Any use for Partilce Beams?

[Wolfius]

Currently what actually limits beam weapon range is the fire control.  There are lots of weapons that if you check the design screen have a theoretical range greater than 5 light seconds.  All of them are limited by the fire control which does not exceed the 5 light second range.

Brian

Yes, and considering that they're lightspeed weapons(generally speaking), and the smallest time incriment is 5 seconds, I suspect that's rather deliberate and simply the place where Steve chose to impliment the lightspeed cap for beam weapons. It doesn't mean beam weapons are going to be FTL.

A bit arbitrary, but it probably beats coding delayed-impact mechanics for high-end super-lasers.

[Brian Neumann]

A bit arbitrary, but it probably beats coding delayed-impact mechanics for high-end super-lasers.

If memory serves that is exactly what Steve intended.  I think the post saying that however is long lost as it was one of his very early decisions and we have had to switch to a new website since then.

Brian

[Barkhorn]

But my point is that having lasers be faster than light, to maintain the whole "lasers hit in one increment" thing, wouldn't really be a detriment to the realism much at all, considering the game's already pretty unrealistic.

And yes, I get that its the fire control limiting it, but I'm saying that limit is arbitrary and unnecessary.

Now the only problem with my position is that it wouldn't necessarily change much.  People almost never get to the final techs anyways, so few people would ever see a difference.

I dunno, just something to consider I guess.

[Charlie Beeler]

If memory serves that is exactly what Steve intended.  I think the post saying that however is long lost as it was one of his very early decisions and we have had to switch to a new website since then.

Brian

I'm fairly sure that it was either back on the old Diary mailing list or the Yahoo Group.

[Charlie Beeler]

But my point is that having lasers be faster than light, to maintain the whole "lasers hit in one increment" thing, wouldn't really be a detriment to the realism much at all, considering the game's already pretty unrealistic.

And yes, I get that its the fire control limiting it, but I'm saying that limit is arbitrary and unnecessary.

Now the only problem with my position is that it wouldn't necessarily change much.  People almost never get to the final techs anyways, so few people would ever see a difference.

I dunno, just something to consider I guess.

What it comes down to is that this is a hard limit that Steve wants in the Aurora-verse.  The subject has come up several times without change.