[The E]

If there's no heavy bomber, who carries the Helios/larger bombs?
SSM deployment?

Exactly. You don't need heavy bombers when an Ares or Herc 2 wing can deliver more firepower in a more survivable package.

[General Battuta]

Yeah, we're pretty sure at this point that heavy bombers are a dying breed.

We're experimenting with some interesting alternatives.

[Snail]

I actually think something as simple as a few wings of Herc2s armed with Maxims could completely replace bombers against the majority of Federation targets. They're not as vulnerable, their payloads can't be shot down and they don't even need to get in close.

[Javito1986]

I know when I played I was a lot more worried about the Herc 2s than I was about the traditional bombers. Even the Artemis goes down so quickly and all its torps are typically splashed by point defense turrets. The Herc 2 however can melt a civie transport faster than you can blink.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Like how they raped the Argent Mist?

[kyp275]

The one thing 1 want to see in WiH2...




oh yea, an Adm. Steele punching bag mini game

[General Battuta]

I actually think something as simple as a few wings of Herc2s armed with Maxims could completely replace bombers against the majority of Federation targets. They're not as vulnerable, their payloads can't be shot down and they don't even need to get in close.

UEF ships may start rolling with Maxim-resistant armor, though.

[sgtbeil]

I actually think something as simple as a few wings of Herc2s armed with Maxims could completely replace bombers against the majority of Federation targets. They're not as vulnerable, their payloads can't be shot down and they don't even need to get in close.

UEF ships may start rolling with Maxim-resistant armor, though.

HINT HINT. He's on the BP team

[Satellight]

UEF ships may start rolling with Maxim-resistant armor, though.

UEF Panzer IV ??? 

[sgtbeil]

UEF Panzer IV ???  

UEF Panther II :O

[Snail]

I actually think something as simple as a few wings of Herc2s armed with Maxims could completely replace bombers against the majority of Federation targets. They're not as vulnerable, their payloads can't be shot down and they don't even need to get in close.

UEF ships may start rolling with Maxim-resistant armor, though.

Oh, snap...


Well the UEF have torpedo resistant armor and beam jamming technology, doesn't stop them from being somewhat effective.

[Thaeris]

I actually think something as simple as a few wings of Herc2s armed with Maxims could completely replace bombers against the majority of Federation targets. They're not as vulnerable, their payloads can't be shot down and they don't even need to get in close.

UEF ships may start rolling with Maxim-resistant armor, though.

...

I must say, that sounds inherently stupid. The Maxim is shooting a pretty large caliber projectile made of U-238 (depleted uranium) at (for FS speeds) very high velocities. The notion that you could just pass off the tremendous kinetic energy and momentum from those weapons is just silly - even something like ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) is pushing it as, hey, it blows up to prevent an incoming round from making contact! Destroyable armor plates are one thing, but armor "resistant" to physics and/or common sense is entirely different. And, as a disclaimer, I will note FS makes legendary stabs against physics, but simultaneously it has a sort of believable gameplay to it (thus not conflicting with common sense).

*EDIT: Thanks, Klaus, I can't belive I stuck the fissionable uranium isotope in there! U-235 changed to 238.

[Klaustrophobia]

U-238*

sorry.  though i don't really have a huge problem with maxim RESISTANT armor.  if we go maxim-PROOF, then yeah.

[Snail]

...

I must say, that sounds inherently stupid. The Maxim is shooting a pretty large caliber projectile made of U-235 (depleted uranium) at (for FS speeds) very high velocities. The notion that you could just pass off the tremendous kinetic energy and momentum from those weapons is just silly - even something like ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) is pushing it as, hey, it blows up to prevent an incoming round from making contact! Destroyable armor plates are one thing, but armor "resistant" to physics and/or common sense is entirely different. And, as a disclaimer, I will note FS makes legendary stabs against physics, but simultaneously it has a sort of believable gameplay to it (thus not conflicting with common sense).

That was a pretty violent outburst, huh.


I really don't see what's so unbelievable about armor that is resistant to being shot.

[Droid803]

I really don't see what's so unbelievable about armor that is resistant to being shot.

Its really hand-wavy and magic. "we can make armor resistant to anything you throw at us, without sacrificing resistance to anything else!"

Unless of course, your maxim-resistant armor melts uber-quick to subachs or something.

No magic everything-proof armor plz. That's just dumb.

[Aardwolf]

we can make armor resistant to anything you throw at us, without sacrificing resistance to anything else!

Nobody said it was more resistant to anything but Maxims.

Edit: oh hm, that subach comment... perhaps i was too hasty

[Droid803]

Yes, but maxims is just the first (second? since they already have the bomb-resistant down) step towards that!

[NGTM-1R]

...

Actually the concept of just slapping new armor with radically different material properties sounds a bit crazy in itself. If it were just extra material of the same type that would be reasonably permissible since, y'know, multi-megaton forces and all that. But replacing it with something totally different can't do anything good for the ship's overall structural dynamics.

...and if it's turret, how are you going to protect it any better without altering its field of fire or ability to react to new targets? The muzzle has got to stay uncovered...

[Aardwolf]

Yes, but maxims is just the first (second? since they already have the bomb-resistant down) step towards that!

...and I did not speak out, for I was not a GTW-66 Maxim Cannon

[Javito1986]

I suppose you COULD just build new transports. Kinda like how the U.S. started rolling out new vehicles capable of (hopefully) withstanding IEDs.

But that's expensive, the logistics of distribution are a nightmare, and I doubt it's commercially viable to outfit civie ships like that. Really if you're in a civie and GTVA shows up and tells you to cut your engines you should probably do as your told. Wonder how GTVA handles UEF prisoners or civilian detainees.