[eliex]

 Having back to the *current* world, ok, unless the excuse is "just a game".
Beam weapons in the *real* world are far one of the more weaker weapons on stats, as the defenses against it are rather common
 < eg a mirror >. On average, the standard force strength against their target is like:

  Gunner : So what do you think Commander? Did that beam blast those Martians back to outerspace?
  Commander: What do your eyes tell you?
  Gunner : Wait . . .

 < to be concluded with your opinions >

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Plasma on the other hand is so far in the real world one of the most expensive but dangerous weapons ( when it's used as one )
.

What are the blob turrets made out of?
 If it's plasma, then V < sorry, I don't know where the Volition icon is >  really doesn't know how powerful guns should be.

[RangerKarl]

What real world plasma weapons? Show examples please. And lasers aren't the only beam weapons, particle beams can have some nasty terminal effects too. Besides, you'd need a perfect mirror to bounce off a high powered laser. Also, you'd need to fix any imperfections after each hit, since the waste heat from the photons interacting with the mirror would warp the thing.

[Black Wolf]

FS's beam weapons are plasma beams, not lasers AFAIK.

[ShadowGorrath]

Photon beam cannons with plasma . As seen in the 'Surrender Belisarius !' .

[S-99]

Beams are highly coherent flows of plasma in the game.

[TrashMan]

Let's face it, the explanation of FS beams makes no sense... they call them photon beams yet mention the use of plasma. The Lucy weapon was even called a Flux cannon. So which one is it? Looks like [V] couldn't make up it's mind

[karajorma]

Actually the only reference to plasma in beams weapons in FS2 I can find is the famous "Commence plasma core insertion." line. It doesn't seem safe to use this to assume that beam weapons are plasma weapons.

Seems more likely the beams are gas plasma laser weapons or the plasma core is part of the fusion engine running a very powerful standard laser. Especially given this.

The Seth's relatively slow cruising speed is deceptive, as its Mekhu-Sahr plasma powerplant can give it an incredible afterburner boost

They are most definitely referred to in the same mission as photon beam cannons in the same mission anyway so I'm not entirely sure where the assumption that they are plasma weapons comes from.

[RangerKarl]

I'm more inclined to classify them as some sort of particle beam, what with that beam charge thing going on.

[haloboy100]

They still rip ficken sweet holes through ships, though. Even if you can't see any decals, let alone holes. How come they removed decals from FSO?

[CaptainFAT]

Yes, from that line the commander of the Psamtik gave, it seems that plasma is the energy source of the beams. But plasma is matter and photons are EM waves. It is my guess that some reaction takes place in the 'plasma core chamber' with the result being a direct pulse of pure energy (photons). Whether or not the plasma core is centrally positioned on the ship, or an individual chamber exists for each beam cannon mount I dont know. I'm guessing the second, because the fusion generators and the subspace drive would probably be all the main energy devices a ship could handle.

[karajorma]

How come they removed decals from FSO?

IIRC the code was buggy and the materials system should do the same thing better.

[TrashMan]

So a beam would be a big laz0r...like the laz0r guns so commonly used on FS2 fighters..

I must say that I am very much disapointed in the lack of potency in other ship mounted non-beam weapons (K, Fusion Mortar is OK I guess, altough it doesn't feel like that). The huge blob turrets are a laugh.

[Dark Hunter]

I liked Procyon Insurgency's turrets though. They acted more like how I'd expect turrets to act.

[haloboy100]

me too. But the blob projectiles were still so slow they looked like plasma flame throwers instead.

[colecampbell666]

I remember this exact same argument on GameSpot back in '04, when I discovered the SCP.