Beam weapons

overwatch141 · January 15, 2014

Pendaelose said: ↑

overwatch141 said: ↑

Pendaelose said: ↑

overwatch141 said: ↑

The range difference comes from what lasers are: focused beams of light.

Range with projectile weapons is determined by their velocity, mass and drag. Range of laser weapons is infinite. Lasers only stop if they hit something.
Therefore the range of lasers comes from the curvature of the planet they're on and their height. Bigger planet -> less severe curvature -> more range. Also, laser turrets would have more AA range than AG range.
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Actually, laser range is directly effected by diffusion and accuracy. For a laser to damage the target it's not enough to hit the target, it needs to remain focused on the same spot on the target. That becomes more difficult at longer ranges. Diffusion also results in the laser having a wider focus area, but much less pinpoint energy transfer. Between both you end up with the whole target getting warm, but no one spot hot enough to be damaged.
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True, it would be less intense and it would need to be aimed perfectly.
On a planet though, if the beam was properly focused and aimed, which is something super advanced robots from the future would probably be able to do, it could be an effective weapon.

@Macitar I know it's an aesthethic change and I know what that means, but you need to inderstand that unrealistic doesn't mean completely throwing out realism. It's a sci-fi game, everything is explained by advanced technology, but it can't stop the laws of physics. Not because you can't make it, but because it'd just look weird. The exception is if you can't do it any other way like having a planet with 250m radius with enough gravity for tanks to drive on it.

How about a bot walking on water? Or an artillery shell stopping in mid air and falling? Same goes for curving lasers.

@Godde That's a good point and if we ever get black holes in PA I won't mind lasers curving around it It has more to do with the black hole's gravity than its size though.
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I agree that super advanced robots could build a helluvagood laser, but I was specifically countering the "only stop if they hit something" It's a half truth. Diffusion is the result of hitting the air (or interstellar hydrogen in space) combined with any natural flaws in the focus itself. The in a truly perfect vacuum with photons fired in perfect parallel you could hit a theoretical infinite range, but no place in the observed universe fits those conditions.

That said, I do think super advanced robots could easily build a laser capable of engaging targets at extreme distances, even several light hours away, maybe even light weeks. In space you can hit a target with a very diffused laser and you will still add heat to the target. If you have enough power behind your laser you can add heat faster than they can shed it, and can destroy it over a span of hours or days. If the target is so far away that they can fly out of the path of the beam before over heating, then you simply need to diffuse it so much that leaving the width of the beam would take longer than it takes for the beam to destroy the target. If everyone is moving at relativistic speeds (at these distances it's the only speed that makes sense) you would need a beam X light hours in radius. That's a stupid amount of power output, but I think super advanced robots could cover the surface of every planet and moon in a solar system with advanced reactors to power their ultimate mega death ray.
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A mega death ray that slowly heats up the planet until its just a massive ball of magma. Love it!

We're talking about a turret on a planet so a range of multiple light days is more than enough

Couldn't the robots calculate exactly where the planet will be at any point in time and aim for it?

Pendaelose · January 15, 2014

overwatch141 said: ↑

Pendaelose said: ↑

overwatch141 said: ↑

Pendaelose said: ↑

Actually, laser range is directly effected by diffusion and accuracy. For a laser to damage the target it's not enough to hit the target, it needs to remain focused on the same spot on the target. That becomes more difficult at longer ranges. Diffusion also results in the laser having a wider focus area, but much less pinpoint energy transfer. Between both you end up with the whole target getting warm, but no one spot hot enough to be damaged.
Click to expand...

True, it would be less intense and it would need to be aimed perfectly.
On a planet though, if the beam was properly focused and aimed, which is something super advanced robots from the future would probably be able to do, it could be an effective weapon.

@Macitar I know it's an aesthethic change and I know what that means, but you need to inderstand that unrealistic doesn't mean completely throwing out realism. It's a sci-fi game, everything is explained by advanced technology, but it can't stop the laws of physics. Not because you can't make it, but because it'd just look weird. The exception is if you can't do it any other way like having a planet with 250m radius with enough gravity for tanks to drive on it.

How about a bot walking on water? Or an artillery shell stopping in mid air and falling? Same goes for curving lasers.

@Godde That's a good point and if we ever get black holes in PA I won't mind lasers curving around it It has more to do with the black hole's gravity than its size though.
Click to expand...

I agree that super advanced robots could build a helluvagood laser, but I was specifically countering the "only stop if they hit something" It's a half truth. Diffusion is the result of hitting the air (or interstellar hydrogen in space) combined with any natural flaws in the focus itself. The in a truly perfect vacuum with photons fired in perfect parallel you could hit a theoretical infinite range, but no place in the observed universe fits those conditions.

That said, I do think super advanced robots could easily build a laser capable of engaging targets at extreme distances, even several light hours away, maybe even light weeks. In space you can hit a target with a very diffused laser and you will still add heat to the target. If you have enough power behind your laser you can add heat faster than they can shed it, and can destroy it over a span of hours or days. If the target is so far away that they can fly out of the path of the beam before over heating, then you simply need to diffuse it so much that leaving the width of the beam would take longer than it takes for the beam to destroy the target. If everyone is moving at relativistic speeds (at these distances it's the only speed that makes sense) you would need a beam X light hours in radius. That's a stupid amount of power output, but I think super advanced robots could cover the surface of every planet and moon in a solar system with advanced reactors to power their ultimate mega death ray.
Click to expand...

A mega death ray that slowly heats up the planet until its just a massive ball of magma. Love it!

We're talking about a turret on a planet so a range of multiple light days is more than enough

Couldn't the robots calculate exactly where the planet will be at any point in time and aim for it?
Click to expand...

I'm certain they could, but really we're getting into a zone where it's WAY more energy efficient to just strap some engines on an asteroid and play kinetic space tag.

overwatch141 · January 15, 2014

Some people smash planets into their enemies, I want to roast them

shotforce13 · January 15, 2014

Almost feels like galactic dodge ball lol.

Beam weapons

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