14-04-2004 02:41									#1
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I was reading the thread on "Best Bang per Buck", and found some interesting things in it. First, these calculations are incorrect:

quote: 2 Anti-Matter Torpedoes that do 25 damage each, every other turn, for 25 damage/turn total... A single squadron of Anti-Matter Bombers that do 5-40 damage each, but only every few turns, netting probably no more than 33-50 damage per turn... ... A single HV Death ray for 150 damage total... 6 HV ENV Fusion Beams that do 36 damage each, for 216 damage total!

He said against class III shields, so the revised version should be (consider that you nearly always hit):

2 antimatter torpedos : 22 damage/sec

antimatter bombers 148 per turn (4 bombers point blank range), and they can drop 2 against the weakest shield side before rearming.

2 Interceptors with PD phasors do 68 damage per turn.

3 heavy gravitons (I don't know how to calculate this damage)

3 heavy phasors will do 78

6 heavy netrons would do 90 damage.

4 merculte doing (14-3) damage each * 16 totaling 176

8 mirv nukes do (8-3) *32 = 160 damage

8 HV AF Lasers doing (6-3) * 8 (*2) [pretend two shots hit per laser) = 48 damage

6 HV AF mass drivers (9-3) *6 *2 = 72 damage

one heavy death ray = 147 damage

6 hv env fusion beams = (9-3) *4*6 = 144 damage.

However none of these take range into account. With range penalties, (as discussed by the same person under range dissipation), fusions are penalized x2, so that at 7 squares (7 instead of 4 because they are heavy), you get docked 2 points which decreases the damage by 48 points. Another 6 squares, and you are doing a mere 48 damage total.

Personally, I use mass drivers alot. They seem to be ok against class III shields until I can get enough neutrons to make it worth my effort. They also seem to do well as point defense when they have autofire. I would use CO ENV fusions for PD, but since they are penalized for range, it seems a better choice to do AF mass drivers.

First assume a non-creative race. To me the best bang per buck would be mass drivers. they are cheap and they don't dissipate with range, and they come very early in the game. Second place would be laser cannons, because you can have HV CO AF AP NR lasers. True they are usually about 26 size after a few levels of minituization, but they hit most the time, and they pierce through armor, which in the early game is strong enough that you would prefer to bypass it. These seem to be good until shields are developed.

AF AP mass drivers seem to be a great deal too. Since you have to chose between Heavy Armor and Auto Facts, they are quite effortive even against ships with reinforced hulls. AP seems to score criticals more often too.

I haven't found neutron blasters to be useful for too long. They are great for invading ships, or for capturing starbases, but they seem to fade faster that mass drivers do. I haven't had much luck with Ion cannons. I think its the way I play, or maybe I should try CO AF Ion cannons. I don't know wether I should be getting fusion drive or augmented engines. Graviton beams seem to be quite effective, because they are smaller than an ion cannon, and work against creatures and antarans. I also pick Phasors over Plasma, because I usually can steal plasma either with spies, invading, or capturing ships.

Beyond that I don't use the other weapons besides death rays. I usually win by then.

	14-04-2004 04:58									#2
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How do sheilds work with capacitors as far as what happens when all the shields are down? If they do 100% for all sides then drivers would be better vs them then fusion beams.

Last edited by Whoha on 14-04-2004 at 05:14

	14-04-2004 05:37									#3
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In all of these years I have never used Death Rays. IIRC they are intended to kill marines, are they not? How to they compare to Disrupters?

	14-04-2004 06:16									#4
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With shield capacitors you get 100% of one side back, or if all shields are down you get 25% to each side (instead of 7.5% without them).

	14-04-2004 19:35									#5
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

I don't like Death Rays because they don't minuraturize. Plus their damage per space is similar to disruptors. I only use them if I happen to take out Orion early, but even then I usually prefer phasors or plasma cannons.

The only other time I use them is if the AI has Barrier shield and I don't have anything that can penetrate that.

	14-04-2004 22:17									#6
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Even after 1.31, I always prefered Plasma Cannons to Disrupters.

What is the point of Mauler devices? I mean, they are useless, and they make your Star Bases weaker later int he game unless you have Death rays or particle beams by using them as their chosen beam weapon if you happen to be creative but don;t get Orion.

	14-04-2004 22:59									#7
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Plasma Cannons do the most damage per weight if you ignore dissipation.

Maulers are there for the guys who didn't research a computer all game if they took less space they might be good.

	14-04-2004 23:36									#8
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I usually only use Disruptors after I get the AF mod for them.

	15-04-2004 02:12									#9
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quote: How to they compare to Disrupters

I would say it depends on your range. Disrupters do 40 damage, and death rays do 100. You can fit about 3 disrupters in the space of one deathray. So that means that you will do 20 more points of damage at point blank if they don't have shields. Additionally, you can put modifications on disrupters, making them more valuable. Good point. Death rays seem best at killing marines, so they should be used if you want to caputer ships.

As for maulers: I build spies and steal technology. That garentees that I'll steal something good, like autolab, supercomputer, or a targeting computer. Maulers seem useless to me. I think Stellar Converters might make better combat devices.

	15-04-2004 02:32									#10
	Put an end to popups!

A Stellar converter with HEF, Structural Annalyser does
a total of 600 damage per shield side, and whatever gets through gets doubled-with achilles, nothing can survive one shot of these babies save maybe a xetronium star base or xetronium doom star reeinforced. And by 40,000 rp, they cost 300 space.

	15-04-2004 02:38									#11
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I general, one shot from a Stellar converter at planetary defenses completely wipes them out, no matter what kind of shielding exists-so with one single Doom star with 2 Stellar converters you take out any star base and planetary defenses.

	15-04-2004 05:26									#12
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I never use maulers either and it was so sad, since they were useful in Moo1. You could use them instead of bombs and then they would be available to use on ships.

	16-04-2004 02:00									#13
	Inflate your Upload Space

I find most computer players even on hard to build pityful planetary defenses