Oolite Bulletins

i remember somebody claming that Hard Heads was able to be destroyed by the ECM system by using the ECM system for a prolonged time...

However, i have yet to succesfully ECM a hardhead...

I was wondering if this was possible in 1.65, or if other ppl are having the same "feeling"...

I don't think it's worth it, it doesn't mention any ECM behavior in the missile script. But it does explode after it has travelled a given distance. So your best bet is to light up your afterburners, or dodge until it reaches its limit.

OR

Have really good shields!

OR

Shoot it down (if your name is Deadeye Dick)

Or get yourself a chaff dispenser...

I've managed to ECM a hardhead (I think!) playing 1.68.

Hardheads can indeed be ECMed. It works like this (OMG spoilerz!):

• Each time a hardhead is hit by an ECM pulse, there’s a 5% chance it will die, a 5% chance it will detonate (dealing damage to anything nearby), and a 90% chance it will do nothing. (This is specified in the CHECK_EXPLOSION state in hardMissileAI.plist.)
• Each time you press the ECM button, four pulses are emitted, half a second apart. Each pulse has a longer range than the previous one. This has the effect that a) closer objects are hit by more pulses, and b) further objects are hit after a longer interval, simulating an expanding, weakening bubble.
• For a hardhead that’s far away and only hit by one pulse, the chance of being destroyed is thus 10%. For a hardhead that’s close by, the chance is 1 - 0.9^4 = 34% – but it takes two seconds for the four ECM pulses to happen, and if it is destroyed there’s still a 50/50 chance that it will hurt.

Oohh... every day's a school day!