Missile lock request

DennyMala · Post by **DennyMala** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:31 am

I wonder if it is possible to have a kay that broke the lock on a target.

It happens often that you fire a missile (especially the excalibur pack) it ends locking and pointing directly to a target that you don't want to harm.

The simple thing to do is switch to another that you want to hit, but not always is easy as not always there is another target.

Why not having a key that cancel the target in the ship system and break the lock?

Kalshion · Post by **Kalshion** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:33 am

Or perhaps a key that auto-destructs the missile perhaps? Perfect for when you accidently fire on a friendly ship.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:00 am

Well, this situation usually only occurs when you fire an Excalibur - and the part where you have to re-direct it so it doesn't hit anyone is there on purpose, last I checked.

How often do any of you accidentally fire on a friendly ship anyway? :/ There aren't a lot of them around, last time I checked( flew into Alpha Centauri. o_O ).

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:12 pm

I am with you Jeremy.

Excalibur is a weird and unique missile, also so much fun.
2 or 3 Excal wouldn't kill you guys...

Leave the space little unsafe and pilot skills alive(evasive maneuvers)...

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:23 pm

yes, it is only with Excalibur, and there are several ways to prevent hitting friendlies!

1. Do not fire Exc when friendlies are around! LOL

2. And if you must fire with friendlies around cycle through friendly targets till missiles run out of steam!

3. Selfdestruct so your reputation does not get affected by accidently hitting a friendly. Make sure you save before accepting contract or when not in contract before firing Exc! LOL:P

4. I believe in Legends, if I'm not mistaken, has been fixed that if the missiles hit a friendly by accident it will not affect your reputation as if the missile self destructed! I could be wrong on this last one thou!;)

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:29 pm

I think you are right...

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:20 pm

Hmmm, I think a "self-destruct" key would be the best idea as it would cover any & all missiles fired.
But I think Vice is running out of keys to use!

warsign · Post by **warsign** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:44 pm

We need another command to recycle to self destructed missiles if we explode them by mistake.

DennyMala · Post by **DennyMala** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:43 pm

The missile detonation option would be resolutive too.

It happens sometime when you're engaged in fight with multiple friend and foes that in the furball you end up having a friend just near your just busted target.

It happened to me with a player (and everything was fine) and with a navy vessel behind a station.... he got red and attacked me.

[Modificato il 30/4/2009 da DennyMala]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:05 pm

Originally posted by MMaggio
Hmmm, I think a "self-destruct" key would be the best idea as it would cover any & all missiles fired.
But I think Vice is running out of keys to use!

I agree there should be a self destruct key in multiplayer mode because a friendly player can still be Red just by association with an opposing clan! and you might be working cooperativly with this player!

In single player I think the Excalibur in Legends has been fixed to only affect Reds and if there are no more reds the rest will go towards the yellows but will not affect your reputation or change the yellow to red it is like it self destructed! Now if you Fire your Excalibur intentionally while locked on a yellow or green then yes that affects your reputation because you fired a fresh bunch at your target and there are no stray missiles yet!

Btw, Vice should not run out of keys to use, He has a Saitek X52 HOTAS!LOL:P:P:P

matthewfarmery · Post by **matthewfarmery** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:59 pm

he might not run out of keys, but the rest of us might:D

Post by **Vice** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:01 pm

Forced target tracking was part of the design for the Excalibur for an added measure of risk. To avoid collateral damage, it's best used in a situation with multiple hostile nearby. If you could drop the target or destroy the missiles, this compromise is eliminated. From a discussion a few years ago:

Restraint is part of the equation with the Excalibur. To avoid it becoming a kind of super weapon, the trade off was it would continually track the next target until all missiles had been used. This limited its scope so that the player had to plan carefully before using it.

It will focus on only hostile ships if there are enough hostile ships around (it's safe to fire with friendlies around in the right situation). This means it is most effective and safest when two or more hostiles are in range. Otherwise, you risk friendly fire if you try to fire it with just a hostile and friendlies around. The Excalibur isn't intended to be an entirely precise weapon, without a risk of collateral damage it would be an effortlessly successful weapon at almost any time.

If only one hostile is around, it's generally best to use guns only if you're carrying an excalibur for a secondary weapon.

Btw, Vice should not run out of keys to use, He has a Saitek X52 HOTAS!LOL

True, but not everyone does and game functions needs to be accessible by keyboard input.

DennyMala · Post by **DennyMala** » Fri May 01, 2009 2:43 pm

That pretty much ends the discussion.

Thanks for the clarification Vice.

Glock36 · Post by **Glock36** » Fri May 01, 2009 8:23 pm

real men use guns but the Excalibur is a heck of a lot of fun!

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:31 am

Originally posted by Glock36
real men use guns but the Excalibur is a heck of a lot of fun!

Specialy when you do the swan dance with them, no not the men lol:P:P:P, I mean the Guns and Excalibur nice swirly paterns combined with canons and lasers in the middle of the swirl followed by the explosion of the Vonari Battle Cruiser LOL!:P

[Edited on 5-2-2009 by Maarschalk]

Dengar · Post by **Dengar** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:40 pm

Re Excals, but correct me if I am wrong, if you let loose 8 Excals on a red, and it blows up after say 3, then the other five will lock onto the next target that you have in your hit list. However, if this is a Green, then assuming there are more that two pilots (you and the other green) then you could change Target using the T key (or whatever joystick selection you have) and the remaining 5 Excals will re-direct to the new target. You can do this quite a lot until your Green can get out of the way and your 5 Excals self destruct anyway.

This is Target Management, and was the only way to deal with rogue missiles before the "linking" facility was incorporated.

But I am sure somebody will tell me that a load of bull****

Post by **Vice** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:54 pm

That's exactly right and is the tactic needed to avoid hitting friendlies if/when the situation calls for it. If there's a target at least 4K away, the missiles will likely self-detonate before reaching that range, so leaving a long range target like that locked is a good option.

Dengar · Post by **Dengar** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:09 pm

HaHa!!

See, told you so!!! Me and Vice know stuff!!

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:16 pm

Originally posted by Dengar
HaHa!!

See, told you so!!! Me and Vice know stuff!!

Yeah, it is easy to know stuff, but hard to see stuff with all those bandages around your head! I like it thou, should get some signatures on them!LOL:P:P:P

Dengar · Post by **Dengar** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:28 pm

I have - sort of.

Names of the pilots I have destroyed. Want to join the list?

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:49 pm

Originally posted by Dengar
I have - sort of.

Names of the pilots I have destroyed. Want to join the list?

I knew you were gona ask me that question! Nice try! LOL:P:P:P

SVB · Post by **SVB** » Sun May 03, 2009 6:41 pm

Originally posted by Glock36
real men use guns but the Excalibur is a heck of a lot of fun!

You bet!
Lets have more gun use here, missles are a little overpowered?

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Sun May 03, 2009 10:19 pm

"Real men" use guns?

Since when?

You do realize that most Military Fighter aircraft these days have a vast array of missile weaponry and usually only one or two cannons?

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Sun May 03, 2009 10:54 pm

Originally posted by Jeremy
"Real men" use guns?

Since when?

You do realize that most Military Fighter aircraft these days have a vast array of missile weaponry and usually only one or two cannons?

I thought that they also have modern fighters now that even do not have any guns or cannons and only use missiles once locked long range on the target are fire and forget!

Post by **Marvin** » Sun May 03, 2009 11:45 pm

Originally posted by Maarschalk:
I thought that they also have modern fighters now that even do not have any guns or cannons and only use missiles once locked long range on the target are fire and forget!

That was the "General" misconception back in the 1950's ... 'though I'm sure it pops up now and again when a member of The Brass decides that technology can always overcome poor training, bad planning and the unavoidable SNAFU. Fighter pilots, on the other hand, generally prefer a gunfight ... and balk at any aircraft built under the premise (like the F-4C/D) that there will never be a need to get up close and personal.

Problem is, pilots don't always have the advantage of GCI (ground controlled intercept) radar ... and AWACS can't be everywhere. Consequently, the enemy occasionally has this nasty habit of sneaking up from behind. At which point, long-range missiles are useless.