59 replies to this topic

[Pyromaniac]

I have been trying out all the different carriers to see how each fights with it's PTA system. I have heard about ships having, the "sweet spot", the area where you want your enemy to be to get the most damage out of your turrets. I have been completely unable to find this spot on hardly any of the ships ,usually they don't fire much at all. I don't care for cruisers, I haven't really got into them much. Also, the two super carriers I don't normally use. I would like someone to tell me about the Megaron, Violon, and the BC mk3 turrets archs, it would help me alot, thanks .
One more thing I forgot, is there a way to use the BC Studio to find the turret archs?

[ 06-29-2003, 04:45 AM: Message edited by: Pyromaniac ]

[Tyrn]

You can eyeball the sweet spots using BC studio but I would then suggest tesing your theory out on an enemy ODS.

I don't believe that the actual firing arc is viewable anywhere as an image, I could very well be wrong on that though.

[Falstaff]

Violon sweet spot is the Port(left) side, about the edge of the viewable screen, sometimes a little off screen. If you hold your target on the first radar pip on the left of center it should eat it alive. Only useful for small ships, though. Use your main guns on anything bigger than a figher or shuttle.

[Gallion]

Also on the Starboard

TTFN

[Supreme Cmdr]

[indent]quote:

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Originally posted by Tyrn:

I don't believe that the actual firing arc is viewable anywhere as an image,

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[/indent]Its not. It is a real-time computed conical arc calculated based on the tag's point of origin (on the turret entity).

[Most]

Right now i'm flying a Aestrom and i've fully upgraded its hull/armor and shields to the max...i have enough missiles and fuel to make it to Earth and back(i'm in Xlan now). Not untill last night did i really fall in love with the PTA turrets. I use to always keep them off because i didn't know what they were for. I was going through that thing called the MANUAL and i turned those things on and two Cruisers decided to target me at once. I'm near a jumpoint and they hyperdrive over to me and i'm waiting right in front of the first one to come out of hyper and while i was firing my main guns i stopped for a minute to see why his shields and armor were dropping so fast. I pressed F9 and i'll be damned if lasers coming from my Aestrom werent rippin him to shreds. He didn't even last 60 seconds. And as soon as i was done with him i took care of his other buddy in similiar fashion without using ONE missile. I felt like a Starstation for a minute, needless to say i'll soon be promoted if i can keep this up.

PTA! PTA! PTA!....you learn something new everyday...dont tell me i'm the only person who didn't know that...no really

[DennyMala]

I have always played and loved tactical, strategy and military simulation games and I'm a fan of the STAR WARS and STAR TREK series; so I was almost confident with the defensive and offensive systems of whatever is designed for war (aircrafts, tanks, ships, submarines and spacecraft) and I have a rather precise idea of what a passive targeting weapons is..... but guys usually they're almost useless apart from the gatling gun mounted on a destroyer for air defence...( anything that comes too near...is dead missiles too)...
In BCMG the PTA system is really a valuable asset... I usually play with an AESTROM class carrier and soon I discovered that the sweet spot of this craft was ideal for my gameplay style.... right in the center of my aiming reticule...... I can't ask something better......
I only have a question..... why the PTA doesn't work as a defensive asset? .... I try to explain it better, as I was saying for the gatling of a destroyer they fire upon anything that fly and is enemy.... why the PTA doesn't fire on missiles coming my way?...

However I still find the PTA a very proficent fighting asset against all kind of craft... put it at 60% or 70% against fighters and shuttles and at FULL power against all other target and even if you hit with your main gun.... you'll find that half of the damage was dealt by the PTA.... I have complete the TOD1 and I never fired a missile.......

[mihau]

[indent]quote:

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Originally posted by dennymala:

I only have a question..... why the PTA doesn't work as a defensive asset? .... I try to explain it better, as I was saying for the gatling of a destroyer they fire upon anything that fly and is enemy.... why the PTA doesn't fire on missiles coming my way?...

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[/indent]It does. It fires on missiles, but the only problem is that they're too tough and too fast. Check in the CVD how much armor a missile has, and then compare to e.g. a fighter. If you really want to know how a PTA system takes out incoming missile, jump cloaked near a hostile starstation and, while still cloaked (you want to see it, right? ) fire one towards it. Then watch the whole show.

[DennyMala]

I should check it..... if I find something interesting I'll post.....

[XOR]

just remember when you gain something your usually gonna have to give something up... that said think about what would happen if the pta system could take out a missle in say one or two shots, sure that would be good for you but it would also be bad for you because other ships would also have this ability makeing combat very difficult because you have to get in front of the target's weak spot to have a chance of hitting them with a missle...

and if you are afraid of missles then push 'E' to activate the electrical jamming device and when the missle passes you by u can turn it off by pushing 'E' , if your moving you will most likely never get hit while it is on since it forces the missle to go in a straight line

[DennyMala]

[indent]quote:

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Originally posted by XOR:
just remember when you gain something your usually gonna have to give something up... that said think about what would happen if the pta system could take out a missle in say one or two shots, sure that would be good for you but it would also be bad for you because other ships would also have this ability makeing combat very difficult because you have to get in front of the target's weak spot to have a chance of hitting them with a missle...

and if you are afraid of missles then push 'E' to activate the electrical jamming device and when the missle passes you by u can turn it off by pushing 'E' , if your moving you will most likely never get hit while it is on since it forces the missle to go in a straight line

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[/indent]In fact I never use missles..... I often use the "E" key..... and I never get hit by a missle...

I command an AESTROM class super cruiser and the PTA sweet spot allow me to destroy a capital ship usually in less that a minute without firing a shot with my primary gun..... If you add this to the fact that I always played fly sims and that I like dogfighting.......

[d8alus]

is the damage per rof per percentage ratio linear?

What I mean is...at 50% is the damage half as much and the rof half as slow?

i.e. (these are made up numbers)

100%=60 dmg, 3 sec rate of fire and

50%=30 dmg, 1.5 sec rate of fire?

Or is it quadratic? Is there a sweet spot for percentage that yields the most damage at the highest fire rate on an arc?

[Huwie]

I found another good use for the PTA - strafing. In an Aestrom, I will hover in VTOL about 7-8 Km from an enemy city at an altitude of about 1000-2000 feet, then arm my PTA turrets and watch them level the entire place. Splendid!

[DennyMala]

Yea sure HUWIE!!!! Why use fighters or marines when a little time and automatism can do a better job with no harm to you or your crew.....
you can even fly lower and activate your EMD to dodge the missiles....... but it's better to upgrade your ship first with the best shield and the best armor.......

[Huwie]

[indent]quote:

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Originally posted by dennymala:
you can even fly lower and activate your EMD to dodge the missiles.......

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[/indent]Yeah, or just cloak.

[DennyMala]

Yeah.... but cloacking burn some of the most expensive and precious fuel..... so why don't use something almost as effective and that costs nothing...

And you could even speed up the destruction derby by using the primary guns too..... try using some different power settings while you took out a building or a mobile target (switch to 70% or 50%...)

[Huwie]

Main guns are not an option I'm afraid. They have been destroyed for ages now, and I can't seem to get them repaired for some reason.

Besides, I don't have a joystick (desk not big enough) and I can't seem to get mouse flight to work. Doesn't matter, those cities are easy to take out anyway, and money isn't a problem. I'm not really in the big league yet so mining provides me with more than enough cash.

[Korgmeister]

I had an idea this morning, of taking a screenshot of the TACSCAN display and then marking the sweetspot for different craft with a yellow circle, for the help of n00bs (such as myself).

Also, I've tried using the Aestrom, seduced by these stories of a killer PTA sweetspot that's right in the center of the aiming recticle but I honestly haven't ever seen the PTA system activate on this thing.

Admittedly it's nowhere near as much of a dog to handle as the Firestorm but so far it's no substitute for the sleek and deadly Megaron.

[Huwie]

[indent]quote:

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Originally posted by Korgmeister:
Also, I've tried using the Aestrom, seduced by these stories of a killer PTA sweetspot that's right in the center of the aiming recticle but I honestly haven't ever seen the PTA system activate on this thing.

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[/indent]Maybe you're not at the correct range? I usually use my PTAs at around 7.0 Km. They don't just fire straight down the nose either, they will fire a little bit off-centre too.

Pointing at my target and maintaining said range never gives me any problems at all. I can't think what else you could be doing wrong.

[Korgmeister]

Ja, thank for the tip. I should have realised that with the turrets placed at the range they were, that they would only be effective at medium range.

No, I was being silly and trying to take out fighters at point blank (less than 2km) range.

This will definately be food for thought. If I'm going to produce visual aids to help new Commanders to identify the sweet spots, I will need to include effective range.

All Commanders, your help will allow me to compile this sooner. Please list the effective turret ranges (and sweetspot) positions of all craft that you are familiar with.

I'm currently Familar with:

Canlon: Sweet Spot is straight above, effective range is from 0.5-20km

Generis: Straight above or straght below, effective range from 0.5-20 km
Straight ahead, effective range from 5-20km

Megaron: First recticle from centre on port (left) side.
effective range from 0.5 - 20km

Anything else you know will be handy. I'll see about whipping up a few graphics later on in the afternoon, hopefully.