Guide to Advanced Weapon Usage

Article by Mighty_Rhodan of Clan "The Mighty"

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Weapon Grouping
Summary Points

Preparation is Key
It is imperative that you equip your craft well. Examine your environment by scanning its inhabitants. Depending on your alignment, you can then make a decision as to what to equip yourself with, Particle or Neutron, Molecular or Positron, the choice is yours to make, as are the mistakes.

Weapon Choice & Rate Of Fire
When making weapon choices for your ship, it would be wise to consider selecting multiple weapon types, especially if you plan on travelling throughout Sirius. The reasons for this are twofold:

The first is the most obvious, effectiveness against shield types. Perchance you run into an opponent who is resilient to three of your five weapons, at least you then have two weapons left with which to deal sufficient, even critical damage.

The second reason why multiple weapon types are advisable is to do with Rate of Fire. Weapons such as plasma cannons normally have 2.00 (shot per second) and as such are not altogether ideal against fast targets. Photon weapons usually come in 8.33 fire rates, ideal for laying a hail of fire, making it difficult for an opponent to avoid being struck.

By selecting a range of different weapons, you can be more prepared for the variety of opponents you will inevitably encounter. However, if you have a mix of rates of fire, it can be confusing to aim when firing them altogether, and this is where weapon grouping becomes a valuable tactic.

Weapon Grouping
If you have opted for multiple weapon types, you may wish to conserve energy and wasted shots by creating Weapon Groups. Set the keys for Weapon Grouping in the Options->Controls Menu. Weapon Groups must first be assigned before they become selectable, allowing you to set multiple fire combinations.

I myself have two photon blasters mounted atop my Valkyrie, ideal for spraying fast moving targets and finishing off those with little hull remaining. These weapons are secondary to the primary armament of three heavy plasma cannons, better suited for larger or less agile targets.

Pulse weapons are excellent for use in weapon groups. When an opponent's shields are down, a Pulse Cannon does very little damage and simply uses up weapon energy.

Assigning a group where the Pulse weapons are disabled means that a pilot can wear down their target's hull and then switch groups so they can finish them off a lot easier, due to excess energy reserves allowing for longer periods of fire.
It is important, however, to remember to assign a group with all weapons enabled, so that the pilot can switch back in the event of shield battery usage or a new target.

Summary Points
1. Rate of Fire can be critical. Think about wasted shots and how much damage per second you can deal. Think what would be better, 2.00 with 50% hit accuracy or 4.00 with 75%. It's not how much you shoot, but how much you hit.
2. Shield Damage rating is critical to gauging how you can deal with an opponent who, for instance, has purchased the maximum shield class for their ship.
3. Experiment with Weapon Groups to find which works best for you, and practice switching groups in the middle of battle.
4. When your opponents shields are down, the far more effective Hull Damage rating comes into play. Be aware that Pulse weapons are almost useless against hulls.

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