[*] Remake Barge or Remove it

[TLI-Inferno]

Well, I didn't suggest giving it a BS core for jump trading either, so....kudos to us.

I think we're approaching our suggested buffs from opposite uses. Yours suggests the primary function of the ship is to be a mostly immobile storage depot, whereas mine address the Barge's function as a transport.

What about GB missle turrets? Would those be a viable option? I haven't flown anything on .87 yet, so I don't know how well those might work.

Even with a BS shield, you solve the bomber problem without adding/changing guns, and it wouldn't necessarily be a power trading ship due to the slow speed. There'd certainly be time for several bombers to take it down, at least.

I never said anything about making it immobile. I actually suggested buffing its speed, but removing its docking capability so that you would need at least one transport in your convoy to load/unload it, which would increase interaction and make it more interesting.

Giving it a BS shield would not solve the issue with bombers. It would still be annihilated by bombers and the barge would be helpless against them as they hug against its hull while escorts cannot kill them because they are too close to the barge and flying around it.

If the barge was given better weapon coverage, it would be able to force them to make some evasive maneuvers and shoot from further.

You keep acting like cruiser turrets would make it a fortress, they wouldn't, it would still be very weak. I explained above and I don't feel like doing it again, just THINK for a second, a ship that size, with 12 regular cruiser turrets, it would not be "invincible", it would just make bombers shoot from further away instead of right on top of it.

Imagine yourself flying a battleship the size of a barge, except instead of 20+ battleship turrets, you have 12 regular cruiser turrets and a transport shield. Do you really think you would be a "superfortress solo powertrader" as you kept claiming it would be? No, you would just have enough guns to make them stay further away, shooting at you from a range of 500m or more instead of flying around you at 0m without threat of getting shot by you.