missle target practice

[Mikeck (OP)]

Is there any way to build cheap craft to act as targets for me to test out sensors and missles?  In the end, I would also like to arm a ship with missles lacking warheads and then have that ship target my escort cruiser in order to assess how well the defense systems work. Unfortunately, my combat screen won't recognize friendlies as targets and if I choose "launch missle at" in the task force screen, friendly ships aren't listed.

Is there a way to do this?

[Elvin]

You don't have to shoot to test defences. Look at the main screen in the Class Design window. On here, you'll see the %chance for missiles to hit targets at 3k/5k/10k speeds, if I remember correctly. For beam weapons, you'll see a chain of numbers that give you an accuracy at each 10k distance.
E.g. 90 80 70 60 would mean 90% accuracy at 10k, 80% at 20k, etc.

Tracking speed determines penalties to hit. If the missile moves faster than your FC/turret's max turning speed, you'll incur a penalty. The specifics I am unaware of.

[Mikeck (OP)]

I understand the percentages and hit probabilities, but I am looking to test out full systems. I have a multilayered air defense and want to see how it would hold up to missle volleys...things like that

[Brian Neumann]

You don't have to shoot to test defences. Look at the main screen in the Class Design window. On here, you'll see the %chance for missiles to hit targets at 3k/5k/10k speeds, if I remember correctly. For beam weapons, you'll see a chain of numbers that give you an accuracy at each 10k distance.
E.g. 90 80 70 60 would mean 90% accuracy at 10k, 80% at 20k, etc.

Tracking speed determines penalties to hit. If the missile moves faster than your FC/turret's max turning speed, you'll incur a penalty. The specifics I am unaware of.

The penalty for shooting at a target that is faster than the fire control speed is the ration between the tracking speed and the actual speed of the target.  If your target is twice as fast as your tracking speed then the base chance to hit will be divided by 2.  Three times faster, and the chance to hit is 1/3 of normal.  This is linear thankfully so it is not hard to extrapolate from the info on the ship screen.

Brian

[James Patten]

There is no way to practice, unless you create a second race that you can hold mock battles against.  You'd need to make a backup of the DB before you did this and restore it afterward.

[UnLimiTeD]

Just add a second race with SM functions on a planet near you, set their population to 1, give them tech, and build a missile ship and a target ship; create a dozen with Fast OB Creation, and fight, fight fight.