Nano Ripper?

No, the Nano Ripper is along the regular mass driver tree, but only about half way. So your Black Hole Gun is more powerful.

For the record, it costs 150 bc and does 5 damage; the black hole gun, which I had at the time I got the ripper, costs 140 and does 16 damage. It also doesn't weigh much more.

To be exact the nano ripper is unlocked with singularity driver 4 so really you can only compare it to that.

In one of the campain games the nano ripper saved me from the Dread Lords. Do not dis' the power of the nano ripper. 5 damage at $150 compared to 2 and $33 I believe isn't bad when you're severly out gunned.

I agree, it has saved my butt quite a few times, as have the evil weapons and good defences but do not make a habit of relying on them. They are a stop gap at best as they are expensive in comparison to more advanced techs which will fit the same firepower in a hull at about 60% of the ship cost.
Build some to get you by, research whatever else you urgently need then move on along the tech tree.

What I tend to do with all those expensive, high-power guns that you get early in the tech-tree is put them on 'flagships'. With the Yor that I'm currently obliterating the galaxy with, I have medium ships with three Singularity drivers and three deflectors for my main weapon, and a medium with two Nano Rippers and four deflectors to lead them, for example. A while ago, I did something similar with psionic beams.

The nano ripper used to have an attack rating of 8, it just got nerfed because it was so useful for so long. When I make 4k a turn, I don't give a rats ass how much my ships cost. All I care about is their ability to bring about the obliteration of anything that stands in my way. And so the nano ripper used to be really brilliant.

Now it's just a quick fixer. If I'm having a problem with someone shielding my Doom Rays, I'll chuck a nano on. Takes next to no time to research, and brings my effective firepower right back up.

The nano ripper does suck if you're already at the end of a weapon tech line. The reason it's so nice is that it appears near the beginning of the mass driver tech line and you can start using it very early in the game. You have to get to photon torps or nearly to disruptors to get an equally powerful weapon (unless you're evil). You have to go almost to the end of the mass driver tech line to get another mass driver of equal power.

Research it early and you will pwnz0r the AI for a nice long while. Until they start using the damn things themselves

Hmmm, guess I just never paid any attention at those early stages of research. It's kinda hard to, since my race (Neutral Custom Technologists with extra research bonus) usually gets upwards of 5 techs at a time by the time I'm researching weapons.

Ya, those NLC's render any weapons tech under the black hole and Doomray weapons obsolete pretty fast.
I usually have one maxed out tech by the time I am attacked by anyone, so my ships have at least 50 attack per ship to their 20 or 30 per fleet.

Hi!

those NLC's render any weapons tech under the black hole and Doomray weapons obsolete pretty fast.

Erm... try huge uni, common everything, slowest tech rate and no tech trade and you'll see how long you'll be using attack 2 or 3 weapons in your ships.
My last game was such, I've been pumping out 4000 research points per turn, but managed to get only to photons with attack 5(6?). Really intersting set-up.

BR, Iztok

I take mass drivers after beam, don't know why, just do. I feel that the nano ripper has got a really bum rap in the past. The cost in maintenance should have equal'd out to the power down of the weapon at 6 but hey, not my call. So I think I will just leave this one alone passed this point, as any more would be a rant on top of a rant.

W/R
Suralle

Very similar to how I play, Iztok. I use a gigantic galaxy with rare anomalies, uncommon stars, occasional planets, stars in tight clusters, very slow tech rate and no tech trading. I like using the same tech level for several game years. That type of dynamic seems far more to my liking. What bugs me are the super short battles where you just have the hammer armed eggshells duking it out. The battles where the return fire comes from ghosts of already destroyed ships...

hammer armed eggshells...
lol

ghosts of already destroyed ships...
lol