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[Girlinhat]

Ah right, now I remember things (been a few years) but microwaves are a great way to tackle enemy ships.  You can blind them long enough to bring in dedicated weapons for capturing, like spinal mounted lasers, in this version.  Previous versions were just about 'really big lasers' because that was it.  Take pot-shots at the blind target, hope you damage the engine but don't outright destroy them, then send in the marines.

This was the process for capturing hive queens.  Self-guided missile swarms and gauss/railgun to mop up the swarms, microwaves to cripple the queen, a few laser shots to kill engines, then marines to take it.  Then deal with the 9001% failure rate trying to get that trophy home!

[Karlito]

MIcrowaves also don't ignore shields, just armor.

I think they do get a damage bonus against shields though.

[RulerOfNothing]

Three times damage if I recall correctly, although they only work against sensors (unless that has changed recently)

[Metalax]

Microwaves - do one point of damage out to max range, 3x damage verses shields, ignore armour, only damage items that appear on the electronic only DAC chart. This is limited to active and passive sensors, ECM, ECCM, beam and missile fire controls.

[Bremen]

It's worth noting that since Microwaves are locked to 1 damage, 3x damage bonus vs shields really just makes them equivalent to normal lasers. It's less a damage bonus than just keeping shields from trumping them completely.

[Girlinhat]

It's worth noting that since Microwaves are locked to 1 damage, 3x damage bonus vs shields really just makes them equivalent to normal lasers. It's less a damage bonus than just keeping shields from trumping them completely.

However, Microwaves have higher damage-at-range than lasers, making them slightly better for sniping.

In theory, if you pumped microwave and stealth tech, you could make small sniper ships that could peg an enemy from long range and blind them.  Possibly using box-launched probe drones, so that your sniper ship isn't giving off an active sensor ping to be seen.

[lastverb]

Why would you use 3x defense platforms descibed above?
Microwaves to disable enemy detecting/targeting capabilities, so they can't shoot you.
Stealth to prevent enemy from detecting you, so they can't shoot you.
Probe drones (i assume sensor mines used as 2nd stage) to prevent enemy from detecting you based on em sig and working as decoys, so they can't shoot you.
And yet no way to kill the enemy. It's is an interesting idea, however useless as i have never found an enemy capable of surviving standard box-launchers-strapped-with-engines (read: missile fighters) attack. Engine rework just made them little less efficient early on. Provided you can supply missiles (those pesky swarms seem to feed on them). I hope we got proper AI for this beautiful game. Features and possible tactics are alredy plentiful. And due to game pace it's not a great multiplayer prospect.

[Girlinhat]

Well the general idea is to use your microwave snipers as first fire.  When all/most of the enemy is blind, you sweep in your weapon of choice.  Carronades can bash the enemy hard, high-powered lasers can penetrate armor to allow boarding, railguns can just pound the enemy, etc.  Once they're blind, you can deliver a killing blow as you want.

I forget, can you mount microwaves on turrets?  I don't think you can...

[Metalax]

They are hull mounted only, so no turrets.

[Sheb]

Plus, RP.

[Girlinhat]

Does anyone have data on what the starswarm designs are like?

[Girlinhat]

Anyways, spinal mount fighter craft.  Any advice?

[Flying Dice]

Reduced size lasers. It's already a stretch to mount anything but Gauss cannons or them on something that's under 500t with everything it needs. Ofc. you're going to have a painfully long recharge for anything with a decent aperture diameter.

[Girlinhat]

Reduced size lasers. It's already a stretch to mount anything but Gauss cannons or them on something that's under 500t with everything it needs. Ofc. you're going to have a painfully long recharge for anything with a decent aperture diameter.

The ideal purpose of these ships would be surgical strikes.  With an enemy I encountered relatively often, such as the starswarm or a particular NPR, I could tweak the design to deal armor + 1 damage, with the hopes of hitting the engine, and then sending in boarding crew.

Otherwise I might as well go gauss.  Close range gauss is one of the most terrifying things.

[MarcAFK]

Sigh, Aurora, you tempt me with your numbers and logistics.
While minecraft still has me in its warm comforting embrace,
My mind will still be taken by the cold emotionless grip of Aurora-Crack.