Posted by: Michael Sandy
« on: June 02, 2017, 02:07:30 AM »That bit about ECM made me realize that if you skimp on the range of your point defense, conceivably missiles with ECM could not be hit with final fire point defense.
The smallest distance that can actually be used is 10,000km. But I don't know if this is including targets that are in exactly the same location; i.e. 2 ships in the same fleet or 2 fleets orbiting the same body.
I know beam weapons won't work if their range or the fire control range is below 10,000km. Even if the FC range is only below 10,000 due to ECM.
The advantage of putting even tiny sensors on missiles is that it prevents overkill.
If you fire 10 missiles without sensors at one ship in a fleet, and 5 blow the ship up, the remaining 5 self-destruct. If the missiles have sensors, they will find new targets.
Missiles with active sensors target the biggest ship they see. Missiles with passive sensors target the largest signature they see.
I have fired missiles and then moved outside of fire control range and the missiles still hit, so I believe your assumption is correct. Once you've launched you only need the active sensor lock.
On your other question, yes the fire control will alternate between launchers.
However it may not quite work out that way in practice. If the incoming missiles are in a large salvo the Fire Control may well launch all four missiles (in your example) at the incoming salvo, on the basis that each target in the salvo is being hit with two missiles, it's just their are lots of targets in the salvo.
On the other hand if the incoming missiles are all in single missile salvos, then yes it would alternate two launches every 5 seconds.
If you want to try hit and run tactics, note you can put active radar also inside missiles.
edit: Oh bugger - if you're right I need to redesign my ships - I was working on the assumption I only needed to maintain the active sensor lock - so I was boosting the active sensor range so I could do hit and run strikes.I have fired missiles and then moved outside of fire control range and the missiles still hit, so I believe your assumption is correct. Once you've launched you only need the active sensor lock.
I think that is how they work. I think you need to remain in fire control range of your target, but I don't think I've ever fired a missile and then moved outside of fire control range. I'd say 95% sure. You do need to maintain an active sensor contact with your target too, you are right about that
Are you sure? I thought that only the search sensor had to maintain contact?
Hello RE,
you can switch targets. Your fire controls have to stay in range but they only have to be assigned to a target when you fire.