Plasma Cannon is a dumb-fire anti-vehicle weapon that can be equipped as a light weapon.

The plasma cannon is an unholy offpsring of a forge gun and a mass driver, less effective than either in most cases.

The CPU is high because it requires 0 powergrid to operate. That, combined with its CPU reduction skill lowers its CPU quickly. And when you use it on a Gallente Assault Suit (since it's Gallente Plasma Tech) the CPU usage can be reduced even further. Until it requires Powergrid, I don't see a HUGE issue with the CPU requirements..

The difference is the Plasma Cannon would still be a rather effective Anti-Vehicle Weapon (unlike the Mass Driver), and it would be a rather effective Anti-Personnel weapon (unlike the Swarm Launcher). It gives it a defining spot that it would happily slide into as another AV weapon, especially since the Plasma Cannon will be much more effective at taking out Caldari and Matari (assuming shield tanks) LAVs and HAVs since it's a Hybrid weapon, not explosive. I'm not saying take it from being AV and turn it into a ridiculously large Mass Driver. I just think increasing its damage purely for AV makes the weapon "just another AV weapon" to choose from, rather than offering a real, solid benefit to using it over the rest. Making it so you're more likely to smash the face of someone trying to shoot you than you would be with the Swarm Launcher gives one more reason to spec into the Plasma Cannon, if one so chooses.

1) Increased projectile speed per level (changed from charge up speed)
2) Slightly increased Damage
3) Slightly increased splash radius

Now it's a decent anti-vehicle weapon that you can also defend yourself with, if necessary. Well, that's the way I feel it should go. CCP will do what they will do, however.

I was expecting something more like a rocket launcher of plasma balls. And it's kinda sorta almost there, too be honest. It's not really a rocket launcher, and it's not really an arcing shot. It's somewhere in between.

Proto Mass Driver Radius: 4.125m (base is 3.3)
Proto Plasma Cannon Radius: 3.5m (base is 3.5)

So the Plasma Cannon has a higher base radius but it ultimately has a smaller splash when comparing both at maximum power. The direct and splash damage is also higher on the Plasma Cannon. The Plasma Cannon has an effective 4.1 reload time before skills are factored in, and the Mass Driver 4 seconds, so they're relatively equal there too. So up to this point I can kinda understand why you're comparing the two. However, their firing patterns are completely different. The Plasma Cannon also doesn't get the ability to shoot a shot per second. It has a (at worst) 4.1 second delay between every single shot. The Mass Driver will still feel like a completely different weapon. And I'm not saying "Hurr durr Plasma cannon should not be AV".

I'm just saying that it's already designated as an AV weapon. From my experience using it, the biggest issue with it is the damage seems slightly lower than it should be for being a single shot weapon, and that the projectile moves too slowly to be effective at anything other than Tankbusting (reliably anyway). But it differentiates itself from the other AV weapons by being really effective vs. Infantry as well. The Swarm Launcher is absolutely useless at it, AV grenades are useless for it, the Forge Gun is capable of it but can be somewhat tricky to use... one of the biggest defining points of the Plasma Cannon, at least for non-heavy AV, is in its ability to be used effectively for anti-personnel. I mean, that's just how I see it.

Give it a slight damage buff, make the projectile faster, eh it doesn't need improved splash radius. They could even drop it to 3 I think. Maybe remove the arc pattern of the projectile. I think it'd be a nice weapon like that. Maybe it's just me, but yeah.

CCP prefers we keep discussions contained within like threads. Since we're both talking about changes to the Plasma Cannon, I see no need to start a new thread. Not when it can be discussed just as easily here.

ok so some math
proto SL damage on shields 1386
proto PC damage on shields 1270.5
think that says it all. SL takes penalty on shield while the PC gets a 10% bonus
its less effective on what's it effective than what has the least effective AV weapon.

ok I have been playing around with it myself and a breach version should made or bring up the damage on direct shot as right now its more effective as anti-infantry.

Sounds like you really need to read my guide.
Plasma Canon(how to make it work)

If this was improved how you wanted it, OP, I would ask that it become a heavy weapon.

Don't think so, from CCP known issues list:


That they have 0 PG as "by design" and on their fixed list.

Yeah, not trying to be argumentative, I just recalled it from their "fixed" list with the "by design". As-is, it makes sense for the Plasma Cannon to have a CPU-based fitting skill, but I have no idea what the story with the Flaylock having a PG-fitting skill with no PG reqs is.

Good thread btw, the Plasma Cannon definitely has some wonky progression (and little incentive to progress pass standard) as the weapon is right now imho.

what if they were to keep its stats exactly how it is now, and then just give it a big bonus to ammo cap? that way you can rea;;y use it against both vehicles and AV and it wouldn't necessarily have to compare to the swarm launcher

The gun works for just fi e, other than the misfire bug. It is not what you want it to be, this doesn't mean it is broken

I think the swarm launcher needs to be toned down a lot and all will be fine.

I find it funny that people claim that it's for AV, but nowhere in it's description does it say anything aboutvehicles, and the fact that it's talking about space environments and confined areas, places where you wouldn't see a vehicle.


Peace, Godin