Thermal Weapons Vs Kinetic Weapons

[Jamey]

Hypothetical question - given the exact same target and the exact same DPS, and ignoring any other factors like time on target (assume 100% / test conditions) which would destroy the target faster - an all thermal weapon loadout or an all kinetic weapon loadout?

 

[Tarman]

You're gonna need to narrow it down further than that. You haven't even denoted Engineered or stock.

 

[ForeverN00b]

Thermals are better against shield and kinetics are better against hull, so it depends on the shield/hull strength ratio really.

Edit: This assumes unengineered weapons and unengineered opponent, otherwise it's a bit more complex.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Kinetic has a higher DPS in general.

But thermal has a higher DPM.

In general.

 

[Jamey]

... it depends on the shield/hull strength ratio really.

Assume even. Same strength for both. No engineering. Assume DPS (which is identical on both) can be sustained.

 

[ForeverN00b]

Assume even. Same strength for both. No engineering. Assume DPS (which is identical on both) can be sustained.

Shields get a 20% negative modifier against thermal weapons and 0% against kinetics IIRC. Can't remember the stock values for hull.

 

[Tassier]

Lasers, on the assumption that you're talking same sustained DPS against a stock eagle, based on Coriolis offence stats.

Cobra MkIII with single 2E pulse laser, dps 12.1:
https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii?code=A0peteFeledesef41a-----02024900-2h.Iw1%2FkA%3D%3D.Aw1%2FkA%3D%3D..EweloBhBGA2GAcICmBDA5gG2SGF9A%3D%3D%3D
10 seconds to remove shields, 7 for armour.

Cobra MkIII with single 2E multicannon, sustained DPS 12.2:
https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/cobra_mk_iii?code=A0peteFeledesef4-26----02024900-2h.Iw1%2FkA%3D%3D.Aw1%2FkA%3D%3D..EweloBhBGA2GAcICmBDA5gG2SGF9A%3D%3D%3D
16 seconds to remove shields, 4 for armour.

However change the target ship to stock Corvette and lasers take twice as long as multicannon.

It all depends upon how much shield / armour the target has, and associated resistances.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

Hypothetical Answer:

There are too many other factors to take into consideration.

Out-of-box, shields are generally weak to Thermal damage, strong against Kinetic and Explosive Damage.
Out-of-box, hulls tend to be strong against Thermal and weak against Kinetic and Explosive damage.

So I'd say, start to finish, stripping the shields and then the hull of a ship with either is likely to take just about as long, which is what makes mixed loadouts work so well - thermals for shields, kinetics for hulls.

Not that a pure thermal or pure kinetic can't work, but used together they're more efficient.

 

[Jamey]

It all depends upon how much shield / armour the target has, and associated resistances.

For the purposes of this hypothetical, I'd like to assume shield and hull strength of target is equal. Basically what this comes down to is which has the worst modifiers - when all else is equal, will lasers take down a hull faster than kinetics will take down a shield, if both that hull and that shield are the same strength?

 

[StiTch]

Kinetic has a higher DPS in general.

But thermal has a higher DPM.

In general.

Only not quite true because the ratios change with class. At low classes, MCs have better DPS. At high class, even the C4 pulse is about on par with the MC.

The only correct answer is this:

Hypothetical Answer:

There are too many other factors to take into consideration.

You could probably say that more often than otherwise, if you can get all shots to connect, an all-kinetic loadout would kill faster than all thermal, particularly with mods applied as MCs thrive with OC. But that's with zero specificity on opponent, and disregards practicalities such as the hitscan nature of lazors.