Weapons Guide
Written by Stephen "Genghis" Brueckner
Lets face it, the objective in Descent3 is to kill you opponent(s).
The most effective way to shoot down another pyro will depend on the
circumstances: how much energy and shields you have, what kind of ship you're
flying, which level you're in, how close your opponent is, and many other
things. In this section I run through the list of primary and secondary weapons,
with short descriptions of their strengths and weaknesses.
There are some important aspects of weapons that should be considered when
choosing with which weapon to fight.
(1)The speed at which the weapon travels is important. If you're tunnel ratting,
you can afford a slower moving weapon, like fusion. If you're outside you'll
want to use a fast moving weapon like the vauss or mass driver. However, in a
long tunnel a long range-weapon like vauss or MD, shooting one fusion down the
hall and switching to vauss and shooting where the fusion isn't going can be
quite effective, especially on longer halls.
(2)The amount of room the weapon takes up, or volumetric distribution. Weapons
like the fusion or quad super lasers fills a fair amount of space, thus
increasing the chances of hitting your opponent with it. Weapons like the vauss
and mass driver fire tiny little rounds, and require pinpoint accuracy to hit
your opponent.
(3) Energy drain or ammo usage. Weapons like the vauss and mass driver use
physical ammunition instead of energy, so you need to make sure you have enough
ammo to use them. They are also used a lot in games where energy is scarce in a
level. Energy weapons comprise the majority of primaries. Some energy weapons
drain energy from your pyro faster than others, so you need to be aware of how
much energy you've got to spare. Try to leave some energy for afterburner so you
can reach an energy center.
(4) Homing weapons. Many secondaries and one primary (the EMD) are homing
weapons - to various degrees they will track and follow your opponent. This can
be very useful, especially in large areas and outdoors. However, a good pilot
can dodge most homing weapons if he is paying attention, so do not rely on them
to do your job for you. Keep in mind the concept "radius of curvature." A homing
weapon with a small radius of curvature will track very accurately, since it can
follow every twist and turn a pyro makes. A homing weapon with a large radius of
curvature cannot track as accurately, and is easier to dodge.
(5) Range. Every weapon has it's own unique characteristics. Some weapons are
made for close range fighting only, such as napalm or the omega cannon. Others
are great for distance, like vauss and mass driver. Be familiar with the range
of each weapon and use this knowledge to know when and where to most effectively
use each weapon.
(6) Unique weapons characteristics. Each weapon has something positive going for
it that others do not, and often something negative as well. These
characteristics will be explained during the description of each weapon.
(7) Weapon sounds. Each weapon, both primary and secondary, have their own
unique sound signature. Knowing what each weapon sounds like is very helpful in
a number of situations. For example, if you hear a dogfight nearby but don't see
the combatants because they're around the corner or in the next room, you can at
least know what kinds of primaries they are using so when you enter the fray you
are prepared for them. In another example, when you are in a battle with
multiple ships and can't keep track of everyone visually, you will be able to
hear the sound of a secondary (such as a mega or an impact mortar) being fired -
and know to clear the hell out of the area before you're toast.
A) Primary Weapons
Lasers - this category includes the blue lasers you spawn with, the much more
powerful yellow super lasers, and the quad lasers. Generally, you'll want to
trade up from your blue lasers ASAP, as they are not very powerful. However, the
quad laser powerup is a sweet feature of the lasers. The yellow super lasers in
quad mode are quite deadly - they are powerful and they take up a lot of room -
great for dogfighting in cramped quarters. On the negative side, lasers travel
slowly and can be dodged given enough space to maneuver.
EMD - The energy stream you fire will curve towards an enemy ship. However, to
balance out this unique feature, this weapon has some drawbacks. It does not do
a lot of damage, has a limited range, and it's homing capabilities are limited
(the radius of curvature is large). Perhaps the biggest drawback is the
extremely high energy drain of this weapon. This weapon is often helpful to
beginners to assist with their aim, however the drawbacks of the weapon are
severe enough that most experienced pilots avoid the EMD like the plague.
Microwave - this energy weapon has only one positive characteristic, aside from
looking great. It disrupts the opponents ship when it hits. By disrupting the
other ship, it causes his field of view to shake and vibrate, making it
difficult for him to navigate. Another nice feature of the microwave is the
Magnum version - the mag fires 3 energy streams for the microwave, thus filling
a lot of space and doing extra damage - great for tunnel ratting!
Plasma - the plasma is noted for it's high rate of fire - it pumps out blobs of
green real fast. It is therefore possible to do a lot of damage quickly with the
plasma if you can land all your shots. Due to its high rate of fire, the plasma
can be hard to dodge and is good for dogfighting.
Fusion - this is one of the veteran descenter's favorite weapons, and is
considered a high-skill weapon. On the positive side, you can charge it way up
to do huge damage, and it fills a lot of volumetric area. On the negative side,
it has a very slow rate of fire, high energy drain in a magnum, and if you
over-charge it you take damage. Due to its low rate of fire it is difficult for
new players to aim the fusion. However, since it is perhaps the only primary
that can be considered a one-shot kill weapon, many pilots learn to use it. It
is also worth noting that the magnum version of the fusion has a third blob, so
it takes up even more room. A fully charged fusion blast from a magnum can kill
any other ship at 100 shields quicker than if you charged the fusion with a
phoenix or pyro! The fusion is great for confined areas and tunnel ratting, but
easier to dodge in large areas and outside.
Omega - this is the shortest range weapon in a pilot's arsenal, and perhaps the
fastest energy draining as well, which are big negative factors. On the plus
side, it does damage very quickly, auto-targets to a limited extent, and also
leeches shields from an opponent (although not at a 1:1 rate). Another feature
of the omega, which may be a bug in the Descent3 code, is that it will work
through glass walls. An opponent who feels safe behind a glass wall will panic
when you switch to omega and kill him with a 1-second burst right through the
wall! Due to its short range, the omega is generally a tunnel ratting weapon.
Napalm - the only non-energy, non-projectile weapon is the fire-spewing napalm.
This weapon is short-ranged and uses napalm fuel quickly. It does damage
relatively quickly, but is not as devastating as some of the energy weapons. A
nice feature of the napalm is that a pyro set on fire will remain burning and
taking damage for a short period of time. This is a good opportunity to switch
to another weapon and finish your opponent off. This weapon's limited range
makes it more suited for confines space fighting.
Vauss - one of only two projectile weapons, the vauss rounds travel extremely
fast. It is suited for outdoors fighting, and does not require much leading of
your opponent. Drawbacks include limited ammo and moderate damage. Another time
the vauss is useful is when you don't want to reveal your location - it is often
hard for a pilot getting hit by the vauss to determine from which direction the
attack is coming. Outdoors, aside from the mass driver, the vauss is king of the
hill.
Mass Driver - another high-skill weapon, the mass driver (MD), or "spud gun" can
be devastating to an opponent but also very hard to hit with. Often this weapon
is favored by players with low pings, since it requires pinpoint accuracy to
aim. Most ships can be killed by 3 or 4 well-placed mass driver shots. The mass
driver round travels so fast it is nearly instantaneous, the damage is high (but
not extreme, like the fusion), and it bounces the opponent's pyro around like a
billiard ball, disorienting him and allowing you to set up for your next shot.
On the negative side, the MD has a very slow rate of fire, very limited ammo,
and as mentioned before, is very hard to aim. When used properly, the MD is
great in almost any situation, with the possible exception of close-quarters dog
fighting.
B) Secondary Weapons
Secondaries each have their own sound, or else lock signal…
Concussion - concs are the only missile you spawn with. They are a very
under-rated secondary because they have no special features. However, they are
small, hard to see, and relatively quick. Used properly in a dogfight, they can
tip the scales. In a face-to-face tunnel ratting fight, unloading your concs in
your opponents face is a great way to do damage quickly. Note that Magnums can
hurl concussions twice as fast as the other ships, making them even more
dangerous. Use of concs can separate a good pilot from a great one. Excellent to
use one if you're shooting fusion, and in between the delay of getting to fire
again, you shoot a conc to make a continuous round of fire at an opponent.
Frag - the frag missile is an ideal secondary to use in close-quarters fighting,
or any time you see an opponent backed into a corner. However, it can be deadly
to you, too, if you fire it into a wall that you're too close to. Be careful!
This is most if thrown at odd angles or at corners. Napalm Rocket - the napalm
is a new favorite for many D3 pilots. It's a very fast-moving rocket and a
direct hit will kill many ships. However, it was not meant to be used to score
direct hits, it is intended to spray sticky napalm fire over an area. This
napalm is deadly to all who encounter it, including the pilot who shot the
rocket. The rocket is great to place over entrances or on the ceiling, where it
can drip fire down upon other pyros. There is also a well-known bug in the game
associated with the napalm rocket - the "invisible napalm" bug. If a napalm
rocket was fired but you don't see any fire where it hit, there's a good chance
the napalm is actually there but doesn't appear on your screen - avoid the area
for at least 10 seconds!
Impact Mortar - the "football" is one of the only secondaries that must be
considered a short-range weapon. It travels a few ship lengths then comes to a
stop in mid air, where it produces a big concussive explosion after a 1 or 2
second delay. This weapon is great to toss into the midst of a group of other
pilots dogfighting, or in the face of a tunnel ratter. Once again, be careful to
stay away from your own football!
Black Shark - perhaps the most controversial of the new Descent3 weapons, the BS
is also one of the most spectacular. The weapon is considered too powerful by
some users, or considered a low-skill weapon because of the ease of killing
other pyros with it. However, a counter-viewpoint is that skill is involved in
using it when it comes to choosing when to use it to maximize your victim count,
and not getting caught in your own black hole. The BS is generally used to suck
in 2 or more other players already involved in a dogfight. A follow-up missile,
such as a mega, fired into the black hole will finish off anyone caught in the
vortex. Due to the overwhelming nature of the BS, a pyro can only carry a
limited number of them (usually 1 or 2).
Homing - the next 5 secondaries (that's half of all secondaries!) are all
homing-type weapons. All of the homing weapons emit a lock tone that warns a
pilot of an incoming missile. The homer is perhaps the most basic one - a
relatively fast moving missile with a moderate to large radius of curvature. It
is not difficult to dodge given room to maneuver (outdoors), but can be deadly
inside the mine. Damage is moderate.
Guided - the guided missile can be flown by "remote control" to be steered by
the pilot to its target. However, in multiplayer this leaves a pilot's ship
exposed to attack, while he or she is flying the missile his or her pyro is
essentially undefended. Many pilots therefore use the guided like a homer. A
second tap of the fire button will release the guided to seek its own target. In
this mode, the guided can be very dangerous, because it has a very small radius
of curvature. A guided can follow every twist and turn of a dodging pyro with
deadly accuracy - often the only way to escape one is to put a wall between you
and the missile. The drawback of the guided is its slow speed - these missiles
can be outrun.
Smart - a smart missile is not meant to be used to score a direct hit on an
opponent. Instead, the objective is to place the smart on a wall near the
opponent's pyro. The smart will, on impact with the wall, produce a small number
of green blobs which track on any nearby targets. The blobs are moderately slow
moving but have a small radius of curvature - they can be very hard to dodge in
close quarters. However, in large areas the smart missile's effectiveness is
limited. One favored smart missile technique is in tunnels - when you detect an
enemy coming up behind you in the tunnel, point your nose at the floor and fire
the missile. This will instantly produce the green blobs, which move backwards,
behind you, and right into the nose of the oncoming pyro!
Cyclone - this homing weapon is effective in both large and cramped areas. The
missile "flowers" into a cluster of smaller missiles, all of which are slow
moving with a small radius of curvature. Depending on the circumstances, the
small cluster missiles can be very hard to dodge, especially when the missile is
placed just a few ship lengths in front of a ship. Another good use is to keep
another player occupied by the homing sound if thrown during a dogfight in an
open area.
Mega - an old favorite, this missile will kill an enemy ship in a single hit. To
balance this devastating power, the megas travel relatively slowly and have a
high radius of curvature. They are easy to dodge given the room, but are deadly
when used in tight spaces. Beware firing them from close range, however, since
an exploding mega will damage any ship in the immediate vicinity. Due to the
power of megas, a pyro can only carry a limited number of them (usually 2 or
3).
C) Countermeasures
Countermeasures is the generic term given to any weapon your pyro lays behind
itself, like a big fat ostrich egg. Countermeasures can be used both offensively
and defensively.
Gunboys - lay these little worker bees to assist you in a fight or to harass
enemies. Setting up a cross-fire of gunboys can be an effective tactic, as can
using them to block doorways. They can be used as an early-warning system to let
you know when enemies are in a given area. It is usually recommended that
inexperienced pilots not waste their time fighting gunboys, as this leaves you
vulnerable to attack by the gunboy's owner. Generally try to collect two gunboys
or more before laying them out; two to four gunboys at once actually have a
chance of collecting kills if opponents have low shields. Gunboys are probably
the only counter measure suitable for online play.
Proximity Mines - the most basic countermeasure, a prox mine is best used to
block entrances or in dark places. They do moderate damage, but more importantly
impede an enemy's flight path and slow him or her down. Although proximity mines
are found in many of the popular multiplayer levels, because the server has to
deal with extra position packets from the mines, Prox Mines are not recommended
for online play.
Seeker Mines - these obnoxious little mines are actually a homing weapon. They
track on a ship and very slowly move towards it. They move extremely slowly,
though, so dodging them is easy. They are sneaky, though, because there is no
lock tone when a seeker is coming at ya. They are most dangerous to folks
sitting still. Seeker mines, unfortunately, are not recommended for internet
play for the same reason.
Chaff - chaff is meant to be used to assist in dodging homing weapons. Mostly
it's effective in large areas and outdoors. Simply drop a chaff packet while you
are in the process of evading a missile, and if done properly, the missile
should go for the chaff. Chaff as well is not suitable for internet play.
Bouncing Bettys - bettys are best released in tight areas, where they will
bounce all around the room like billiard balls in 3 dimensions, they get faster
and faster over tiem. It's quite a trap to lay for an opponent following too
closely through a tunnel! Unfortunately, Bouncing Bettys are by far the most
lag-inducing countermeasure, and are therefore not found in many levels. It's a
shame though. Some interesting strategies could be derived from Bettys.
D) A Word on Weapons Balance
Weapons balance is one of the keys to Descent's playability. Many other
first-person shooters have a weapon that is simply overwhelming to the victim.
The makers of Descent went through enormous planning efforts and play testing to
come up with weapons that balance out - if they have a particular strength, they
also have a weakness. This is a disappointment to many new players, who have
become accustomed to the strategy of "find the best weapon and kill everyone
with it." However, any experienced Descent pilot will count weapons balance in
the reasons they love the game, and it is also the reason that Descent holds
people's interest for so many years. Simply put, weapons balance is conducive to
good fights.
Another usage of the term "weapons balance" refers to the weapons available in a
given level. A good level designer will not put every weapon in the Descent3
arsenal in to their level. This is because most levels are designed for a
particular playing style, and some weapons may be either overpowering or
relatively useless in the level. Therefore, the level designer chooses
appropriate weapons, and, perhaps more importantly, limits the availability of
the weapons. Minimizing weapons spawning points, choosing single missiles
instead of 4-packs, and using high respawn rates all help control the quantity
of weapons in a level. Again, limiting weapons in a level gives a greater
opportunity for good fights between players. And good fights are what Descent is
all about.
Yet a third usage of "weapons balance" describes the balance of weapons on a
given ship (relative to other ships and comparing other weapons on the same
ship). This is a relatively new usage of the term, however, because until
Descent 3 there was only one ship and until the Black Pyro was introduced with
the Mercenary expansion pack weapons balance in terms of ships wasn't as much of
a controversial topic.