Warzone 2100 Forums

We all probably know of the utter irony of the plasma cannon - Most powerful weapon in the game, yet one of the most useless.

Two factors cause it to be useless, I think:

1. Range

2. Weight (Literally even Dragon + Tracks has trouble supporting it.)

I say we increase the range to maybe roughly the equivalent of the Gauss Cannon and decrease the weight a bit to something more reasonable for it's size. It's weight shouldn't be decreased too much, I think to the extant that a Dragon or possibly a Wyvern can support it without moving at an obscenely slow speed should be perfect.

To counter this, it's reload time should be drastically increased. I believe that should balance it.

On a side note the projectile graphics and sound effects definitely need to be changed to something unique. It looks and sounds like the flashlight.

Hmm, I think Zarel said something about making it similar to the NEXUS plasma EMP weapon, just not quite so overpowered.

Mysteryem wrote:Hmm, I think Zarel said something about making it similar to the NEXUS plasma EMP weapon, just not quite so overpowered.

If anything that should be a separate weapon, methinks.

Also since when was that thing EMP? It was more like an artillery flamer.

Kacen wrote: If anything that should be a separate weapon, methinks.

Also since when was that thing EMP? It was more like an artillery flamer.

I thought it was to do with the internal name, but the internal name is PlasmaHeavy and the game name is *Heavy Plasma Launcher*
Edit, I know! It was the structure with it on:
NX-Emp-Plasma-Pit "*NX-Emp-Plasma-Pit*"
data\base\messages\strings\names.txt

Making the Plasma Cannon more like the Nexus Plasma Artillery Pit is quite a brilliant idea. At the moment, I never even bother researching laser technology because stuff like Flashlight and Pulse Laser/Heavy Laser is simply too weak; and the Plasma cannon has lulzy range.

This would be great as an alternative artillery tech.

Pulse laser is very far from weak.

Per wrote:Pulse laser is very far from weak.

perhaps he hasnt done the full upgrades and put it on one of the black bodies.... hehehehe - a few of those and some other arms mixed in = map clearing at its best.

I've been considering restoring pulse laser to how it used to be... I'm not sure my new version (with double ROF, bit more than half damage) is actually "better"...

The pulse laser isn't anti-tank or all-rounder, but massed it's even decent against tanks, but it excels against cyborgs and wheeled/hover vehicles.

Also the Stormbringer AA (essentially double AA pulse lasers) are incredibly lethal. I trust them more than Vindicators.

lets just leave things for a bit - see what is being used and what complaints... personally i use vtols with scourge / lancers / bb / pulse laser... very few ground weapons ie: cannon.... but having said that - i have been known to do just the opposite at times - just to make life interesting. xD

I would like (love?) to see the Plasma Cannon work much like the commander's D-Gun shot from Total Annihilation. A ball/bolt of plasma punching through a whole line of enemies delivering instant death to light/medium bodies & bots. Python/Mantis/Tiger bodies take 2/3 HP damage & Wyvern/Dragon take 1/2 HP damage.

Sounds a bit overpowered...

The way I see it the fact that it's useless overrides the fact that any of my suggested changes may hypothetically unbalance it.

I just think if the range is increased as well as the reload time it will be more useful and practical.

That and it needs it's own unique shot FX and sound FX.

play ntw mod if you like lasers : D.

i think the plasma cannon is too much like a flamer. the lasers need to be more like machine guns. the only practical use of the plasma cannon would be on a vtol or cyborg where it could get close enough to kill effectively and if lasers are thechnically concentrated light beams, shouldn't they have more range?