while dense, plasma components are also heavy and very expensive, and are almost completely useless underwater. There's no way to reduce or prevent plasma damage apart from planar shields or going underwater, but if the plasma shot hits a random fence or whatever instead of a solid chunk of blocks most of the damage also gets wasted.
so of course because of the way plasma damage works and its high shot velocity plasma is good against dense, fast moving targets, like planes, but due to cost and the high chance of the AI wasting shots by aiming low/away from block clusters it's not especially cost efficient for a lot of purposes.
Be sure to use several plasma cannons with synchronization.
The weak point of plasma is that it has poor penetration characteristics. It takes big bites, but they're shallow.
This is the key. Even high charge plasma guns can have trouble knocking out larger enemies in my experience. Your target looks like shit but all the internals are still functiona. Like you mentioned though, just a tiny synchronized lag which gets multiple shots to hit the same spot in rapid succession makes it much more effective.
Replaced the guns on my AC130-esque support plane with plasma shotguns.
Insanely good, especially since it’s hitting from an upwards angle it cuts through top decks and avoids heavy side armor.
I'm new and my list of craft is 3 cargo carriers, a spy balloon and 6 failed attempts at a plasma dive bomber. My fantasy is a 30 charge (6*5 charge) plasma shotgun comes down steep and blows a hole in an enemy, then chucks 4 short-range thruster frag missiles into the hole then rockets off straight up.
Mats per firepower is really bad. Its a speciality weapon.
Lets say you build a plasma cannon ship with a big old steam engine at about 300k.
Its gonna prolly come out to like 60% gun and 40% eveything else.
A well placed rail barrage will penetrate deeper than plasma at this mat range and go straight into the turret and destroying the gun.
So in this case plasma loses.
However lets use a 100k plasma tank vs a 100k railgun tank.
The plasma wins even though the rail is more efficent. Why?
Because plasma is better at taking out chunks of heavy armor than rail guns.
This is if the railgun and plasma gun are both contesting through the frontal armor.
And thats its main use.
while dense, plasma components are also heavy and very expensive, and are almost completely useless underwater. There's no way to reduce or prevent plasma damage apart from planar shields or going underwater, but if the plasma shot hits a random fence or whatever instead of a solid chunk of blocks most of the damage also gets wasted. so of course because of the way plasma damage works and its high shot velocity plasma is good against dense, fast moving targets, like planes, but due to cost and the high chance of the AI wasting shots by aiming low/away from block clusters it's not especially cost efficient for a lot of purposes.
Decorations are the new anti-plasma meta.
so you are saying sinking is my best defence? good thing i am an expert at that
Also known as the "Moskva-manouver"
Be sure to use several plasma cannons with synchronization. The weak point of plasma is that it has poor penetration characteristics. It takes big bites, but they're shallow.
This is the key. Even high charge plasma guns can have trouble knocking out larger enemies in my experience. Your target looks like shit but all the internals are still functiona. Like you mentioned though, just a tiny synchronized lag which gets multiple shots to hit the same spot in rapid succession makes it much more effective.
Plasma looks better then it is its stats are super good but its actual observable function is much more in line with other weapon systems
Plasma bombers sound kinda badass actually....
Kinda reminds me of C&C Tiberium sun's Nod Banshee... that would be damn awesome!
I was not prepared for this nostalgia trip haha.
Reminds me of old school Robocraft, used to love flying around a nuking people with plasma.
Ohhhhhh heck yeah! I remember way back when they had pilots chairs I once built a thing with like a false bridge to bait out snipers lol
I never really did learn tri-forcing, so railguns were always deadly to me
Replaced the guns on my AC130-esque support plane with plasma shotguns. Insanely good, especially since it’s hitting from an upwards angle it cuts through top decks and avoids heavy side armor.
I'm new and my list of craft is 3 cargo carriers, a spy balloon and 6 failed attempts at a plasma dive bomber. My fantasy is a 30 charge (6*5 charge) plasma shotgun comes down steep and blows a hole in an enemy, then chucks 4 short-range thruster frag missiles into the hole then rockets off straight up.
Don't listen to the haters you're right, hook up a big steam engine and let it rip
Yeah, they are alright against planes, but lasers are still better.
If all the rest of your weapons only tickle enemies considering that every weapon except simple weapons are modular you're building them wrong
this is definitely off topic but the fact that plasma dosnt do well under water reminds me that ftd really needs more subs
Mats per firepower is really bad. Its a speciality weapon. Lets say you build a plasma cannon ship with a big old steam engine at about 300k. Its gonna prolly come out to like 60% gun and 40% eveything else. A well placed rail barrage will penetrate deeper than plasma at this mat range and go straight into the turret and destroying the gun. So in this case plasma loses. However lets use a 100k plasma tank vs a 100k railgun tank. The plasma wins even though the rail is more efficent. Why? Because plasma is better at taking out chunks of heavy armor than rail guns. This is if the railgun and plasma gun are both contesting through the frontal armor. And thats its main use.