[JGZinv]

Backslash and myself are tossing around an idea and need some
help getting it out of the conceptual stage.

Basically we need to figure out:

A. Can a beam from an AI controlled ship target multiple other ships at once?

B. If not, would a 360 degree FOF with an always on type refire rate essentially do the same thing (affect
several ships at once within beam range)?

[karajorma]

While AFAIK a single beam can't affect multiple targets if you use the fire-beam SEXP there is no reason you can't have the same beam fired multiple times from the same turret at the same time.

[JGZinv]

Ok thanks....

Need to touch base with Bax tonight but hopefully we'll have something to show shortly.

[Aardwolf]

In the mission where the Ravana is introduced they use the sexp so that both main beams target both corvettes simultaneously (I think).

[Droid803]

I don't think so.
One corvette usually survives with little to no damage for me.

[Mobius]

The Actium is supposed to survive...

[Rodo]

both can die... If you suck badly enough to let the bombers hit the actium  (yes It happened to me  )

and yes, I think it that mission the ravana shoots two both corvettes simultaneously.

[JGZinv]

Well either way the question has pretty much been answered for now.

I'll talk to Bax again tonight hopefully and see what the test results were on the first try.

[Titan]

That teh Actium survives is news to me...

[Trivial Psychic]

It would be a cool feature if type1 (slash) beams could be made to slash through multiple fighters in one pass.  I could see fire-beam be altered so that when a type 1 is used, it gives the option to hit more than one target, causing it to make a straight line carve from one ship to another.  This would be difficult to do however, since fighters positions in mission are typically quite random and can't be expected to be in the same place.  That could make for an extremely wide sweep.  Perhaps a new beam number type would be in order... I say "would be in order", since I find it unlikely that coders would find this kind of feature worth the effort, if at all possible.

[Vertigo 7]

how about instead of a type 1, an AAF beam that while in its firing cycle, if target A gets destroyed, its remaining beams fire on target B and so on... the only problem i can see with that off the top of my head is ships like to keep firing at stuff after its hull drops to 0 till the ship actually explodes... granted fighters don't hang around for very long after they go boom but the beam cycle would be over by then most of the time

[Stormkeeper]

*snip*

I agree, but I also agree that coding such a beam would require a talented coder with a lot of time on his hands.

[Mobius]

Well, I think an overkill Slash beam would be much easier to code. By overkill I mean that it fires shots that always hit the target(slash beams are pretty inaccurate).

[Stormkeeper]

Well, I think an overkill Slash beam would be much easier to code. By overkill I mean that it fires shots that always hit the target(slash beams are pretty inaccurate).

Isn't that like a normal beam?

[S-99]

Beams do and don't affect multiple targets. The weaker targets like several fighters in a row straight in the beams direction will all get wiped out at the same time. Bigger capships not so much unless you got a beam to shoot through a cap ship and hit another behind it.

[JGZinv]

Um just to clarify, the beam isn't designed to kill things.

Pretty much Bax and I consider it a viable and proof of concept, but we
are going to have to get it polished quite a bit.

[Mobius]

Isn't that like a normal beam?

A normal beam doesn't slash...I was refering to a compromise between slash beams' coolness, anti-subsystem effectiveness and precision.

[S-99]

For people making campaigns with uber space opera cap ship fights; is there any way to make a mission that has ships with slasher actually hit their targets accurately. Something like goodly planned ship positioning and distance and lots of testing...nm answered my own question.

in that case any way to decrease the slashing radius? I do like slashers, just think that they are ill used.