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I was reading the thread on "Best Bang per Buck", and found some interesting things in it. First, these calculations are incorrect:
He said against class III shields, so the revised version should be (consider that you nearly always hit):
2 antimatter torpedos : 22 damage/sec
antimatter bombers 148 per turn (4 bombers point blank range), and they can drop 2 against the weakest shield side before rearming.
2 Interceptors with PD phasors do 68 damage per turn.
3 heavy gravitons (I don't know how to calculate this damage)
3 heavy phasors will do 78
6 heavy netrons would do 90 damage.
4 merculte doing (14-3) damage each * 16 totaling 176
8 mirv nukes do (8-3) *32 = 160 damage
8 HV AF Lasers doing (6-3) * 8 (*2) [pretend two shots hit per laser) = 48 damage
6 HV AF mass drivers (9-3) *6 *2 = 72 damage
one heavy death ray = 147 damage
6 hv env fusion beams = (9-3) *4*6 = 144 damage.
However none of these take range into account. With range penalties, (as discussed by the same person under range dissipation), fusions are penalized x2, so that at 7 squares (7 instead of 4 because they are heavy), you get docked 2 points which decreases the damage by 48 points. Another 6 squares, and you are doing a mere 48 damage total.
Personally, I use mass drivers alot. They seem to be ok against class III shields until I can get enough neutrons to make it worth my effort. They also seem to do well as point defense when they have autofire. I would use CO ENV fusions for PD, but since they are penalized for range, it seems a better choice to do AF mass drivers.
First assume a non-creative race. To me the best bang per buck would be mass drivers. they are cheap and they don't dissipate with range, and they come very early in the game. Second place would be laser cannons, because you can have HV CO AF AP NR lasers. True they are usually about 26 size after a few levels of minituization, but they hit most the time, and they pierce through armor, which in the early game is strong enough that you would prefer to bypass it. These seem to be good until shields are developed.
AF AP mass drivers seem to be a great deal too. Since you have to chose between Heavy Armor and Auto Facts, they are quite effortive even against ships with reinforced hulls. AP seems to score criticals more often too.
I haven't found neutron blasters to be useful for too long. They are great for invading ships, or for capturing starbases, but they seem to fade faster that mass drivers do. I haven't had much luck with Ion cannons. I think its the way I play, or maybe I should try CO AF Ion cannons. I don't know wether I should be getting fusion drive or augmented engines. Graviton beams seem to be quite effective, because they are smaller than an ion cannon, and work against creatures and antarans. I also pick Phasors over Plasma, because I usually can steal plasma either with spies, invading, or capturing ships.
Beyond that I don't use the other weapons besides death rays. I usually win by then.
2 Anti-Matter Torpedoes that do 25 damage each, every other turn, for 25 damage/turn total...
A single squadron of Anti-Matter Bombers that do 5-40 damage each, but only every few turns, netting probably no more than 33-50 damage per turn...
...
A single HV Death ray for 150 damage total...
6 HV ENV Fusion Beams that do 36 damage each, for 216 damage total!
A single squadron of Anti-Matter Bombers that do 5-40 damage each, but only every few turns, netting probably no more than 33-50 damage per turn...
...
A single HV Death ray for 150 damage total...
6 HV ENV Fusion Beams that do 36 damage each, for 216 damage total!
2 antimatter torpedos : 22 damage/sec
antimatter bombers 148 per turn (4 bombers point blank range), and they can drop 2 against the weakest shield side before rearming.
2 Interceptors with PD phasors do 68 damage per turn.
3 heavy gravitons (I don't know how to calculate this damage)
3 heavy phasors will do 78
6 heavy netrons would do 90 damage.
4 merculte doing (14-3) damage each * 16 totaling 176
8 mirv nukes do (8-3) *32 = 160 damage
8 HV AF Lasers doing (6-3) * 8 (*2) [pretend two shots hit per laser) = 48 damage
6 HV AF mass drivers (9-3) *6 *2 = 72 damage
one heavy death ray = 147 damage
6 hv env fusion beams = (9-3) *4*6 = 144 damage.
However none of these take range into account. With range penalties, (as discussed by the same person under range dissipation), fusions are penalized x2, so that at 7 squares (7 instead of 4 because they are heavy), you get docked 2 points which decreases the damage by 48 points. Another 6 squares, and you are doing a mere 48 damage total.
Personally, I use mass drivers alot. They seem to be ok against class III shields until I can get enough neutrons to make it worth my effort. They also seem to do well as point defense when they have autofire. I would use CO ENV fusions for PD, but since they are penalized for range, it seems a better choice to do AF mass drivers.
First assume a non-creative race. To me the best bang per buck would be mass drivers. they are cheap and they don't dissipate with range, and they come very early in the game. Second place would be laser cannons, because you can have HV CO AF AP NR lasers. True they are usually about 26 size after a few levels of minituization, but they hit most the time, and they pierce through armor, which in the early game is strong enough that you would prefer to bypass it. These seem to be good until shields are developed.
AF AP mass drivers seem to be a great deal too. Since you have to chose between Heavy Armor and Auto Facts, they are quite effortive even against ships with reinforced hulls. AP seems to score criticals more often too.
I haven't found neutron blasters to be useful for too long. They are great for invading ships, or for capturing starbases, but they seem to fade faster that mass drivers do. I haven't had much luck with Ion cannons. I think its the way I play, or maybe I should try CO AF Ion cannons. I don't know wether I should be getting fusion drive or augmented engines. Graviton beams seem to be quite effective, because they are smaller than an ion cannon, and work against creatures and antarans. I also pick Phasors over Plasma, because I usually can steal plasma either with spies, invading, or capturing ships.
Beyond that I don't use the other weapons besides death rays. I usually win by then.
if they took less space they might be good.
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