would sound better to me.

and Heavy Mauler either has too much range

Don't think skipping a gun because it has too much range is common.

[FooF]

Re: Tac Laser

Unfortunately, it needs a gimmick. The reason I don't use it is because I don't want a 1000-range weapon killing my 0-flux boost when it can't meaningfully do anything to shields and little to hull. To start, I think its beam speed shouldn't be a liability so increase it. As a gimmick, I think it should either increase its damage the longer it is on target (i.e starts at 50 DPS and increases 10 DPs every 1 second for a max of 100 DPS) or have increased damage at closer ranges (50 at 1000, 75 at 750, 100 at 500, and 125 <500 su). I prefer the latter since it is more in-tune with the High Tech playstyle.

Re: Heavy Mortar

My only objection to moving it to 800 range is that the Arbalest then gets left behind. The two are sort of a pair for the "cheap" options and the Arbalest has enough problems staying relevant. That said, if the Heavy Mortar had its range buffed, it would need a slight tweak to its accuracy because it's already pretty bad as-is. Pushing it out further just makes an already awful accuracy problem worse. I think I'd just rein in the max scatter a little so that it's not obscene.

Re: Graviton

I do prefer the IRAL for most use-cases, but the Graviton isn't bad to stick in a slot if you're flux-starved. I don't think it needs anything currently. It has always been a weapon of last-resort but it's fine for what it is. It doesn't need to be competitive with the Assault Energies or even be considered as a primary armament. It's a support beam through-and-through.

[Princess of Evil]

and Heavy Mauler either has too much range

Don't think skipping a gun because it has too much range is common.

Weapons in Starsector have range brackets. A weapon with a higher range has a lot less DPS, something like half, and is more flux inefficient.

[Lawrence Master-blaster]

IMO Lasher is actually a good example against LAG: nothing but smalls and it still doesn't like it that much.
With 5 mounts and low flux stats 160/s is a lot for a gun that doesn't help at all against shields AND sucks against bigger ships.

This is my experience as well back when I played with Lashers - I couldn't for the life of me fit the LAG in there. Not without drastically mismatching range, anyway.

[prav]

Reduce its range to 450 and improve flux efficiency so it's a gun you actually assault with. Yes this leaves small ballistics with no useful ranged HE gun - just like before.

Then increase the range of the Light Mortar to 700 (still not useful).

[Killer of Fate]

600 range 50 damage per shot at 40 flux cost maybe?

[Megas]

For colonies, make quality and fleet size worth it instead of officers in fleet doctrine.

Tactical Laser.  I don't have a strong opinion on what direction it should be as the weapon role is so ill defined.  It's literally "Non-pd small beam weapon".  And that in is it's problem.  Role should be what part in combat it plays, not what kind of weapon it is. 

Its role seems to be point and shoot at the enemy until it dies, which it does poorly with low hit strength and DPS.

At least make it fast.  The main problem with it, as a low damage continuous beam, is it is too slow.  It is slow in tracking, firing, and extend speed.  Even with sIPDAI and Adv. Turret Gyros, Tactical Laser is still too slow.

For me, I use it most as a companion to Graviton Beam in High Scatter Amplifier builds where it is a hard flux weapon.  Terrible at burning through armor though.

Tactical Laser probably should be something like a long-range burst PD without the PD.  At least burst PD has decent hit strength to punch through light armor, and if I manage to get ePD and sMags, I replace Tactical Lasers with burst PD in HSA builds.

Then increase the range of the Light Mortar to 700 (still not useful).

I expect an OP increase for that.  If it gets 700 range, there is no reason to use LAG.  I already use Light Mortar more than LAG because of efficiency and hit strength.  The only thing LAG has going for it is 700 range.  Also, Light Mortar pairs with DLAC with 600 range.

[Princess of Evil]

Make TacLaser HE.

[Spyro]

Make TacLaser HE.

Mom: "We have HIL at home."

Anywho, increasing Mortar (both Light and Heavy) ranges would actually be a nerf, the accuracy is godawful as it is, if AI would start shooting it from further away it would be even worse.

[Princess of Evil]

I mean, it wouldn't make it good or anything, but at least then it'll actually work in its two niches.