Average targeting with a higher fire-rate but lower damage. 9 grid.

Could be a limited manu item? an rare unrat escort drop?

So a flechette cannon with better auto tracking? Perhaps similar to the Gauss cannon?

Have you really tried using the existing flechette cannon in combat? Not just once, but for a couple dozen fights in a row, modifying your approach between fights to see what works and doesn't. It can be a rather effective weapon.

Luxen is very decent with the flechette cannon. Can be quite an annoying gun.

A flech is a flech and a gauss is a gauss, this would be neither. Please don't make inadequate comparisons since it detracts from the discussion of the possibility of such a weapon as a small-port gattling cannon.

Also, please don't make passive assumptions about my experience with the weapons in this game since it's, well, insulting.

Would a small-port gat be like sneezing hot shards of metal in your target's face at point-blank range? No, it would not.

Would a small port gat be like throwing well-targeted, high-damage snowballs? No, it would not.

It would be a small port version of the gattling cannon-- somewhat effective at mid-range, better at close-range. It would have a slightly higher fire-rate, but do less damage than a large port gat. It would look, sound, and shoot pretty much like a gat, but the bolts would be smaller and the sound would be a slightly higher pitch. Cranking up the grid would balance it's use so there wouldn't be trip-gat valks and SCPs flying around.

Quite simply, it would be a different gun, with different applications and possibilities that have yet to be explored.

Now, how about a conversation of possibility instead of one of jaded resignation and presumptive superiority?

I think I need the *functional* differences between a fletchette and a gat 1 explained to me, then; there are minor statistical advantages that make the fletchette more appealing to the way I play, but... I thought they were basically the same thing? The damage payload of the gat and popcorn are both semi-randomly aimed singular shots at high velocity (NO, the "cloud" of a fletchette cannon does not do damage, it is entirely visual!!! IT IS NOT A SHOTGUN!), where the high rate of fire makes up for the lower damage per shot.

Ok urshurak, I appear to have misunderstood the intent of your suggestion.

I took it to mean something along the lines of a small port version of the Gatling Cannon MKII, with lesser auto aim then the former and grid usage high enough to keep somebody from boating them.

Is that what you are looking for?

I was only referencing the Gauss cannon as a measure of auto aim, not fire rate, or damage, or any of it's other attributes. I referenced the Flechette cannon, only in the sense of it's rather high rate of fire, and lowish per shot damage. Sorry if I was not terribly clear earlier.

I only suggested trying the existing Flechette cannon as it is not often used, despite its viability. I was NOT trying to be passively insulting, merely offering a suggestion.

One thing that comes to mind, is the auto-targeting. Currently, the in game descriptions I think are "None", "Little", "Okay", "Good", "Very Good" and, "Excellent". Maybe they should be replaced with numerical values ie: "5°" as "good" is quite subjective.

Luxen, I think the main reason you don't see much usage of the Gat 1, or Gat HV is the fact that it is a large port weapon, largely rendered obsolete by the existence of the AGT and Q-Gat. The mass differential between the two, and subsequent maneuverability difference between two load outs, changing only from Gat1 to Gat2, given the dry mass of the ship it'd be on, is mostly insignificant. Simply put, the HV is only useful in some extreme edge cases. The only realistic use I can see for it is trying to pound down a stationary, or slowly moving Goliath or trident, and only when fired from another capitol ship.