Just edited it Spedy. To qualm the cries of those resisting Corvus having both the best rat ship and great rat guns, the ER will be available solely from Xi Xang stations (and nice side effect: Xi Xang might finally sell something interesting!).

On a slightly separate note (though more comments are of course appreciated)... can I get input from a dev as to whether the time-to-arm-prox-sensor stat is something that can be easily implemented (since it would seem the flare already has such a variable)?

If it isn't easy, would it be possible to assume the prox time could be implemented easily enough if it were the same as the flare (I don't know if these times are already variable)?

If prox times are difficult to implement, I could compensate by lowering the velocity significantly or some such (I don't want to be asking for something which is hard to implement).

I like it, and the idea of a rail with an explosive warhead isn't absurd at all. The crucial point seems to be how big a prox and blast radius it should have. The prime advantage is that this weapon can convert a near miss into a hit, but how near a miss? 3m seems a reasonable range to me. Consider that a small air-to-air missile, like a Sidewinder, is fuzed to detonate at 3m or less... it's 10kg warhead needs to be at least that close to reliably damage a fighter sized target.

If we then say that VO technology is well advanced over today's (without getting too heavily into reality vs sci-fi), I think the idea of a micro-warhead works just fine for VO. Our existing rockets, as said, have pretty huge radii of effect, so call this a scaled down version. If I'm not mistaken, this could only achieve it's full damage on a direct hit, since blast effects already fall off with distance.

All in all, I think it will make a superb anti-peytros weapon, can't wait to try it on him, and I know he feels the same way.

Does someone want to explain to me why there's a need for anti-k'metrque/peytros weapons? The current ones seem to work just fine on them.

The fact that they're not interested in putting their own survival at risk to destroy their target after they engage it seems like something to deal with, rather than magic up a fix for.

I mean, I have a lot of trouble keeping Niki in my gunsights -- should I ask for an uber Hive Posi to make sure my shots never miss?

**DISCLAIMER: the above is in no way meant to lump Niki in with the aforementioned trash.**

instead of an explosive rail with 10m explosive range why dont we just make a gun that shoots whole centurions, that's sure to hit people.

The point of this gun is not to kill specific people. Read the intro and other posts I've made. This gun will incidentally be adept at killing a few specific people, and when a gun people think they'll like comes into the mix, its natural to think who you might kill with it. Just because a name is mentioned does not mean the gun is aimed at killing that person.

Ok, reading through the revisions, its detonation radius and proximity fuse having been nerfed and mass increased, I think its at a point where its at least workable, if not necessarily completely balanced. Now it needs some field-testing.

In any case, in the future, try to avoid naming players by-name in these suggestions (at least as targets). It may not have been your intent to seem as though you wanted a weapon specifically to counter certain munchkins, but thats how it came off as.

trash? oh pls lecter i only run away after i blow someone up when all the vpr griefers try to triple team me.

Keep the thread on-topic please.

For at least a few ships, it's trivial to fly in circles without taking any hits. Of course, the downside is that flying in such a way makes it less likely that you will land hits. This gun would alter that rule, allowing say, a Superlight to dance around and pick you off, while maintaining a nice, safe distance.

"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."

You are making the warrant that in PvP, one cannot control the distance and duration of the fight. That's what combat is.

You are making the warrant that in PvP, one cannot control the distance and duration of the fight. That's what combat is.

I am not saying that someone in a corvult might be able to press the "back" button forever. Though if they were to do so, a quick turbo (though it might leave someone exposed for a short period of time) should be able to close the near 200m gap. And indeed, the flying style you mentioned involves "flying around in circles"... not something that you can really do at 200m without accomplishing never-before-seen speeds -- even in a superlight this is impossible. I don't doubt that a superlight would be annoying with one of these, though, but then again, most things on a superlight are.

Furthermore, I made this gun only available to those with 100pks or more, which should (at least slightly) limit the amount of douchbaggery that this gun is used for.

I'm saying this would not be a huge game-changer. It would be interesting, but it wouldn't be unbalanced (especially given its weight and other nerfs... just read the specs).

I agree Atice, I don't see this as a super-weapon either, and I think it would be no more deadly in PvP than existing rails and/or rockets. Even as originally described, it trades off a lot of hitting power for it's speed and proximity radius (plus the mass, grid usage, etc) and that argues for your intention of a fairly specialized 'pursuit weapon', which I think it would be good for. Even so, taking down a Moth, Centaur, or CtC Transport would take a lot of good shooting, even with a megaposi or other weapon as complement. I would even say that the grid usage is unnecessarily high, two of these weapons would still leave the user with an energy management problem, in PvP or pursuit.

As for the anti-peytros / anti-anyone issue, sorry to perpetuate that, but I was looking at it as a joke. Seemed obvious to me:)

"Though if they were to do so, a quick turbo (though it might leave someone exposed for a short period of time) should be able to close the near 200m gap.
In a fight where bullets are mere meters away from hitting, a quick turbo can be fatal. Additionally, "quick" in this instance would consist of about 2 seconds. (Going from 200m into 100m)

"And indeed, the flying style you mentioned involves "flying around in circles"... not something that you can really do at 200m without accomplishing never-before-seen speeds -- even in a superlight this is impossible."
That's a figure of speech, you numbskull.

"I don't doubt that a superlight would be annoying with one of these, though, but then again, most things on a superlight are."
The Superlight is merely among a class of pesky ships. A Corvult would be sufficiently imbalanced with a high accuracy weapon. Groups of things which are "pesky", as you put it, are fatal, and invincible if flown right.

"Furthermore, I made this gun only available to those with 100pks or more, which should (at least slightly) limit the amount of douchbaggery that this gun is used for.
Even my alts have 100 PKs, and that's unintentionally. Douchebags understand the concept of abuse, and it's trivial to use a trial account to feed PKs to your main.

"I'm saying this would not be a huge game-changer. It would be interesting, but it wouldn't be unbalanced."
It would be unbalanced because it would allow unhittable ships to hit hittable ships. It creates certain situations where the only course to victory involves using the Corvus Explosive Railguns, or running away. That is the very definition of unbalanced.

carebear rails, takes all the skill out of using railguns. You get rewarded for sucking with them and it requires not much skill on your part. uberweaponz of dewm because i am too lazy to learn how to fight.

[stamp of disapproval]

I'm with Mecha on this one: as posted above, it combines the unique capabilities of two very different weapons (prox/splash/disorientation of flares, speed/high damage of rails) and is as such too good at too many things to be balanced.

The real disconnect is between the piloting experience of those suggesting these, and the piloting experience of those who realize that all the nerfs in the world can't make rail-flares not-uber. Those of you who think these are balanced haven't flown long enough or well enough to realize what can be done with your suggestion.

K'metrque is more likely to assrape you with these than you are to counter him by using them. Mecha, myself, Ghost, Strat, and some of the "newer" vets could make 99% of the players in VO suffer nasty defeats 99% of the time. Niki or Shape are unpleasant to contemplate normally -- with these, too awful to consider (not that either would stoop to using this lame thing).

And if Alamar used these, the VO universe would implode.

In a fight where bullets are mere meters away from hitting, a quick turbo can be fatal. Additionally, "quick" in this instance would consist of about 2 seconds. (Going from 200m into 100m)
Once you are less than 200m, rails will only do damage on a direct hit. And only a fracking retard would turbo for 2 seconds in this situation. Closing the gap to 200m about really would not be that difficult. It wouldn't be easy, but it never is.

That's a figure of speech, you numbskull.
No shit. But you meant they are very hard to hit as they can dodge quickly. These quick-yet-small movements at distance do not render a vehicle impossible to hit (unless you have absolutely horrid aim). It is harder to hit these vehicles at close range, as keeping them at firing angles is difficult. I think you are getting your combat styles confused here with this criticism.

Groups of things which are "pesky", as you put it, are fatal, and invincible if flown right
For the record I said "annoying", but that is far from the point. And I would suggest that the corvult would be far from invincible with one of these (especially if their opponent armed one as well). No doubt it would change some battle dynamics, but all new weapons do this.

Even my alts have 100 PKs
Good for you. My point is that it will take some grinding for new alts to get this weapon, which will (as I said before) limit slightly the amount of abuse this weapon will get. Furthermore, this is an advanced wep, I'll admit that -- that is part of the reason it has the 100pk floor. See below for further details.

It would be unbalanced because it would allow unhittable ships to hit hittable ships. It creates certain situations where the only course to victory involves using the Corvus Explosive Railguns, or running away. That is the very definition of unbalanced.
It would not allow unhittable ships to hit hittable ships. The unhittable ships are really only somewhat "unhittable" at close range. At long range, they are hittable with flares and the like (they would also be hittable with this gun in addition to). Distance control becomes more crucial when this gun is in play, but good combat always has required good DC. See above for a further analysis. You are plain wrong on this point.

carebear rails, takes all the skill out of using railguns.... uberweaponz of dewm because i am too lazy to learn how to fight.
This weapon is not designed for generic PvP. Furthermore, railguns hit with much more damage than the ER does. The rails still have a significant advantage over the ER. Moreover, the 100pk floor makes it a viable alternative for the early railguns, while the later railgun variants blow this ER away at the higher mk's (significantly higher damage, significantly faster bolts).

K'metrque is more likely to assrape you with these than you are to counter him by using them
I don't doubt he would be annoying as all hell with them. Though the thought of being able to lob a couple of these in his direction is satisfying. Nevertheless, I will again repeat (for the sake of those who never listen) that this gun was not designed for him.

VO universe would implode
The lower damage of the ER and long delays between shots, not to mention the effect that distance from the prox has to do with the damage done to the ship, would make these far from the doomsday weapon you believe it to be. And lets be clear, the name of the gun is somewhat misleading. It is not a railgun in the sense that is has even close to equal stats to the railgun. This thing is a fast bolt that has a very small prox sensor. It will take some of the people you are describing to get the full 1100 damage upon hits using this wep (due to the splash effect etc), but even then I believe there are better weps for them to be using if they have the ability to land these shots.

would make these far from the doomsday weapon you believe it to be

Not in your hands, perhaps. But you really don't get it, so I'll let it be. These won't be going in-game.

P.S. At long range, [combat model centurions] are hittable with flares and the like You are either joking, or a complete idiot.

Re the hittable comment: not easily by any means, but a skilled flare-netter can close some of that distance and successfully net a light combat ship. I'll admit that statement detracted from the overall point.

I would also note that using a light ship for long-range combat is always a factor with rails or otherwise.

Hmm, my main concern would be that they would be too effective against medium and heavy trade ships.

Anyway, I wouldn't be against them just for that . I think they would be worth introducing : if they prove too effective they can be nerfed or removed .