Turret

An example of a turret.

Turrets are weapon emplacements equipped on numerous military vessels, ranging from bombers to super capital ships. During the Great War, turrets were generally either standard turrets or missile launchers, with the most notable exception of the unique flux cannons equipped on the Lucifer. Some turrets were occasionally seen equipped with standard fighter weapons.

In FreeSpace 2, two additional types of weapons are seen equipped on turrets: flak guns and beam turrets.

Types of turret weapons

Standard turrets

Standard turrets, commonly referred to as blob turrets due to their appearance, are slow-moving energy projectiles. Although generally regarded as being of limited use, they are capable of intercepting warheads and are particularly deadly to unshielded craft. Types of blob turrets include:

• Terran Turret Weak
• Terran Turret
• Terran Huge Turret
• Shivan Turret Laser
• Shivan Megafunk Turret

• Shivan Super Laser

The Shivan Super Laser, equipped exclusively on the SD Lucifer, differs from standard turret weapons in that it is an exclusively anti-capital ship weapon capable of destroying a capital ship in just a few hits. It is referred to from within the game as a "flux cannon". This weapon is commonly believed to be an early example of a beam weapon.

Missile launchers

Missile launchers or missile batteries fire secondary weapons. Capital-ship mounted missiles include:

• FighterKiller
• Swarmer
• Fusion Mortar
• Vasudan Flux Cannon
• Shivan Cluster
• MX-52

Flak guns

Main article: Flak gun

Flak guns are explosive anti-fighter point-defense weapons.

• Standard Flak
• Heavy Flak
• Long Range Flak

Beam cannons

Main article: Beam weapon

Beam weapons are directed energy weapons, used against both fighters and bombers as well as capital ships.

SRed LRed BFRed SAAA S-AAA-Weak TerSlash Green Beam LTerSlash BFGreen LRBGreen

BGreen SGreen SVas BVas VSlash AAAf AAAh ULTRA Anti-Fighter Beam MjolnirBeam MjolnirBeam#home

Notes

Gameplay notes

• Individual turrets on large capital ships can be destroyed independently of the parent capital ship in the same manner as normal subsystems.
• Turrets can be targeted individually with the "K" key.
• Turrets (and subsystems) in the direct line of sight of your fighter can be targeted with the "V" key.

FREDding notes

• The turret's individual AI class doesn't matter. Turret AI class is governed by the ship's pilot AI.
• You can also replace standard turrets with beam cannons or flak guns. However, changing turrets to warhead launchers requires tabling knowledge.

Misc

• The spelling "turrent" is a relatively common misspelling.