Author Topic: Drones as rockets  (Read 1298 times)

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Offline TallTroll (OP)

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Drones as rockets
« on: April 16, 2012, 02:17:53 PM »
Whilst playing with the test DB with high techs, I worked out a design for a sensor guided rocket

Code: [Select]
Missile Size: 6 MSP  (0.3 HS)     Warhead: 15    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 5
Speed: 133300 km/s    Endurance: 0 minutes   Range: 3.9m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.24   Sensitivity Modifier: 400%
Resolution: 140    Maximum Range vs 7000 ton object (or larger): 1,130,000 km
Cost Per Missile: 17.1983
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 666.5%   3k km/s 220%   5k km/s 133.3%   10k km/s 66.6%
Materials Required:    3.75x Tritanium   0.24x Uridium   13.0833x Gallicite   Fuel x6.25

Because drones have a fixed engine of 5 MSP, I reasoned that if you could fit everything else into 1 MSP, you'd have a size 6 round that was fast, and although it lacked agility, it's ability to pass quickly though PD screens should result in fewer getting shot down, somewhat compensating for the lack of hits.

It's mostly suitable for taking on large, slow targets. I've chosen to put the largest possible warhead on this one, and tuned the sensor for 7,000 tons. If you chose a higher resolution, you could monkey with the numbers to give it a better stand-off range. Alternatively, against a heavy shield user, you might actually use an EM sensor, as the "biggest" targets would be the most heavily shielded, hopefully the high value targets you want to hit.

It works well as a FAC weapon. A FAC built at comparable techs should be able to carry 10 or 12 of these in box launchers, and a size 0.1 MFC which easily outranges the missile. Adding a small sensor to the drone makes it fire and forget, allowing the FAC to break off after launch, and not get too close to the target PD screen.

You do need to have decent drone engines and warheads to make this viable, and it's pretty much constrained to Size 6, but if your fleet uses Size 6 missiles, this could be a useful alternative load for some missions
 

Offline TheDeadlyShoe

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Re: Drones as rockets
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2012, 03:18:07 PM »
It looks impressive, but unfortunately at that tech level your targets are likely to be > 10k km/s.  The hit ratio would degrade pretty quick for a cost 18 missile, and you're also practically within energy weapons range. >_<
 

Offline TallTroll (OP)

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Re: Drones as rockets
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2012, 03:28:08 PM »
If you trade in just one point of warhead, you get a massive range increase, thanks to the drones' super efficient engine, but it's always the speed thing that kills the to hit %ages. You can only really shoot these things at fairly slow targets. 10 or 20 FACs armed with these makes a good battleship / carrier killer though. They'd work fine for base assaults, and attacking planetary targets (populations, PDCs). Anything, so long as the target isn't fast...
 

Offline chrislocke2000

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Re: Drones as rockets
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2012, 04:58:38 PM »
It works a hell of a lot better when you use them as the base of a MIRV
 

Offline TallTroll (OP)

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Re: Drones as rockets
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2012, 05:17:34 PM »
Can you do both? Leave a warhead on the bus, and have the submunitions track the target too?
 

Offline metalax

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Re: Drones as rockets
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2012, 05:21:38 PM »
Yes, though usually it's speed is low enough to make hit's unlikely, I still tend to give them at least a warhead of 1 just in case they do score a lucky hit, though usually they just cause the enemy to expend a few more AMM's.