What is the weapon of your choice, and Why?

[brianeyci]

Well my internet is still down despite my phone line being up. Hopefully it will be back soon. So I post a question that probably has been discussed time and time again. But I ask it anyway.

What is your weapon of choice in stock SE:IV? Do you stick with DUC's and get high levels of ECM and Combat Sensors? (This seems to be the most preferred way). Or do you like the shield-skipping power of PPB's? Maybe you like Meson BLasters? Or perhaps you like some form of unique combination, like tractor/ripper/repulse.

Of course different times in the game dictate different weapon prevalence. Hopefully this thread turns into a good strategy thread about weapon selection. I am most interested in unique weapons combinations... I read something about a null space combo, what is that?

[brianeyci]

Well here is my justification. In all the games I am in, I have gone DUCV. I see PPB's as the best potential mid-game weapon when considering the damage ratio... and I need physics II for stellar harnessing anyway! In the only game which is in a late stage, my APB damage goes through the roof when compared with anything else.

Brian

[brianeyci]

Actually hehe I'm not sure if physics II is necessary for stellar harnessing... maybe astrophysics. Physics II only gives you scanners which you get with Military Science II (Hyper-Optics) anyway... so if you go PPB's, you'd better be sure to go all the way.

[brianeyci]

And who chose missiles? How can you use missiles effectively early game, given that a couple point-defense cannons can make your ships harmless? I don't know what most people do, but I usually go military science early if I have the chance... opens up point defense and military science II later for fleet and ship training

Brian

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Heh. I thought you were talking about real-world weapons for some reason when I saw the title.

[Slynky]

You are in a tough Category! Your poll doesn't provide enough choices, I think, and I don't know how to do it better.

Problem is, early game location can dictate what your choice will be. Aside from all that, games start with 1 planet, 3, 5, or 10. THAT can make quite a difference in early game choice (where someone might skip DUCs). Then, there is the full-tech games...which all have an early part. So....you get my drift.

But, in general, I've heard it said that PPBs can be a weapon to use the entire game! And while some really like APBs, I hate them (unless I have the Talisman). They are darned expensive to research to surpass the PPBs. And without the Talisman (given all ships/fleets are trained), darn hard to hit from ship to ship at full range (so why bother?).

Also, you missed my favorite weapon! Those who play me know if I can get them I'll put Ripper 1V's on a ship that can close in on you fast in a heartbeat! Pound for pound, there aren't many that beat it. Not to mention rigging them on a large sat with extended range! Someone has a proggy out that does an extensive analysis of the weapons and the Rippers did quite well.

So, my 2 cents worth.

[Colonel]

I use a combination of three to five types including Torepedoes, Anti proton beams, phased beam, missles, mid way I use alot of ship capture tech.

[PlanetNapalm]

Mines are best early.

Usually when lots of sweepers show up, PPBs take over.

Late I like the Wave Motion gun with a couple of massive TDBs to take down the shields first.

Of course, this seems to work better during tactical combat.

[Fyron]

Slynky said:
You are in a tough Category! Your poll doesn't provide enough choices, I think, and I don't know how to do it better.

Problem is, early game location can dictate what your choice will be. Aside from all that, games start with 1 planet, 3, 5, or 10. THAT can make quite a difference in early game choice (where someone might skip DUCs). Then, there is the full-tech games...which all have an early part. So....you get my drift.

But, in general, I've heard it said that PPBs can be a weapon to use the entire game! And while some really like APBs, I hate them (unless I have the Talisman). They are darned expensive to research to surpass the PPBs. And without the Talisman (given all ships/fleets are trained), darn hard to hit from ship to ship at full range (so why bother?).

You overlook fleet stacking. That is where the range 8 comes into play as compared to range 6 PPBs and MBs (and range 5 DUCs). I thought we covered this in the Last round of these discussions? APBs are one of the most efficient weapons, once past the research costs, which is part of what makes them so powerful in the later stages of the game... Unless you give your ships max range strategy without having a significant advantage in combat bonuses, there really aren't any glaring weaknesses of APBs, except possibly against huge crystalline armored ships...

[narf poit chez BOOM]

While the older players have been over this, some of the newer ones havn't, and they may come up with something that hasn't been thought of.