Iocrym plasma weapons should not have EnergyWeapon attribute

[george moromisato]

May or may not be relevant, but out of the top 5 high-scores only one used the Fracture cannon (and it was enhanced to +Fast):

1. enhanced IM90 [+150%]; enhanced Ferian plasma cannon [+Fast]
2. enhanced Ferian plasma cannon [+Fast]; enhanced Dvalin Ion9 cannon [+110%]
3. enhanced Fracture cannon [+Fast]; enhanced positron lancer [+Fast]
4. 3(!) Ares lightning turrets; enhanced Fusionfire [+10%]
5. Lamplighter archcannon; enhanced Ares lightning turret [+30%]

[Amilir]

3(!) Ares lightning turrets;

I call it the poor wolfen's im90. Better range too.

[PM]

If I could not get the IM90, I would equip three or four lightning turrets on a Wolfen. (Six would be ideal for near continuous firing.) Of course, Teraton fabricator will yield an IM90. IM90 weighs less than three lightning turrets, and it is only one item instead of several to enhance. Satisfaction guaranteed!

[Vachtra]

At this point it seems like a moot point, not being the weapon of choice.
Since you can't get it until later in the game you would only have enhancement ability if that's what you were waiting for in the first place.

[PM]

Early jumpdrive from a shop (or Gem of Despair with a ship with lots of cargo space) plus Teraton fabricator means I can reach endgame systems and acquire endgame devices at midgame. Of course, I can finish the game then and there if I get my endgame stuff, but I like to crush the rest of the game I skipped with grossly overleveled equipment.

[Atarlost]

It's not the weapon of choice for the score grinders, but it's widely recommended. It wouldn't be if it wasn't used by those recommending it.

[Cygnus.X1]

So now I'm curious... I gave the Star Fleet phaser-based weapons the same attributes as the Iocrym plasma weapons figuring "when in Rome...". Honestly, I had no idea I could upgrade my phaser with a L. Sphere (can't wait to try that if I ever find the most powerful type I made for my playership in my current testrun ), and given the degenerate nature of plasma, the science behind the energy vs. matter debate is, well, debatable.

To me, the debate here is a classic, realism vs. fun factor. Being able to upgrade the plasma based weapons with end-game equipment modifiers is certainly more fun than not being able to, but as George pointed out, it's not realistic. If you want a game with mass appeal, often times realism must be sacrificed for the sake of having more fun playing the game. I think I'll keep the EnergyWeapon attribute on my plasma phasers

[FourFire]

Plasma is very clearly matter saturated with high energy, so I think that realistically an energy upgrade could increase either the temperature, or the velocity of the plasma streams.

Keep your overpowered upgrade possibilities!

[PM]

Plasma is very clearly matter saturated with high energy, so I think that realistically an energy upgrade could increase either the temperature, or the velocity of the plasma streams.

Then all plasma weapons should be energy weapons, and longzhus should enhance any plasma weapon at level 10 or less (not just Fracture cannon and repeller only). At that point, we would have two tier 4 energy types but no tier 4 matter type.

[Vachtra]

That generally seems to be the way of things. Less mass to worry about and more damage. Although there is a point at which the longzhu shouldn't work, probably part II with antimater.

[Blitz]

May or may not be relevant, but out of the top 5 high-scores only one used the Fracture cannon (and it was enhanced to +Fast):

1. enhanced IM90 [+150%]; enhanced Ferian plasma cannon [+Fast]
2. enhanced Ferian plasma cannon [+Fast]; enhanced Dvalin Ion9 cannon [+110%]
3. enhanced Fracture cannon [+Fast]; enhanced positron lancer [+Fast]
4. 3(!) Ares lightning turrets; enhanced Fusionfire [+10%]
5. Lamplighter archcannon; enhanced Ares lightning turret [+30%]

Hmm, that might be because
1. I never got one
2. I don't want to grind for it
3. I got this other weapon which works well and is already boosted
4. I don't use it as I prefer to blast away from Max range

Unless it can be shown that people avoid the IFC even when it is available, I'm not sure...

Personally, I think the solution is to make it specifically unenhancable - alien tagged tech and all that.... I mean, it is a comoletely unknown alien tech. Getting it to work should be a tricky thing in itself, forget boosting it like crazy...

Maybe make it overpowered by default in someway but harder to actually equip? For example it is always damaged when you get it but have to go on a side quest to fix it?

[digdug]

Then all plasma weapons should be energy weapons, and longzhus should enhance any plasma weapon at level 10 or less (not just Fracture cannon and repeller only). At that point, we would have two tier 4 energy types but no tier 4 matter type.

what about this:

- move the fracture cannon to level XI and keep it energyweapon.
- make all plasma weapons energyweapons
- cap longhzu to level 10 energyweapons

[Atarlost]

Plasma is the "matter" type at tier 4. No plasma weapons should be energy weapons unless they're very special. Realism and logic have nothing to do with damage types and making them sensible would be a major undertaking that would require re-designing all existing sovereigns using types above tier 1.

[PM]

Longzhu spheres already cannot enhance anything above 10. Placing fracture cannon at level 11 means the player cannot use it because no one in Human Space can install devices higher than level 10. All that needs to happen is to strip the EnergyWeapon attribute from Iocrym weapons, to make them obey the rules followed by other plasma weapons. Of course, that means a +150% positron lancer becomes the next goto god weapon, but that is a balance problem with longzhu stacking. If fracture cannon still needs to be weakened after that (doubtful), then cutting fire rate down to 3 shots per second should suffice. I probably would rather use Lamplighter or Ares plasma archcannon over unenhanced fracture cannon.

The damage ladder does not make perfect sense, especially when theoretical entities and/or magic are included. Trying to make sense of it would require a redesign of the entire game. Relativisic kinetic attacks being much weaker than other matter types, due to builtin resistance tables for armor, is laughable.

[Vachtra]

Just curious how plasma weapons are matter type weapons.
Plasma itself isn't very menacing. If you're thinking about a plasma torch I would have to say that's mainly energy doing the work carried by matter. the matter doesn't do much on it's own and speeding it up doesn't make any more sense.