weapon choices and turret auto switch questions

[fireanddream]

Just captured a Xenon I.
Now I'm just casually flying through war zones hoping for RRF osaka and tokyo, but they're not coming any more; they can smell the doombringer.

frontal/left/right
PPC vs GC
is the auto switching smart enough to swap on GC for more than twice hull dps? Would be truly amazing if the I's 26 PPC chew away enemy shield from range 6.6-4.8km, then auto switch to GC for higher hull dps. If not I even consider using GC all the way since AI turret fired PPC at maximum range is inaccurate as hell, often just a waste of energy. Or GC on the front and PPC on the side to not waste that 10,994 MW laser recharge.

up/down
CFA vs FAA vs ISR
I was going to be stereotypical and just go for all FAA, but the I's up/down side is huge so might be more fun to fill the space with explosive clusters, nice missile screen, too. As for ISR, CFA and FAA are just about useless against M7 and above, so how about ISR with its longer range and energy draining side effect?

[Jimmy C]

The poor autoswitch only takes distance to target into account. That means it'll shoot at distant fighters with PPCs and close destroyers with CIGs, for example. Best not to bother with it.

[fireanddream]

The poor autoswitch only takes distance to target into account. That means it'll shoot at distant fighters with PPCs and close destroyers with CIGs, for example. Best not to bother with it.

But why would it switch at all? I suspected the turrets only caring about range anyway, but why would they switch to CIG at all? PPC are still hitting at close range, aren't they? So in theory if I have ionD on they switch from PPC to CIG to ionD as the target approaches... lol such a derpy function.

[Alan Phipps]

IIRC, NPC ships have a default rudimentary turret weapon swapping script in vanilla X3TC (assuming those ships carry spare suitable weapons), but the player-owned ships do not, I think.

In X3AP you have the option to allow (or not) automatic weapon swapping for your ship turrets in each type of turret command found under turret command configuration in gameplay options.

So having any weapon swapping on your ships is entirely your own choice in vanilla X3AP.

[Jimmy C]

So in theory if I have ionD on they switch from PPC to CIG to ionD as the target approaches... lol such a derpy function.

According to what I've been told, that's how it works in AP. Which is why it's been suggested to leave it disabled.