Difference between revisions of "Weapon classes"

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This is a list of some of the commonly found '''weapons''' in Zero-K and their unique characteristics.<div style="float:right;">__TOC__</div>
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This is a list of some of the commonly found '''weapon types''' in Zero-K and their unique characteristics.
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{{TOC right}}
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Some weapons are able to apply temporary effects like <span id="EMP">[[EMP|<abbr title="electromagnetic pulse">EMP</abbr>]]</span>, <span id="Slow">[[slow]]</span>, <span id="Fire">[[fire|burning]]</span>, or <span id="Capture">[[capture]]</span> damage when they hit their target. {{See|Status Effects}}
  
 
==Overview==
 
==Overview==
 
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Name !! Range Type !! Notes
 
! Name !! Range Type !! Notes
|-
 
| Plasma Cannons || Ballistic || -
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| EMG || Ballistic || High damage, short range
 
| EMG || Ballistic || High damage, short range
 
|-
 
|-
| Lasers || Spherical || Instant hit, straight line
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| Lasers || Spherical || Instant hit, pulsed
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Missiles || Cylindrical || Tracking
 
| Missiles || Cylindrical || Tracking
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Rockets || Cylindrical || Doesn't track
 
| Rockets || Cylindrical || Doesn't track
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|-
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| Plasma Cannons || Ballistic || Range affected by height
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Gauss || Ballistic || Penetrates
 
| Gauss || Ballistic || Penetrates
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| Heatray || Spherical || Damage falls off with range
 
| Heatray || Spherical || Damage falls off with range
 
|-
 
|-
| Fire || Cylindrical || Penetrates, puts units on fire
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| Fire || Cylindrical || Penetrates, sets units on fire
|-
 
| EMP || || No damage, temporarily disables unit
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Lightning || Spherical || Inaccurate, temporarily disables unit
 
| Lightning || Spherical || Inaccurate, temporarily disables unit
 
|-
 
|-
| Slow || || Temporarily slows units
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| Disruptor || Spherical || Accurate, temporarily slows units
 
|}
 
|}
 
==Plasma Cannons==
 
Plasma shells are a standard weapon for many units. Plasma Cannons are mostly fairly accurate with the exception of high trajectory plasma artillery. Plasma shells move relatively slowly and are affected by gravity which gives them a ballistic trajectory significantly increasing their range downhill while decreasing range uphill. The trajectory also means they can often shoot over friendly units. Their slow projectile speed means most plasma weapons are good against large, slow-moving, or stationary targets, but generally are not as good against fast moving targets or airborne units.
 
 
[[File:Weapon cannon.jpg]]
 
  
 
==EMG==
 
==EMG==
EMG's are fast rapid firing weapons that shoot numerous small plasma bullets. They are effective against any land targets and also against air targets that get in range. They have high damage output but short range. They have a ballistic trajectory like the plasma cannon that makes them signifincantly better at fighting downhill. Additionally, bullets from "Heavy EMG"s burst on impact, doing damage in an area of effect.
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<abbr title="Energy minigun">EMG</abbr>s are rapid-firing weapons that shoot numerous small plasma bullets. They are effective against any land targets and against air targets that get in range. They have high damage output but short range. They have a ballistic trajectory like the plasma cannon that makes them significantly better at fighting downhill. Additionally, bullets from Heavy EMGs burst on impact, doing damage in an area of effect.
  
 
[[File:Weapon EMG.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon EMG.jpg]]
  
 
==Lasers==
 
==Lasers==
Laser are accurate weapons that require a direct path between the weapon and target. They have no area of effect with the exception of the Starlight superweapon. Laser thickness is a good indicator of how much damage it does. They have spherical range and thus have their maximum 2D range against units at the same height as them. Lasers instantly hit which makes the constant fire lasers good against fast ground units and air, burst fire lasers can still hit fast units but are not good against them. If the target of a burst laser dies the laser can continue on and deal the remaining damage to units behind the target.
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Lasers are accurate weapons that require a direct path between the weapon and target. They have no area of effect with the exception of the [[Starlight]] superweapon. Laser thickness is a good indicator of how much damage it does. They have spherical range and thus have their maximum 2D range against units at the same height as them. Lasers hit instantly, which makes the constant-fire lasers good against fast ground units and air. Burst-fire lasers can still hit fast units but are not good against them. If the target of a burst laser dies the laser can continue on and deal the remaining damage to units behind the target.
  
 
[[File:Weapon laser.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon laser.jpg]]
  
 
==Missiles==
 
==Missiles==
Missiles are projectiles that track their targets. Missiles have yellow exhaust and white smoke. All missiles will attack air, and most missiles will attack ground, except the missiles of dedicated anti-air units (which have blue exhaust). Missile range is not affected by terrain giving them a cylindrical target shape. This is useful as with a large enough height difference missiles will outrange lasers that they would not normally outrange.
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Missiles are projectiles that track their targets. Missiles have yellow exhaust and white smoke. All missiles will attack air, and most missiles will attack ground, except the missiles of dedicated anti-air units (which have blue exhaust). Missile range is not affected by terrain, giving them a cylindrical target shape. As a result, with a large enough height difference, missiles will outrange the lasers that would outrange them on a flat surface.
  
 
[[File:Weapon missile.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon missile.jpg]]
  
 
==Rockets==
 
==Rockets==
Rockets are projectiles that do not track, but continue along their trajectory until impact. Rockets have red exhaust and black smoke. Rocket range, like missile, is not affected by terrain. Some rockets require a direct line to fire which makes them more likely to hit enemies other than their target if they miss. Other rockets have an arcing trajectory that makes them very good at shooting over allies so they can be quite powerful in groups. Rockets are slow so almost never hit air and are poor at hitting fast units.
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Rockets are projectiles that do not track their target, but continue along their trajectory until impact. Rockets have red exhaust and black smoke. Rocket range, like missile, is not affected by terrain. Some rockets require a direct line to fire, which makes them more likely to hit enemies other than their target if they miss. Other rockets have an arcing trajectory that makes them very good at shooting over allies, so they can be quite powerful in groups. Rockets are slow, so they almost never hit air units and are poor at hitting fast units.
  
 
[[File:Weapon rocket.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon rocket.jpg]]
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==Plasma Cannons==
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Plasma shells are a standard weapon for many units. Plasma Cannons are mostly fairly accurate with the exception of high-trajectory plasma artillery. Plasma shells move relatively slowly and are affected by gravity, which gives them a ballistic trajectory, significantly increasing their range downhill while decreasing range uphill. The trajectory also means that they can often shoot over friendly units. Their slow projectile speed makes most plasma weapons good against large, slow-moving, or stationary targets, but generally not as good against fast moving targets or airborne units.
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[[File:Weapon cannon.jpg]]
  
 
==Gauss==
 
==Gauss==
Like fire, gauss is also a penetrating weapon that moves through units. It moves fast, so will only rarely do additional damage to the same unit. It is ballistic like a plasma cannon which increases its range downhill. The faster projectile makes it able to often hit air and fast units, though it can miss.
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Like fire, gauss is also a penetrating weapon that moves through units. Unlike disintegrators and flamethrowers, gauss weapons do not deal more than their listed damage to a single unit despite being penetrating like those types of weapon. Gauss projectile is ballistic like that of a plasma cannon, which increases its range downhill. The faster projectile makes it able to often hit air and fast units, though it can miss.
  
 
[[File:Weapon gauss.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon gauss.jpg]]
  
 
==Heatray==
 
==Heatray==
Heatrays, similar to lasers, require a direct path of fire between the weapon and target. Unlike lasers, the damage falls off with range, so the more distant the target the less damage is done. Close the distance to your target for more damage. Like lasers, they have spherical range.
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Heatrays, similar to lasers, require a direct path of fire between the weapon and target. Unlike lasers, the damage falls off with range, so the more distant the target the less damage is done. Close the distance to your target for more damage. Like lasers, they have spherical range.
  
 
[[File:Weapon heatray.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon heatray.jpg]]
  
==[[Fire]]==
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==Fire==
[[Fire]] is a penetrating weapon with cylindrical range. It will do damage to all units in its firing line. Units hit by [[fire]] weapons also catch on [[fire]] and will continue to take damage for some time. This is useful for disabling cloak and repair. It can hit fast units and aircraft.
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[[Fire]] is a penetrating weapon with cylindrical range. It will do damage to all units in its firing line. Units hit by fire weapons also catch on fire and will continue to take damage for some time. This is useful for disabling cloak and repair. It can hit fast units and aircraft.
  
 
[[File:Weapon fire.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon fire.jpg]]
 
==EMP==
 
Unlike most other weapons, EMP does not directly damage the enemy. Instead it fills up a separate EMP bar on the enemy. The size of a unit's "EMP health" is its ''current'' health so damaged units are easier to EMP. When 100% EMP damage is reached (emp damage exceeds current health) a unit is completely disabled and cannot move or return fire. Damage above 100% increases EMP time by 1 second per 2.5% up to a maximum EMP time that is different for each weapon. EMP heals automatically and a unit will be re-enabled once the EMP bar drops below 100% again. Against shields EMP will deal 1/3 of its damage. EMP is yellow, or in the case of the self-destructing [[Imp]], blue.
 
 
'''Disarm''' is a particular type of EMP that will leave the afflicted units able to move, but unable to use any weapons or special abilities. Disarmed units flash yellow instead of blue. '''Disarm''' has a separate bar.
 
 
[[File:Weapon EMP.jpg]]
 
  
 
==Lightning==
 
==Lightning==
Lightning is direct-fire and carries EMP stun along with its damage. It has spherical range. Lightning weapons usually disable their targets before killing them, allowing them to be finished off with no fear of retaliation. Lightning is always blue. Lighting is somewhat inaccurate but should reliably hit any large unit.
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Lightning is direct-fire and carries [[Status Effects#EMP damage|EMP stun]] along with its damage. It has spherical range. Lightning weapons usually disable their targets before killing them, allowing them to be finished off with no fear of retaliation. Lightning is always blue. Lighting is somewhat inaccurate, but should reliably hit any large unit.
  
 
[[File:Weapon lightning.jpg]]
 
[[File:Weapon lightning.jpg]]
  
==Slow==
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==Disruptor==
Slow damage, similar to EMP, does not reduce enemy hitpoints. Instead it gradually decreases the move speed and rate of fire of enemy units. Like EMP the slow health of a unit is the current health of the unit. The reduction is the slow damage taken divided by the max health of the unit. Slow damage maxes out at 50% and cannot be increased past that point. Like EMP damage, slow damage also deals 1/3 of its damage against shields and automatically heals by 4% of the unit's current health per second once it has stopped taking further slow damage. Weapons with slow ability are purple.
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Disruptors are beam weapons that apply the [[Status Effects#Slow damage|slow]] effect along with their damage. They have spherical range and are very accurate.
 
 
Many slowing weapons are actually ''disruptors'', represented as purple projectiles or beams with a white core. These do both normal and slow damage.
 
  
 
[[File: Weapon slow.jpg]]
 
[[File: Weapon slow.jpg]]
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==Conclusion==
 
==Conclusion==
 
While this guide covers many of the more common types of weapons, there is still a wide variety of interesting devices at your disposal. The best way to learn them all is to have fun experimenting with them!
 
While this guide covers many of the more common types of weapons, there is still a wide variety of interesting devices at your disposal. The best way to learn them all is to have fun experimenting with them!
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{{Navbox manual}}
 
{{Navbox manual}}

Latest revision as of 05:03, 9 November 2021

This is a list of some of the commonly found weapon types in Zero-K and their unique characteristics.

Some weapons are able to apply temporary effects like EMP, slow, burning, or capture damage when they hit their target.

Further information: Status Effects

Overview

Name Range Type Notes
EMG Ballistic High damage, short range
Lasers Spherical Instant hit, pulsed
Missiles Cylindrical Tracking
Rockets Cylindrical Doesn't track
Plasma Cannons Ballistic Range affected by height
Gauss Ballistic Penetrates
Heatray Spherical Damage falls off with range
Fire Cylindrical Penetrates, sets units on fire
Lightning Spherical Inaccurate, temporarily disables unit
Disruptor Spherical Accurate, temporarily slows units

EMG

EMGs are rapid-firing weapons that shoot numerous small plasma bullets. They are effective against any land targets and against air targets that get in range. They have high damage output but short range. They have a ballistic trajectory like the plasma cannon that makes them significantly better at fighting downhill. Additionally, bullets from Heavy EMGs burst on impact, doing damage in an area of effect.

Weapon EMG.jpg

Lasers

Lasers are accurate weapons that require a direct path between the weapon and target. They have no area of effect with the exception of the Starlight superweapon. Laser thickness is a good indicator of how much damage it does. They have spherical range and thus have their maximum 2D range against units at the same height as them. Lasers hit instantly, which makes the constant-fire lasers good against fast ground units and air. Burst-fire lasers can still hit fast units but are not good against them. If the target of a burst laser dies the laser can continue on and deal the remaining damage to units behind the target.

Weapon laser.jpg

Missiles

Missiles are projectiles that track their targets. Missiles have yellow exhaust and white smoke. All missiles will attack air, and most missiles will attack ground, except the missiles of dedicated anti-air units (which have blue exhaust). Missile range is not affected by terrain, giving them a cylindrical target shape. As a result, with a large enough height difference, missiles will outrange the lasers that would outrange them on a flat surface.

Weapon missile.jpg

Rockets

Rockets are projectiles that do not track their target, but continue along their trajectory until impact. Rockets have red exhaust and black smoke. Rocket range, like missile, is not affected by terrain. Some rockets require a direct line to fire, which makes them more likely to hit enemies other than their target if they miss. Other rockets have an arcing trajectory that makes them very good at shooting over allies, so they can be quite powerful in groups. Rockets are slow, so they almost never hit air units and are poor at hitting fast units.

Weapon rocket.jpg

Plasma Cannons

Plasma shells are a standard weapon for many units. Plasma Cannons are mostly fairly accurate with the exception of high-trajectory plasma artillery. Plasma shells move relatively slowly and are affected by gravity, which gives them a ballistic trajectory, significantly increasing their range downhill while decreasing range uphill. The trajectory also means that they can often shoot over friendly units. Their slow projectile speed makes most plasma weapons good against large, slow-moving, or stationary targets, but generally not as good against fast moving targets or airborne units.

Weapon cannon.jpg

Gauss

Like fire, gauss is also a penetrating weapon that moves through units. Unlike disintegrators and flamethrowers, gauss weapons do not deal more than their listed damage to a single unit despite being penetrating like those types of weapon. Gauss projectile is ballistic like that of a plasma cannon, which increases its range downhill. The faster projectile makes it able to often hit air and fast units, though it can miss.

Weapon gauss.jpg

Heatray

Heatrays, similar to lasers, require a direct path of fire between the weapon and target. Unlike lasers, the damage falls off with range, so the more distant the target the less damage is done. Close the distance to your target for more damage. Like lasers, they have spherical range.

Weapon heatray.jpg

Fire

Fire is a penetrating weapon with cylindrical range. It will do damage to all units in its firing line. Units hit by fire weapons also catch on fire and will continue to take damage for some time. This is useful for disabling cloak and repair. It can hit fast units and aircraft.

Weapon fire.jpg

Lightning

Lightning is direct-fire and carries EMP stun along with its damage. It has spherical range. Lightning weapons usually disable their targets before killing them, allowing them to be finished off with no fear of retaliation. Lightning is always blue. Lighting is somewhat inaccurate, but should reliably hit any large unit.

Weapon lightning.jpg

Disruptor

Disruptors are beam weapons that apply the slow effect along with their damage. They have spherical range and are very accurate.

Weapon slow.jpg

Conclusion

While this guide covers many of the more common types of weapons, there is still a wide variety of interesting devices at your disposal. The best way to learn them all is to have fun experimenting with them!