Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 11:20:32 am

Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 11:20:32 am
Should I use beams in the Unification War? If I do, they will all be like the targeting laser, but do damage. I really am undecided. Logic tells me two things.

1.) Laser beams were invented before laser pulse cannons (The US has already developed lasers for military use, they shot down an artillary shell with a laser. Not sure about other countries).
2.) Beams were invented after the Great War, thus making them fs2 era. Well, the Unification War is 50 years before Freespace 2.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Shrike on December 07, 2002, 11:28:54 am
Ship-launched missiles/torpedoes is my suggestion.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Galemp on December 07, 2002, 11:29:12 am
Nnnnnnoooooooo! :mad:
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 07, 2002, 11:30:53 am
I say no.  Why do we need beams when we already have torpedoes, mortars, fission bombs, missiles, and particle weapons?

If we add beams, mission designers are going to gravitate toward beams.  If we prohibit beams, mission designers will be forced to use their imagination and come up with creative mission ideas.

Besides...the average player won't know the difference (in practical use) between lasers and beams.  And Terrans didn't have beams until FS2.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 11:36:40 am
Okay, this is exactly what I wanted. We won't have beams.

We will have extremely dangerous turret lasers though. AAA Turrets speed is 600, and the advanced one will be faster. So they don't often miss. The only way to take down a large warship is with another large warship.

What about not flagging bombs as "bomb"? That way ship-to-ship torpedos can't be shot down.
Title: I vote no
Post by: Star Dragon on December 07, 2002, 12:18:25 pm
I LOVE beams more than anyone :nervous:  but if you are doing pre FS2 then no beams for you! (hey that rhymes?) :lol:  Seriously lasers are good enough. Yeah being creative with what you got is more important...
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Unknown Target on December 07, 2002, 12:20:35 pm
They should be experimental beams. Not really powerful, and only equipped on few ships, for trial runs.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: CP5670 on December 07, 2002, 12:24:22 pm
I would recommend keeping them out since it makes no sense story-wise, although you could probably use the beam game code to make some similar thing (e.g. a really weak, rapid-fire beam that looks different and does not have charge up/down times might be interesting, sort of like a powerful and accurate version of the terran turret).
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Anaz on December 07, 2002, 12:35:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Unknown Target
They should be experimental beams. Not really powerful, and only equipped on few ships, for trial runs.


I disagree. Beams were developed after studying shivan tech after the great war.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 12:46:12 pm
Quote
Originally posted by CP5670
I would recommend keeping them out since it makes no sense story-wise, although you could probably use the beam game code to make some similar thing (e.g. a really weak, rapid-fire beam that looks different and does not have charge up/down times might be interesting, sort of like a powerful and accurate version of the terran turret).


That's what I was going to do in the first place. There would be no warm-up or warm-down , but they would also be very weak.

I'm experimenting with beam AAA Turrets right now (Very weak, but they don't miss very often.)
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Unknown Target on December 07, 2002, 12:46:55 pm
There weren't any beams in the Great War (the shivan super laser doesn't count). So that means that beams were probably invented from advances in ion propulsion being standard, but before that, there were probably some experimental ones, that were prone to overheating, etc.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 12:55:20 pm
Right, so I shouldn't have capital ship carving beams, but maybe being creative with the beam code would be okay.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: CP5670 on December 07, 2002, 01:08:42 pm
You should be fine as long as they are not photon beam cannons (i.e. they look different) and you can think of some reason to have them removed by FS1.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: EdrickV on December 07, 2002, 01:16:08 pm
Don't recall where exactly this campaign would fit in the FS1/FS2 timeline, but I do have some thoughts about when beams would be used.

1. Pre-FS1: No beams as we know them. The technology did not exist at that point.

2. Post-FS1/Pre-FS2: IIRC, beams had been retrofitted to existing ships and new ships had been designed and built to use beams, so beam technology had existed for some time before the start of FS2. (You don't design ships around a technology that hasn't been tested.) A campaign with missions set near the beginning of FS2 could have first prototype beams and then maybe beams would start showing up on cap ships as the retrofitting goes through the fleet. I'm not sure exactly how long beams would have existed pre-FS2, but at least a couple of years I'd say. (It would take time to retrofit an entire fleet, as well as design and build totally new ships.) By the start of FS2, beam technology is standard cap ship equipment.

3. Post FS2: Of course there'd be beams. :)
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 01:16:19 pm
Here are some possible reasons:

Cost-bigass weapons cost bigass money.
instability-lots of screw-ups.
Size-Takes a lot of room to hold a beam cannon. So much that armor can't be put on, making ship easily destroyed by fighters.

EDIT: I could try for an electric look:)
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 07, 2002, 01:24:28 pm
No, no, no, no, no! :mad:

Beams were developed after studying Shivan technology.  Therefore it makes absolutely no sense to have any kind of beams, even primitive beams, before the start of FS1.  Don't muddle the issue.

No lasers, either.  The military tests of today notwithstanding, we didn't see them in FS1, so we shouldn't see them in the U War or T-V War.

There are plenty of ways to make a good mission without including beams.  Get out of the "we must have beams" mindset.  Use your imagination. :rolleyes:
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 01:30:55 pm
We're using laser pulses for Terran Turrets (Just like in fs1 and fs2) and that is final, but I'm trying to get creative with the beam code, as well as the tiling. I think a flamethrower looking weapon could be made that might look good. I'm hovering over the issue, but any beams that we have will stink. I'll wait for a while, then choose the decision that gets the most votes.

EDIT: Where does it say that beams were made by studying Shivan technology? Lots of people say this, but I don't know where they're getting it from.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Anaz on December 07, 2002, 01:37:15 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Hades
We're using laser pulses for Terran Turrets (Just like in fs1 and fs2) and that is final, but I'm trying to get creative with the beam code, as well as the tiling. I think a flamethrower looking weapon could be made that might look good. I'm hovering over the issue, but any beams that we have will stink. I'll wait for a while, then choose the decision that gets the most votes.

EDIT: Where does it say that beams were made by studying Shivan technology? Lots of people say this, but I don't know where they're getting it from.


try the tech room. I think there is some stuff there.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 01:40:37 pm
Since more people say let's not use beams, I think that I'll scrap the beams. I'm working on a new arsenal for the Terrans to use, and it will consist of torpedos, laser turrets, and maybe some other things. So far, the player has one laser weapon, one ballistic primary, and one shotgun.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 07, 2002, 01:46:45 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Hades
Since more people say let's not use beams, I think that I'll scrap the beams.


Whew! :) (j/k)

Quote
I'm working on a new arsenal for the Terrans to use, and it will consist of torpedos, laser turrets, and maybe some other things. So far, the player has one laser weapon, one ballistic primary, and one shotgun.


Eh, I'd rather there not be laser anything (including turrets) in the UW.  In the T-V War, that's great, and I'll fully back you up - do whatever you want.  But in the UW, I think it would be cool if it was pure ballistic.

Keep in mind that the state of the Sol system in the UW was a bunch of very disorganized factions fighting for supremacy.  They couldn't organize themselves well enough to make any huge technological developments.  But after the GTA was formed, Terran technology made a huge leap forward.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 01:55:24 pm
We're going to have laser weapons in the UW. I am going to base capital ship combat mainly on lasers, except for torpedoes. Dogfights will rely on machine guns, though the player will have an array of laser weapons to use also.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Unknown Target on December 07, 2002, 02:22:46 pm
BTW: Shotgun!? You've got to be out of your mind! It better be weaker than the ML-16, is all I can say!
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 07, 2002, 02:52:44 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Hades
We're going to have laser weapons in the UW.


Hades, that's not what we agreed on before.  We both agreed - on 11/23 - that we would eliminate lasers in the UW and have them exclusively in the T-V war.  Here is the dialogue.

Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
Save the lasers for the TVW (there will be plenty of opportunities then).  The less FS1 technology in the UW, the better, I think.  As someone said several weeks ago, imagine what you would have to take out if you went from FS2 to FS1, and then do the same from FS1 to the TVW, and even further from the TVW to the UW.


Quote
Originally posted by Hades
I'm having at least one laser weapon. The rest can be ballistic, but one laser weapon will exist, although it is not that powerful.


Quote
Originally posted by Goober5000
If you really want to have a laser..., then
:blah:
Nahh... I stand by my original point. NO LASERS. Not in the Unification War. In the T/V war, go to town. But in the Unification War, no lasers.


Quote
Originally posted by Hades
Works for me.


Now you're changing your mind again.  And you were starting to change your mind again with the beams as well.  Please be consistent.  If you want to make any major changes, take them to the T-V war internal forum and discuss them first.

[size=0]Sheesh...[/size] :rolleyes:
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 02:59:30 pm
Sorry guys, but me and Goober5000 are going to take this into the Internal forum.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Anaz on December 07, 2002, 03:05:32 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Unknown Target
BTW: Shotgun!? You've got to be out of your mind! It better be weaker than the ML-16, is all I can say!


shotgun-style weaponry (I hope...) that shoots out a ton of little pellets. Not specifically a 12-guage...
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 03:50:57 pm
It is a .pcx that has a bunch of pellets on it. It has a slow refire rate, but it is pretty powerful. I have gotten a new sound for it also. An actual shotgun sound.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Raptor on December 07, 2002, 04:02:40 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Shrike
Ship-launched missiles/torpedoes is my suggestion.


I agree with Shrike.  For a fleet without beam or flak tech, missiles are the way to go.  I have a campaign idea bouncing around that involves The GTA 1st fleet developing big kick *** missile weapons instead of beams and flak.

'Shivan Demon class destroyer warpping in 10km off port bow sir!'

"Gunnery Control, target the Demon."

'Aye sir, targeting Demon.  Forward Exocet Missile tubes armed and ready.'

"FIRE!"

and 20 seconds later, 2 500 MT warheads mark the destruction of a Demon...;7
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Galemp on December 07, 2002, 05:06:14 pm
Heh... remember the ending cutscene to Descent 3? THAT's the kind of missiles I want to see.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 05:13:22 pm
I never beat descent 3. I sucked at that game.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: neo_hermes on December 07, 2002, 05:31:11 pm
No Beams that's a no no.
For something like torpedo's and other missile type's.  why don't you use the Vasudan targeting laser. i think this could solve the problem.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 07:32:56 pm
I didn't know the Targeting laser was Vasudan.:D
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 07, 2002, 07:51:29 pm
Quote
Originally posted by neo_hermes
For something like torpedo's and other missile type's.  why don't you use the Vasudan targeting laser. i think this could solve the problem.


What problem?
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Nuclear1 on December 07, 2002, 08:16:07 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Shrike
Ship-launched missiles/torpedoes is my suggestion.


TVWar is doing something like that (or was it AP? i dunno....).
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 08:24:55 pm
I'm doing the TVWar, we're just doing the UW for  little bit of fun, for a demo, and to see exactly what we can do.

we are using torpedos and such.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Deepblue on December 07, 2002, 10:02:24 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Hades
It is a .pcx that has a bunch of pellets on it. It has a slow refire rate, but it is pretty powerful. I have gotten a new sound for it also. An actual shotgun sound.

:) I was about to say I already did that but aparrently you have beet me to the punce. Shotgun weapons are pretty cool :cool:
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 07, 2002, 10:12:11 pm
Deepblue, do you have access to the TVWP INternal forum yet?
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 08, 2002, 12:10:46 am
He needs an avatar, too.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Solatar on December 08, 2002, 07:51:58 am
He's got an avatar.:D Thanks Shrike.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 11, 2002, 12:39:27 am
30,000th post in this forum! :D :D :D

And I'll celebrate by pointing the way to my ballistic primary (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,11981.0.html) conversion for the Source Code Project! :D

EDIT: Bah.  Trust Knight Templar to interfere... :( ;)

Oh well. 30,001st post!!!

EDITed for tone ;)
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Knight Templar on December 11, 2002, 12:47:37 am
_Um.. excuse me?

I trust you meant that in a friendly sort of "What's up B? Watchin' the Game, Havin' a Bud" sort of a tone..

Besides, it's important!


Oh, don't be a foo, stay in skoo, sucka'.

Don't be an imbissle, stick wit yo missle  (:blah: )
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 11, 2002, 12:56:23 am
Quote
Originally posted by Knight Templar
_Um.. excuse me?

I trust you meant that in a friendly sort of "What's up B? Watchin' the Game, Havin' a Bud" sort of a tone..


True. ;)

Yes, I was a little annoyed for a second - but only for a second.  It's all good. :) Congratulations on getting the 30,000th post! :D

Quote
Besides, it's important!


What is?

Quote
Oh, don't be a foo, stay in skoo, sucka'.

Don't be an imbissle, stick wit yo missle  (:blah: )


:confused: :confused: :confused:

(By the way, you spelled "missile" wrong. :p)
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Sesquipedalian on December 11, 2002, 04:44:55 am
He also spelt "imbecile" incorrectly.
Title: Beam, yeah or nay?
Post by: Goober5000 on December 11, 2002, 10:48:44 am
Not to mention "school".  Hey KT, did you spell-check? :D