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Sky Torpedoes

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JaegerDelta:
this weapon, while cool to think about in theory, just kinda doesnt seem to work if you pick at it.

all other guns in this game, with the exception of the mine launcher depending on how it is used, depend on the user to hit the enemy.  this weapon seems to depend on the enemy dodging it.  why is that a thing on a weapon that is the main damage dealer of 2 out of 3 of the ships that have them.

the recent talk of damage depending on a timer after zill's observations are another problem, a gun that depends on the gunner setting the correct time to do damage is awesome from a design standpoint. but why would someone on that ship use that weapon at all, it depends on alot of variables going exactly according to plan to kill your enemy and save your life.

Im with zill on this one, i just dont see the point.

Squidslinger Gilder:
Speculation is mostly all we can really do with some of the design until Muse chimes in.

Problem right now with making it have a short range capability is we already have short range weapons. It would also be very powerful at short range because it is using an impact style damage like the mines use. Yeah I'd like it if you could use it at any range but then we'll go through another medium flak fiasco. I'd rather have it designed from the beginning with balancing in mind than have it nerfed to hell and be completely useless.

The concept on the range we discussed was similar to the mine launcher right now. Have the 3 sec style arming timer before the balloon deploys. Torpedo would be similar so it would drop till the balloon and engine activate. This puts some effort into aiming it and getting the torpedo on course. Ammo types could change the arming time so you could have the Torpedo going active much sooner but say at a cost to the overall range of the device.

The fact that the weapon is so visible makes it a bit weaker in standoff engagements. It will force ships into moving more than it may impact hulls, until engines are sniped out. Pilots with vertical assist tools will still be able to dodge but if the torpedo gunner is good enough, they can follow up their next shot predicting the direction of the ship. So battles on Dunes will likely be so-so. The real beauty of the weapon will not really be seen until on cover controlled maps. Canyon would be perfect. You could not have teams just sitting in the open areas of the map because there is so much cloud cover that all the torpedo team would need is one spotter. The torpedo boat could then fire from within clouds and keep the camping team on it's toes. Allowing the spotter ship to close range and prepare for a kill. The counter to this being good use of flares and gunners able to not only react quickly but also be accurate enough to stop the torpedo boat before it got it's shots off.

Jaeger if you read the original info you'll see the gun is very dependent on aiming. This is not a FOF weapon.

Machiavelliest:
I would say that forcing ships to move even with an easily-avoidable projectile complicates the Mercury gunning solution for the ship targeted by a torpedo.  They would have to deal enough damage (a massive amount) to make it worth it to move the ship and not just eat one or two while using a Merc to snipe out the launching platform.

Also, if these things go really slowly, how do they fly?  It'd look wonky to have a giant hoverboard out there.

Squidslinger Gilder:
The planned design would involve a balloon with propeller drive. Think we talk about it in detail about midway through the other thread.

Imagine if you will, someone in this world found a surplus of old torpedoes. They're big, heavy, and are not designed for air usage. Yet...they pack a heck of a punch. Now imagine them trying to figure out a way to get it to work for aerial combat. Remember limited resources and knowledge. Plus also the craziness of how technology would work in a steam/dieselpunk world.  Common sense does not always factor in.

The casing would be modified with a small engine with a balloon support. Pressurized air tank enclosed. With that there would not be much room for a rocket mechanism so a modification of the propeller would come into play. So alone this weapon will fall like a rock, no question about that. But that is where the balloon comes in as it deploys and keeps the course maintained. Speed is not necessarily the reining factor since the warhead would pack a heavy punch. It would be a weapon meant for downing galleon or larger size ships. Damage would be consistent with the mines prior to nerfing. Critical damage level. If you get hit with one, you're literally Zuka'd.

So to offset that amount of dmg there is the slower movement and firing mechanism. Plus each warhead will have a contrail effect generated by smoke coming from the mini engine driving it. It is the "oh shit, TORPEDO!!!" moment when that contrail is spotted. Pilots need to be worried, they need to be terrified. Specially if a torpedo boat has gotten close enough to make evasion difficult. Gunners must be perfect with aims. Accounting for travel time and predicting not only their own ship movement but also enemy ship movement. Which is all very possible.

Lorewise I think it would fit in as kind of an Anglean Raider weapon, maybe even Arashi scavenger. I imagine an Anglean finding this old tech and then modifying it for use. Lack of resources in their area may serve as a backstory. They wanted to turn it into a big rocket but lack enough fuel to move it so they designed a different mechanism. Arashi maybe similar. Imagine desert dwellers finding water based weaponry so what do they do...turn it into aerial weaponry in some bizarre scavenged way for use against the Guild.

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