Combat Sensors & Multi-Plex Tracking

[WillyNilly]

I've searched the archives and couldn't find an answer to this question.

In MOO the equivalent to Combat Sensors only helped on direct fire weapons. They had no impact on Seekers (missiles). Is this true in SEIV or am I missing out on an advantage by not including combat sensors on ships that have only missiles as their offensive weapon? Fighters also have missiles, but they are classified as "direct fire weapons" so do those fighters need combat support or not?

The related question is on muli-Plex Tracking, which I understand is the ability for your ship to fire missiles and if the target is destroyed before all the missiles are gone then the missiles will chase a different target for their remaining movement points. If this is true then why do computer players put Multi-Plex Tracking on ships with only direct fire weapons? I must be missing something.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Taz-in-Space]

Combat sensors only work on direct fire weapons. they have no effect on seekers. (Seekers already hit 100% if they reach the target)

AFAIK, Multi-tracking doesn't re-direct seekers after launch. It only allows you to attack multiple targets with one ship.

Fighter missles are considered direct fire weapons so combat support (on the fighter) will add to hit chance.

[oleg]

Combat sensors are needed for direct fire weapons only. There is no need for them in missiles only ships. As to small rocket pods on fighters - it is a very good question. I've been monitoring this board for a loong time and do not remember this topic come up before !

Multiplex tracking is fundamentally different from Moo dauntless guidance system. In SE missliles never rediret themselves when target is destroyed. They will simply disapper. You may still need M.T. in missiles ship if you want to spread missiles. If you have for example 4 missiles on your ship, you must either launch all 4 on one ship or fire 2 and wait for the next turn to fire remaining 2 on other ships. With M.T. you can fire 2 missiles on first ship and 2 on second during one turn.

[Baron Munchausen]

Combat Sensors only affect direct-fire weapons. 'Rocket Pods' on fighters are a direct-fire weapon. The description says 'missile' but the ability used in the data file is direct-fire. Note that point-defense is also a direct-fire weapon and PDC will benefit from Combat Sensors. So it can be useful to put this on even a missile ship if that missile ship has PDC.

Multiplex tracking is the ability to fire on more than one target per combat round. There is nothing equivalent to the MOO 'Dauntless Guidance System' in SE at this time. Maybe MM can be persuaded to add it in the future. If not, there are alway drones, which do select a new target when the original is destroyed.

The AI does only what is it programmed to do. Multiplex tracking could be very useful on a missile ship, it's just that most AIs are not programmed to put it on their missile ships.

[ July 21, 2002, 16:28: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Alpha Kodiak]

Originally posted by Baron Munchausen:
The AI does only what is it programmed to do. Multiplex tracking could be very useful on a missile ship, it's just that most AIs are not programmed to put it on their missile ships.

I stopped having the AI put multiplex tracking on missile ships because it always seems to fire all missiles from one ship as a single volley at a single target whether it has multiplex tracking or not. This behaviour may have changed, as the Last time I tried it was quite a few Versions ago, but if it hasn't then MT on an AI missile ship (or on a human controlled ship if not using tactical combat) is a waste of space.

[Taera]

This is why i usualy make my missile ships small. Alternative to MultiPlexTracking