- Edited
I'd bet that torpedoes have been suggested before, but the search function isn't working for me so I don't know for sure. I don't see them on the Trello.
Grab a coffee, because this is a long one.
In my opinion, torpedoes are such an ubiquitous sci-fi staple that they can't be ignored. They're just too cool. But beyond that, I think they could fill a unique and interesting role from a balance design standpoint. They would be another high-alpha weapon like the railgun, but with much more delayed damage. "But missiles already fill that role!" Nah, man. I mean HIGH ALPHA.
As defined by the very cool sci-fi concept resource website projectrho, the difference between a missile and a torpedo is that a missile has better acceleration and top speed than the typical target, whereas a torpedo has similar acceleration and top speed as the target. I propose implementing them with that concept in mind. Torpedos would be slow, easier to dodge than missiles, but a longer flight time and with a much more powerful punch.
CRUDE MOCKUP (door positions included)
The part could be 2x5 tiles. Each torpedo requires 16 missile parts and 8 power. The power represents the warhead, which is built first with 4 missile parts followed by 8 power. Loading should take a lot of crew and a lot of time. With a total of 24 items carried, the best reload rate would be >10 seconds, I think. The torpedo takes up most of the room, and 2 parts worth of torpedo get shoved out to stick out of the tube. There is space at the rear of the part for two crew members to man stations. Doors can be placed on the rearmost two tiles of the room, but not on the sides, only the rear.
HOW TORPEDOES MIGHT WORK:
The basics: high alpha damage, long range, long reload time, hard to hit with.
•Torpedoes would be unguided on launch. When they get within PD range of any enemy ship, they begin tracking the target and maneuvering. In this way, a torpedo might be dodged entirely by a reasonably quick ship. If the target goes outside of the torpedo's guidance range, it becomes dumb again, traveling on at last guided heading. Torpedoes will track any enemy ship that enters their guidance range.
•Since torpedoes are unguided at launch, they would have to be fired directly at the enemy. So typically, they would need to be placed on forward surface area. If a player wanted to launch torpedoes tubes on their sides, they would need to rotate to launch. No indirect-firing torpedoes! (A broadsider might want to place a few of these to produce a nice spread of torpedoes when it brings a side to bear.)
•While initially unguided, they do at least correct to an intercept course on launch. The torpedo would be kicked out of the tube, instantly swivel to an intercept course within a certain degrees limit, then engage thruster. Without this feature, the torpedo would rarely actually fire, since the game wouldn't decide to launch unless the tube was lined up on a direct intercept course (the way railguns behave). The part could have a firing cone of about 45 degrees.
•On impact, a torpedo explodes with similar damage and area as a reactor detonation.
•If a torpedo tube is destroyed with the warhead in it (partially loaded), it would detonate as powerfully as a reactor.
•The torpedo travels slowly, slower than a large cannon shot. Easily dodged and outrun by fast ships. Difficult for large ships to dodge.
•Long range. They can be fired at the same range as a railgun, or at least the same range as missiles. However, because of increased likelihood of missing due to slow travel velocity, torpedoes would have an effective range similar to lasers.
•The torpedo could have a flight time of about 20 seconds.
•PDs can shoot down a torpedo, but will need to shoot it a lot. Maybe it would typically require the fire of two or even three PDs to destroy a torpedo before impact if it is on the fastest approach. A single PD might be able to shoot down a torpedo, but only if you lead the torpedo on a chase and give the PD time to shoot, be recharged, and shoot some more. However, when a torpedo is destroyed, it detonates, so destroy it beyond the range of its AOE.
•If a torpedo is still in flight, the tube cannot fire again until the previous expires or detonates. In this way, you can only take advantage of the best reload rate of torpedoes if your shots hit (or if they are shot down by PDs, which makes dodging torpedoes even more attractive). This punishes misses.
•The torpedo tube is harder to shield than most parts. It has only a 2-wide surface area itself, but since it is 5 tiles long and loaded from the rear, you can't shield it from directly behind. So it might require using some surface area if you want to shield it well. (And if they have a big explosion when destroyed with a warhead in the tube, you definitely want to shield it well.)
•Does this kind of replace the 'under consideration' Nuclear Missile? I feel like Walt hasn't confirmed that as 'planned' because it might be OP, but torpedoes as I have described them would have enough drawbacks. Maybe replace that and call these nuclear torpedoes?
TACTICAL USAGE:
•Equip a cloaking ship with torpedoes and surprise the enemy with buttsecks!
•Fire at close range to ensure hits, but not too close - torpedo detonations, whether triggered by impact or PDs, will harm the launching ship as well!
•Fire manually from beyond visual range and hope for a hit.
•Time the launch of a salvo of missiles to coincide with the arrival of your torpedoes to spoof enemy PDs.
•Use multiple spaced torpedo tubes to launch a spread that ensures some will achieve tracking.
•Hold fire on your torpedoes until you see a good opportunity to launch.
