Plasma Torps

[mottlee]

"Plasma Torps" a dierect fire??? onlt if you silly enough to stay within the 5 or 6 sector speed range long enough.
Mott

[Tenryu]

quote:

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Originally posted by KiloOhm:
Never bothered researching them before but I did for the first time Last night. The description says they are a seeking weapon but they are really a direct fire weapon (range of 2????? 20/20 for level I). Why on earth would anyone use these?

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Not quite sure what you're asking, but if you want some alternative component weapon samples. I've attached the files I'm using right now as samples. You may find something you want to use.

[DirectorTsaarx]

KO: You found the "Plasma Charge" weapon from the Organic Weapons area, not the Plasma Missile (aka Plasma Torpedo) weapon from the Missile area (tech levels 3-8, IIRC).

The Plasma Missile I description in the standard Components.txt, SEIV v. 1.30:

Name := Plasma Missile I
Description := Seeking plasma powered missile with an anti-matter core.
Pic Num := 70
Tonnage Space Taken := 50
Tonnage Structure := 50
Cost Minerals := 200
Cost Organics := 0
Cost Radioactives := 40
Vehicle Type := Ship\Base\Sat\WeapPlat
Supply Amount Used := 10
Restrictions := None
General Group := Weapons
Family := 2004
Roman Numeral := 1
Custom Group := 0
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Missile Weapons
Tech Level Req 1 := 3
Number of Abilities := 0
Weapon Type := Seeking
Weapon Target := Ships\Planets
Weapon Damage At Rng := 70 65 60 55 50 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Weapon Damage Type := Normal
Weapon Reload Rate := 3
Weapon Display Type := Seeker
Weapon Display := 2
Weapon Modifier := 0
Weapon Sound := pLastorp.wav
Weapon Family := 5
Weapon Seeker Speed := 5
Weapon Seeker Dmg Res := 30

Hope this helps...

[jaylord]

Plasma Missiles as is in the game are useless. The only improvements they have over CSM Vs is that they have a speed of 6 vs. 5, at higher levels they have a slightly longer range and cause higher damage at short ranges. But these doesn't even begin to counter the fact that the damage dealt out drops of sharply with range. Which is damn silly considering that they're missiles. What, is the anti-matter leaking out while in flight. I think that would be a dangerous missile to deploy (for the firer, not the target!) I modded the Plasma Missiles in the game I'm playing to have the same damage at all ranges. Haven't built any yet, but at least if I feel the need the high research cost would be worth it.

On a side note, doesn't it seem like there is a dearth of good intermediate (8-12) range weapons?? The few that are in this range seem to all have problems. They either fall of sharply with range, have ROF of 3, or are race specials. The WGM III is about the only one availible but is so expensive in research, resources, space, etc. that I'm not as big a fan of it as others are. Additionally, I don't understand why Quantum Torpedoes are restricted to a range of 6. Isn't the idea behind torpedoes (in SF like Star Trek anyway) is to have a longer range than beam weapons at the cost of lower ROF? I guess I'll mod them to step out to a range of 10. A Quantum Torpedo V with a range of 10 would sure help to fill the whole between CSMs and beam weapons.

[capnq]

I can think of some technobabble to explain why plasma missiles do less damage at longer ranges: the missile can't carry enough equipment to keep the plasma at launch temperature. The plasma "warhead" starts cooling as soon as it's launched, and therefore gets weaker the farther it travels before impact.

[Suicide Junkie]

I think that the problem of range lies in the conVersion of all these weapons from SE3 to SE4.

In SE3, 8 was the max range. Missiles and WMGs went to 8. Missiles, however could fly out past the launch range and would continue to seek until their damage dropped to zero, or they were shot down.

With SE4, the beam weapons & special techs have expanded range (antiproton beams go 8 instead of 5[in SE3])

The problem is that some weapons, such as WMGs haven't been given the extra range they deserve. WMGs went 8 in SE3, and they go 8 in SE4.

While most weapon's ranges have increased by 40%-50%, the WMGs are exactly the same. If WMGs were converted to SE4, they would have a range of 13 or 14 for WMGIII. It's a 10 pixel wide siege weapon, not a bitty APB!!! Think of a small Version of the DeathStar beam.

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I'm gonna have to go through the components file & see which weapons have bad range conVersions from SE3.

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capnq: The plasma missile would also have to use some of it's antimatter/plasma warhead to thrust & change course to seek. The CSM's apparently use a chemical drive to manouever, since they can't use up part of their warhead without detonating the whole thing.

[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 09 March 2001).]

[KiloOhm]

quote:

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Originally posted by DirectorTsaarx:
KO: You found the "Plasma Charge" weapon from the Organic Weapons area, not the Plasma Missile (aka Plasma Torpedo) weapon from the Missile area (tech levels 3-8, IIRC).

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Hmm...Your probably right (I took the organic tech tree for the first time). The picture of the tech is definately a missle though. I'll double check tonight. Thanks guys.



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Regards,
KiloOhm

[vostok]

Im new to the game so keep that in mind;
I agree that plasma torps are rather ineffective vs. CSMs; maybe they need a second ability, say 2x to shields (or maybe armor), or perhaps be a 'phased' torpedo.

[Possum]

Seems to me that the obvious solution would be to make them cheaper

[DirectorTsaarx]

The "real-world" explanation for why plasma torps lose energy during transit, and missiles don't, is probably that MM was following the precedent set by Star Fleet Battles.

The only reason I've ever used plasma torps is the extra speed. If you do it right, the enemy has fewer chances to fire Point-Defense at the plasma torp than they would a missile.

Another way to improve Plasma Torps would be giving them better damage resistance, so that PDC have less effect. Or give them a defensive bonus, so PDC don't always hit...