So far, the only L-port blaster in the game is the MegaPosi, and it's safe to say that most newbs won't have access to it.

There have been suggestions to turn the GC (or a variation of it) into a newb cannon, create a newb vulcan cannon, and more.... all these have merit. However, I think the game really needs a low-level L-port blaster.

I'd suggest basically an L-port phased blaster, available at heavy weapons level 1. It would have slightly higher damage, mass and velocity than the s-port phaser, but would otherwise be essentially the same.

You forgot about the PlasDev. Not very practical, I know, but it fires fast enough to be considered an L-Port 'Blaster'.

Heh. I LOVE PlasDevs for botting. They work BEAUTIFULLY against TyCorps.

They're too slow for my taste. I rely on long, sustained bursts for botting, and the plasma devastator usually gets confused when I tell it about bursts and almost starts to cry. Have you ever seen a weapon cry? Not a nice thing to see.

I'd much rather support an L-Port blaster that has a repeat rate resembling that of positrons. Why not make gravitons available again (they were in the game once, right?) and make them L-Port weapons; keep the damage as it was (if I remember correctly, it was about 200 hull points higher than the neutron blaster).

positrons == gravitrons

I think they sounded to star trekish or whatver

Why should we aim for more of the same? We've got lots of blasters... I think we need a unique weapon. If it weren't for the lag problems, I'd say a rapid-fire machine gun a la BSG. Instead, perhaps an actual flak cannon (fires rounds that explode a preset distance from the ship) or an ammo-using slug-firing slow-refire-rate gun, or something. Something we don't already have 30 of.

PS: Yes, I just watched the latest BSG last night. Watching the Pegasus go at that Basestar was, like, woah.

YES Flak cannon!

WOOT FLAK!

lol tosh... yes, you have a point.

PlasDev is not a blaster... blasters don't drain half your ____ing freebat with each shot.

rogue:
I'm not against adding new things (and a FLAK cannon sounds cool) but while we may have a lot of blasters, what we don't have is a blaster for the newbs to put on the L-port of their ship. As it is, they're currently limited to the stingray missile, which aside from SUCKING at actually hitting anything, living or bot, really doesn't give them any practise at firing, and severly limits their ability to level their Heavy Weapons early on (ammo dependancy in the L-port makes for tedious and expensive botting runs)

Meh, I managed.

You're absolutely right about the ammo thing, though.

I agree that there should be a low level heavy weapon. But it shouldn't be a blaster; there should be distinction between Large and Small ports.

Mini Swarm
Damage 250
Velocity 95m/s
Energy 0
Delay 0.05s
Mass 800kg
Splash 30m
Detonation 20m
Ammo 200
Port L
Level 1/0/1/0/0
Targeting None

It's basically a rapid-fire mini swarm launcher. Could work in PvP too. Gives out 5000 damage per second though...maybe put a nerfed version at these levels and make this the mkII available at Heavy 3?

I think the basic gatling cannon would be a prime candidate as it stands.

Indeed so, phaserlight. Then I might actually use a hog to bot-level my alts.

basic gat cannon as it is has no accuracy to speak of... while it may be appropriate for low-level players, it doesn't afford the accuracy that any decent blaster should. Yes, the basic variation of the GC should be low-level, but it can't take the place of a good blaster.

Fooz:
No, we are NOT giving you a rapid spamming device for a low-level L-port weapon! and with 200 ammo? what are you, f'ing insane??

The gat cannon, like the so-called flak cannon, has no long distance accuracy. Once you get up close, though, they do plenty of damage. A Gatling Cannon does 4000 damage/second if you can land all the shots. A Plasma Devastator only does 3625, and uses more energy in the process (107 e/s for GC vs 125 e/s for PD).

On a side note, I think it'd be cooler if the GC's refire rate was what the wiki said before I fixed it (0.017s instead of the correct 0.075s). That would yield 17000 damage/second. :P

Rogue:
see: http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/12946

yea, but what does it take to land all shots? you'd practically have to have a broadside of a moth at 15m, at which point you're probably toast anyway.

plasdev HITS things with its full force... GC does not.

Re: Cunjo

That's actually why I think the Gat Cannon is perfect for the role. Rather than just being a bigger version of the plasma cannon, it's a different type of weapon with different strengths and weaknesses. It would be nice to show the newbies a little weapon diversity.

yea but, they don't HAVE an l-port blaster yet...

diversity is great - give them both! but for ____ sake, give them an L-port blaster already!

heck, while we're at it, how about giving the yellowjacket missile a 5m prox radius and making it a level 0 weapon too? the fire trail looks damn cool and it would be a neat introductory alternative to the gov blaster. 1 or 2 options right off the bat would be good.

because I don't think we should be beefing weapons at the same time as turning them into newb material... no prox.

keeping the fireflies the same, but make them available at a lower (or even 0) level sounds decent enough though...