Damage Per Second

Damage Per Second, commonly referred to in-game as DPS, is the amount of damage dealt by a single beam, missile, or projectile shot, divided by the reload (or recharge) time of the weapon being used. These statistics can be found in the properties-window of all beam weapons. For missile and projectile users, the damage hitpoints are in the properties-window of the ammunition, and the reload time is in the properties-window of the weapon.

DPS: A standard for comparison

DPS is a useful way of comparing the destructive power of one weapon with another. For example:

a low damage + high rate of fire weapon might be more destructive against an enemy than a weapon with high damage but slow rate of fire.
a higher-level weapon which fires multiple units of a lower-level ammunition per shot might inflict more damage than a gun which fires only a single unit of high-level ammunition.

Comparing the DPS allows you to cut through the confusion of the myriad of damage and rate-of-fire statistics, making weapon choice easier.

DPS: Not the only consideration

DPS should not necessarily be your sole reason for choosing a particular weapon. Some points to bear in mind:

having a lower-damage but higher fire-rate weapon amongst an arsenal of slower, but heavier hitters can be useful, as the more rapid fire can potentially interrupt an enemy's deployment of its supplementary fighting abilities against you. (Alternatively, if slow heavy-hitters are used exclusively, instead of hitting the F-key to fire all guns at once, you can fire your weapons individually with a timed delay between each one, to attempt a similar interruptive effect).
A Level 8 gun which fires three rounds of L6 ammunition may have greater DPS than a L8 gun which fires a single unit of L8 ammo, however ammo supplies for a 3-units-per-shot gun will dwindle seemingly as quickly as ice-cubes on a hot day. This will necessitate the use of a beam-wielding wingman as an ammo-barge, and/or the sacrifice of much cargo space, and/or early retirement from battle or hunting to build or buy more ammo. Many pilots prefer single-unit-per-shot weapons with a slightly lower DPS to minimise such inconveniences.
If the best DPS weapon for a particular weapon-level deals a damage-type to which an enemy has a high resistance, you may have less success than if using a lower-DPS weapon of that weapon-level that inflicts a damage-type against which an enemy is weak. Experienced pilots will stock a range of weapons and ammo in their arsenals and, before hunting, select weaponry with the most effective damage-type against their intended prey before comparing DPS data.

Damage Per Second

DPS: A standard for comparison

DPS: Not the only consideration

Quick links to Weapon-Comparison Pages

Beam Weapons

Missile Launchers

Projectile Launchers

Related Links