PDC missile launch at JP/planets

[Garfunkel (OP)]

How do you launch probes/drones/missiles from a PDC against a planet or a jump point? There's an order to do that in the Task Group window for ships but obviously PDC's cannot utilize that command.

There is a button in the Individual Ship screen for Msl Launch but does that allow me to specify a target? I thought that just dropped the stuff in the location of the ship/PDC so you could drop mines or bombs from a ship.

[Jorgen_CAB]

You can do it through the "Combat Overview" screen or the F8 screen.

I think that the reason you can't do it in the fleet task group screen is because you can't set movement orders to PDC formations.

[Garfunkel (OP)]

Yeah you are correct, that's exactly why I can't do it in the task group window, because you can't issue any orders to TG's with PDC's in them.

However, the Combat Assignment Overview window does not allow me to do anything like that.

[Jorgen_CAB]

Yes, you a right... I was only looking at way-points. I guess you can't do that then as far as I can tell. Should perhaps file it as some sort of bug. I'm pretty sure we should be able to fire dones from PDC at JP and/or planets.

[Garfunkel (OP)]

That's the thing, I clearly remember doing it in the past but I cannot for the life of me remember how I did it. 

[sloanjh]

There's a post from Steve somewhere that says something (IIRC) about attaching a waypoint to the planet (by right-clicking?) then shooting the missile at the WP.  The WP will move with the planet's orbital motion (which is what the OP that Steve replied to was trying to have happen).

I obviously don't remember the details but I hope that helps jar something loose
John

[martinuzz]

Hah. I remember that post. Which means it must have been somewhere around 2011 - 2012, since that was the last time I played Aurora before coming back to it recently.

[Garfunkel (OP)]

I remember that post as well. I'm looking, however, for the exact method of shooting the missile. I cannot seem to find a button to press to achieve that.

[NihilRex]

Click on planetary body, such that the view centers on it.  Click on Add WP.

[Garfunkel (OP)]

Thanks, I know that.

My problem, that I obviously didn't clearly express, is that I have a drone/missile with a range of over 4 billion klicks. Designing a missile fire control that goes over 4 billion klicks is pretty expensive, RP-wise, and it will be expensive to build.

Now, I seem to remember that there is a way to fire missiles from a PDC without fire controls, as long as the target is a planet or a jump point. I am asking how that is done - through which window, with what button.

Or alternatively, that I remember wrong and that MFC is always required.

[JacenHan]

You need an MFC, but waypoints disregard ranges, so the tiniest one you can build will work fine.

[Garfunkel (OP)]

Ah, so that's how the trick was done. Thank you!

[MarcAFK]

You can actually fire waypoint missiles from your ICBM bases if they're still around.

[Garfunkel (OP)]

Unfortunately they are bugged in conventional starts at least, so I start without them.

[Brian Neumann]

Unfortunately they are bugged in conventional starts at least, so I start without them.

There is a way around that bug.  If you unlock the class design in the ship design screen(F5).  You can then add more life support.  The easy way to do that is to check the box at the top for keep extra life support and then add 1 life support.  Lock the class back up.  Then you go to the individual ship screen (F6).  You will need to click on each base individually.  The easy way to do this is to click on the first base you want to update, and then use the arrow keys to scroll through the entire list.  By doing this you have effectivly changed the design for all the existing ships/bases that you have modified.  As long as this is done before the 1st 5 day build cycle is processed there won't be any problems with the ICBM bases.

Brian