Posted by: Jorgen_CAB
« on: January 18, 2021, 01:51:52 AM »This is incorrect. The only use for sensors on missiles (excluding sensor buoys or mines) is to have missiles be able to hit new targets if their original target is destroyed while the missile is en-route. However as far as I've seen if they lose their original target the missiles will stop dead in space unless a new target enters their sensor range, so sensors on anti-ship missiles is only useful when enemy ships are chasing your ships.Wots this about sensors? Never heard about this problem before.In the case of the Claymore, it's so that the Claymore can retarget should its initial target die or disappear while the Claymore's en route. It isn't necessary if you've got a continuous active lock, but then you've got your launch platform shouting at the top of its electronic lungs for forty-two minutes. Might be a tactical issue.
If it needs an active lock, these missiles will be fired from ships that have active sensor ranges of 100m km or higher.
As I said, I'm not sure if the Onager needs one to handle its "detonate 5Mkm out" duties. I could easily be wrong.
However, the Buckshot needs a sensor because the Buckshot gets its targeting from the Onager, not the ship that launched the Onager. Onager dies when it launches the Buckshots, so the Buckshots promptly lose any external targeting.
Also MIRV missile 2nd stages do get targeting from the missile fire control
If you mainly fire large salvos and wait for the impact before firing a new one it makes a bit more sense, say carrier warfare type of missile combat or from box launched system defence crafts.
I also find that it is better to have slightly larger missiles rather than smaller if you also possess decent ECM (from 20% and above) with a bigger yield. First of there is a much bigger chance you can do shock damage with bigger yields and larger warhead also have a much bigger impact on doing internal damage quicker than you first might think... both from chock and penetration. As long as you can calculate the amount of missiles you need to penetrate the enemy PD screen you want as large a missile as possible to do actual damage and not sandblast their armour. A strength 9 might be good for early tech but at this technology you need at least 16 strength and an ECM module (2.25 MSP per ASM missile at this tech). I believe a size six missile could work for fighter launched ones but for longer ranged missiles you probably need 7-8 size. A size 9 warhead can only do shock damage to a size 9kt ship while a 16 warhead can deal shock damage on ships up to 16kt in size.
At this level of technology you should at least be able to possess ECM 2 if not level three, use it... it also is worth considering using ECCM on ASM missiles rather than agility to compensate for the enemy using ECM on their ships, at least from ECM 3 and above.
The idea is to damage the opponents ships because which then leave them vulnerable to close ranged attacks or being picked of by smaller volleys of missiles so spreading the damage is way more efficient than one might think. Use the intelligence screen to know how many missiles you need to penetrate the screen and then target the enemy ships with reasonable amount of missiles to start damaging them, not destroy them. Wounded ships will be much easier to kill one by one... ...you also don't necessarily need to kill all enemy ships for them to break off an attack if you have limited ammunition or capabilities.