@Steve Walmsley
TL/DR Make Kinetic weapons useful, add an workable? ammunition component into the game.
I've searched the current forums and cant seem to find the discussion on why Kinetic Weapons don't have an ammunition requirement.
I feel that all Kinetic Weapons, (Rails and Gauss) should have an ammunition requirement leaving the true energy weapons (Lasers / Particle / Meson / Microwaves) with the current restrictions.
I propose a change to the weapons mix that I hope is easy to implement.
Kinetic Weapons {Signifies real world counterpart}
Railguns {105mm Howitzers}
Turret-able, long range (Max BFC), slow reload, single shot, same damage profile, capacitor rate doubled
Gauss Cannon {40mm Cannon}
Removed as CIWS, doubled range.
Auto Cannon {Gatling Style Rotary Cannon}
Replaces CIWS Components, Max Size 1HS, 75% 50% 33% 25% Reduction techs, Baseline 10 shots per increment (120 RPM), double and triple fire rate techs. Max Range 10km, base racial tracking speed or max ship speed. Turret-able
Other Weapons
NO CHANGE
I feel this would further reduce the effectiveness of missiles, and give fighters a cannon to use against other fighters as close quarters (Dogfighting) this would also slightly increase the protection offered to Civilian ships.
As for the ammunition requirement, make its production similar to how MSP is produced in 7. 1 VBA.
Small 1 Missile Size Point containers with a 1 duranium cost produced in construction factories and stockpiled.
This fits nicely into the current magazine system, the tradeoff being that you can use energy weapons without magazines.
You would need to transport all kinetic ammunition around in magazines, which should be easier to do now there is a civilian magazine. CIWS has a drawback in that it can be simply run out of ammunition and no longer be effective. An advantage would be that the system is that CIWS would be twice as effective at base tech.
We simply deduct 1 Ammunition Crate per increment that the weapons are firing, including for CIWS weapons. This is because rounds themselves are simply different sized strips of metal for each weapons system and they all have different fire rates. I am unsure of proposing another tech line for reloading speed as i feel this is not necessary with the increment delay.
It doesnt make sense to me that civilian ships can have CIWS missile defenses but not have to pay any cost for the systems.
This would allow for a larger missile defense envelope allowing up to 5 ranges to engage missiles, AMM>Laser>Gauss>"Auto Cannon">CIWS
AMM would be as far out as missile design allowed.
Laser range is still out to 1. 4m km allowing for Light Speed limitations
Gauss Cannon range is doubled out to 20km at base and 120km at final tech
Auto Cannons are at Final Defensive Fire Range
CIWS are still at point blank.
This will allow more missiles to be destroyed short of their targets, but add in a strategic/logistical layer meaning that these weapon systems can be beaten by running the defending ships out of ammunition.
Railguns & Gauss would then be able to penetrate atmosphere and can be used within PDCs to defend a planet / system body, without using missiles. This will make planetary assaults more challenging.
Because Railguns would be able to penetrate atmosphere they would still have an energy requirement but the capacitor recharge rate should be doubled, allowing for the fact that they will have a ammunition requirement. This keeps them competitive with similar tech laser weapons as they can fire twice as fast, until they run out of ammunition.
Close Quarters Battles would then have more options than "Just stick big lasers on it".
Thoughts anyone?
Regards
Frank