Energy Bolt Chainguns don't seem to make very good corvette weapons.

[sadron]

While the concept and name of the weapon sound awesome to me, and I love the green, for a corvette - though they are able to mount them - they don't seem to make very good weapons on such ships. I have a Heavy Centaur Prototype (more local because of the ammunition) completely kitted out with them but one trial run I had in pirate space I had trouble killing any of them. What do you guys think?

[Jumee]

they are actually (IMHO) better as fighter weapon than corvette and if you are playing AP than M6's have enough laser energy to actually fire their own weapons (CIG's ISR's etc)

[David Howland]

I was a late user of EBCGs, when I was flying fighters I used more mass drivers. However although it is not a weapon to used on its own, the M6 is so versatile that as a class they have use for most weapons including EBCGs.
No I do not think I would use them on a Heavy Centaur, but they are always mounted on my personal Hyperion.
Yet again sadron it is a case of horses for courses!

[goslin]

If I could find an M3 or M4 that has crap for laser generators and in exchance for that is.. idk, cheap / strong shields / strong hull or something like that I'd probably try sticking some EBCGs on them and see how they do. Although... that isn't a particularly cheap weapon is it (for a throw-away fighter)?

[pjknibbs]

If I could find an M3 or M4 that has crap for laser generators and in exchance for that is.. idk, cheap / strong shields / strong hull or something like that

Falcon Hauler, Vanguard and Sentinel--200MJ shields (2x200 in the case of the Sentinel) but really subpar weapons generators.

[Kirlack]

Indeed. In fact, Nuklear Slug had epic success in his TC DiD 'Wanton Use of Nukes...' with a wing of EBC equipped Falcon Haulers. I've made good use of them as a wing for my personal Shrike in the past, all armed with just EBC in the main bank.

On a Corvette..they're really better used to keep pressure on the enemy when your energy based weapons start to drain your energy reserves. For instance, I only use 2 CIGs on my main bank for an HCP, but I often keep the other 4 slots for EBC, purely so I can keep piling shots into a target after 'Betty' warns me energy is getting low.

[Vyrebird]

I've found EBCs very poor as anti-fighter weapons (low shot velocity, and seemingly slow turret tracking speed), and the mentioned test against pirates would probably highlight that weakness.

I've yet to try a fighter wing of EBCs, but outside of that, the main usage (imo) seems to be for fighting higher-class ships, such as M7 hunting in an M6, or M1/M2 hunting in an M7, etc. There, your laser energy is likely to run out long before the shields are down, and would need to recharge to full several times over to actually kill the target; this lets the EBC's lack of energy dependence shine, and since M7s/M2s/M1s tend to be relatively sluggish, the slower shot velocity and tracking speed are relatively minimal issues. Their damage output seems relatively meek compared to other corvette anti-capital weaponry, however, leading to hit-and-run(-and-recharge) tactics with 'normal' weapons often seeming more appealing than prolonged dances with EBCs.

M/AMLs and GCs seem much more straightforward to use successfully than EBCs, with the former being rather standard/'normal' for their weapon classes and EBCs being relatively specialized.

[Bobucles]

Welcome to the latest patch. EBCs were great weapons. However, corvettes are now much more capable of using their subpar weapons. In the end there's not much reason to stick with fighter weapons when the CIG/ISR/IPG have become useable.

[pjknibbs]

I've found EBCs very poor as anti-fighter weapons (low shot velocity, and seemingly slow turret tracking speed)

They have a faster shot speed than HEPTs--which isn't saying much, admittedly!

[Kirlack]

I might be alone in this, but I never had an issue with the 'low' weapons generator on M6 in TC. Using CIG/IPG/ISR was never an issue for me, although that might be because I typically balance it out with ammo based weapons.

[Jumee]

I might be alone in this, but I never had an issue with the 'low' weapons generator on M6 in TC. Using CIG/IPG/ISR was never an issue for me, although that might be because I typically balance it out with ammo based weapons.

but now you can be very trigger happy person and use only CIG/IPG/ISR

[Kirlack]

I might be alone in this, but I never had an issue with the 'low' weapons generator on M6 in TC. Using CIG/IPG/ISR was never an issue for me, although that might be because I typically balance it out with ammo based weapons.

but now you can be very trigger happy person and use only CIG/IPG/ISR

Well, no I can't since don't own AP But yes, from what I've heard/looked at stats-wise I could just load up my HCP with all CIGs and have a fun joyride through X-598 blasting machines into scrap. In TC however I do that already, through judicous use of ammo based weaponry!

[Goldfinch]

I've been using them in the turrets on my Heavy Centaur and they seem to do fine for anti-fighter work while saving my generator for a full rack of CIGs up front.

[johnyjervey]

using chaingun is probably good as this is some kind of powerful weapon. chain gun is a type of machine gun or autocannon that uses an external source of power, rather than diverting energy from the cartridge, to cycle the weapon, and does so via a continuous loop of chain similar to that used on a motorcycle or bicycle.

[Vim Razz]

The Heavy Centaur has a much wider weapon spread than M3s or even many other M6s, so if you're mouse-firing, that may be part of the problem you're having hitting fighters.

Boresight firing (default "ctrl" key) with auto-aim "on" should make it easier to knock out smaller targets.

[Triaxx2]

The real problem against fighters is that the actual physical size of the round is TINY. The reason HEPT is so good in comparison, is because of the massive size and thus collision box of the actual projectile. So there is a little more play in the impact point.

[KextV8]

Pretty much don't use them on Corvettes anymore. Without energy concerns there is almost always a better option for both turrets and main guns. Still throw them on my personal fighter though. Never had a problem hitting M3's with them, the faster M4s and M5s sometimes. Those I just turbo booster into point blank and waste.

[patient zero]

All ammo based weapons are short range weapons. If your ship isn't fast enough (or shielded enough) to get into firing range, it will die without firing a shot. The collision avoidance system will often cause a corvette to turn about before it gets in range to use mass drivers.