Rocket Harpoon.

[Richard LeMoon]

This idea comes from another thread a while back. Heavy (or medium/whatever we are calling it) gun. Fires are large harpoon equipped with rockets. The initial hit causes negligible piercing damage. When it hits an enemy ship (or after x seconds?), the main rockets engage, pushing the ship based on where it hits for [to be tested] seconds. This could result in a ship being spun in a circle if hit on an edge, or pushed into a wall if hit in mass center. Basically like reversing the current harpoon.

When the rockets die out, the harpoon explodes, inflicting flak-level explosive damage. The method of using this weapon is to disable the turning power of a ship and break their armor before the harpoon explodes.

Relatively high gunner and pilot skill required. Proper use would shine on all three heavy weapon ships.

[Spud Nick]

so Like a artemis with impact damage?

[macmacnick]

...Heavy harpoon... Richard, I want this on my goldie... I'd be shouting, "STAY AWAY METAMIDION SCUM!"

[Richard LeMoon]

Sorta like combining an Artemis with a harpoon and a mine.

[Dementio]

I approve of this, also you are not the only one that thought of a medium gun that can push ships away. Only thing I am worried about regarding this gun is that it's piercing damage and explosive damage combined could make it a gun that can kill ships rather quickly on it's own. It might even replace the flak entirely...

[Richard LeMoon]

This would be a slow firing, single shot weapon, for obvious reasons. The piercing damage would be minimal, 50 or so.

[Crafeksterty]

I kinda feel this gun would be OP on a spire

[Spud Nick]

I kinda feel this gun would be OP on a spire

I think it would be op on any ship.

[Crafeksterty]

Well there is only 3 ships this is possible in, and of those 3 the spire would be most deadly with it.
But then again, a galleon with dual of those could also mess up a ship.

[macmacnick]

'Poonfish. Because why the hell not, and add dual flamers on the side, or mines.




"Anyone up for some pyramidion tennis Ping-Pong?" (2 'Poonfishes with mines and hitting a pyramidion back and forth together.)

[Richard LeMoon]

Given that it is a slow firing gun, and it would take at least two shots to kill anything if you timed the hull break right, a Spire would be quite vulnerable. If everything went right, it would be a very deadly ship. If not, sand litter. I think the Spire would be the most risky ship to try this on.

On a side note, I am not sure how lochnagar would effect this gun, as it does not arm until after it strikes a ship. I guess it would explode in 1.6 seconds instead of 4 (if that was the 'push' time). The rockets would not push much before it exploded, and the timing would be pretty tight for breaking the hull. I can see where it could be useful, though. Or, it would arm right away and explode on contact. That would make it an extremely slow firing flak.

Let's one-up the fun by making it a ballista as well. Imagine this guy in brass and gears.

[Cheesy Crackers]

...Heavy harpoon... Richard, I want this on my goldie... I'd be shouting, "STAY AWAY METAMIDION SCUM!"

Come at me bro... I dare you

[Milevan Faent]

... Muse, you're late. This should have been in the game MONTHS ago!

[Milevan Faent]

Also, didn't think of this til just now when I was looking over the thread again, but this entire effect could be accomplished simply by using Impact Damage, rather than trying to make some overly complicated rocket mechanic. Perhaps it could pulse the damage after impact, so it's short bursts of impact damage, if you really wanted it to move the ship for an extended period of time.

[Richard LeMoon]

Recent posts brought this back to my attention, and I thought I would play around with some quick and dirty image manipulation. Was going to go for a standard ballista, but saw a few images that got me to thinking that there are no other themed guns like the Manticore. Thus, after some messy image merging....

The ROCKET HARPOON DRAGON BALLISTA!