The 0.3 version of the Cataphract:
-More point defense double-coverage
-More rate of fire for each point defense battery
-Giving back 2 more rear shield nodes
-Slight range adjustment to make clear which point defense beam has been used, when they mostly have similar arcs.
-Removal of the second torp tube
The Lancer, with almost-equal rate of fire, 180 degree beam coverage and significantly higher DPS equaled and arguably exceded the Cataphract in dealing with a single squadron of 6 fighters. The Lancer’s weakness, reduced ability to handle sustained damage, did not have time to become a problem.
The cataphract, then, needs to be able to handle more fighters than Lancer can. More rate of fire is 33% more chances to disable a fighter, better double-coverage is approximately a 50% increase in shots on target. Increasing the cataphract’s survivability lets them handle the fighters as long as they need to, to clear out two squadrons while not having lancer level DPS.
The removal of the second tube is more about the design philosophy behind the Cataphract as fighter defense. Mines are too easy, so are Pshocks, so limiting the cataphract’s ability to throw ordnance reinforces it’s role as an alternative to using ordnance for the easy answers.
<vessel uniqueID="2" side="0" classname="Cataphract Class" broadType="player">
<art meshfile="dat/Cataphract.dxs" diffuseFile="dat/artemis_diffuse.png"
glowFile="dat/artemis_illum.png" specularFile="dat/artemis_specular.png" scale="0.2" pushRadius="150"/>
<internal_data file="dat/Cataphract2.snt"/>
<!-- Weapons and Shields modified (1/4)-->
<shields front="28" back="22"/>
<performance turnrate="0.0035" topspeed="0.6" shipefficiency=".6" warpefficiency=".8" jumpefficiency="1.1"/>
<beam_port x="0" y="8.35" z="1" damage="0.25" playerdamage="8" arcwidth="0.05" cycletime="15.0" range="1500"/>
<beam_port x="0" y="8.35" z="1" damage="0.25" playerdamage="3.75" arcwidth="0.325" cycletime="5.0" range="1000"/>
<beam_port x="0" y="8.35" z="51" damage="0.25" playerdamage=".1" arcwidth="0.955" cycletime=".75" range="510"/>
<beam_port x="0" y="8.35" z="51" damage="0.25" playerdamage=".1" arcwidth="0.685" cycletime=".75" range="490"/>
<torpedo_tube x="0" y="-44.2" z="0"/>
<torpedo_storage type="trp" amount="8"/> <!-- Homing"-->
<torpedo_storage type="nuk" amount="1"/> <!-- LR Nuke-->
<torpedo_storage type="min" amount="2"/> <!-- Mine"-->
<torpedo_storage type="emp" amount="2"/> <!-- EMP"-->
<torpedo_storage type="shk" amount="6"/> <!-- Plasma Shock"-->
<torpedo_storage type="bea" amount="2"/> <!-- Beacon"-->
<torpedo_storage type="pro" amount="4"/> <!-- Probe"-->
<torpedo_storage type="tag" amount="1"/> <!-- Tag"-->
<engine_port x="0" y="-9.22" z="-300"/>
<engine_port x="0" y="29.64" z="-300"/>
<engine_port x="-111.755783" y="-44.202168" z="-242.740082"/>
<engine_port x="111.755783" y="-44.202168" z="-242.740082"/>
<engine_port x="0" y="97.875313" z="-181.449524"/>
<long_desc text="TSN Fighter Suppression Cruiser^2 Focused Defense Arrays, 1 Heavy Beam, 1 Inertial Cannon, 1 Torpedo tube^Stores for 1 nuke, 8 homing, 2 mines, 2 EMP, 6 PShock.^Battle hardened systems and redundant shield nodes."/>
</vessel>