As a BS pilot (amongst other things), some thoughts on point defense.
Currently, capships can efficiently destroy other caps. As it should be.
The challenge a large capship pilot has is creating a workable weapons' configuration. All the heavy-hitting weaponry is long-range and high-damage, while at the same time having a low-refire rate and low-muzzle velocity.
The anti-aircraft weapons are an odd group: Solaris turrets are high-refire, high muzzle velocity and short-range. The BS razors have a longer range and high muzzle velocity, but a very slow refire rate. Flak turrets I don't have any experience with but word is is that they are nigh useless.
One of the ideas behind the variety of weaponry is to make the player decide what he wants to emphasize. And choices have serious repercussions. That's my guess, anyway.
I'm beginning to believe that this current potpourri of BS weapons also has something to do with a fear of larger capships "owning" all, chasing single fighters, etc. Apparently, the old BS turrents were too "all-purpose" - long-range and high-muzzle velocity guns. A bogus fear in my opinion, but I could understand this from a bomber's point of view.
In 4.84 I could kill or hold off up to 3 bombers by myself. Sometimes I made it to a friendly base, sometimes not. But in any case, the bombers were often in bad shape themselves or dead. BSes and other large cap ships were certainly not Swiss Army knives by any stretch of the imagination.
Now, if I want to achieve a similar level of defensive integrity, I should put Solaris turrets on. However, any bomber pilot worth his salt can hit a BS from a 1 km.
Escorts, you say? Yes, they are very handy. When they are around and their connections are stable. Last night in Delta my escort tried to courageously fight off poor connections and 3 bombers who showed up to "own" the BS.
Another thing, this idea of what point defenses (anti-aircraft) should and shouldn't do. Way, way, way back when I was in the RL military, our anti-aircraft systems were dedication to shooting down enemy aircraft, not simply deterring them or scaring them off. Modern AA is meant to kill other planes. Sure, AA does make it difficult for the enemy pilot to do his job - because he knows he will be ejecting from his burning wreck of a plane if that missile / cannon / vulcan fire hits him.
Right now I'm rethinking my loadout and going with 6 secondaries and 7 primaries. I may drop the number of primaries to 5 or 4 if the BS is still viable against other big caps.
It's still beta folks - so everyone still has chance to make adjustment suggestions for ships and weapons.
