The video analyzes Star Citizen Alpha 4.5 ship weapons, highlighting significant ammo capacity increases for ballistic weapons and emphasizing that cannons offer the highest ammo penetration, making them the most effective for disabling enemy ships. Despite server stability issues, the creator demonstrates that large cannons and the Idris laser weapon remain top choices for combat, with the “solo Idris” strategy still proving strong in this patch.
In this video, the creator discusses the recent launch of Star Citizen Alpha 4.5 and highlights significant server stability issues, particularly with the ASOP terminal where ships often show as “unknown,” causing frustration for players attempting to claim or deliver ships. The developer, Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), is aware of these problems and has planned hotfixes to address server crashes and the ASOP terminal issues, aiming to improve the experience before the holidays. The creator advises players to use only ships that can be reliably delivered until these fixes are implemented.
The main focus of the video is an in-depth analysis of ship weapons in the 4.5 patch, particularly examining changes to ammo counts and weapon performance. While the alpha damage, ammo speed, and range for most weapons remain unchanged from previous patches, ballistic weapons have seen substantial increases in ammo capacity, with some weapons like the Slayer cannon on the Nova tank receiving over a 600% ammo increase. However, a few exceptions exist, such as the Aries Inferno, which had its ammo count reduced by 17%. These ammo changes are generally positive and improve sustained fire capability for ballistic weapons.
The creator then explains the concept of ammo penetration, which measures how effectively a weapon can damage or destroy ship components by penetrating the hull. Using data from the Star Citizen ship performance viewer, the video categorizes weapons by size and type, demonstrating that cannons consistently have the highest penetration values across all sizes, followed by galling guns, repeaters, and scatter guns. This penetration hierarchy is crucial for players looking to disable enemy ships by targeting critical components like power plants.
Detailed comparisons of various weapon sizes reveal that larger cannons, such as the Idris M’s real gun and the Perseus’s Medusa cannon, offer the best penetration distances and radii, making them highly effective against ship components. The video also highlights some unique weapons like the Slayer cannon for the Nova tank and the Leonitis cannon for the RSI Meteor, which have impressive stats despite being less conventional choices for space combat. Laser weapons generally have lower penetration but can still be effective due to their continuous fire capabilities.
Finally, the creator tests the Idris laser weapon in combat against a Polaris and a Corsair, demonstrating its ability to quickly deplete shields and damage components. Although the Idris real gun remains more effective at causing critical damage and fires inside enemy ships, the laser weapon proves to be a viable option for solo players. The video concludes by affirming that the “solo Idris” strategy remains strong and that cannons, especially larger ones, are the best ship weapons in the current patch for disabling enemy vessels.