Torpedoes
"You would be surprised at how many people fail to remember that torpedoes cause explosions. I have a feeling that you have forgotten as well."
- - Admiral Perrin "Blunt" Razor, on reprimanding a singed young torpedo gunner on the consequences of firing a torpedo at point blank range
Powerful, compact, and energy efficient to use, torpedoes are the ultimate representation of brute force weaponry. Similar to cannons in that they are unguided, torpedoes pack a greater punch but require an even keener sense of aim and timing to be used effectively. They also cause damage over a small area, allowing near misses to still wound the enemy if manually detonated. This explosion is indiscriminate, and collateral damage can include friendly ships, troop pods, or even the ship that fired the torpedo.
Torpedoes
The three major factions have each developed a torpedo delivery method and destructive payload unique to their military. The firepower per unit tends to increase with diminished total ammunition in larger ships. The weapon class occupies a mount of its own and is not currently modifiable.
Proton Torpedo
It wasn't until after the Third Stellar Conflict that the UGTO began to invest in true torpedo technology, after suffering from the devastating effects of the ICC's fusion torpedo. Drawing on many of the same principles as the particle cannon, the proton torpedo was developed as a way to punch through ICC shield technology at close range. By containing a large array of sub-atomic particles in a shaped charge, a weapon was created that carried more destructive potential than similarly sized munitions.
Since the warhead diverts more power from the drive itself than the ICC counterpart, proton torpedoes take longer to charge and reach their target, but effect significant harm on impact. While ICC shields naturally resist some of the damage from each torpedo, proper barrage deployment can overwhelm the shield, exposing the comparably weaker armor to follow-up fire.
Fusion Torpedo
Faced with a foe wielding proximally powerful weapons and juggernaut tactics, ICC engineers developed the fusion torpedo as an effective means of engaging the heavily armored capital ships of the UGTO armada without getting dangerously close to them. The ICC fleet uses the quick fusion torpedo to break UGTO defenses from just outside their foes reach, or exploiting cracks in the hull of wounded ships with devastating blows that are difficult to evade.
Tipped with a fusion warhead, the aptly named torpedoes are launched from magnetically powered rails, giving them greater range and speed than their counterparts and enabling ICC ships to deploy them with reliable accuracy while taking less fire in return. This launch method precludes large ordnance, though, and so fusion torpedoes are the weakest of the class.
