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This topic has moved here: Subject: So, nukes work but MACs don't?
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Subject: So, nukes work but MACs don't?

only reason a destroyer MAC could possibly be more powerful than a frigate MAC is barrel length, the problem with that is i have never seen a destroyer (don't consider the rubbish halo: legends to be canon personally.) so either they are different in design and the MAC runs down much more of the destroyer than it does a frigate or its just down to the fact that destroyers have two MACs rather than just one.

the determining factors for how powerful the magnetic accelerator cannon can be are: a) the length of the accelerator (barrel) b) the mass of the projectile and c) the strength of the electromagnets used to accelerate the projectile. so for the most part i think you are on the right track with the cruiser variant being stronger than the frigate/destroyer cannons. the super MAC platforms have several huge advantages, power generation being one, since they are powered from the ground rather than an onboard reactor, they fire really really massive rounds and their barrels are very long (like twice the length of a whole frigate!) so they have advantages in all three areas, barrel length, magnetic strength (due to increased power) and projectile mass.

  • 11.14.2010 7:47 AM PDT

On hiding dead bodies:
Posted by: Psuedo
Posted by: teh Chaz
Inside another dead body. It's the last place they'll look
A corpse within a corpse.
CORPSEPTION.
Win.

Destroyers are literally just Frigates with an extra MAC and some more armour.

They are the same size (excluding extra armour plate), and so will have the same barrel length.
We have no reason to assume that the MAC fires a different projectile at a different velocity to a Frigate, or that a Carrier/Cruiser fires a different projectile at a different velocity to a Frigate, because we have not been told otherwise.

  • 11.14.2010 7:59 AM PDT

I'm blue da ba di da ba dai!

I'm confused as to how EMP works in space, don't you needs particles for that?

  • 11.14.2010 8:08 AM PDT

On hiding dead bodies:
Posted by: Psuedo
Posted by: teh Chaz
Inside another dead body. It's the last place they'll look
A corpse within a corpse.
CORPSEPTION.
Win.

Posted by: halo04
I'm confused as to how EMP works in space, don't you needs particles for that?
A magnetic field, but I don't think you need particles.

If you do, that's probably sorted by the fact that almost any celestial body with a large enough magnetic field to generate an EMP will have an atmosphere.

  • 11.14.2010 8:30 AM PDT

I'm blue da ba di da ba dai!

Posted by: JDYeash937 MkII
Posted by: halo04
I'm confused as to how EMP works in space, don't you needs particles for that?
A magnetic field, but I don't think you need particles.

If you do, that's probably sorted by the fact that almost any celestial body with a large enough magnetic field to generate an EMP will have an atmosphere.
I was talking about the actually military use, you need charged electrons to short-circuit their equipment. I guess you're right though, a ship probably has those particles, sorry for this useless comment.

  • 11.14.2010 8:36 AM PDT
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Well, MACs rely solely on mass and speed. Nukes have all kinds of explosive force, especially in a missle salvo.

The problem is that nukes can be shot down en route. You'd be hard pressed to dodge a MAC round.

  • 11.14.2010 8:44 AM PDT

Posted by: JDYeash937 MkII
Posted by: Stacka30

Posted by: dangerman1337
Doesn't the heat of the nuclear blast count? I mean even if you plating can resist megatons, can it resist the heat? (Unless someone can explain that to me).


A nuke that is detonated in space would actually emit a very large EMP blast in a spherical fashion, so that effect on a Covenant ship's sheild is the same as a Plasma Pistol to a Spartan/Elite's sheild, while a MAC projectile is somewhat like a DMR shot, and an SMAC projectile would be like a Sniper Bullet.
I'm VERY sketchy on EMP's (the Wiki is too damned complicated, even for my level), but the only way for an EMP to occur is for it to be in or near atmosphere, or at least in the presence of a magnetic field - IIRC.

In space, well away from any celestial bodies, surely there would be no EMP at all, unless the ships themselves were somehow able to generate a very large and fluctuating magnetic field.


Nuclear detonations in space produce a very large EMP; So bad, in fact, that all of the nuclear-capable countries have a treaty saying that they won't do it.

Think about it; an EMP can extend all the way down to a planet's surface. What do you think it will do to a ship a dozen kilometers away?

  • 11.14.2010 10:35 AM PDT

On hiding dead bodies:
Posted by: Psuedo
Posted by: teh Chaz
Inside another dead body. It's the last place they'll look
A corpse within a corpse.
CORPSEPTION.
Win.

Posted by: UnyieldinWarior
Nuclear detonations in space produce a very large EMP; So bad, in fact, that all of the nuclear-capable countries have a treaty saying that they won't do it.

Think about it; an EMP can extend all the way down to a planet's surface. What do you think it will do to a ship a dozen kilometers away?
If my physics course delves into the depths of EMP damage, I'll post back.

  • 11.14.2010 11:44 AM PDT

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