PDC Thermal Signature

[MagusXIX (OP)]

Hey everyone.   New here.   

I'm playing my first real game (aside from the tutorial. )  4 starting empires on Earth.   My question comes in at least a couple parts . . .  firstly, why do my empires pick up thermal signatures of 1 for each PDC of the other empires?  According to the design window, all of the PDCs have no thermal signature (they don't even have engines, for crying out loud. )  And secondly, if they are detecting a thermal signature, why can my ICBM pdcs not target those signatures?

Ordinarily I wouldn't have brought this up, except that my system map is always cluttered with a huge list of PDCs (ie: Essex 01, Essex 02, Essex 03, and so on . . .  any way to truncate that into something like: Essex (x16)?)  and yet, despite this huge list of contacts, none of them are targetable.

Here are my PDC designs.   Am I missing something?

Jerong class ICBM Launch Base    3,600 tons     47 Crew     149 BP      TCS 72  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 5-20     Sensors 1/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 48
Intended Deployment Time: 1 months    Spare Berths 3   
Magazine 48   

Fuel Capacity 50,000 Litres    Range N/A
ICBM Silo (2)    Missile Size 24    Rate of Fire 43200
ICBM Launch Control (1)     Range 50k km    Resolution 50
Conventional ICBM (2)  Speed: 10 km/s   End: 16. 7m    Range: 0. 1m km   WH: 6    Size: 24    TH: 0/0/0

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s


This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 2 sections

[MagusXIX (OP)]

Okay, learned something new by combing the wiki.   You cannot target thermal signatures.   Damn, there go my hopes at a cloaked, passive-sensor only submarine-esque ship.   

But apparently you can target EM signatures, because I can definitely target enemy populations.   Am I correct in that assumption, or is there something special about populations that allows them to be targeted regardless?

Also, how do I clean up my contacts list on the system map so that it's not such a giant list?  I've tried checking the "Hide IDs" button but it doesn't seem to do anything.   It would be nice to have a clean contact list, if possible.

[se5a]

you could fire a guided missile ontop a first stage at a waypoint though.
at the waypoint the first stage should fall off, then the guided missile will look for a target.

[Brian Neumann]

The normal rule of thumb is you must have an active sensor active and in range to be able to target anything.  Populations are a bit of an exeption because the planet is a known point regardless of what your sensors are like.  The way to get a passive target without turning on your actives only works for missiles.  You fire at a waypoint where you think the target will be when it gets to the waypoint.  You have to have a passive sensor on the missile (em or thermal) which needs to be able to detect the target.  If you have extra fuel on the missile it will wait untill something hostile comes into detection range or it runs out of fuel.  Please note that if a possible target fly's completely through a missiles detection range in 1 5-second cycle it will NOT be detected and the missile will just sit there.  As a side note this tends to work better with a two stage missile, but both stages will need passive sensors if you want to pull a submarine style attack.

Brian

[MagusXIX (OP)]

Thanks guys.   What about the map clutter?  Any way to group all of those PDC contacts into one item on the list?  I assumed that's what "Hide IDs" was supposed to do, but either it's not what I think it is or else it's bugged.