I was reading Uncle Dave's post about the prom and lack of lport weapon variety and had an idea. We need more useful energy weapons for the lport. My idea is this:

Neutron Cannon
Damage: 400/round
Velocity: 190
Energy: 12/blast
Delay: .25s
Mass: 1600kg
Port: L
Targeting: Very Good
Notes: Fires three shots per volley (giving a decent chance of a hit, even in a more poorly manueverable heavy ship when combined with the targetting, but high mass makes it useless on, say, a warthog)

Ion Turret
Damage: 250/round
Velocity: 175
Energy: 8/blast
Delay: .15s
Mass: 1400kg
Port: L
Targeting: Very Good
Notes: Fires six shots per volley (same deal as before, but lower damage, higher drain overall, and more chance of hitting with at least one shot from each volley [but at lower damage to the target])

Archer Rapid Missile Cannon (good name, huh?)
Damage: 200/missile
Speed: 80m/s
Energy: 0
Delay: 1s
Mass: 800kg
Splash Radius: 20m
Detonation: Contact
Ammo: 30 (fired in triplets)
Fuel/Lifetime: 25s
Manueverability: Same as geminis
Notes: Fires three highly manueverable missiles at a time, about like gems, but for a large port. Wouldn't be that great for queen hunting, but would certainly be useful with its low weight (albeit low damage) and triple shot for pvp or regular botting.

Basically, we need some weaker weapons with decent targetting and lower weight for the large ports on heavy ships if we want heavy ships to be useful for pvp and dogfighting without them being forced to missile spam. The cannons would be decent as large port energy weapons with good targetting, low damage, and high energy drain/shot (as opposed to the plasma dev, which has very little chance of hitting in pvp, weighs a ton (well, over a metric ton), and does a lot of damage - which doesn't matter since it's so hard to hit with it in pvp). The rapid missile cannon would be great for large ships to enter pvp with. It would keep the rag as a missile boat, but not make it have to spam its target (well, it would technically spam, but at lower damage so it's survivable be even centurions) but would allow it to hit the target with a volley of three highly manueverable missiles.

Anyway, what do you guys think? Would you use these weapons on your prom/aggresso/rag in pvp?

Another thing, is there are currently no faction special L port weapons. S port has Axia Accel. Posi, N3s, TPG Sparrow & Orion XGX Phase blasters; L port has... nada.

I'd surely try them once or twice, not sure until I see them in action if I'd actually commit to using them for pvp all the time. But they sound interestig enough, worth dev time??

I sure hope so. I'd love to see more variety in large port weapons. More in small port weapons, too. I'd love to see a really low drain, low-medium damage (ion blaster style) small port energy weapon with a competetive speed - like an ion blaster mk iv, which has the same stats as the regular ion blaster mk iii, but 190m/s so we can have a low drain blaster that's worth even using (as opposed to the fleches, which weigh too much for their crappy damage/autoaim).

Serco Stealth Rocket
Damage: 2500
Speed: 60m/s
Energy: 45/Blast
Delay: 0.75s
Mass: 1500kg
Splash Radius: 25m
Detonation: Proximity (15m)
Ammo: 18
Requirements: 5/-/8/-/-, Serco standing >=950
Description:
Rumours have been spreading that the Serco government has been developing stealth technology, and is attempting to apply it to heavy weaponry. The distinguishing feature of the rumoured Serco Stealth Rockets is that, as the name implies, they are undetectable by enemy radar, and extremely difficult to detect visually. Furthermore, the Serco government denies the existance of the Stealth Rockets, and indeed any stealth technology at all; if such weapons do actually exist, access to them is no doubt extremely limited.

Beolach: it is more likely that the Order of Akan would have that type of technology than the Serco as they have been experienced with space weaponry for longer than any of the nations.

Maybe, but IMO the backstory strongly hints at Serco having cloaking/stealth technology.

"An Itani defensive fleet, undergoing training exercises near the Itani-UIT border, reports contact with multiple Serco fighters of unusual configuration. Attempts at pursuit are thwarted when the enemy vessels seem to "disappear". The Serco government is unresponsive to inquiry."

Although, as I reread it, it does seem possible the Serco reverse engineered it from Akanese ships....

[edit]
But anyway, the main idea is a hopefully interesting additional faction-special L port weapon, preferably linked to some extent with the backstory. Whether it's Serco, Akanese, or Corvus I don't care a whole lot about.
[/edit]

Well to be honest I just can't picture the Serco using stealth technology; they are simply to forawrd about their actions and seem to prefer brute force over anything.

The Itani wouldn't have use for it since they prefer piece as it is and only build ships for defensive reasons. They also don't promote trickery and disgueise.

The UIT focus on trade and misc. technology and have been livingin space itself the longest (the Itani found a planet and the UIT actually focused on space stations). Although they may be more likely to use it to help keep their trade ships safe.

The Order of Akan has a high probability of building such technology since they are tricksters.

The pirates would have a high chance of building stealth devices since they would be useful in ambushing trade vessels.

So basically, Serco focuses on armor and weapons, the Itani would be likely to develop shield technology for defensive reasons and light ships, the UIT would rather stay out of the war and would work to develop better trade ships and perhaps develop some sort of defensive technology (perhaps automated weaponry or soemthing). The pirates would develop some sort of device to either ambush or capture the enemy. The Order (should it become its own faction) would likley find wasy of stealth and disguise.