Weapons

WARNING: All of the following systems are officially classified as weapons. No matter how weak some of them might look in comparison to the high-end ones, rest assured that nobody will take kindly being hit with any of these.

There are multiple weapon types, dealing various types of damage. Depending on the situation (mining or combat), some are more helpful than others. Choosing weapons may relate to choosing an autopilot (see Considerations).

Requirements

Captains mount weapons for two purposes:

Mining (that is, breaking rocks for ore)
Combat (self-defense)

The asteroids in the Rings mostly consist of ice, so for mining, half of the job comes down to ice-breaking, to get to the metal ores inside. The other half, however, is actually retrieving said ores. So preferably you break the ice in a way that doesn't send the remaining chunks flying off into outer space. Unfortunately, kinetic ammo has a tendency to do just that, as it violently cracks the ice apart. Heat damage is ideal for mining because it gently melts the ice.

Combat is a different matter. Heat can potentially force a hostile ship's reactor into meltdown, but it's an extreme and also unreliable way to deal with attackers, as they won't sit still while you slow-cook them with a mining laser. EMP damage is unique because it can incapacitate a ship by disabling its electronics, but the effect is temporary. When push comes to shove, if someone comes at you with kinetic weapons, anything else than a kinetic weapon will be too slow to reply effectively.

Ultimately, choosing weapons will also depend on the size of a ship and its further loadout. The following criteria provide additional insight.

Weapon Overview

There are three main classes of weapons:

Mass Drivers fire kinetic slugs, consume ammunition and require ammo storage installed
Energy Weapons such as lasers and microwaves do not require ammunition
Plasma Weapons fire superheated plasma by consuming propellant

All of these weapon systems must be installed on hardpoints. (K225 docking bays can also fit Point Defense turrets.) Note that certain high-end weapons require a distinctive hardpoint location (e.g., high-stress or spinal).

Damage Types

Weapon type	Damage dealt
Mass drivers:	kinetic
Microwave emitters:	thermal, EMP
Mining lasers:	thermal, kinetic (pulse lasers only)
SPC Gungnir:	kinetic, thermal, and EMP
Plasma weapons:	extreme thermal, some kinetic

Features

Most weapons are mounted in a fixed position, pointing forward. To aim them, the ship needs to turn and point at the target. In frantic situations, it can be difficult to keep the ship aligned on target. Misalignment causes further inaccuracies. This is where certain extra features can make a difference.

Gimbaled weapons: Gimbaled weapons use a motorized suspension to auto-align with targets in a narrow cone in front of the ship. Available for mass drivers and mining lasers.
Turrets (point defense): Turrets are self-aiming platforms that auto-align with targets in a wide cone. Available for mass drivers and microwave emitters.

Note that turrets work fully autonomous. Even with the flight computer down, they always keep the weapon on target, which increases DPS and gives you more liberty in maneuvering the ship and choosing an autopilot system.

Weapon Types

Mass Drivers

TECHNICAL: Mass drivers comprise coilguns (slower, higher impact energy but lower penetration) and railguns (faster, lower impact energy but higher penetration.)
PRACTICAL: Mass drivers are robust, low-cost tech. They're by far the most affordable weaponry available in the Rings. They fire kinetic projectiles, which deal impact image. This makes them sub-par for mining, as it scatters ore chunks at high speed, however they're highly effective and perfectly suited for self-defense or bounty hunting.

Pros:	Cons:
Good for self-defense Cheap Gimbaled driver and turreted railgun* versions available	Somewhat ok for mining Causes lots of kinetic damage to targets, which flings ores Requires kinetic ammo storage installed

*Requires special license from Obonto Engineering habitats.

Microwave Emitters

TECHNICAL: MW emitters are energy weapons that generate a mix of thermal and EMP damage.
PRACTICAL: In the medium price segment, MW emitters are more costly to maintain, but always a valuable option for miners due to their unique set of traits. Since they deal no kinetic damage, they don't toss ore chunks. Also, they are the only weapon type to (temporarily) incapacitate ships with EMP damage. The dish projects damage in a cone, which is more forgiving when aiming.

Pros:	Cons:
Good for mining Can briefly disable hostile ships Turret version available	Switching between self-defense and mining-based tunings makes microwaves ineffective in the other area Very slow, can take dozens of seconds to break a ringroid down

Mining Lasers

TECHNICAL: Mining lasers are energy weapons that emit thermal damage. (Pulsed lasers also deal kinetic damage.)
PRACTICAL: In the medium to high price segment, mining lasers offer faster ice melting than MW emitters, but it's a small improvement that comes at a steep price. The CL-150, like microwaves, deals pure thermal damage. The pulsed lasers are capable of kinetic damage and require tuning to avoid it. Lasers deal damage in a straight line and require precise aiming.

Pros:	Cons:
Decent to very good for mining, based on tuning Faster than MW emitter Gimbaled version available	Self-defense capabilities vary Expensive Can be very power-hungry

Synchrotrons

TECHNICAL: Synchrotrons are cyclic particle accelerators.
PRACTICAL: The SPC Gungnir, a unique synchrotron weapon, has to be charged up before firing. It accelerates protons to extremely high speeds before releasing them. The shot becomes increasingly powerful during charge up period, reaching maximum after 30 seconds. This makes it both very powerful, and very situational to use. This is a weapon for experienced captains. The Gungnir can only be fitted to side hardpoints.

Pros:	Cons:
Very good for combat Produces all 3 types of damage Arcing caused by lower-energy shots can be good for breaking nearby ringroids	Most of the time is ineffective for mining Can only be fitted to side hardpoints

Plasma Weapons

TECHNICAL: Plasma weapons are essentially weaponized thrusters.
PRACTICAL: Simply put, these are for veteran captains. The short range and extreme heat output hamper their usefulness. It takes experienced captains to use them effectively, let alone the pile of credits to afford either the NANI, or the reactor upgrade to power the Kzinti. Plus, either will add noticeable weight to smaller ships. Additionally, installation of the Kzinti and NANI is limited to spinal and high-stress hardpoints, respectively.

Pros:	Cons:
Bragging rights at the Space Bar Very effective for close-range damage	Limited range Limited use in self-defense Expensive Can only be fitted to spinal/high-stress hardpoints

Considerations

Note that fixed weapons are best used in conjunction with the NDCI autopilot, or you won't be able to see where you aim and shoot. (Short-range weapons like MW emitters and plasma weapons can be aimed by eye, but loadouts relying exclusively on those are not for the uninitiated.)

Due to their simplicity, railguns and MW generators can be mounted on self-aiming turrets. This keeps them on target all time (even without computer) and allows you to choose an autopilot besides NDCI.

MW emitters are unique in their ability to incapacitate hostile ships with EMP damage, but a single MW emitter is not enough for self-defense.

Mining lasers work better on small, easy to maneuver ships. Turrets are recommended for heavier, sluggish ships.

Up-and-coming miners might put two CL-150 on their Eagle, or two MW turrets on their Cothon, and get away with it. Just keep your eyes open for trouble, and be ready to end the dive early if you run into opposition you can't fight.