...or are the Ranx Dreadnoughts pathetically weak?

I mean, sure if you keep your range they just bombard you with their nuke cannons, and that gets to hurting if you don't have thermo resistance... But if you just sit on them, their projectiles don't explode, and only do a single tick of damage- and if you keep your weapon trained right behind the port flanges, it almost always hits a critical piece of armor. take it to 100%, back away and get a finishing shot in = GG.

Feel free to post your feelings about the Ranx Dreadnought, as well as other ships.

For that matter, the Gaian Processor isn't that strong, either; Use WMD damage, and fire inside the scoops at the base. If you have a krytyn, it becomes all the easier.

The Ranx Dreadnought becomes really weak if you can abuse the failings of the Kiloton cannon. So no, you are not alone.
It's still pretty imposing though, but is a pain if you don't know how to counter the Kiloton [Like a really slow freighter]. Same goes for the Ares Micronuke Cannon, but the problem is that the Tundras that use it are too mobile to allow the player to really take advantage of that fact.

You are Talking about NoRAMAL Ranx, right?
because I don't care what you got on your ship, If your not powered up for Real Battle you are not getting close to the Super Ranx.
I like the IM90 with the R9 to take out most Super Capital ships, Any Omni Ion weapon or a station with one or Ringer station will do to deal with them until I get those. Teratons do not like Xenophobes: they have destroyed a few worldships for me p.s.: I got the picture just to demonstrate the LRS : Ranx Rule Lumen : was sure to get a few on my shield after I loaded the game.

@shanej : That version of the Ranx isn't canon yet, so no go with the "Super Ranx" name yet... Although it is nice to see you have fun with my mod!
Try killing a "normal" Ranx Dreadnought. You will see it's a lot easier than my modded one!

If they were as much as challenge as the Super Ranx.....yes, but I do play the regular games as well, not much fun without the Super Ranx or retaliations , feels empty : so I lean towards the versions with the DySy files in the folder : it adds the retaliations and "From Ranx , With Love" I have come to enjoy. Just with the regular game systems : AND THATS ANOTHER THING : I get all that loot and If I did not make those Drop Stations I would have no place to sell it in DySy or get dock services without a Military Id or BM Id.
Dantalion(?) is mostly a high level system: and even with it in the gate it gives me no sell points most times unless I set them up ;
then thats the end game.....( squeakuel!, squeakuel! )

Oh: I have Corporate Enforcer Wingmen you should see, They look more Awesome then I thought they would ( Deployed for Photo -Op, not for the Mission )
I was heading to deliver cargo for a station mission ( missionframework : viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4073 (( the missionframework is not ( was not when I took it on ) a finished item: but outside of the mining colonies, the standard stations in the game have missions that go as smooth as silk through the paws of the Teratons : I enjoy having it in my game )

They are not terribly weak, they just are not smart about fighting.

No, they are weak, Ttech. If they had more at their disposal or if the shell detonated regardless of distance- Or if the initial projectile dealt damage on impact as if it had exploded and every projectile hit- then it would not. But with a lack of any sort of decent close range armament, and the seemingly broken effectiveness of the kiloton cannon, combined with their abysmal turning and speeds, makes it very weak. It is a good support platform fora squad of lesser ship[s, but if you keep anywhere near to it it becomes almost nothing.

Well, ttech is also right in the sense that they don't effectually use all their range advantage because of how the AI works.

It does not matter what the dreadnought AI is if the ship is so slow it cannot prevent a faster enemy (i.e., the player) from closing in to exploit its weakness. The dreadnought should have some point defense weapons to shred enemies who fly too close.

except they don't have much of a range advantage when they move so -slow-. Speed them up, give them some point defense weaponry- then they'd be something to fear. Otherwise... I'm more afraid of the little ships. And that's not saying much. Dreadnoughts are just big loot pinatas.

I may agree with point defense weapons, I don't agree with more speed, otherwise you are going to get the "Dwarg master effect" (something hitting you that you cannot avoid with the freighter and you don't even see it in the radar)

A secondary weapon instead, like what has been done with the Ventari might be a good idea.

Dwarg Masters have that because the range for the Cnidocyst Ion Cannon is so ludicrously huge, and it seeks. I'm definitely not saying give it Dwarg Master speed levels, either- Just something a bit better than the rather plodding pace it sets now. Point defense weaponry is a definite must for them to be a reasonable threat, though; Maybe something in the same line as the Uraks with their multi-shot short-range mass drivers? Just... amp it up for the Ares- maybe an Ion Flame Cannon, or something like that? I still want to see the pre-explosion projectile doing full damage if it hits a target and is too close to the dreadnought to explode properly; Maybe take out the function that prevents it from exploding if it's too close to what fired it?

Ranx DNs are just about the only opponent in the game where the optimum strategy isn't to hang out at maximum range and blast at them. Leave some variety.

Leave some variety as in having a pathetically weak DN? That's very uncharacteriatic of you Atarlost. I like the Ranx way too much to leave them hanging around the Outer Realm with a Dreadnought like that. At the levels they're spawning, the Ranx would condend with the Phobos DN and the CSC, which both massively outclass them. Even Ranx fortresses have no defenses, for crying out loud! This leads me to believe that the Ranx are relying too much on their DN's for defense.
Amaiithar:
Letting the single shot do full damage would effectively double the damage a full blast would do.

Here is what I suggest for the Ranx:
Kiloton cannon (omni)
PD and/ or secondary weapon: I want something like the Iocrym Repeller that has momentum to push ships back. That would let the kiloton cannon do its job.
Speed: between Aquila and a Raid Platform.
Everybody on the forums is welcome to pick apart my suggestions so that we get a new and improved Ranx DN.

RPC: Atarlost has been angrily snobbish and disagreeing with me about everything ever since I first called out his behaviour in IRC. Also, please just use Amari. It's easier. :3

Ontopic: Well, it's meant to be a big nasty ship no? But honestly I just meant for the closer ranges. or is it not possible to make a weapon switch between damage types/styles mid-shot? I was thinking that once it got a certain distance out it would explode if it neared a enemy (to ranx) ship, causing more fragments to possibly hit more targets. if it was too close to the dreadnought and wouldn't explode (at current), though, it wouldn't trigger. Something like a delay timer or proximity trigger before the explosion effect could activate that gives it a damage buff? If it's not possible, then disregard that entire idea. Just trying to figure out a way the actual shell can do better damage when it's too close to the DN to explode. (...though, would settling allied = FriendlyFire immune also prevent self-damage from explosion? in which case the prox. can be ignored...? nah, too unrealistic)

For the purposes of pushing back, they could have high-impact added to their kiloton shells that works at a magnitude larger than the ranx ships- perhaps on the ratio of all four huari fortress cannonades hitting at once for the amount of force exerted?

Speed: I haven't seen an Aquila yet, but slightly better than a raid platform sounds good.

Secondary weapons: Could always give it two forward firing of those basic ranx cannons, and two omni versions? Firing them sorta like the hurin, but with the Kiloton backup instead of two of the shots. That would make them a right terror to face down, and moderately more difficult to face in any range/facing, really. Close would still probably be best- just like in reality, swarming a big ship with little ones is good- but you'd still have to pay for it.