Messing with Buoys etc.

[se5a (OP)]

so I've snuck up on some spoiler using thermal sensors.
before I attempt to set up a surprise party for this spoiler I want to get a better look at it with some active sensors.

My plan is to design a sensor Buoy, stick it on a stage, and fire it at the thing.
aand I suddenly have some questions:

Q1:
The wiki mentions reactor duration, but I can't see anywhere to change that on the design window.
the reactor window is greyed out, unless fuel capacity gives it a lifetime?
I don't see anything in the stats on lifetime even when I put fuel in.

Q2:
if the Buoy is a second stage, does it start beeping as soon as it's fired, or after the first stage has released it? (I suspect the spoiler will kill the buoy as soon as it sees it, and if I'm close it might investigate...)

Q3:
for mines, do I just dump a bunch of missiles(or one, whatever) which have active sensors, as a second stage on a buoy which has maybe a passive and set the separation range to the missile range?
Q3b: how long do mines hang around for? I presume Q1 may answer..

[Icecoon]

1. In 6.00 Steve introduced buoys and mines with infinite lifetime. The Wiki is out of date.

2. Only when the second stage fires.

3. Exactly, but you may design a mine only with passive sensors to maintain secrecy. Its your choice.

[se5a (OP)]

Ah cool cool.

with the seeking missile part of the mine, I guess I'm wanting to match the range of the missile itself and the range of the sensor on it, and the resolution to match what I'm expecting it to hit?
and match that with the sensor on the first stage...

if the first stage detects something that the second stage cannot see, will the secondstage detonate as soon as it's fired? or is there a fudge factor in there?

[Icecoon]

1. Yes

2. The first stage will fire the second stage as soon as it sees something, so its better to give them fuel range matching with the sensor range of the mine and the missile.

[se5a (OP)]

Wicked. thankyou.

[Bandus]

@se5a - If you can make a 2 stage missile work like you're attempting (i.e. first stage carries the bouy, second stage is the bouy itself) can you post again with the design for each stage? I am currently attempting the exact same thing and have been unable to make it work.

[se5a (OP)]

Will do - I've had a serious Uridium deficit so things are taking a little longer than expected.
especialy since I've designed and built ships and loadouts specificaly for this mission.

another quick question: when firing at a waypoint, does the waypoint need to be in range of whatever FC you have on the ship?

[Bandus]

Based on previous experience shooting at hostiles, I would say yes, the target (even if it is a waypoint) needs to be in range. Beyond experience, when I was messing with this I assumed it did simply because I can't think of a good reason it wouldn't need to be in range.

[se5a (OP)]

ah ok, I assume I can get away with designing a sensor with massive resolution and therefore huge range and small size for this sort of thing?
ie waypoints are considered infinite size so any FC will pick it up?

[Bandus]

With this FCS:

Ravenki-SBDV-FCS-001 (1)     Range 3,227.0m km    Resolution 155

I was able to target a waypoint that was 2,000m KM away. Keep in mind, after firing the missile wouldn't actually go anywhere...but I was definitely able to see the waypoint as a viable target.

[se5a (OP)]

Rog.
I'll have to do some experimentation.

[Icecoon]

Based on previous experience shooting at hostiles, I would say yes, the target (even if it is a waypoint) needs to be in range. Beyond experience, when I was messing with this I assumed it did simply because I can't think of a good reason it wouldn't need to be in range.

Nope.

You can fire at any waypoint, but you have to position yourself for the missile to reach the target. 

[sublight]

another quick question: when firing at a waypoint, does the waypoint need to be in range of whatever FC you have on the ship?

Nope. I've successfully launched guided missiles and buoy deployment drones at waypoints outside of the FC range.

[se5a (OP)]

himn...
am I doing this wrong then?
I've told a fighter armed with a probe to fire at a waypoint next to en. the fighter, while well within the range of the probe, is flying towards the waypoint. (from the task groups window)

if I go to the individual unit details  under combat settings, I'm unable to assign the FC to the waypoint I am wanting to fire at.
I was unable to assign to the waypoint that I was sitting right ontop off as well.
this is a res16 FC.

maybe I'll send the other fighter back to the ship and get one of the other active all the way probes.

edit:

Oh, maybe I need to turn it ON?
edit2:
oh, no you don't need to turn FC on.
ok managed to launch it... lets see if it heads towards the target.

edit - still don't know what I did to make it fire, but it apears that CryBaby Buoy probe is headding towards the target waypoint at 9600km/s eta 18:31:33

right sending the the Falcon class fighter back to the nest in-case this thing is smart enough to figure where it came from and send a swarm to investigate.
 

[se5a (OP)]

Ok! Payload successfully delivered!
Intel Gathered!
ouch, lucky I didn't just open fire.
lets see what the response will be if any.

Here's the stats on what I launched it from:

Second Stage Payload:

Code: [Select]

S3 CryBaby Buoy:

Missile Size: 3 MSP  (0.15 HS)     Warhead: 0    Armour: 0.1     Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 0 km/s    Engine Endurance: 0 minutes   Range: 0.0m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.9   Sensitivity Modifier: 140%
Resolution: 16    Maximum Range vs 800 ton object (or larger): 500,000 km
Thermal Sensor Strength: 0.54    Detect Sig Strength 1000:  540,000 km
EM Sensor Strength: 0.56    Detect Sig Strength 1000:  560,000 km
Cost Per Missile: 3.225
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 0%   3k km/s 0%   5k km/s 0%   10k km/s 0%
Materials Required:    0.025x Tritanium   1.2x Boronide   2x Uridium   Fuel x0

First Stage:

Code: [Select]

S5 CryBaby Probe:

Missile Size: 5 MSP  (0.25 HS)     Warhead: 0    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 9600 km/s    Engine Endurance: 18.5 hours   Range: 640.3m km
Cost Per Missile: 3.825
Second Stage: S3 CryBaby 500km Buoy x1
Second Stage Separation Range: 150,000 km
Overall Endurance: 19 hours   Overall Range: 640.3m km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 96%   3k km/s 30%   5k km/s 19.2%   10k km/s 9.6%
Materials Required:    0.025x Tritanium   1.2x Boronide   2x Uridium   0.6x Gallicite   Fuel x2000

fired from:

Code: [Select]

Falcon class Fighter    498 tons     8 Crew     148.65 BP      TCS 9.95  TH 27.3  EM 0
7839 km/s     Armour 1-5     Shields 0-0     Sensors 18/14/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 4.35
Maint Life 5.09 Years     MSP 19    AFR 19%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 1    5YR 18    Max Repair 34.125 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 1 months    Spare Berths 2   
Magazine 29   

39 EPx1.95 Internal Fusion Drive (2)    Power 39    Fuel Use 315.41%    Signature 13.65    Exp 19%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 1.1 billion km   (40 hours at full power)

Size 5 Box Launcher (1)    Missile Size 5    Hangar Reload 37.5 minutes    MF Reload 6.2 hours
Size 2 Box Launcher (12)    Missile Size 2    Hangar Reload 15 minutes    MF Reload 2.5 hours
ASwrm FC30-R16 (1)     Range 30.2m km    Resolution 16
S2 Scorpion 15.0mk ASwrm (12)  Speed: 40,000 km/s   End: 6.2m    Range: 15m km   WH: 4    Size: 2    TH: 493/296/148
S5 CryBaby 640mk BuoyProbe (1)  Speed: 9,600 km/s   End: 1111.6m    Range: 640.3m km   WH: 0    Size: 5    TH: 32/19/9

Thermal Sensor TH1-18 (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  18m km
EM Detection Sensor EM1-14 (1)     Sensitivity 14     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  14m km