Each tracer is three real rounds: why point defence works as it does
Published
The carrier’s point defence is modelled on the Phalanx close-in weapon system. Where the game keeps the real number, and where it bends it, is set out below.
25 rounds a second shown
Why: each tracer stands for three real rounds; the 20 seconds of fire is real. A real Phalanx fires 4,500 rounds a minute, 75 a second[1]. Every shown round’s hit is rolled, which keeps the fight readable and the simulation cheap.
Decided 2026-10-23, wording 2026-10-27 · scripts/point_defense.gd RATE := 25.0
500 rounds a mount
Why: to keep the real gun’s endurance. A Phalanx carries 1,550 rounds[1], about 20 seconds of fire at 75 a second. 500 rounds at 25 a second is the same 20 seconds.
Decided 2026-10-23 · scripts/point_defense.gd MAGAZINE := 500
5 seconds to reload
Why: a second per 100 rounds, the same rule as every gun in the game. Running dry is real, so every gun has a real magazine.
Built 2026-10-25 · scripts/mount.gd reload_time := 5.0
1,250 m reach at Mk3
Derived: a weapon’s reach comes from how tightly it groups its rounds: range = 2 × 2.5 m ÷ spread, the distance at which the spread is no wider than a fighter. At Mk3 the spread is 4 mrad, which gives 1,250 m. The real Phalanx reaches 1,486 m[2], so the game is a little short. Lower Marks reach 500 m (Mk0), 625 m (Mk1) and 833 m (Mk2).
Decided 2026-10-26 · scripts/marks.gd SPREAD["pd"], SPREAD_TARGET := 2.5
Three medium mounts
Why: mounts are a size, a place and firing arcs, not a weapon type; what is fitted decides the role. A medium mount is up to 4 m across, room for a full Phalanx. The carrier has two on its engine pods and one under its belly.
Decided 2026-10-23 · scripts/ship_catalog.gd MOUNTS["Imperial"], MOUNT_SIZES
Elevation up to +90°
Why: in space an attack can come from straight above, so the mounts can point straight up.
Built 2026-10-23 · scripts/ship_catalog.gd MOUNTS["Imperial"]
Hits rolled by Mark
Why: “the game has to be fun first”. The first plan was a cone of fire; hits are now a roll by tech level, and range decides who fires first. Point defence gets +25 % to hit against small craft, and does a tenth of its damage to a large hull.
Decided 2026-10-23 · scripts/marks.gd hit_chance(), WEAPONS["pd"]
It picks the target it would hurt most
Why: “always maximise hits and damage”. Each mount picks the target it would do the most damage to, and holds off a target that the rounds already in the air will finish: no more rounds than it takes.
Decided 2026-10-24 · scripts/point_defense.gd
Re-targets 4 times a second
Why: the way a fire-control radar keeps its track.
Built 2026-10-23 · scripts/point_defense.gd RETARGET := 0.25
Guns that retract
Why: keep an expensive system offline, bring it out as a trump card. A retracted gun can’t fire and can’t be shot. It takes 1.5 seconds to come out and fights from halfway; on Auto it goes back in 3 seconds after the last threat.
Built 2026-10-24, half-out 2026-10-25 · scripts/mount.gd DEPLOY_TIME := 1.5, FIGHTS_FROM := 0.5; point_defense.gd CLEAR_TIME := 3.0
Related
- 4,500 rounds a minute: how the Phalanx defends a ship
- 350 m long, 80,000 hull: the carrier
- 350 m, just above the longest ship ever: why the carrier is built as it is
- Fun first, real numbers as flavour: how the game is designed
Sources
- Phalanx CIWS, Wikipedia.
The Block 1A and newer (pneumatic driven) CIWS mounts fire at a rate of 4,500 rounds per minute with a 1,550-round magazine.
- Phalanx CIWS: specifications, Wikipedia.
1,625 yd (1,486 m) max. effective range