[JGZinv]

Got a question that is more on the technical side.

Made up the tachyon railgun as best I could for my mod, but I made it from
a modified laser, which gives it a bit of a "stretchy" feeling.

What I'm wondering is long term, is there any benefits to using a fighter mounted
beam "railgun" versus a laser faked "railgun" ?

Either way it has to end up looking and sounding the same.
But considering system drain when there's 15 of these things going off, and what benefits
a beam might have due to beam types (pierce, etc)?

What do you think? Pros/cons?

[BengalTiger]

To get a railgun, modify a Maxim.

(Particle?*) Beam cannons do continuus damage while shooting, and railguns don't. You could set the shield piercing somewhere in the .tbl's if you need it.

*-They have to shoot something....

[Scooby_Doo]

Or have a beam cannon that lasts a very small amount of time.

[Bobboau]

or a laser with a missile trail

[Scooby_Doo]

Can primaries have missile trails?

[Hellstryker]

or a laser with a missile trail

That method actually works the best.

[JGZinv]

Um... I asked about the advantages... mainly in terms of load performance and comparative features
of different methods of getting a railgun.


I "already" made one... and know how it has to look.


I'm trying to see if the way I have it is the best bet long term, or I should work it into something else.

These things tend to be used by one group of ships specifically, and you can end up with 2-8 firing every 2-3 seconds
if you've only got 4 ships in game. I'm thinking long term when you've not only got AI, but people shooting these off.
Somewhat unrealistic at the moment, but figure 25 fighters X 3 mounts = 75 possible rails every 3.5 seconds?
That's if we're talking battleaxe fighters... claymores would have even more mounts per ship. There you might have quite a bit
more load on the system, and I'd rather nip this now if a problem can be seen to arise later.

Lasers vs. Missiles vs. Beams vs. Etc

Which would be the least load on the system comparatively?

[Mobius]

Can primaries have missile trails?

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Shivan_Super_Laser

[...]

THE gun, the meanest, most destructive weapon in FreeSpace, period. The incredibly rapid refire rate, designed so its hacked trails would look beamlike, means that it outdamages anything and everything.


The FreeSpace Port made this into a beam weapon, but in retail FS1/2 it's actually a turret munition with an invisible head and a very long tail. In other words, it's a laser shot hacked to look like a beam.

[...]

[Rhymes]

"BOOM! Shivan Super Lasers SHOOT!!"
                         ------ Shellshocked Vasudans, ST:R

 

[Polpolion]

You wouldn't be able to see railguns shoot. Especially Tachyon ailguns.

[JGZinv]

Guys...

I'm not worried about the looks, the realism, or how to make one.

Simply wish to know which method would be less taxing on the game.

[Droid803]

I would go ahead and say that lasers are a lot less taxing then beams, just for the fact that when I had a Tereus open a full broadside simultaneously on a Leviathan using MVPs-style beams, it dropped me instantly from 60 FPS to 12.

[Dilmah G]

Yeah, lasers are the way to go in terms of frame rate considerations.

[Commander Zane]

I noticed Nuke hasn't posted here about FS railguns, he made his own that seem to work very well.

[JGZinv]

Well lasers was my first consideration as well because of the BRTL demo.
Tons of "lasers" being shot off... without any noticeable slow down.

I just keep my rail as a laser then. Have to work on it's stretchiness yet.