Pilot Archive

All overloads damage your components. If the armor/hp on the component is low the damage will reduce the effectiveness of the component, in your case to 91%.

Weapon overload 4 increases damage, energy/shot and reactor drain. The increased drain by overloading 4 weapons is taking more juice then your reactor can handle.

Weapon overload 3 is bugged. It increases damage but reduces drain and energy/shot. That's why people think 4 is the bugged one, since that disables everything so it has to be bugged, right?

All the overloads cause some damage to components. Use overload lvl 3 for less damage that can be repaired without causing permanent damage prior to landing at a starport. If you decide to use lvl 4 then take a trip to deep space prior to landing or just accept the minor damage resulting after getting repaired prior to landing. In any case, if your weapons are being disabled, then you are superceding your reactor output. You need to run a reactor overlaod program to compensate.

Xak

all the overloads do DAMAGE ( a very small percentage, but more per lvl of the OC I think) ... decay happens every time you repair, where the max hitpoints and armor hitpoints are reduced, like repairing an item in the ground game... only difference is the decay is a set percentage of the amount of damage you repaired. if you are an ace, and go into deep space... as soon as you leave either by hypering out or getting blown to chunks, Your ship gets a full repair with NO decay.

30k prestige is a very very low price to pay for this =)

I tend to keep an eye on the armor of my components, and I won't repair anything until I know an overload will eat into the hitpoints of the item to the point that the OC will actually reduce the effectiveness of the component.

I've also seen it stated, if you get a component completely toasted... only repair the minimum to get limping and go to deep space... the decay will only be based on how much damage you repair... so a small decay from a low fix.