Seekers ability to hit a target.

Aegis · #1 January 25th, 2001, 01:36 PM

Base 100% to hit at all ranges is fine I think. However, ECM's should reduce this chance, just as Ship size should adjust it also. Small ships with ECM's would thus be very difficult to target with them.
If anyone were then to introduce anti-fighter missiles these could have a bast to hit of over 100%, to reflect their increased manouverability, but also do less than 30 damage so that high level warships can always ignore them (w. em.armour).

-Aegis

dmm · #2 January 25th, 2001, 04:48 PM

It is STUPID that seekers always hit. Homing torpedos don't always hit subs or ships. AA missiles don't always hit aircraft. Smart bombs don't always hit tanks. While it is true that part of the reason is that our seeker technology is crude, the other part is that countermeasures are easier to make than seekers. Flares, chaff, decoys, etc. are small enough, crude enough, and effective enough that ALL warships would have them.

What are these seekers using to seek!? They never miss, and they never divert from their initial target. Explosions and weapons fire all around? No problem. Countermeasures? No effect. Identical ship crosses path of missile? It can't be tricked. Target goes behind other ships or planet? You can't hide. Debris, asteroids, storm, or nebula? No effect. ECM? Don't bother.

Instead of CSM it should be SCM, for Santa Claus Missile, in honor of their omniscience.

dmm · #3 January 25th, 2001, 04:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Drake:
Ummmm, wouldn't that just make them really slow beam weapons?

What beam weapon has a range of 12 or more and does damage of 50 or more?

dmm · #4 January 25th, 2001, 05:37 PM

How I would improve seekers:
1) Better to-hit probability than direct fire, but not 100%.
2) To-hit probability would decrease as seeker moved, simulating effect of countermeasures.
3) They would move as soon as they were fired.
4) They would go after "opportunity targets" once they had traveled half their range, if the alternative were within their movement allotment and the primary target were not. Would also go after "opportunity targets" if the primary target were destroyed.
5) Would ramp up their speed faster than current research tree does.
6) Offensive bonuses, like sensors, would affect to-hit probability during the first movement. After that, the seeker would be on its own.
7) Defensive bonuses, like ECM and small size, would affect to-hit probability of seekers.

Maybe some of these improvements (like perhaps 3, 4, and 6 above) would come about due to research. Really, I'd love to see seekers be customizable, like troops and fighters, but that's just a dream for now.

Daynarr · #5 January 25th, 2001, 06:24 PM

quote:
What beam weapon has a range of 12 or more and does damage of 50 or more?[/b]

What beam weapon can be shot down with PD weapons?
They are large, slow firing, you can outrun them and now you won't them to miss?

WhiteHojo · #6 January 25th, 2001, 06:43 PM

Originally posted by Seawolf:

quote:
With advance targeting systems I can see a 100% hit chance.

This reminded me of a question I had during a game (I really need to take notes when playing) if you have the Religious Talisman that allows for AutoHits when using Direct Fire Weapons, will it also work w/PDs? And if not does the Combat Sensors component affect PDs, ie. increase their % chance to hit?

Also, while my memory is working, anybody know how the Alliegence Subverter works? That is, what factors play into whether or not it is successfull, ie-target ship experience level? target fleet experience lvl? range? target defenses (shields, ecm, master computers, etc)?, attacking ship exp lvl? attacking fleet exp lvl?

I've looked at the data files and can't find anything helpfull in em?

As always, any help would be appreciated.

------------------
Character is best defined as that which you do when you believe nobody is watching.

[This message has been edited by WhiteHojo (edited 25 January 2001).]

lwmweb · #7 January 25th, 2001, 06:56 PM

There is a perfect defense against the always-hit seekers. It is called point defense. PDs never miss. I research them early and put them on all of my ships. I do not worry if I run into a race that has seekers I just do not want them to have many PDs.

PD's have more than one chance to hit if you back-up only a few squares. When I want to capture a planet that has weapons platforms (I normally do not worry about how many) with many seekers I just rub my hands. I work within 1 move distance for my troop ship letting my PD's handle the seekers. With this method I do not need to fire on the planet and damage facilities I will want to use.

For those who think PD's are not worth it you might try getting close to enemy satellites and see what a PD does to them. In my experience when you get close they seem to do more damage than other small beam weapon. They also are very good against fighters. That makes three good uses for PD's.

On another note seekers that picked "targets of opportunity" at there choice would be somewhat useless. I mean it works in Hollywood but most missiles today (including torpedoes) go after what they are locked on to. If their target is destroyed then they should be able to look for targets of opportunity. When I fire at a ship that is the ship I feel is a threat.