Warfare:Weaponry Ship
Contents
Weapon Roles
Point Defense
Point defense weapons are short range fast acting used in defending against Small Attack Craft (SAC, SFC) and incoming missile and torpedo fire. Point defense are generally a mix of high powered energy weapons and fast interceptor missile and torpedo salvo's. At extreme long range where computers can calculate solutions, they can also be effective against kinetic fire. Point defense weaponry lose their effectiveness at medium range and beyond.
Line/Wall Fire
Line and Wall fire weapons are the heavy weaponry used in broadside confrontations. They are noted for the old historic naval battle method where ships would line up in formation with their biggest guns to bare to fire. While the formation is not used as often in spatial combat, broadside confrontations are often encountered and the use of line/wall fire weapons is effective. The term wall is derived from the adaptation of the three-dimensional space to include more axis of engagement. Line/wall fire weapons are often large kinetic and energy weapons. Short range engagement may also make use of missile and torpedo fire where point defense is less effective.
Engagement
Engagement weapons are fast tracking light powered with wide coverage arcs past point defense ranges. Engagement weapons are often seen on modules or pods heavily placed on a ship for rapid constant exposure to fire.
Weapon Types
Energy Weapons
PEC/PBW : Partical Emitter Cannon/Particle Beam Weapon. This energy based weapon takes dense particles and by using directed radiation bursts, ignites them in a blast of energy. The larger the emitter, the larger and more destructive the blast. PEC's can be designed as a disrupter based weapon ( large concentrated blasts at intervals engagements, ) or a beam weapon ( Lower output, longer duration, beam is movable during blast) This weapon is primarily effective against energy based shielding, and semifluid armor.
PGC - Particle Gauss Cannon
Laser - Typical high energy beam of light capable precision cutting and slicing.
Ion Cannon - Ionized energy cannons are in a nutshell, inverted PEC. While the effect can be devistating on Tenacious Armor plating , it is ineffective against energy based shielding. Radiation deflectors are an excellent source or protection against these.
Kinetic Weaponry
Rail Accelerator - Rail technology has enabled solid state projectiles to travel as extreme speed, causing destructive power against armor. Against Energy based shielding, it finds its only weakness where instead of causing real damage, it merely drains the power reserves, and possibly causes turbulence. Without energy based shielding, Rail cannons / guns can rip through hulls and armor like a hot knife through butter. Many slugs can be configured in different ways to react according on impact. ( basic ammo rules for example, hollow shells, silver tipped slugs, etc all have different effects from exploding or expanding on impact, to slicing right through causing breaches. Due to the high power of the RAC's ( Rail Accelerator Cannons ) when fired, the attacking ship will feel small tugs and jolts. Another draw back is often times slugs can be in limited supply on smaller ships. Due tot he knetic nature of the RAC, it poses a mean punch, but fires at a lower rate than its Coil counterpart.
Coil Accelerators - Similar to Rail Technology, Coil accelerators have all the aspects as RAC's. The main difference between the two, is Coil Accelerators shoot a higher rate, and faster, but lack the punch that the RAC's do. There is no Kinetic nature to the coil weapons. Self Guided Based Weaponry (Missile and Torpedo's)
Warhead
Torpedo - High yield explosive torpedo's are always at large in the battlespace. Shooting at high velocities and explosive damage make for a formidable weapon. The largest drawback is the slow fire rate, and poor maneuverability. Although most Torpedo's do have guidance systems, most shoot them with the attempt to finish off a crippled ship, or to explode near an enemy ship in hopes to throw them off guard. Torpedo's are excellent when attacking stations or other stationary targets. Probes and other data collecting devices are often in the form of a torpedo. Some torpedoes can be configured with a limited energy shield. Torpedo's are largely ineffective against shielded targets, but will always cause structural damage in the least, if not hull destruction. Torpedo's are effective against both types of armor.
Missiles - Smaller, high explosive ( size comparison ) , high velocity missiles are optimal for SFC and SIS ships for engagements. Missiles are effective against both types of armor and can be configured in many ways ( Dumb fire, super high velocity; fire and forget tracking, medium velocity ). In the very least against larger unshielded targets, missiles will still create holes in armor, and provide enough damage for larger ships to finish off the job. Most ships will carry an in-house armament of missiles for normal tactical engagements. Missiles are only highly effective against semifluid armor, and partially effective against Tenacious Armor Plating. Shields and Armor
