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[BillyRueben]

Two suggestions:

A) A good buff to beams would be to allow them to fire through (over/under) friendly ships. This would make them much more viable on escort ships, as well as allow them more time on target, which is sorely needed when weapons only do "temporary" damage.

B) Now that we have to actually unlock hullmods, I think we have room for a lot more of them. There should be a few more low-to-moderate hull mods out there, as well as a few more niche ones. Following the beam discussion, maybe a new hullmod that increases beam range by 100, but lowers flux capacity/dissipation.

[Gothars]

A) A good buff to beams would be to allow them to fire through (over/under) friendly ships. This would make them much more viable on escort ships, as well as allow them more time on target, which is sorely needed when weapons only do "temporary" damage.

I like that, mechanic-wise. A small buff (I still think beams could use it) that emphasizes the weapon role. Would be especially good for the Tachyon Lance.

It doesn't make sense lore-wise, though. Beams are on the same level as all other weapons, why should they be able to fire above ships? Maybe they curve?

[harrumph]

I think that change to beams would be too confusing for the player.

I'm all for more hull mods, though!

[Hyph_K31]

It doesn't make sense lore-wise, though. Beams are on the same level as all other weapons, why should they be able to fire above ships? Maybe they curve?

Curving sounds just fine. That could be explained using the "the weapon uses poorly understood physics" line.

Although for it to make sense to me, the beams would need to curve in a way that is visible to the player, that is, on all axis.

And that'd make them IMPOSSIBLE to avoid, although it'd also make them very, very cool.

[Aratoop]

Not impossible to avoid- they only curve around friendly/enemy (depending on who's firing at whom).

[arcibalde]

People are we really talking about "curving" beams? Really? So, beam, come to friendly ship and say: "Yo man how you dong? Im here just to shoot that nasty enemy behind you so ill just go around you and hit him. YEAH!" 

[Jazwana]

Well, if it is a particle beam it just needs the appropriate magnetic lensing, that's all    If they're energy beams then maybe all friendly ships have a classified meta-material coating that the beam frequency can be tuned to for appropriate curving around the ship.

[Hyph_K31]

That's about right!

Hey, even laser beams have gotta have manners.

Realisticly speaking, from the futures point of view, curving a beam shouldn't be too difficult.

Ninja'd!

[arcibalde]

Ok, whatever you say it's still funny to me. Curving beams. C'mon  
Ain't word "beam" mean something straight? Not curving or bending or whatever?

[RSS_Ornel]

I have never been a strong proponent of this belief but : Fun over realism.

sure it isnt the most realistic thing in the world but, it would make beams useful in a niche support role. that seems like fun to me.

[arcibalde]

I dunno... For me beam is beam, not some snake like thingy.

[ThePinkPanzer]

Could say it is straight, but is pointing at the ship behind it which is lower / higher than the ship in front of it.

[arcibalde]

Could say it is straight, but is pointing at the ship behind it which is lower / higher than the ship in front of it.

So it goes in straight line below/above friendly ship in between... But than it would be only weapon (not including missiles) that does that... I dunno just don't feel right. But it's just me, i can see most of you (ok, all of you) like idea.

[Wyvern]

I like that, mechanic-wise. A small buff (I still think beams could use it) that emphasizes the weapon role. Would be especially good for the Tachyon Lance.

It doesn't make sense lore-wise, though. Beams are on the same level as all other weapons, why should they be able to fire above ships? Maybe they curve?

Lore-wise, then, why do missiles pass over allied ships?  Why do beam or projectile weapons not hit your own ship when fired from guns near the center?  You can always justify it with something about fire control systems coordinating their shots with allied ships to go over them; lore isn't a problem here.

Gameplay, on the other hand?  I don't think beams need any particular buffs, and I feel that this is kindof a slippery slope - if both beams and missiles miss allied ships, why not projectile weapons too?
As such, I'm mildly against the notion.  I mean, I wouldn't really complain if it got implemented, but I don't think it's necessarily a good idea.

[BillyRueben]

Gameplay, on the other hand?  I don't think beams need any particular buffs, and I feel that this is kindof a slippery slope - if both beams and missiles miss allied ships, why not projectile weapons too?

One of the bigger issues for me with beams is that I'm in range and firing, then suddenly one of my frigates passes between me and my target which interrupts the flux buildup on the target. Sure, this problem exsists with projectile weapons as well, but since those deal hard flux, and the ship that moves between you and your target is usually firing at your target, the damage that you dealt with your projectiles remains long enough for you to get back into firing range.