In other news, I've been thinking about missiles in advanced settings.
Past a certain point in orbital development, ship-to-ship missiles start to either get very useless, or require their own torch engines, and the latter is very expensive, especially if you can't guarantee a hit. My thought as such is to have the majority of weapons be non-self propelled, either kinetic impactors or beam weapons, but have very large vessels mount a few "Torpedos" if you will, effectively small torch-ships with their entire payload mass full of warhead. These wouldn't so much be "missiles" as skinny cutters with unpleasant attitudes and extremely nihilistic AIs. They'd be equipped with very high yield warheads, and both have very smart guidance systems and extremely large areas of effect. They would likely even have their own point defenses or force fields, if the latter exist in setting.
Additionally, in a setting taking place after a large scale war with such weapons, unused torpedos with the warheads removed might become available on the civilian market as comparatively inexpensive milspec spacecraft with amusingly overpowered engines.
I agree with the above. But, considering the take on warfare as seen above, would Battlestar-esque warship be viable? I am aware this has little to do with the OP, but I just want to generate conversation.
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Also, railguns. Purely short range weapon in space, assuming no guided rounds. I would suggest using massive numbers of high power lasers to melt through critical places in armor at long range and then closing in for the kill with rails. Torps would be a heavy weapon in this scenario.
