Forgot an active sensor, picked a fight, what are my options.

[scvn2812 (OP)]

So I forgot to put an active search sensor on my combat ships and decided to test the latest generation against some hostile aliens lurking in a system I want to colonize. Oops.

I know there are other options though. My missiles have active sensors (not great ones but they do have them which is better than nothing) so I've tried two things so far:

using the launch missiles button in the task force menu and giving them the fire at waypoint order. I get no response whatsoever to let me know the order will be carried out or is impossible when using the launch missiles button and I've hit it just about every time increment thus far with no reaction. Its been 110 seconds since I issued the first fire order so I'm starting to wonder if this button is working or just how long the fire delay can be for inexperienced crews.

As for the launch missiles at waypoint order, I've set a waypoint that my ships have now arrived at, declare they have completed all orders but do not fire.

[Mysterius]

I must say i've never used the "fire at waypoint" order. . .

In your situation, i would retreat and include a ship with active sensors inside the fleet to direct the others.

[Goron]

In your situation, i would retreat and include a ship with active sensors inside the fleet to direct the others.

This.

[scvn2812 (OP)]

I figured out how to get around the unresponsiveness of the ships to the orders I'm giving in the task force menu. I've figured out how to have them shoot at waypoints in the combat menu. I've issued orders to flee to the nearest jump point but I'm also leaving some parting gifts at a waypoint between my task force and the approaching alien ship. I just realized I didn't put an active sensor on my missile after all, just thermals, so I'm fairly certain these will only be distractions, since iirc, missiles can't hit something if they don't have actives of their own or something painted for them by the firing ship. Maybe they'll waste some PD missiles on my missiles.

I gave my larger, jump capable ship an extra targeting sensor so a refit to swap it for a search sensor should be fairly painless. Or I may go all out and include the new sensor as part of the major refit from ion to magneto plasma drives. Haven't decided whether to retain my early navy as a second string reserve or refit them to retain the use of their semi-experienced crews in front line service. (Not that there is a front line yet to be had, I'm in a fairly quiet area of the universe thus far except for some very advanced, very territorial probable precursors squatting on a system I really want to colonize.)

Edit: the bum flew right on past my waiting cluster of missiles at 8k kps and contemptuously ignored them.

Edit 2: apparently I was partially wrong, missiles can hit on thermal sensors. I'm managing to get a hit rate of 1 out of 4 with him pursuing at point blank range with no target assigned to my launchers.

[Yonder]

Haha, a 25% hit rate is pretty good considering the circumstances!

It is a little counter-intuitive that while only Active Sensors can allow Fire Controls to target objects, missiles themselves can hit targets with their own sensors of any type. I just tell myself that at long ranges only the Active Sensors give the sort of data that a targeting system needs, but once you get in close you can make do with anything.

As for which sensor to use, I go with Thermals as well. Although I can't remember if I ever did a thorough examination of whether that was better than Active or not (or rather, for which instances one was better than the other). I wouldn't use EM sensors, because unless your opponents are using shields the only ship emitting them will be the enemy sensor ship. It is usually a good idea to target this ship first, however the main purpose of missiles sensors is usually to limit overkill by finding additional targets after their primary one is killed. In that scenario you want your missiles to find all enemies equally, it's your job with the Fire Control allocation to ensure that the initial targets focus on what you want killed first.

[scvn2812 (OP)]

In case anyone wanted to know what happened, I was managing to whittle away at the lone hostile with my 2 8kt jump ships and 3 4 kt pickets by spamming missiles at way points and hoping the missiles would get a thermal lock. He wasn't intercepting anything, apparently he had no missile defense except raw, blistering speed (8,000+ kps until I damaged his drive and dropped him down to 681 kps.) I must have damaged his magazine or something because he stopped shooting. I foolishly assumed he'd run out of ammo and decided to move in and rescue the life pods from the jump ship he'd managed to take out. Over the course of the next few minutes I emptied the task force's magazines but my luck ran out: none of the missile salvos managed a lock. After running out of ammo and scooping up the life pods, I made for the jump point.

A few minutes later he apparently finished repairs to his magazine. Considering I go very liberal with the CIWS and he was only firing 4 missile salvos, it took a bit of doing, but he eventually slagged every last ship in the task force.

Now that I know I can hurt them with enough salvo density and I can, for a while at least, stand up to return fire, I'm emboldened. There will be a new expedition as soon as I can get a decent sized task force refit with active sensors and perhaps even a load of the new and improved missile I've designed.