New Patch - Lack of Testing

[Renegade 13]

One idea: Were you chasing the enemy ship when they shot down your two missiles, and you couldn't shoot down their one? Because what you're describing makes total sense if that is the case.

[Vortex]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:
One idea: Were you chasing the enemy ship when they shot down your two missiles, and you couldn't shoot down their one? Because what you're describing makes total sense if that is the case.

No. Absolutely stationary. Couldn't go anywhere. No engines!

[Renegade 13]

However, if they are moving away when you fire your missiles, they would have plenty of time to shoot them all down. Whereas, if you are stationary, their missiles would take much less time to reach their target, giving you much less time to shoot them down. Having no movement is a definite disadvantage when dealing with missiles.

[Vortex]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:
However, if they are moving away when you fire your missiles, they would have plenty of time to shoot them all down. Whereas, if you are stationary, their missiles would take much less time to reach their target, giving you much less time to shoot them down. ]

So does flying onto incoming missiles but the AI still manages it.

Having no movement is a definite disadvantage when dealing with missiles.

Only because the PD doesn't work. If you have an incoming missile from 120ls and the PD has a range of 40ls then the PD fires to intercept at 40ls (ie what the AI does for AI ships, not starts firing at 40ls - which is what it does for player ships.

If there are multiple in bound missiles then each is allocated in rotation to available PDs. Once a missile is destroyed the PD becomes free and the next missile/fighter is allocated to it.

Since 2 hits from iconic missiles now render you stationary and pirate cruisers generally carry 3, you're dead in the water as soon as you get close to one. And since the criuser will then stand off at 120ls just firing iconic missiles at you in 3's - you can never go anywhere, and your missiles are useless against them because they can always shoot them down.

Ergo the game is unplayable.

[Phoenix-D]

What level are you? Playing at 12, (expert difficulty) two ionic missile hits killed 50% of my speed, not all of it. And I still haven't seen an abnormal number of missile shoot-downs in testing, though the PD difference you say is there is certainly possible.

[Otter]

I run an equal mix of Scattering and Stealth armor. It's maxed out at 95% effectiveness. The engine sapping missles have very little effect. Also, the missles are too slow when you're chasing someone. Their relative speed allows them to be shot down easily or they time out and self-destruct. I only use a bLast of two at point blank range. One might get shot down but the other piles into the target. Oh, and I practice the stay close on his rear strategy and just bLast his behind off. Even Battleships (or Dreadnoughts) go down fast. Keep you ship well stocked with electronic countermeasures. I double up on Scanner Jammers (multiples are still allowed), and the one each allowed MasterComputer and Neural Combat Net. Even in large clusters of enemy ships very little actually hits me and they're all kind enough to stay far enough out of the action to let me pound the backside of the first victim before switching to the next.

[ January 31, 2004, 04:19: Message edited by: Otter ]

[Phoenix-D]

Missiles are pretty silly in stock SF; I've actually killed myself with them before. They aren't any faster than destroyers, so if you fire them and continue on the same heading they are, when they self-destruct at max range you'll be hurt.