Weapon Accuracy

[Khisanth Magus]

Is there anything that affects weapon accuracy, and hopefully a way to improve the horrible accuracy I've seen on impact weapons so far? The mass drivers(large and small) I've tried using couldn't hit the broad-side of a space station(well, they finally managed to hit it when I practically parked my ships on top of it, but not if they were out any distance). Let alone hit a moving ship. In my very limited testing, energy weapons seem to have much better accuracy.

I was pursuing an enemy colonization fleet. I had a fleet of 8 cruisers armed with large and small mass drivers, and some green beamers. My mass drivers were firing in this huge cone area in front of my ship, seemingly at random and just really hoping they hit something. My beamers were doing ok, but I didn't have many. On the other hand, their purple beams on the rear arcs of their ships had pretty perfect accuracy straight to my ships.

This was with Tarka if that matters.

 

[stoicfaux]

Armor Piercing rounds are noticeably more accurate.

In SotS, you could get a Fire Control tech that would allow you to use a computerized command section to improve weapons accuracy. I'm pretty sure the same thing is in SotS II.

Edit:
Ah yes, it's still Predictive Gunnery and AI Fire Control in SotS II


<Name>Predictive Gunnery</Name>
<Id>CCC_Pred_Gunnery</Id>
<Family>CCC</Family>
<Requires />
<Allowables>
<AllowedTech>
<Id>CCC_Adaptive_Tracking</Id>
<IsPermanent>False</IsPermanent>
<HiverPercent>70</HiverPercent>
<HumanPercent>85</HumanPercent>
<LiirZuulPercent>75</LiirZuulPercent>
<MorrigiPercent>95</MorrigiPercent>
<TarkaPercent>90</TarkaPercent>
<ZuulPercent>55</ZuulPercent>
<ResearchPoints>125000</ResearchPoints>
</AllowedTech>
</Allowables>
<Icon>.\icons\predictivegunnery.bmp</Icon>
<Group />
<Value>110000</Value>
</Tech>

<Tech>
<Name>A.I. Fire Control</Name>
<Id>CCC_A.I._Fire_Control</Id>
<Family>CCC</Family>
<Requires />
<Allowables>
<AllowedTech>
<Id>CCC_A.I._Virus</Id>
<IsPermanent>False</IsPermanent>
<HiverPercent>75</HiverPercent>
<HumanPercent>95</HumanPercent>
<LiirZuulPercent>70</LiirZuulPercent>
<MorrigiPercent>95</MorrigiPercent>
<TarkaPercent>80</TarkaPercent>
<ZuulPercent>50</ZuulPercent>
<ResearchPoints>280000</ResearchPoints>
</AllowedTech>
</Allowables>
<Icon>.\icons\aifirecontrol.bmp</Icon>
<Group />
<Value>300000</Value>
</Tech>

 

[Zaku]

Is there anything that affects weapon accuracy, and hopefully a way to improve the horrible accuracy I've seen on impact weapons so far? The mass drivers(large and small) I've tried using couldn't hit the broad-side of a space station(well, they finally managed to hit it when I practically parked my ships on top of it, but not if they were out any distance). Let alone hit a moving ship. In my very limited testing, energy weapons seem to have much better accuracy.

I was pursuing an enemy colonization fleet. I had a fleet of 8 cruisers armed with large and small mass drivers, and some green beamers. My mass drivers were firing in this huge cone area in front of my ship, seemingly at random and just really hoping they hit something. My beamers were doing ok, but I didn't have many. On the other hand, their purple beams on the rear arcs of their ships had pretty perfect accuracy straight to my ships.

This was with Tarka if that matters.

There are techs for it yes. Also mass drivers are ment to be used against slow and big ships like hiver DNs. For fast and nimble ships it's better to use lasers or plasma.

TBH I was never in favor of using mass drivers in sots 1 because of their inaccuracy. They are like shotguns. Great if they hit, but they don't hit very often. I'm not sure if they are any good later in sots2 because I didn't use them that much.

 

[unmerged(402700)]

Does that even MAKE sense to you? Really?

Laser's are precise (instant fire it hits) weapons and they should be perfect FOR ANYTHING, mass drivers should be for structures and only structures, because have you seen how fast those Leviathans are? They are FASTER than most ships it "can't hit".

 

[Khisanth Magus]

Ok, that makes sense. I'm still a bit miffed by how much my ships were missing the space station, but I guess it makes sense they wouldn't be able to hit smaller ships well.

On the plus side, the visual damage they did when they did hit was really cool. I could see holes in the enemy ship at every impact, depending on whether it was a large or small driver.

 

[Archonsod]

Is there anything that affects weapon accuracy, and hopefully a way to improve the horrible accuracy I've seen on impact weapons so far?

As previously mentioned, research predictive gunnery (it's off expert systems IIRC) and use the fire control mission section. AI control also improves accuracy once you have the tech. On top of that, I believe there's one or two ship modules which boost accuracy.

Mass drivers are inherently inaccurate though, it's to balance out the fact that hits from them can knock ships for six (literally). Generally speaking, especially with Tarka, if you're going for drivers you want to be up in the enemy's face; the closer you are the better the chance you'll hit (and drivers don't suffer range penalties). Consider also making the enemy an easier target by using EM weapons - if they can't move their ships anywhere it makes them pretty easy to hit.

By far the most effective way to use them though is to counteract the low accuracy by simply hurling more of them about. VRF is an essential tech. Field a line of cruisers and approach in formation - think of it as old fashioned musket infantry; form line, volley fire.

 

[unmerged(402700)]

As previously mentioned, research predictive gunnery (it's off expert systems IIRC) and use the fire control mission section. AI control also improves accuracy once you have the tech. On top of that, I believe there's one or two ship modules which boost accuracy.

Mass drivers are inherently inaccurate though, it's to balance out the fact that hits from them can knock ships for six (literally). Generally speaking, especially with Tarka, if you're going for drivers you want to be up in the enemy's face; the closer you are the better the chance you'll hit (and drivers don't suffer range penalties). Consider also making the enemy an easier target by using EM weapons - if they can't move their ships anywhere it makes them pretty easy to hit.

By far the most effective way to use them though is to counteract the low accuracy by simply hurling more of them about. VRF is an essential tech. Field a line of cruisers and approach in formation - think of it as old fashioned musket infantry; form line, volley fire.

Three Morrigi Dreadnought's arrive and cut them to pieces in non-formation based sector swatting tactics with phaser galore.

 

[Archonsod]

Three Morrigi Dreadnought's arrive and cut them to pieces in non-formation based sector swatting tactics with phaser galore.

Pfft, I see your phaser armed dreadnoughts and raise you railguns

 

[unmerged(402700)]

Pfft, I see your phaser armed dreadnoughts and raise you railguns

(Too fast for ya... and a mass driver is a rail gun... and I still win against anyone who shoots bullets)

 

[unmerged(401683)]

Lasers...always lasers...ballistic weapons just don't do it for me...plus come on...those heavy emitters...right up in your face...arcing from one ship to another...breaking them up like little lego pieces...so satisfactory

 

[Archonsod]

Lasers...always lasers...ballistic weapons just don't do it for me...plus come on...those heavy emitters...right up in your face...arcing from one ship to another...breaking them up like little lego pieces...so satisfactory

Till they arc back at you (plus hardened electronics rendered them almost useless).

Another consideration in SotS II is the effects on armour. Energy weapons (cannons excepted) tend to bore a straight hole through the armour, while mass drivers tend to tear off large chunks.

 

[unmerged(402700)]

I'm always aiming for your CNC and then your engines anyway... Not really a problem if it's precision versus brute force.

 

[unmerged(401683)]

Till they arc back at you (plus hardened electronics rendered them almost useless).

Another consideration in SotS II is the effects on armour. Energy weapons (cannons excepted) tend to bore a straight hole through the armour, while mass drivers tend to tear off large chunks.

I haven't seen them arc back at me, YET!! I play Liir almost exclusively (SOTS I and II) and have yet to use Ballistic weapons on any of their ships...I play against my friend who is Zuul almost always and while he favors ballistics...his ships do get torn apart by the lasers a lot...but then again...this is based off of SOTS I...since we can't seem to play II in MP for longer than 20 m or so at a time without either of us crashing...so can't test any of that yet really.

 

[unmerged(349353)]

Ahh balistic weapons are so awesome! Try sniper cannons early game, armor piercing rounds are far more accurate than drivers. Later there is accelerator amplification tech which increase bullets traveling speed, I'm sure there are more techs to increase bullets accuracy (tech tree needs to be conquered first). Modules , AI command section, admiral with right trait. Also i heard about hook like tech did anyone try that?

 

[unmerged(402700)]

I haven't seen them arc back at me, YET!! I play Liir almost exclusively (SOTS I and II) and have yet to use Ballistic weapons on any of their ships...I play against my friend who is Zuul almost always and while he favors ballistics...his ships do get torn apart by the lasers a lot...but then again...this is based off of SOTS I...since we can't seem to play II in MP for longer than 20 m or so at a time without either of us crashing...so can't test any of that yet really.

A heavier version of the emitter called "tempest" is supposed to be very powerful for more powerful ships.