There are only a few gunboats out there that have a fwd gun, such as the Bounty Hunter, Liberty, and the Bretoinian (maybe one other I am unaware of) but gunboats that are strapped are confined with this weapon.
I have heard many complaints who operate these gunships about the limited fwd gun, with its limit turn range and cannot replace it with a class 8 turret. Yes, the fwd gun has a tremendous amount of power and effective when it can be applied. That is the issue, when it can be applied. The arc is fwd and up (limited) with a side to side arc (limited) so you opponent has to be almost perfectly in front of you. This is ineffective in close quarters dog fights with other gunboats, and not even useful against fighters or bombers. In most combat fights gunboats with fwd facing guns have the gun selected off since it fires no matter what directing you face in turret view. In turn it waste power and used only 25% of any fight.
Corsair, Outcast, Order, Rogues, Hackers, and other such gunboats are not limited to such a weapon and have 6 to 7 fwd facing hard points (for most of these gunboats).
If it needs to be an fwd facing turret that is fine just give the option for a class 8 turret on it. This does not give any further advantage than any other gunboat which already has that in equal of fwd facing turrets. Though, the gunboats with "fwd facing gun" are already at a disadvantage.
[EDIT] There might be some confusion here - Not asking to rid of the fwd gun, just to give the owner an option to replace the fwd gun with a lvl 8 turret. If one pilot likes the gun he keeps it, if one does not like the gun, then he can sell it and put a class 8 turret on.
All 5 house gunboats have foreward guns, plus the orca and the blood dragon GB.
Imo, for the small amount of power they use, and the large ammount of dammage they deal, they are actually well balenced. The trick is hitting things with them, which takes practice, but once mastered can give you the edge against other gunboats, and even help take down cruisers. I have an orca, and if you are fighting another gunboat, and you can hit it with the foreward gun, it stands very little chance of coming out alive, since the foreward gun does about double the amount of dammage a battle rasor does, for less or equel energy.
They're designed to have the forward guns, in terms of balance and aesthetics. The gunboats with them are balanced with them included, not with the option of another class 8 turret. Replacing the forward gun may unbalance some gunboats.
' Wrote:All 5 house gunboats have foreward guns, plus the orca and the blood dragon GB.
Imo, for the small amount of power they use, and the large ammount of dammage they deal, they are actually well balenced. The trick is hitting things with them, which takes practice, but once mastered can give you the edge against other gunboats, and even help take down cruisers. I have an orca, and if you are fighting another gunboat, and you can hit it with the foreward gun, it stands very little chance of coming out alive, since the foreward gun does about double the amount of dammage a battle rasor does, for less or equel energy.
I think they are fine as they are.
That is the case if you keep the distance, in close combat effective it is not.
' Wrote:All 5 house gunboats have foreward guns, plus the orca and the blood dragon GB.
Imo, for the small amount of power they use, and the large ammount of dammage they deal, they are actually well balenced. The trick is hitting things with them, which takes practice, but once mastered can give you the edge against other gunboats, and even help take down cruisers. I have an orca, and if you are fighting another gunboat, and you can hit it with the foreward gun, it stands very little chance of coming out alive, since the foreward gun does about double the amount of dammage a battle rasor does, for less or equel energy.
I think they are fine as they are.
I have an Orca and Liberty GB. With the Orca there is some chance to use it because the Orca is very manuvrable, but with the Liberty GB, it is impossible. I totally agree with Ackarion request.
Furthermore, now Liberty GB's are in disadvantage vs other agile GB's that can mount a Razor + a Pulsar....
' Wrote:They're designed to have the forward guns, in terms of balance and aesthetics. The gunboats with them are balanced with them included, not with the option of another class 8 turret. Replacing the forward gun may unbalance some gunboats.
It does not off set the advantage of the other gunboats, since it will match the number of fwd facing turrets as the other gunboats
They can be easily dodged at distance. I would say the opposite, they are more useful in close combat, you just need to know how to hit them, its quite hard but not impossible.
Also, as said above, they deliver a lot of damage for little energy and at fast refire. Also, they are not designed to kill fighters as you say here.
Quote:...and not even useful against fighters or bombers.
They are anti-cap weapon, something like battle razor on steroids.
i like the forward guns, they're powerful, and big, like sticking a large phallic object on the front of your ship.
the issue i see is, you'd need to change the forward gun mount to a class 8 turret mount, and then change the forward gun as a class 8 turret so it could still be mountable there.
see the problem here?
anyone who DOES like forward guns, can now cover their ships with them if they want, they wont be limited to 1.
' Wrote:They can be easily dodged at distance. I would say the opposite, they are more useful in close combat, you just need to know how to hit them, its quite hard but not impossible.
Also, as said above, they deliver a lot of damage for little energy and at fast refire. Also, they are not designed to kill fighters as you say here.
They are anti-cap weapon, something like battle razor on steroids.
Keep it as it is
thats why the statement said not even uesfull against fighters or bombers. I stated that very clearly
' Wrote:i like the forward guns, they're powerful, and big, like sticking a large phallic object on the front of your ship.
the issue i see is, you'd need to change the forward gun mount to a class 8 turret mount, and then change the forward gun as a class 8 turret so it could still be mountable there.
see the problem here?
anyone who DOES like forward guns, can now cover their ships with them if they want, they wont be limited to 1.
so yeah, i like how it is now:)
I dont want to stick 6 fwd guns on, I would like the option to remove it and place a class 8 turret, not asking to change the ship, just want the option to remove the fwd gun and put a turret in its place. Give the owner a option to keep or get rid of the fwd gun. I myself am not in favor of it. If one likes it, then you keep it, if one does not then he can replace it with a class 8 turret
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