I'm not seeing it here (if it was ever posted), but what is the formula for calculating PD?
Max tech Fire Control has a maximum tracking speed of 80,000km/s. Max tech missile speed is c. What are the chances of using anything other than missiles at this level?
Max Tech Fire Control
50% Accuracy at Range: 700,000 km Tracking Speed: 80000 km/s
Size: 16 HTK: 1 Cost: 8400 Crew: 80
Chance of destruction by electronic damage: 10%
Materials Required: 2100x Duranium 6300x Uridium
Development Cost for Project: 84000RP
Max Tech Missile v1
Missile Size: 16.5 MSP (0.825 HS) Warhead: 67 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 300000 km/s Endurance: 10 minutes Range: 189.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 99.8333
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 3000% 3k km/s 1000% 5k km/s 600% 10k km/s 300%
Materials Required: 16.75x Tritanium 83.0833x Gallicite Fuel x4375
Development Cost for Project: 9983RP
Max Tech Missile v2
Missile Size: 16.5 MSP (0.825 HS) Warhead: 7 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 300000 km/s Endurance: 22 minutes Range: 405.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 84.8333
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 3000% 3k km/s 1000% 5k km/s 600% 10k km/s 300%
Materials Required: 1.75x Tritanium 83.0833x Gallicite Fuel x9375
Development Cost for Project: 8483RP
Max Tech missile control
Active Sensor Strength: 900
Sensor Size: 5 Sensor HTK: 1
Primary Mode: Resolution: 20 Maximum Range: 540,000,000 km
Chance of destruction by electronic damage: 10%
Cost: 2700 Crew: 25
Materials Required: 675x Duranium 2025x Uridium
Development Cost for Project: 27000RP
As you can see, the maximum size missile for c missiles is 16.5. The control suite probably could be shaved down a bit, so you don't have that extra 100m km of "empty" reach. Though I didn't take into multi-stage missiles.
Okay, I've come up with the following...
MIRV Body
Missile Size: 24 MSP (1.2 HS) Warhead: 0 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 208300 km/s Endurance: 24 minutes Range: 300.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 132.5833
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 2083% 3k km/s 690% 5k km/s 416.6% 10k km/s 208.3%
Materials Required: 5.25x Tritanium 127.3333x Gallicite Fuel x10000
Development Cost for Project: 13258RP
Submunition (MIRV carries 3)
Missile Size: 3 MSP (0.15 HS) Warhead: 7 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 300000 km/s Endurance: 17 minutes Range: 300.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 16.5
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 3000% 3k km/s 1000% 5k km/s 600% 10k km/s 300%
Materials Required: 1.75x Tritanium 14.75x Gallicite Fuel x1250
Development Cost for Project: 1650RP
This extends my punch out to 600m km. Yes, the first stage is the easier one to intercept, but what exactly would it take to knock down a flight of those? Max Tech GC have a range of 60,000 km, which is suicidally close in my opinion for these missiles. Max Tech laser (30cm, RoF 5sec) has a range of 2.88m km. Beam FC as we see above only has a range of 700,000 km, or 1/4 the range of my lasers. A PDC variant has a range of 1.05m km. Still around 33% of the range of my lasers.
Looking at other beam weapons...
Microwaves have a max range of 10.08m km.
Plasma carronade have a max range of 1.68m km.
Railguns have a max range of 1.8m km.
Meson have a max range of 10.08m km.
The torpedo has a max range of 1.2m km.
80cm Far Gamma laser has a max range of 20.16m km.
Okay... after that rambling post... the conclusion I've come to, is that there needs to be some sort of assisted targeting system for beams. Some tech line that opens up that allows a ship closer to the target to relay targeting information. I see that vessel as a stealthed scout, sneaking close. Though going active will undoubtedly shorten the lifespan of the ship greatly. Or the new sensor buoys being able to relay targeting information back.
Though missiles still have a HUGE range advantage over anything else.