Does missile laucher size need to match missile size?

[Traveler (OP)]

I have designed and built size 1 AMMs.  Must I have size 1 launchers for that missile?  It seems to me from the design page that the size of the launcher is just related to the number of missiles it can hold.

[Panopticon]

The missile launcher must at least match missile size, so you need at least a size one launcher for AMM, if you had a size 4 ASM you would need a size 4 launcher.

That said, you want to build the smallest launcher that fits your missiles as possible because the smaller the launcher, the faster the reload speed, you don't want to be firing AMM at a rate of once a minute, so don't put them in big launchers.

[Traveler (OP)]

Sounds logical. 
How about magazine size then?  Is magazine size just related to the number of missiles it can hold rather than the size of the missile?

[clement]

Re: Magazine Size

Yes, if a magazine is sized to hold 80, then it can hold 80 size 1 missiles or 20 size 4 missiles, or any combination that adds up to 80.

To expand on the launcher size issue. It would not be optimal to shoot Size 1 AMMs out of a Size 4 Launcher, however if your ship has both Size 4 and Size 1 Launchers, and you are hard pressed to defend against incoming missiles, then using the larger launchers to supplement your Size 1 Launchers is a good idea.

[Zatsuza]

Re: Magazine Size

Yes, if a magazine is sized to hold 80, then it can hold 80 size 1 missiles or 20 size 4 missiles, or any combination that adds up to 80.

To expand on the launcher size issue.  It would not be optimal to shoot Size 1 AMMs out of a Size 4 Launcher, however if your ship has both Size 4 and Size 1 Launchers, and you are hard pressed to defend against incoming missiles, then using the larger launchers to supplement your Size 1 Launchers is a good idea.

Yeah, I got tripped up by this awhile back.  My first missile frigate had a good number of launchers and what I thought would be enough magazine space for 24 salvoes.

Nope.  I'd have enough space for just about 7 salvos.  /facepalm.

[Panopticon]

Welcome to one of the main disadvantages of missiles: It is hard to carry enough of them for more than a short fight without having an unreasonably large and expensive ship, this is also why in AARs you don't often see missiles larger than size 6 or so, they take too much space.

[Zatsuza]

nah that's it-- my ships had 12 size 4 launchers and I'd be using them as a fleet of 5 and I thought the magazine space would be a little low-- large enough for a decent confrontation without requiring an immediate collier supply run, small enough that I wasn't wasting space-- and with that I thought I'd have about 24 salvos per ship-- but nope, 7 salvos each. . .  sure it could fly into combat but dear lord against anything large it wouldn't be flying out again. 

The absolute bare minimum I would fly with would be about 12 salvos worth for tactical flexibility. 

Bear in mind it was my first missile frigate, so it wasn't intended to overwhelm PD or AMMs, it was basically just going to be a general use attack frigate.

[Panopticon]

That's beautiful man, just... beautiful.