Corvus and Xi Xang Explosive Railgun:

Damage: 1100 (300 less than the least advanced rail)
Speed: 325 m/s (75m/s less than the least advanced rail)
Energy: 74/blast (Can be fired 3 consecutive times with turbo engaged when wielding a FC)
Delay: 0.85s (more than 3 times the delay of the Mega Positron Blaster)
Mass: 1,500kg (equivalent to the Adv Rail)
Detonation: 5m (20m less than the smallest prox flare)
Splash: 5m (45m less than the least splashing flare)
Time-to-arm-prox-detector: 0.6s (Much longer delay than that of flares. Will not engage until 195m from ship that fired it)
Ammo: 15 (15 less than the rail with the highest capacity)
Grid: 12 (Can only wield one of these)
Weapon size: small
Targeting: none
Max Range: same as a rail
Requirement: 100pk badge, Xi Xang respect
Available from: Xi Xang stations

Description: The Explosive Railgun (ER) is the product of a joint venture by Corvus and Xi Xang to come up with a good small port weapon for the newly introduced Corvus Greyhound. Xi Xang researchers noticed that while the Greyhound already had a slew of great chase weapons to fill its large port (MegaPosi, Rockets, etc.), the small weapon arsenal tailored to the Greyhound's purpose was minimal at best. Working closely with the makers of the Greyhound to bring a specially crafted gun to the universe, Xi Xang researchers teamed up with Corvus scientists to create the ER. Due to the terms of Xi Xang's contract with Corvus, Xi Xang will be the sole distributor of the ER (though Corvus stations will be given a percentage of the profit from each gun sale).

The research led to a modification of the well-known classic railgun to lend the gun a flare-like quality: explosive tips. This modification sacrifices speed, ammo capacity and impact damage for a proximity bomb on the tip of all its ammunition. While the weapon was tailored specifically for use by the Corvus Greyhound, initial tests of the weapon proved it to be deadly against the forward-thrusting ship. In light of this unexpected consequence, Corvus has dictated that only battle-hardened warriors whom Xi Xang respect be able to buy the gun.

Due to the nature of the modification, engineers were unable to arm the proximity sensor on the explosive rail shots until 0.6s (or 195m) after the rail had been fired –- until the proximity sensor arms, the shots require a direct hit to explode. One further disadvantage to the gun is that the ER shots are bright red, making them easy to spot from a distance. In light of the excessive power requirements of slinging the heavy rails, the gun can not be dual-wielded.

no the whole point of rails is accuracy 15m is way to big given their speed is three times a regular flare this would be near impossible to dodge unless you where able to stay within prox range and chasing around someone who backs up the entire time in a corvult/ibg/rev c is hard enough.

A flare has a prox of 30m. Given that the prox sensor on this gun does not even engage until 162.5 meters out, a prox of 15m is really not that large. Though I'd consider lowering the prox to 10m.

EDIT: lowered prox to 10m from 15m. Increased time to arm prox to 0.6s from 0.5s.

10? atice are you serious do you know how much rails normaly mis by? by like inches not meters plus you can see a flare come towards you and move rails just make a noise and a blue flash

These are slower than rails. If others agree with you, we can lower the prox further.

It's also worth noting you can not wield two of these. Also, when you posted I had not specified what the shots look like. That issue has been dealt with.

i just think the whole idea is wrong its much to close to insta hit giving rails a prox fuse when they travel so fast.

This gun won't be too useful in PvP due to the long prox fuse (which can be lengthened if many desire it) and large energy consumption. This gun is designed for chasing.

It's worth noting this gun will be great for both sides of the chase war... the rats and the anti-rats. A weapon like this will help neutralize the threats of k'metreq (for example... though granted it would be annoying if he used them), and will be able to stop Valk and Greyhound runners without unbalancing PvP combat due to the time it takes for the tips to arm. Not to mention (for you rats out there) it can shoot up traders pretty good.

I'll admit, though, that this gun would have very interesting implications if used in pvp in combination with a flare. Such implications might warrant a further lowering of the prox.

EDIT: this gun was NOT designed to chase k'metreq, but was rather a convenient side-effect of a gun that was designed for the greyhound.

If you ask me, this is really sort of a "super-flare" more than anything; it may not 'be useful in pvp' in the capacity that traditional flares are, but that could be compensated for by engaging at a longer range (which is feasible since the projectile has a reasonably high speed).

I'd be more in-favor of this weapon if it merely had a blast radius, but no proximity fuse (i.e. impact detonation). Sure, it wouldn't be as useful against k'metreq, but it'd still be particularly useful against fighters in tight formation. Besides, I'm not exactly in favor of designing a weapon just to combat a player you don't like, no matter how annoying he may be.

Introducing a weapon to combat a specific player is not a good thing. That said, I do think VO needs something to combat running as a tactic. k'metreq is the most visible example of the fact that it's relatively easy to hit and run with impunity.

It's really not meant for k'metreq, but rather he's today's nuisance (and therefore, today's example). It's meant to as a gun to chase chasers, as well as a great gun for chasers. In a world where there are ships that cannot be caught no matter how hard you try, there should be a weapon that can shoot something in their direction (that isn't as hard on the chase as the rail is).

And I'll say it again, this gun would be -- I believe -- pretty darned good for a rat to use on a greyhound. Honestly, I designed this thing for the greyhound, which really is not in a position to aim rails due to its inability to maneuver (hence the prox).

I've tried to nerf this thing as much as I could given its role. If you guys think it could be further nerfed while still being a feasible weapon, please suggest nerfs. Though I think that the gun in its current stage is good.

vIsitor: what would you think if the prox were lowered to a couple meters or so? Something to offset the hound's inability to maneuver.

EDIT: brought the prox down to 5m from 10m

just what we need, the corvus to have the best interceptor and the best rails, if this was TPG or even Xang Xi (cause Xang Xi have nothing of interest) then maybe it could exist but even then its too dangerous to let into the public.

But it would be fun.

While I'm all for Corvus having the gun with the very best DPE (IMO, the most important issue for a pirate chasing a trader), I really don't like this for Corvus (or really as a VO weapon, but that's a different story).

Corvus issues aside (that's easy to change).

I really don't like this for Corvus (or really as a VO weapon, but that's a different story)
Do enlighten us Lecter.

It mixes too many extreme pros into one weapon--such that even the slight nerfs to each pro don't result in balance.

Rail speed + rail damage + flare prox fuse* + flare splash + low mass = no. fucking. way.

*: A 10m wide -- i.e., 5m in any direction -- rail pellet? You must be fucking kidding us.

The splash can be reduced to same as prox (that just made FF more interesting), and the low mass could easily be increased to be a lot more. This gun is meant for the Greyhound, and that thing can push a lot of mass... so an increase in mass isn't a big deal.

I feel like the idea of this gun has something to it. Help me out. Give me some more balanced nerfs.

Rail speed + rail damage + flare prox fuse* + flare splash + low mass
This is sub-rail speed, though it is faster than most guns. The speed can be brought down.
Also, sub-rail damage, though DPS is similar.
prox fuse: proportionately smaller fuse than flares. see below
splash: has been edited to match prox.
Mass: has been edited to reflect Adv Rail weight.

I thought out the 5m prox this morning. This pellet goes about 4.7 times faster than the fastest flare, yet its prox is 5-6 times smaller than a flare's prox. Those ratio's aren't bad.

i think everyone would have it at no prox cause like a flare is a flare and a rail is a rail

No prox would kill the intent of this gun unless the pellet size were to be substantially increased. If you want to make a railgun that does splash damage, be my guest... but that is not what this gun is designed for.

cause like a flare is a flare and a rail is a rail
Brilliant analysis Einstein. Bloody brilliant.

Aticephyr, only those ratios don't have the same significance, so just because they happen to have similar numeric value means nothing.
Also it can be fired more times continuously with FC, since you didn't take it's recharge into account,
you'd be probably able to shoot more than half the ammo without stopping.

That being said, with current stats it'd probably not be overpowered.

it can be fired more times continuously with FC, since you didn't take it's recharge into account
I meant 3 shots without stopping turboing in an infini-boost ship -- read Greyhound. My wording was unclear (I'll edit now).

with current stats it'd probably not be overpowered.
Terrific.

Very Good idea, Atice. I think it's current state is very balanced, but when I read the description I was a little confused as to what port type it would use (might be helpful to add it in for clarification).
I'd really like using/experimenting with this sort of thing, although maybe make it available to one of the "weapons-contracting" greyspace factions, like ineubis or Xang Xi along with corvus? make up some RP jibber jabber about how it was a group research effort...