[Luis Dias]

Damn, you're absolutely right.

I meant Hive frigate:

[starlord]

Actually, I was thinking that it was a shame not to give EMP weapons more significance in BP... However, while gameplay wize it would certainly have to be balanced, it could have interesting effects...

Another idea would also be a comeback of the FS1 disruptor missile: it could do loads in those capship engagements...

[General Battuta]

As was mentioned in this thread or another, EMP weapons were used extensively at one point and entirely cut because they broke missions by rendering messages unreadable.

[-Norbert-]

Now granted, there would be a degradation of the prowess there, since we would see the Deimos, for instance, blasting off the drones with their AAA beams, and flak, etc.

I thought the whole point of using maxims was to outrange most of the defensive guns, otherwise you could just strap of some other weapon that also does some shield damage, so they can engage strikecraft, if no capital ship is in range.
Considering the energy drain I doubt such a small drone could make full use of the maxiums re-fire rate, but due to the high range, they blast away at the target with little to no return fire.

[-Sara-]

Why not just make a missile cruiser which fires a large version of hornets with anti-capital warheads? It swoops in close, empties it bays and makes range with a big engine. It'd lose on defenses etc but that's what fighters are for.

[Kolgena]

Give those bombs shields, or better armor, and now we're talking.

I mean, if we're able to give bombs subspace drives, I can't see a shield generator being that much more expensive.

[General Battuta]

Bombs can be given hitpoints. At one point UEF torpedoes had armor but it made them too good.

[-Norbert-]

Why not just make a missile cruiser which fires a large version of hornets with anti-capital warheads? It swoops in close, empties it bays and makes range with a big engine. It'd lose on defenses etc but that's what fighters are for.

Because, unlike the drones, a cruiser can be hit by beams. So unless you attack from a beam-blind spot (for that job Chimeras and Bellerophons are much better) your fast cruiser with paper-thin armor wouldn't last long enough to get in firing range.

[starlord]

pity about that! could they not be used in one or 2 missions in circumstances that would not be a problem regarding playability? this would showcase them as still important...

And I also still think that the disruptor missile (or equivalent) might actually help in such conflicts...

[-Sara-]

Someone should figure out how to use subspace to get those bombs to be out of phase. Then no-one can hit them. 

[Destiny]

Consider that subspace missile attacks are also quite undefensible, a much much better strategy, IMHO, than "beam rape tactics", so it wasn't omnipresent in BP, for it would create a boring game, not a cool one.

I've actually FREDed this out. You can, to a certain degree, defend against a single SSM strike. That is, one or two TAG-Cs. With Balls of Steele AI, that is. The type of ship is actually quite important, as well as it's size and turret placement. Balls of Steele Naras and Karunas usually can shoot down quite a few SSMs upon exiting subspace. Unless you're sending ten or a hundred fighters (like I did for maximum overkill) with TAG-Cs, a tight group of heavy pinpoint point-defense/Gattler-armed turrets is quite good against SSM strikes with low amounts of missiles.

..well, Maxim and TerPulses do the job better...


...all with Balls of Steele AI. Damn you Steele, for being so awesome.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Will the AI intercept bombs using missiles? That might give ground for the UEF having more durable torpedoes than the GTVA.

[Jellyfish]

Why not just make a missile cruiser which fires a large version of hornets with anti-capital warheads?

Not exactly a cruiser, but Inferno already thought of it.

[Destiny]

Will the AI intercept bombs using missiles? That might give ground for the UEF having more durable torpedoes than the GTVA.

They do occasionally...it might be good when they use EMP missiles on bombs, but...you know.

[-Sara-]

Why not just make a missile cruiser which fires a large version of hornets with anti-capital warheads?

Not exactly a cruiser, but Inferno already thought of it.

So it's a bad idea?

[Jellyfish]

No, it was a super over the top idea more fitting with a MORE DAKKA campaign than a realist one.

[-Sara-]

It was meant sarcastic.

[Jellyfish]

Sorry, I've been too jumpy lately.

Amyways, back on topic. Why not load the railguns and gauss with canisters? They could've been really useful in Delenda Est, and in any other engagement where a lot of fighters/bombers are directly in front of the frigate.

[Kolgena]

You mean like shotgun gauss rifles?
...
That would be pretty awesome, if somewhat imba.

[Snail]

Like grapeshot? I dunno, that seems kind of uncivilized.