Fri Feb 14, 2003 10:00 pm by Aye Capn
** DISCLAIMER ** What I'm about to say is based on in-flight observation, and is in some cases at variance with game documentation!
FF missiles appear to have 2 "modes", a "fire-and-forget" mode and a conventional "lock" mode. If you fire one without a missile lock, it homes in on the nearest enemy; locking a target overrides the FF target acquisition and the FF homes in on the locked target.
The "fire-and-forget" mode seems highly unreliable -- although its accuracy might be improved by a threat-detecting radar (Hunter and B&S lines). In my experience even with the best radar [B&S Omniscience they don't seem to work very well in this mode.
The "Mark I" versions of all radars lack the ability to lock targets. The "Mark II" radars can lock targets. The "Mark III" radars have a "target lead indicator" which makes it easier to aim your guns. (I use it as an enemy ship vector indicator; by the time you can afford a Mk3 radar your aim will have become better than the radar's, but it's much easier for you to aim if you know exactly where and how fast the enemy ship is going.)
If you're firing guided missiles and they're not tracking, it's because you're not getting a "double box" indicating a missile lock. You need to see a box within the "target lock" box, which looks like a diamond -- an inscribed rectangle with verticies at the midpoints of the sides of the "target lock" box. Remember, there are two kinds of "lock": target lock, which you get by pressing "L", and missile lock, which can ONLY happen if you've locked the target, the target is in missile range (around 8k I think), and any additional requirements of the missile itself are met. (HS requires the enemy show you his tailpipe; IR requires time; FF locks instantly.) Also watch out for your guns -- give a little pause after a missile launch so your missiles will clear your field of fire. Your guns' muzzle velocity isn't much higher than the missile's flight velocity, so you don't have to wait long.
ECM (and this is in the manual somewhere) does NOT help you once a missile is fired at you! What is DOES do is delay your opponents' ability to aquire you. Since even a Tarsus can loose 6 missiles on 3 attackers in under 10 seconds, time is all you need.
There is a "lock warning" indicator on your radar telling you you've been painted. When that happens your ECM has already been compromised. If you really don't want to get hit by a missile, watch for one to be launched on radar after the "LOCK" warning, hit the afterburner, and keep your ship at a 90 degree angle to it (use your radar for this) until it runs out of fuel. On those rare occasions when it hits you, at least you'll take the impact on the less-vulnerable side armor.
I personally prefer to maintain a more aggressive profile; instead of trying to evade when outnumbered in a dogfight I look for ships that are directly facing me and go head-on against them with only enough maneuvering to trade damage to the sides of my ship for the chance to make quick kills with missiles ... but that uses up a lot of missiles.
Hmm, come to think of it, that's why I havent been able to get to the Steltek Gun with the Tarsus. Under normal circumstances my reasoning for maximum aggression is sound: in a Tarsus time is against you, so you should get a fight overwith as quickly as possible. Going for the Steltek Gun in the Tarsus is a test of endurance -- one I failed by running out of missiles before making it back to Rygannon. A more defensive style might just work!
A little note about the Centurion: its speed advantage is negated in an asteroid field, so the skills you learn in the Tarsus you'll find very useful in the Centurion.
Hope this helps!
