Shooting down missiles.

[OneoftheLost]

Hello all! I'm not around often, due to my decreased internet access, but I still try to read up as much as I can. Recently I hit Dangerous for the first time. (I have restartaritis something fierce. ) As I got my latest kill, it occured to me that Oolite is VERY much a game of skill. I consider my-self to be an average combateer, but as I was reading some of the Oolite fiction, I started to wonder how others play.

For me, combat is centered around two things. My injectors, and my military lasers. I have never purchased a missile outside of a Random Hits mission, or some other OXp mission that makes the game harder. So I generally have no idea how to counter them. Now, the ECM is fine and all, but I have to bring up a question. In one of the stories I read, (Coyote I believe.) one of the characters shoots down an incoming projectile.

In-game, I have NEVER been able to do this. Shift + T targets the missile, but actually hitting it with a laser?? No way.

Any of you Elite Commanders got any tips for this?

I ask because it seems like every single Cobra Mk 1 I face has a hardhead. Normally I just inject away, but it can be a pain when I feel like taking on the rest of the pirates.

[Commander McLane]

It depends very much on how the missile is coming in on you. If it's flying straight (especially straight from the ship you just shoot, and therefore already exactly in your line of fire) it is rather easy to kill it. If on the other hand it has already gone into a spiraling motion it's nigh impossible to hit.

[snork]

I often tried to get one with aft lasers, but never scored. Maybe some day ...

I do not consider myself a good pilot, however.

I have never purchased a missile outside of a Random Hits mission

Firing off 1 or 2 ECM-proof missile(s) into a bigger group of pirates often is what for me makes the difference, even if the targeted ships successfully avoid being destroyed by them missiles.

[cim]

I've certainly hit more missiles accidentally than intentionally, but I'm slowly getting better with practice. Managed to shoot down a missile that was spiralling after an ally a few days ago (without hitting my ally in the process, too)

Firing off 1 or 2 ECM-proof missile(s) into a bigger group of pirates often is what for me makes the difference, even if the targeted ships successfully avoid being destroyed by them missiles.

Agreed. It's a nice bonus if the missile actually blows something up, but anything slow and large enough to reliably hit is probably also big enough to take the impact. Getting an opponent or two to break off their attacks for 30 seconds is my main use for them.

(Even a non-hardened missile will get them to break off for a couple of seconds while they ECM it, if you're really desperate)

[OneoftheLost]

Thanks for the advice! I still havn't been able to so much as look at a missile funny, but I keep trying. I think the problem is by the time I notice they are hard-headed, they are already spiraling in behind me.

In regards to laser usage, I never thought of it that way. To be honest I always carry fuel cannisters so that I can keep on injecting around like a moron. I may have to reconsider and purchase a few hard heads in the future.

Thanks again for all the advice.

[sdrubble]

Hi OneoftheLost,

Not sure if this would be what you're after, but:

Armoury OXP is a current OXP, which is also a superset of a number of formerly stand-alone (and now deprecated) OXPs. Among these now-bundled-and-revived old ones, there is (*was...*) the Missile Rack OXP , which contains the Interceptor Missile Rack.

The Interceptors are an efficient and economically-wise (read: cheap! ) way to bring down most incoming missiles, and I never leave dock without one or two racks (each rack comprises 3 independently-fired Interceptors).

The Interceptors really do the job of disposing of most missiles fired at your ship. Interceptions are usually far more successful when your ship is actually facing the incoming missile (so that the somewhat limited range of an Interceptor is not wasted doing an U-turn, which is what happens when you fire one while fleeing from a missile spiraling at your six).

Now, if I only wouldn't botch the correct command-sequence [Shift-T + select pylon + arm + fire] 80% of all times when attempting this in a hurry... (now, really - can someone help me with a foolproof method for achieving this ???)

Cheers

[CommonSenseOTB]

Sooo....have any of you gents had Sniperlock installed....then shift+t to get the box around the incoming missile.....aimed close enough to the target for the sniperlock to happen......then fired?



Have fun now.

[Smivs]

Assuming you still have working injectors and fuel had you considered out-flying the missile and chasing it instead

[OneoftheLost]

OTB you are a bad man. I tried just this, failed miserably, and died.



Thanks for the suggestion Sdrubble! I didnt even know there was an OXP that had all that. I will definately check it out.


Finally, Ive been doing what smivs said more and more, just inject around like a retarted chimpanzee and wait for it to self-destruct.

[Switeck]

If there's asteroids nearby, it's possible to get missile/s to run into them instead...but you'll still need injectors to do that and be quite skilled at maneuvering around the asteroids.

[Smivs]

Now, if I only wouldn't botch the correct command-sequence [Shift-T + select pylon + arm + fire] 80% of all times when attempting this in a hurry... (now, really - can someone help me with a foolproof method for achieving this ???)

Cheers

Nope! Which is why I rarely use any missiles...maybe a hardhead or two on board, usually nothing. And anyway they cost MONEY! Use the lasers to kill stuff....they're free.
Or just leg it

[sdrubble]

Sooo....have any of you gents had Sniperlock installed....then shift+t to get the box around the incoming missile.....aimed close enough to the target for the sniperlock to happen......then fired?

Well, I actually have SniperLock sitting on an 'addons-waiting' folder, so I'll be able to test this soon.

But it would certainly be ridiculous to watch a spiraling missile grab my ship by the nose and twist it around while I try to fire a prolonged shot...

Now, if I only wouldn't botch the correct command-sequence [Shift-T + select pylon + arm + fire] 80% of all times when attempting this in a hurry... (now, really - can someone help me with a foolproof method for achieving this ???)

Nope!

Well, thx for the incentive.

But I still prefer to believe I can improve on the remaining 20% (with a slight help from TAF=0.5)...

Thanks for the suggestion Sdrubble! I didnt even know there was an OXP that had all that. I will definately check it out.

Well, good luck - and pay special attention to my success rate and to Smivs *incentive* above...

Cheers

[RyanHoots]

Now, if I only wouldn't botch the correct command-sequence [Shift-T + select pylon + arm + fire] 80% of all times when attempting this in a hurry... (now, really - can someone help me with a foolproof method for achieving this ???)

Cheers

Nope! Which is why I rarely use any missiles...maybe a hardhead or two on board, usually nothing. And anyway they cost MONEY! Use the lasers to kill stuff....they're free.
Or just leg it

Yeah, I rarely use missiles. Especially during the Xeptatl's Sword mission, 'cause I've only got two pylons, and the Xeptatl Society guys keep wanting to mount things on them. So I usually keep my missile bays empty. The Koneko Kobra Mk2 may only have one missile, with an increase in speed...

As for crazy anti-missile tactics, if you're really good you can get the missile to hit another ship, like a nearby Anaconda or Boa. Also, firing cheap missiles at the incoming missile can work, but it's not advisable. As a last resort, I like to ram the ship that fired the missile, as a sort of revenge. If I survive that, which is unlikely in a KK, I use a random tactic against the missile. Anything from Q-Bombs to missiles to crazy flying to dumping cargo in the hopes that the missile will hit that instead of me. This is why hardheads are very effective against me.

Yesterday, an Asp fired a hardhead at me, and I went to injectors and circled the pirate, hitting it with my starboard gun while I waited for the hardhead to explode. That's the most impressive feat of flying I've done yet. It was so fun to see the Jameson's ship blow in the end.

[CommonSenseOTB]

Sooo....have any of you gents had Sniperlock installed....then shift+t to get the box around the incoming missile.....aimed close enough to the target for the sniperlock to happen......then fired?



Have fun now.

OTB you are a bad man. I tried just this, failed miserably, and died.

I'm sorry man. I couldn't help myself. But at long ranges I have shot down missiles in this way. Use injectors, get far enough away and it does work. I swear.<fingers crossed>

[Micha]

IMHO, the addition of hard-head missiles to the core game unbalanced it.

In Elite you had missiles and ECM. (and it was somewhat possible to shoot down missiles)
In Oolite, you have missiles and ECM and hard-head missiles which are (almost) immune to ECM. (and I don't think I've ever managed to shoot down a missile)

To re-balance, having some sort of chaff (passive/dumb) or anti-missile (active/smart) system (Shift-E?) part of the core game makes sense to me. It would have a number of 'shots' before it needs refilling.
Thoughts?