Missile Engine Design

[doulos05 (OP)]

OK, I'm seeing crazy stats here on Missile Engines and I'm curious what I'm doing wrong that I can't get the same stats out of mine.  I just make the jump to Magneto-Plasma drives, so I have a few questions as I prepare to design my block 2 missiles.

1) What engine techs (besides "Magneto-Plasma Drives") do I need to research to increase missile engine power/efficiency.  How far along should those research techs be before I both building missiles?
2) For a Size 1 AMM, what speeds should I be looking at and what engine would you design to get that speed (can you post the actual missile engine design window from the Research screen)?
3) What range should I aim for with that tech level's ASMs? I kinda like the idea of having a Size 1 AMM and a Size 6 ASM, but if the Size 6 one is going to be too slow/short ranged to be really effective, I don't mind going bigger.
4) Could someone post a Size 6 (or bigger if your answer to Question 3 is "Make the missiles bigger") missile and accompanying engine design so I can get a feel for what it should look like?

A bunch of questions, and I'm trying to figure as much of it out on my own, but I'm not seeing anywhere near the numbers most of you guys are posting so I think there must be some tech I'm not research or something.

[MarcAFK]

I can't post any designs ATM as I'm on my phone, but a few points:
-missile engine speed can be increased by engine power multiplier research
-always use the highest multiplier available
-fuel is usually minimal compared to anything else
-the main limiter to missile range is the size of fire control you can equip or how much you're prepared to research to get decent range
-generally design a size .1 engine to use for prototyping your design, after the missile has good speed, warhead etc then design an engine that's exactly the right size
-generally use about 50% of a missile as engine, maybe a third as warhead.
note that range will be massively longer now because of increased efficiency of larger engines. I usually take whatever points of fuel arent needed and put them into slightly bigger engine.
- looking at engine design, a size .1 engine is about a tenth as efficient as a size 3 you would use for a size 6 missile, so design the prototype missile to have about a tenth the range you need, then when you swap for the full size engine it should be about right.
I'll post some ion designs shortly.

[Vandermeer]

I also usually use 50% of the missile for engines and around a third for warhead. At least that is it for casual asms.
At higher tech or great ordnance and military volumes, I might shift to bulky size 12 torpedoes who have one maximum possible 5MSP engine for best range. The reason is that later levels of ecms make them good enough to deal with technologically inept races and some spoilers, so you can dispatch an enemy ship ideally with 1 or just few torpedoes each. It is poor tactic against well equipped enemies though, and just serves to take the micromanagement out of the game where it is not necessary anymore.

I also use maximum power grade available for straightforward asms, but I usually also design a x4 power factor one to get capacity for real "cruise" missiles, or tactical torpedoes, or however you want to call them. Having one ammunition type that can really go the distance is sometimes of great strategic value, for example when closing in is just too risky. I also prefer those engines in any case (or even just x3 at earlier tech) when making m.i.r.v.-s, because these clearly don't need speed to beat any targeting check.

[83athom]

1) What engine techs (besides "Magneto-Plasma Drives") do I need to research to increase missile engine power/efficiency.  How far along should those research techs be before I both building missiles?

Fuel per engine hour and Maximum/minimum engine power.

2) For a Size 1 AMM, what speeds should I be looking at and what engine would you design to get that speed (can you post the actual missile engine design window from the Research screen)?

Code: [Select]

Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 1    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 14
Speed: 18000 km/s    Engine Endurance: 1 minutes   Range: 0.7m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.14   Sensitivity Modifier: 110%
Resolution: 20    Maximum Range vs 1000 ton object (or larger): 60 000 km
Cost Per Missile: 0.7707
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 252%   3k km/s 84%   5k km/s 50.4%   10k km/s 25.2%
Materials Required:    0.25x Tritanium   0.0837x Boronide   0.14x Uridium   0.297x Gallicite   Fuel x2.5This is at Ion Drive tech, and while I am using this as a mine munition, it could work as a amm defense ordinance.

3) What range should I aim for with that tech level's ASMs? I kinda like the idea of having a Size 1 AMM and a Size 6 ASM, but if the Size 6 one is going to be too slow/short ranged to be really effective, I don't mind going bigger.

I usually do anywhere between 60m km and 150m km for general purpose to long range. I do make 30m km short range missiles that have a bit more punch/defenses.

4) Could someone post a Size 6 (or bigger if your answer to Question 3 is "Make the missiles bigger") missile and accompanying engine design so I can get a feel for what it should look like?

This would be a decent missile given this is only Ion Drive tech.

Code: [Select]

Missile Size: 6 MSP  (0.3 HS)     Warhead: 9    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 14
Speed: 18000 km/s    Engine Endurance: 63 minutes   Range: 67.8m km
ECM Level: 0.3
Cost Per Missile: 4.2588
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 252%   3k km/s 84%   5k km/s 50.4%   10k km/s 25.2%
Materials Required:    2.25x Tritanium   0.15x Uridium   1.8588x Gallicite   Fuel x925I use 3 size 1 (msp) engines that have the maximum power multiplier.

[JacksonTaus]

I've usually found it worth it in terms of increased fuel-efficiency and range to use only one engine per missile.  One 3-MSP engine will be much more efficient than three 1-MSP engines.

[83athom]

I've usually found it worth it in terms of increased fuel-efficiency and range to use only one engine per missile.  One 3-MSP engine will be much more efficient than three 1-MSP engines.

But you can use size 1 engines in a lot more situations than a size 3. Like a size 2 or 3 missile you can use a size 1 in those and still have room for more things without having a crapton of different engines for different uses. I have done that in a game a while back where I had specifically designed engines for different missile roles/sizes... it was a pain.

[MarcAFK]

That's fine for ships, but missile engines are so fast to research and the efficiency gain is massive.

[83athom]

That's fine for ships, but missile engines are so fast to research and the efficiency gain is massive.

I know, but I had a list of 20+ different engines per engine tech level that previous game. I know it is better as I had some of the best missiles I have ever made in that game, but it was a pain sorting through all of it and assigning everything where it needs to go. It is doable, and it is a good idea that works, I just don't want to do that (until v6.5  ).

[JacksonTaus]

That's fine for ships, but missile engines are so fast to research and the efficiency gain is massive.

Right, that's basically my thinking as well - I only have 2-4 kinds of missiles (AMM, basic ASM, maybe fighter-launched, maybe heavier PDC launched) at a time, so it's only a few hundred RP to dramatically increase the range on my larger missiles.

I know, but I had a list of 20+ different engines per engine tech level that previous game.  I know it is better as I had some of the best missiles I have ever made in that game, but it was a pain sorting through all of it and assigning everything where it needs to go.  It is doable, and it is a good idea that works, I just don't want to do that (until v6. 5  ).

20+ different engines per engine tech level? Yes, that's too many 

[linkxsc]

20 per tech level... I think the most I've managed was... 4, a .5 (AMMs), a 1 (Size 2/3 ASMs), a 2 (size 3-6 AMSs), and a 5 (buoys, cruise sections, and  the occasional really really fast size 6 asm)

[GreatTuna]

Maybe he's making 20 types of missiles.

I have 5 missile engines per TL: for AMM, for short-ranged ASM, for long-ranged ASM, for fast torpedo and for long-range MIRV. They are used in other missile designs liberally.