Class 4 weapons

[Snarfbuckle]

Therefore a reduction of muzzle velocity (cp. to high-velocity naval or tank guns) in order to reduce stress on the spaceframe is just as logical as the whole combat model.

Then the design is stupid since they could have used recoilless weapon technology also from WW2.

Yes, kinetic power would suffer instead but there would be very little stress on the ships frame.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoilless_rifle

 

[NavyBee]

Then the design is stupid since they could have used recoilless weapon technology also from WW2.

Yes, kinetic power would suffer instead but there would be very little stress on the ships frame.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoilless_rifle

I assume the cannons in ED are recoilless, as their muzzle velocity is roughly in the range of 20th century recoilless guns. I meant to say this in a previous reply, maybe I did not state it clear enough, though.

 

[Elethiomel Zakalwe]

Class 4 not much of an advantage? Have you seen what the cannon does to a Vulture? That cannon, going by the scale of the doors on an anaconda, is 18 or 19"! Larger than the largest naval cannon ever mounted on a warship, and it is automatic! The crunch noise of those car sized shells mashing into hull plating is very satisfying indeed.

Feels pretty weak for such a big gun to me. Good luck getting through anyone's shields if you sacrifice two hardpoints for hull dps.

- - - Updated - - -

Please allow me to partly disagree. Indeed I find it hard to imagine that in 3301 any amount of recoil a cannon aboard a starship produces cannot be countered by e.g. synchronising the ship's thrusters to accelerate when the cannon is fired. However, in terms of density, ED ships are really light, rather resembling airplanes than tanks or naval vessels. Of course 1300 years of metallurgy/material sciences should have produced amazingly strong alloys and bulkhead arrangements, but still... the ships' structure could be an issue.



It could, and scientifically should. In the end it is about game balance, i guess. Combat in ED is -by design- Battle of Britain in space. So using WWII analogies to guess FD's design decisions could be a reasonable approach.

Just some rough wikipedia numbers for comparison:

16"/50 cal Mk7 naval gun
gun mass: ~121t
105 rounds mass (AP/HE mix): ~105t
battery: 9 (Iowa class BB)
displacement of Iowa class BB: ~52,000t
-> main battery total mass: 2034t (without casings, turret armor, bulkheads etc.) = ~4% of displacement

And from coriolis.io:
class 4 cannon
gun module mass 16t (including 105 rounds)
Fer de Lance mass: ~450t
-> main battery total mass: 16t = ~3.5% of total mass
Anaconda mass: ~1500t
-> main battery total mass: 40t (including 3 large cannons) = ~2.7% of total mass

I did not compare density yet, but I remember there is already a thread on this forum.

tl;dr: I do neither want to criticise nor defend FD's design decisions, my point is just that from the present point of view ED cannons are reasonably heavy for the spaceframes they are built in. Therefore a reduction of muzzle velocity (cp. to high-velocity naval or tank guns) in order to reduce stress on the spaceframe is just as logical as the whole combat model.

I honestly don't think they really paid attention to the size of these ships when they were coming up with the numbers. Maybe you can say that they invented some super strong, super lightweight alloys, but look at the cargo capacity on a Type 9. Only 500 tons? On a ship that big?

 

[Julio Montega]

I'd love to see a C4-Anti-Cap-Ship-Missilelauncher.
Press fire for doomsday.

They said we were able to damage and/or destroy capships and stations,
give us the tools!

 

[Runyoufools5150]

Pvp vs reality in game

Well said.
Bring back descent missle damage. They should be awesome given low ammo count.

If this was op get a point defence. You may as well remove both from game.

Pds was balance.

I dont expect to see good huge weapons. Lets face large weapons destroy midlevel ships in seconds there would be so many complaints if huge lasers or mc.

People say vulture is easy mode. Corvette would be god mode.

Whining pvpers is right .. in reality anacondas pythons fed corvettes are battle cruisers in size comparison to ocean millatary ships . My point being it should realistically take two to three wings of cobras vipers vultures. A good half an hour to take down one of these ships with the anaconda or whatever sitting still in place bbqing most of them to do it . This would make for a good reason for multi crew on those big ships ... ok incoming squads of frigates put the ship in to sige mode and get to battle stations that would be you and youre wing getting outa youre seats in youre anaconda and maning the guns ... now to me just my opinion but that would be epic . Even if i was in The cobra small gang fleet and had to die a couple times respawn at station buy another cobra and haul ass back to the fight it would make it all the more satisfying if you brought the anaconda down at the end of it all .. but no casuals wil, allways be catered to in big online games like this thats where the money is for the company that makes the game .. keep the majority happy and playing and paying .