[X3R] PBE a possible replacement for flak guns?

[aceattacker]

Good tazura to all pilots in the X universe,

As I was browsing the forums, something popped up in my head. Looking at the stats for the Pulsed Beam Emitters, those are some pretty good weapons which more than make up for lack of range with other things: They're practically undodgable, devastatingly effective and extremely energy-efficient shield killers. Low hull damage can be negated by using other weapons to finish the job, and for capturing ships in good shape, the lack of hull damage is actually a good thing.

Comparing the stats for damage and efficiency with the Alpha Flak Array, I'm considering to phase out all the Alpha Arrays for the more efficient and just as effective Beta PBE. Are there any advantages of the flak guns I'm not seeing here, or is that little bit of extra range you get from flaks really important?

[Gazz]

The actual rate of fire depends on the turret script.
You're most likely not getting the theoretical damage of PBE.

[aceattacker]

So how will I fare using MARS?

[-eni-]

Make a try. Order a PBE armed fioghter to attack a capitalship. The fighter will rarely shoot at the capitalship as it never gets close enough because of collision avoidance.
Same will happen the other way round. Fighters will rarely get close enought for your PBEs to fire.

The littel bit of range is what you need to reach past collision avoidance range.
At least it was this way in my expericence.

[pjknibbs]

The range of PBE is way too short for it to make an effective FLAK replacement. PRG, on the other hand, probably WOULD do a good job at that, but you can't fit them on most cap ship turrets!

[Nanook]

The range of PBE is way too short for it to make an effective FLAK replacement. PRG, on the other hand, probably WOULD do a good job at that, but you can't fit them on most cap ship turrets!

He's playing X3R.

[pjknibbs]

Oops. Still, that only makes my main point even stronger--fighters in X3R simply won't get close enough to a cap ship to be hit by PBE fire, because the collision avoidance in that game kicks in very early when fighters are on their attack runs. Heck, in my Boron Orca in X3R fighters wouldn't even get close enough to get hit by AFLAK, and those have quite a range advantage on PBE!

[aceattacker]

I see your point. In that case, I'll just see what MARS can do with a PAC/HEPT loadout in addition to PPCs and Flaks...