Particle and beam cannons of choice.

Parapilot · Post by **Parapilot** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:29 pm

One quick question first...what is a "kinetic" weapon?

I am curious what pilots have selected for these two weapons. I would prefer not to make this a poll as such but more so an explaination as to why you have chosen the cannons you did. I say this because I am not entirely sure what each individual weapon does differently than another.

Also, do you always shoot them together or do you toggle between particle and beams and if so why?

Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems whether you fire them individually or together they expend energy at the same rate.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:43 pm

You can compare all your weapons here:

http://www.starwraith.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6887

The weapons charts are about a third of the way down ... or you could visit SeeJay's website to see it all in blues.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:04 pm

Flarebeam + Fusion, reasons being longest ranged cannon, fast firing, and low energy requirements. Tears up AI ships before they're even in range.

Though I kinda miss the 250KT yield of the old Banshee.

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:05 pm

Many prefer the maxim-r and the fusion laser

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:09 pm

From post: 100783, Topic: tid=7195, author=Jeremy wrote:Flarebeam + Fusion, reasons being longest ranged cannon, fast firing, and low energy requirements. Tears up AI ships before they're even in range.

Though I kinda miss the 250KT yield of the old Banshee.

I think the Maxim-R is the longest or at least matches at 700 with a stong yeild.

Correction: the FlareBeam in longer at 750 but is weak at a 10 yeild compared to the Maxim-R.

[Edited on 1-24-2011 by thetiebers]

Galaxian · Post by **Galaxian** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:37 pm

I currently have the Fusion Laser and Maxim-R.

For combat spacecraft, I recently 'downgraded' from the Banshee to the Maxim-R after I started doing a lot of combat missions.

I don't fire them at the same time. I use the laser to beat the enemy's shields down. This works due to basically instant hit, no target lead required, low(er) power requirements (all my ships of choice can sustain continuous fire pretty much indefinitely). When the shields have a big enough hole, I engage the particle cannon. (The Cougar has a dual stage trigger that works great for this kind of stuff).

I downgraded from the Banshee to the Maxim-R based on lessons learned running lots of combat missions lately.

The Banshee is devastating up close, but range is limited (which in turn limits laser range, as they are tied together), it has a low(ish) rate of fire and it's a power hog. Better suited for engaging heavily armored, slow moving targets.

The Maxim has better range, a much higher rate of fire (more rounds on target), lower power requirements (longer sustained fire) and *seems* to use higher velocity rounds that reach the target quicker.

I'd summarize it as the difference between a heavy machine gun (Banshee) and a mini-gun (Maxim-R).

I currently have this config on my Starmaster but I'm thinking of going back to the Banshee on that ship as weapons are primarily defensive on it anyway.

As a side note, I keep an Excalibur missile pack (great for defensive actions) on the Starmaster, but as a result of lessons learned in combat, have moved to using Exodus and Starfire missiles for combat missions due to the loooooooooooooong reload time on the Excals.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:36 am

From post: 100785, Topic: tid=7195, author=MMaggio wrote:Many prefer the maxim-r and the fusion laser

Also a good choice, but I prefer the faster firing rate and since I run an afterburner drive(possibly a bad idea), I'm always low on energy.

+50 range is nice too.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:07 am

A kinetic weapon is like a punch weapon knocking your enemy around like canon balls hitting them. Energy weapons on the other hand burn through the shield and armor by immense heat production. I use a Banshee and Fusion. Cause when you fire the Banshee at the enemy they get bounced around so much that they can not get a steady firing lock on you while you pound them and the Fusion does a good job for burning through the shield of the enemy and the cannon will do the rest once shields are down. Since range is ussually not a problem while flying at a steady speed in inertia the enemy has a hard time locking on to you.....It takes some practice to become good at using the Banshee effectively. And I can ussually finish a 10 enemy contract in 3 minutes or less using excalibur to take the 2 closest out first which leaves 8 to be destroyed with Cannons and Beams which ussualy takes 1.5 minutes and the rest of the time of the 3 minutes is waiting for the Excalibur to recharge before accepting the next contract...LOL...

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:09 am

Velly intelesting!

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:57 pm

And I thought I had a speach pwoblem.......

:P:P:P:P:P

Parapilot · Post by **Parapilot** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:55 pm

From post: 100829, Topic: tid=7195, author=MMaggio wrote:Velly intelesting!

Awty Johnthon

I fell in love with Goldie Hawn on that show. If you want to hear something really disturbing, now I'm in love with her daughter Katie Hudson.

Galaxian · Post by **Galaxian** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 5:13 pm

From post: 100818, Topic: tid=7195, author=Maarschalk wrote:A kinetic weapon is like a punch weapon knocking your enemy around like canon balls hitting them. Energy weapons on the other hand burn through the shield and armor by immense heat production. I use a Banshee and Fusion. Cause when you fire the Banshee at the enemy they get bounced around so much that they can not get a steady firing lock on you while you pound them and the Fusion does a good job for burning through the shield of the enemy and the cannon will do the rest once shields are down.

That's a better articulated explanation than mine. Well said.

[Edited on 1-25-2011 by Galaxian]

Ophiuchus · Post by **Ophiuchus** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:35 pm

Hey Para, you might also take a look at the Eclipse cannon (for real!). Is kinetic/heavy impact like the banshee. slight effective range increase, and slight cyclic rate-of-fire increase over the banshee. Also, has less of a power drain than the banshee. Less of a yield/effect factor than the banshee, but I think is made up for by the increased cyclic rate, more rounds on target. Have used both to good effect. Maybe a test-fire would be called for ?

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:58 pm

Velly intellesting...

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:07 pm

A shoot out between the two (lol).

Parapilot · Post by **Parapilot** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:21 pm

I have been using the Fusion/Phantom combo figuring the more power the better the weapon. I now see that is not the case given a variety of circumstances and strategies. Lately I have been doing a lot of SP learned better ways to maneuver and programming my joystick to be more inertia friendly. I will also take the time to try out different cannon combos too. Thanks for the input guys.

[Edited on 1-25-2011 by Parapilot]

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:41 pm

I suggest nuking everything from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 3:40 am

Sure of what?......

:P:P:P:P:P:P

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 4:02 pm

From post: 100878, Topic: tid=7195, author=Parapilot wrote:I have been using the Fusion/Phantom combo figuring the more power the better the weapon. I now see that is not the case given a variety of circumstances and strategies. Lately I have been doing a lot of SP learned better ways to maneuver and programming my joystick to be more inertia friendly. I will also take the time to try out different cannon combos too. Thanks for the input guys.

[Edited on 1-25-2011 by Parapilot]

If you don't mind could you let me know were you found the Phantom? I would like to test it against the Maxim-R.

Parapilot · Post by **Parapilot** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:50 pm

From post: 100938, Topic: tid=7195, author=thetiebers wrote:If you don't mind could you let me know were you found the Phantom? I would like to test it against the Maxim-R.

I think I got most everything I own from the famous hidden planet in the Pearl system however I have owned it for so long I can't be sure I got it there.

Post by **Marvin** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:41 pm

The Sol system is loaded with Phantoms ... in fact, to the total exclusion of the Maxim-R.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:37 am

From post: 100954, Topic: tid=7195, author=Marvin wrote: The Sol system is loaded with Phantoms ... in fact, to the total exclusion of the Maxim-R.

They are hard to find, that is why they are Phantoms....

:P

Ophiuchus · Post by **Ophiuchus** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:43 am

Cerulean Main at Starbuck's.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:50 am

And at the Opera, the one of The Phantom.....

:P:P:P:P

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:05 pm

I now find its a toss up between the "Maxim-R" and the Phantom. The Maxim-R has a longer range and a faster cycle rate but the Phantom has a more powerful punch. When Fighting 4 AI they seem to be equal in time required to down all four. I suppose the difference would be in how a pilot fights. Any thoughts?:)