wierd - incentrator better than WMG???

[Taera]

I've noticed something interesting during my Last game.
I'm playing a SP game and i one of the AI races are the Drueshocka. I have a scout with scanners running through their systems and i've found designs of some of their dreadnoughts. One of these is armed with WMG3 and another with Incentrator3. The WMG one has more shields.
I've run a test - it appears that Incentrator ship beats the WMG ship with only the shields down, and this is given WMG has more (by 500) shields. Hows that? i thought that its a given fact that incentrators suck, especially compared to their 'bigger brother'.

[Phoenix-D]

Incinerator beams do greater damage per kiloton than WMG. Heck, at close range I think they do more damage per kiloton than the APB! 50 damage per turn for 20kt is nothing to sneeze at.

The WMG's advantage is it's long range and big to-hit bonus. If it's not set to Maximum Weapons Range you're using it badly IMO.

Phoenix-D

[Taera]

you're right.
WMG damage/size/rate = 2/3 = 20/30
Incentrator damage/size/rate = 9/10 = 27/30

Not too much but enough to win, as i see.
and besides, the range is only different by 2. Thats not too much.

[Phoenix-D]

"and besides, the range is only different by 2."

Oops, you said incinerator. For some reason I was thinking of the *Ripper* beam.

EDIT: the range may be only two different, but the Incinerator gets a 10% bonus, where the WMG gets a 30%. Why this isn't indicated in-game I don't know.

Phoenix-D

[ December 26, 2002, 03:05: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

[Taera]

30% for range 8 is basicly the same as 10% at range 6.

[Phoenix-D]

"30% for range 8 is basicly the same as 10% at range 6."

Uh-uh. Check this out:

You loose 10% per square. So at range 1, the WMG has a 99% chance to hit. Same with the incinerator.
2? 99%/90% respetively
3? 99%/80% respectively
4? 90%/70%
5? 80%/60%
6? 70%/50%
7? 60%/NA
8? 50%/NA

So at all ranges except point-blank, the WMG will hit more often.

PHoenix-D