Damage: 13,000
Velocity: 120 m/s
Delay: 1.5 s
Mass: 800 kg
Splash radius: 40m
Detonation: Contact
Maneuverability: low
Ammo: 3
Lifetime: 20 s
License: -/-/5/-/-

Using the widely available Stingray as a model, this missile was developed for use against shielded targets within the hive and on the border in active conflict.

Swarms are a terrible anti-capital ship weapon. The idea here is to enable a single bomber or a group of bombers to more effectively deliver their ordinance on a target, while ensuring that said target cannot feasibly be a small vessel. That means fewer missiles with greater damage, not the reverse. This projectile MUST be able to be destroyed by any weapons fire from players or NPCs alike.

A wonderfully welcome side effect of the introduction of this alternative to swarm missiles would be that many who are unable to deal with the frame rate loss that swarms create can effectively use these without any such problems.

Manta Ray missiles

Damage: 20,000
Velocity: 120 m/s
Delay: 1.5 s
Mass: 2000 kg
Splash radius: 40m
Detonation: Contact
Maneuverability: low
Ammo: 3
Lifetime: 20 s
License: -/-/9/-/-

Same idea, bigger and badder.

I dunno. Avalons only had 48000/tube, and this has 60000/tube. Admittedly, it's a lot better with the small splash radius, but that's a lot of damage. A couple of people firing these at station entrances/exits could do a lot of damage.

Maybe if station defense turrets could prioritize incoming ordinance as targets?

Swarms are not bad at all, actually. Once you know how they work.

I would add a Grid usage of 12 or 16 to those.

slime: There is no reason to fire 40 times at a single target that isn't even attempting to evade. Firing swarms at a cappy and saying it isn't bad is like firing a machinegun at a dog. You only needed one well placed shot. The following 39 just make the rest of us in the sector hate you.

rogue: Yes, I want point defense to prioritize these. I mentioned that indirectly.

While the manta may indeed be a bit much, the eagleray does slightly less damage than a present day rack of stingrays. I don't see any downside here. Swarms are just as easy to fire at a station dock, and they have prox detonation whereas these two do not.

Didn't I suggest something like this a short while ago? =^p

Anyway, yeah. The damage is a little high, and the weight (on the Eagle, anyway) is a wee bit low for such a powerful weapon. Still, you've got the right idea: a low-maneuverability, contact-detonated torpedo for taking out cappies. Would really be nice to have.

Well I think the point is that a single player shouldn't be able to take down a HAC.

I like it. Swarms are a framerate problem. With this weapon's low manouverability and contact detonation limitation, a fighter pilot in boarder scirmish is less likely to get swarmed by an enemy bomber - a good thing!

not only that but if you want, you can shoot heavily laden moths down with them, and miners if you dont target them (warning beeps)

Their velocity should be dropped down to < 60. Right now they'd go faster than any other missile, I think.

i dunno lnh, everytime i'm boiling a roid and i see you enter the sector, I'm gone...If a moth is dumb enough to let himself be killed, let the pirate enjoy the cargo...

Avalons will be added back in when capship turrets prioritize them over other incoming ordinance. Until then, don't expect any other torpedo-like weapons that do that level of damage.

Wow. Keep using swarms until Avalons are back? Harsh. Let's see.. that level of damage.. hm. *borrows the guildsoft nerf bat*

Stingray MkII v1.8.2222
Damage: 6,000
Velocity: 95 m/s
Delay: 1.5 s
Mass: 1000 kg
Splash radius: 40m
Detonation: Contact
Maneuverability: identical to stingray
Ammo: 6
Lifetime: 20 s
License: -/-/5/-/-

Now it is just a double stingray! We can have this, right? Please?