Category:Weapons: Difference between revisions

Each ship in Elite: Dangerous can equip a variety of energy and projectile based weapons. In addition some weapons are available in either gimballed, turreted, or fixed variants. Weapons are organized into classes ranging from 1-8 (C1, C2, C3, C4, etc.) indicating their relative power usage, damage output, and accuracy. Gimballed weapons are suffixed with a (G) in the outfitting store. Turreted weapons are suffixed with a (T) in the outfitting store. Fixed weapons have no suffix.

Very little information about the specifics of weapons was discussed during the Kickstarter campaign. However, in a Dev Diary video, David Braben confirmed that both beam and pulse lasers would return, as well as missiles. Projectile and plasma based weapons have also been made available.

Weapons in Elite: Dangerous come in a wide range of types and classes. Those currently featured in Standard Beta are as follows:

• Pulse Laser
• Beam Laser
• Burst Laser
• Stealth Laser
• Railgun
• Plasma Accelerator
• Multi-cannon
• Cannon
• Missile Rack
• Point Defence Turret

Lasers use a recharging capacitor. They don't need ammo, but they do tend to drain quickly and take time to recharge. All other weapons currently use ammunition, which can be bought at any station. Weapons also generate heat; if you have more than 100% heat, you won't be able to fire (given that you'd be overheating, you probably have other problems on your hands, however).

Regardless of type, all weapons are placed in different mounts, which determine how they aim at targets:

Fixed weapons are rather powerful, but have very little tracking ability - they shoot straight ahead, and can only do minor tracking when the target is within the weapon's crosshairs. Because of this, fixed weapons depend heavily on your maneuverability; however, they are cheap, use little power, and every weapon is available in a fixed mount.

The following weapons have fixed mounts:

• Pulse Laser
• Beam Laser
• Burst Laser
• Stealth Laser
• Railgun
• Plasma Accelerator
• Multi-cannon
• Cannon
• Missile Rack

Gimballed means that the weapon is hung in a gimbal-construction, so it can move independent of the ship's orientation. Gimbal-mounted weapons can keep track of a target even when you're not pointed directly at the target, allowing far more firepower to hit a target. In exchange, gimbal weapons are usually weaker than their fixed counterparts, being one level lower than a comparable fixed weapon. Also keep in mind that tracking systems track heat; if a target is not generating sufficient heat, gimbals will not lock on and behave much like fixed weapons.

The following weapons have gimbal mounts:

• Pulse Laser
• Beam Laser
• Burst Laser
• Multi-cannon

Turrets are similar to gimbal mounts, but can currently [when?] only be placed on Anacondas [seems may no longer be true - C1 {T} weapons can be bought an installed on smaller ships as of 2014/08/16]. They have the tracking of a gimbal and the power of a fixed weapon, but only come in Class 4 versions.

The following weapons have turret mounts:

• Pulse Laser
• Beam Laser
• Burst Laser