Engineers Power Distributor: Charge Enhanced Vs. Weapon Focused

[Mystweaver]

I had a search and haven't found and concrete figures for the actual benefit of one over the other - just opinion; so I've gone with maths and come up with the following. I'm sure someone out there can correct me if I'm wrong.

For this example, I am using the Stats for a 7A Power Distributor and adjustments found on https://coriolis.edcd.io/

I have also used the extreme values of the grade 5 rolls for the upgrades (i.e. best positive and worst negative adjustments)

Standard
Wep: 61.0 MJ / 6.1 MW
Sys: 41.0 MJ / 4.0 MW
Eng: 41.0 MJ / 4.0 MW

Charge Enhanced 5
Wep: 51.9 MJ / 8.2 MW -15% / +35%
Sys: 34.9 MJ / 5.4 MW -15% / +35%
Eng: 34.9 MJ / 5.4 MW-15% / +35%

Weapon Focused 3
Wep: 85.4 MJ / 7.3 MW +40% / +20%
Sys: 34.9 MJ / 3.8 MW -15% / -6%
Eng: 34.9 MJ / 3.4 MW -15% / -15%

With MJ stat being the Max Capacitor Charge, and MW being regeneration rate per second?

So what does this actually mean in combat?
Charge Enhanced
Pros: Faster recharge rates of all systems.
Cons: Smaller reserves when charged to Max.
Conclusion: Weaker opening salvo on weapons, but with all systems having a faster recharge; with efficient pip management, your energy generation is much higher all around.

Weapon Focused
Pros: Larger Capacitor
Cons: Weaker Everything else
Conclusion: Much stronger opening salvo on weapons, but well.. thats it surely? After your cap is empty, with a slower recharge, even with good pip management, you are worse off compared to the Charge Enhanced?

Overall conclusion:
Pip management is obviously essential (when is it not)... If you want a massive first burst in damage for your opening salvo, Weapon Focused might be for you, but don't expect to be able to keep as much energy charging all your systems regardless of pip management. In order to keep up you shields and weapons, you are looking at more pips away from weapons.

With Charge enhanced, that difference of 0.9 MW/s of energy (presumably at 4 pips); That's the usage of a Large Efficient 5 Beam!

In regards to Shields and Engines, that efficiency will surely correlates to a greater Survivability and Manoeuvrability(speed & boost refresh) respectively.

If these stats are correct, it seems obvious or have I got this totally wrong?

 

[ForeverN00b]

If there was a G5 weapons distributor there would be more of a discussion. However, IMO the general consensus is (and I agree with) that charge enhanced is the way to go for power distributors. For PvE, why bother with the min/max, and for PvP the battle lasts quite a lot longer than the opening salvo (usually).

Charge enhanced all the way. It basically multiplies the pips you have allocated to a system. Capacity means little, except for a few corner cases. Edit: Shield resistance isn't affected by this, but it amplifies the need for fast charging in other systems.

 

[Heavenly-Hammer]

Charged enhanced until such a day where Weapons enhanced becomes an option at Grade 5.

Simple process.

 

[GammaZ]

Weapon focused still has its use cases... for example:
Want to fire something crazy like few overcharged PA-s but do not have enough power in capacitor for a single shot? Weapon focused to increase capacity will be a better choice than generic "high capacity", which is simply terrible because of high recharge penalty.
Have very bad time-on-target? Higher capacity will allow storing more power to use during short time of opportunity...

 

[Mystweaver]

Weapon focused still has its use cases... for example:
Want to fire something crazy like few overcharged PA-s but do not have enough power in capacitor for a single shot? Weapon focused to increase capacity will be a better choice than generic "high capacity", which is simply terrible because of high recharge penalty.
Have very bad time-on-target? Higher capacity will allow storing more power to use during short time of opportunity...

Very Niche but well pointed out. Limited use but for OC PA's (or multiple PA's)definitely needed.

 

[NascentChemist]

I agree that charge enhanced is the way to go. However, I'm not all that convinced the G5 is best. It seemed to me that after 2.203, when I finally upgraded from G4, that the drop in capacity was much more significant than the increase in recharge. I realize this is completely subjective, but it stood out to me.

Also, I've got G3 ENG focused on my explorer Asp. The impact to shields is so extreme that full pips to SYS can't keep the capacitor filled while re-charging broken shields. I'd be worried a similar effect could exist for WEP focused mods.

 

[Ben Ryder]

I am mostly wong about stuff and Im also rubbish at numbers.

I spend a large amount of my time purely fighting in conflict zones. That means lots of fights in a short time. I don't hardly ever see an opposing comander of PvP benefit are of no interest. No do I do much in the way of one on one fights vs NPCs. I tend to fight lots of NPC opponents for a prolonged time in conflict zones. So for my point PvP and one on one fights are not even slightly important. Which would be best for my purposes. Charge enhanced or Weapon focused? Please help. I am old and simple.

 

[MrFuddyDuddy]

Charged enhanced until such a day where Weapons enhanced becomes an option at Grade 5.

Simple process.

I would still not use G5 Weapons Enhanced, as it stands now the way I set up all my ships I can fire all weapons with full pips nearly indefinitely. My FDL for example is using 4 Efficient Beams and with 4 pips to weapons I can fire all 4 for what feels like 2 straight minutes and when the capacitor runs dry 3 of the 4 can fire indefinitely.

My Corvette has all lasers and it can fire all but my Huge Burst Lasers indefinitely with only 2 pips in weapons.

Most things that are super power hungry also generate an absurd amount of heating making the ability to fire them for extended periods of time more or less pointless because you'll only overheat and damage your own ship, and why waste a utility mount on heat sinks I would otherwise never need?

 

[Mystweaver]

I am mostly wong about stuff and Im also rubbish at numbers.

I spend a large amount of my time purely fighting in conflict zones. That means lots of fights in a short time. I don't hardly ever see an opposing comander of PvP benefit are of no interest. No do I do much in the way of one on one fights vs NPCs. I tend to fight lots of NPC opponents for a prolonged time in conflict zones. So for my point PvP and one on one fights are not even slightly important. Which would be best for my purposes. Charge enhanced or Weapon focused? Please help. I am old and simple.

Charge enhanced is more efficient at keeping all your systems energy levels higher allowing you to boost more often, take more damage and keep your weapons firing for longer - pip dependent of course.

 

[Soulkiller]

For PVE I suggest Weapons focused as it gives you a bigger maximum cap by a huge margin (40%+) which translates into firing for much longer. Also when using OC beams you can have quite a nice burst taking down big ships' shields just before they are trying to shield boost. Dont forget that the less weapon capacity you have, the more heat your weapons generate, thus heat generation can be an issue for charge enhanced as your maximum cap is much smaller and you reach the bottom portion of it much faster.
It baffles me why people think charge enhanced is better for PVE. :S +15% extra capacitor recharge does not worth around -55% capacitor capacity.

 

[Washi]

It baffles me why people think charge enhanced is better for PVE. :S +15% extra capacitor recharge does not worth around -55% capacitor capacity.

I'm sorry but your logic is flawed. Recharge is the only thing that matters in most builds. So what if you have more capacity, when it is drained you have nothing. With good recharge it will not be drained at all.

 

[Soulkiller]

I'm sorry but your logic is flawed. Recharge is the only thing that matters in most builds.

That is not correct in a real fighting scenario. If you are talking about in theory as in sustained DPS you are right but thats not how the game is played.

 

[Washi]

That is not correct in a real fighting scenario. If you are talking about in theory as in sustained DPS you are right but thats not how the game is played.

Then I'm sorry I am playing this game wrong... What? Both my Python with Plasmas and Corvette with MC/lasers cares only about recharge. You can see those builds in my signature. Pretty common builds too.

For example I have 46% better weapon recharge on my Python. Without it I would have to wait a lot longer to fire another salvo from those accelerators and would miss on many good opportunities.

 

[Soulkiller]

Then I'm sorry I am playing this game wrong... What? Both my Python with Plasmas and Corvette with MC/lasers cares only about recharge. You can see those builds in my signature. Pretty common builds too.

For example I have 46% better weapon recharge on my Python. Without it I would have to wait a lot longer to fire another salvo from those accelerators and would miss on many good opportunities.

Ah I see you are using a low cap drain build. I am using 2 huge and 1 large OC beams for instagibbing targets' shields with 4 seeker missiles. That extra recharge is not useful for beams, thus having a much bigger capacity is much more better which even helps with the ships heat management. Also I dont have a 100% uptime on smaller enemies, I need to occasionally maneuver to face them.
Yes for that build charge enhanced is good. I will post a screenshot of my PD later this afternoon. Could you show me yours as well to compare them? I am very curious, but I am very reluctant to farm exquisite crystals if its just barely an upgrade and which might not even work with the burst nature of my build (thus the big capacity is good).
Also for a 2 Huge PAC 1 Large + 2 Medium Beam + 2 small beam spec(to rip shields fast for PACs to strike hull) which I have also used previously I also believe the extra capacity is very good.

 

[Washi]

Ah I see you are using a low cap drain build.

Low cap drain build? 5 plasma accelerators drain my cap in one salvo. That is why I need quick recharge so I can fire again asap.

That extra recharge is not useful for beams

Dude, you are confused. Extra charge is what you need for high drain weapons like beams. 3 OC beams? How long can you shoot with them? 3 seconds? And then what? You wait for 20 seconds for the capacitor to recharge? This makes no sense.

Could you show me yours as well to compare them?

As I said, It's in my signature: https://goo.gl/Cp6e2p
My python has a better one but I will work on corvette soon.

 

[Pyrotiger]

Great thread. Very useful.

I've been using a Weapons 3 PD on my Corvette and I've just engineered another L5 charge enhanced for it. Only way is to compare the feel of it in a Rez. The maths tell half the story - playing style is important, too.

 

[Soulkiller]

Low cap drain build? 5 plasma accelerators drain my cap in one salvo. That is why I need quick recharge so I can fire again asap.



Dude, you are confused. Extra charge is what you need for high drain weapons like beams. 3 OC beams? How long can you shoot with them? 3 seconds? And then what? You wait for 20 seconds for the capacitor to recharge? This makes no sense.



As I said, It's in my signature: https://goo.gl/Cp6e2p
My python has a better one but I will work on corvette soon.

The corvette is a low cap drain build. Also that extra regen is worse imo how much higher your capacity is.
I am not quite sure about the numbers but I believe my Weap Regen is 8.4 so yours is 0.9 MW/sec bigger but my capacity is over / or at around 100 MW. I would take 40 extra MW capacity any day over around 1 MW extra regen per sec. But as I said I might remember these numbers inaccurately. I will provide a screenshot of my PD in the afternoon/evening when I get home from work.

 

[Washi]

Uhhh ok we are not getting anywhere here. My corvette has only grade 4 unoptimised roll.
But anyway this is not about my or your rolls. This is about logic.
Capacity is only good at the start of the fight, after that it has no meaning, zero! You say you don't have 100% time on target? Ok so what do you do when you lose your target? Leave pips on weapon to recharge cap or switch to engines to catch your target? I don't have to worry about my recharge so I swith to engines and boost to get the target in my sights asap. If I did that with bad recharge I could not shoot anymore.
It's like saying bigger shield is better than bigger SCB. It's not. Recharge is everything (*in most cases)

 

[Soulkiller]

Uhhh ok we are not getting anywhere here. My corvette has only grade 4 unoptimised roll.
But anyway this is not about my or your rolls. This is about logic.
Capacity is only good at the start of the fight, after that it has no meaning, zero! You say you don't have 100% time on target? Ok so what do you do when you lose your target? Leave pips on weapon to recharge cap or switch to engines to catch your target? I don't have to worry about my recharge so I swith to engines and boost to get the target in my sights asap. If I did that with bad recharge I could not shoot anymore.
It's like saying bigger shield is better than bigger SCB. It's not. Recharge is everything (*in most cases)

Capacity is good when you lose your sight of the target as the next time you can unleash a much longer burst. I found it better to just unleash all my cap with a little drawback in regeneration then readjust my target meaning I will fly by next to them. I am not fighting in reverski FAOFF. In reverski when you have a 100% uptime on the target, every bit of recharge is considered better. I am not arguing about that. What I am trying to say that I do not fight that way and as I found out works very well because I believe the lost extra regen is so little, that the much bigger extra capacity is better. Also what if you recharge your capacitor very fast but yet you still cant acquire the target? You are wasting capacitor energy while a bit slow recharge but much higher cap will still fill you up.
So to summarise: if you fight in reverski with a 100% uptime you are correct, it is better, but otherwise, in my experience based on my combat style it is not.
We could say that fighting reverski FAOFF with a 100% uptime is the most efficient way of fighting, its just I do not do that.

 

[tomalus]

8,2 vs 7,3 with 4 pips in weapons, its marginal if you use less then 4 pips. Also not all people use only gimbal multis and pulse. Wich btw is useless vs chaff.