Well seen as I'm only a third of the way through the game (Mission 5) my choices are a bit limited. I did have a missle launcher on my Defender (A windstalker) but I think that they're a bit pants... So I'm in a Cavalier with two Sky Rails and two Dragoon guns. I do like mines though... but I use too many! I havn't managed to get torps yet, (Got a starkiller launcher though) but torps are level 10, I'm only 9...
Most missles I fire tend to miss, and guns are more powerful in the long run, so I think I'll stick with them...

Well, it's only 2 cents, but it's usally enough...

For pvp missels are a gods blessing, combine them whit 2 tizona and the fights get 100% shorter.

I don't normally use missles on my high-level characters, but they are awfully fun.
When I DO, I'll have 2 missle launchers and a torpedo launcher

My Anubis on SP, for example, has two missles. Can't remember the names, but one is high shield damage and moves 99mps, the other hull and moving 90 mps....so when I'm feelin' froggy (not to mention rich) I like to dogfight with missles only, perhaps a torpedo just to show off at the end;O)

A quick hotkey tip for you too...I've got missles set to "Q", torps to "TAB", mines to "E"....quite easy to lauch all three at once for a really, REALLY big boom!

guns guns and more guns. missiles are too expensive and too easily avoided and/or cm'd. I use 2x Salamanca IIs, 2x Wildfires, 2x Diamondbacks and a cruise disruptor, haven't used a missile for weeks. i keep my missile launchers and their ordnance unmounted just in case i need them in the future, well thy're spare cash aren't they, i bought them when i was flush, i'll sell them bit by bit if i get totally skint.

Thicken up runny low-fat yoghurt by stirring in a spoonful of lard..

I use cannonball missile.
In SP you don't really need missiles, but if you are into dueling, they
are a real advantage if you know how to use them right.

A couple of answers:
1. As stated above, missles are necessary with low level ships and guns. After that they are used just for fun or variety, especially the cannonball with its cool red trail.
2. L10 guns are better than missles, they do plenty of damage while still keeping the game interesting. Always keep the game a challenge.

3. The nomad cruise disruptor acts as a long range homing missle which mounts anywhere. It is cool.

4. I have one of the BADDEST MISSLES EVER MADE. I promice you! It is easy to do. I will post it on the Spoilers forum for you ,check it out. It is beautiful and a powerful, a homing shield killer!!
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Get right with God; one day you are going to meet Him.

Guns + Sunslayer only, haven't use missiles for ages. If somebody tries to shoot missiles at me during PvP I'll just put the decoy launcher on automatic.

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War does not decide who is right, only who is left.

Cureently i have restarted my game and am flying a dagger at level 4 and carries a eraser missile and a javeling misile launcher, both r full and i am based at rochester so i launch wait a few minutes, then i can kill all the xenos i want and if i see bounty hunters 3 kills and the xenos r neutral again

Guns are the best! Missles cost you to death!!!

I equiped 2 lvl 9 guns and 4 Nomad cannons on my Sabre.

to mr. defender i 2 am starting again in a dagger, I have found that there is really only one mission that you absolutly need missiles, the one were you go for the nomad power souce, since you hav a time limit and you dant cary big bang weaps. If you get by this without them let me know. it stinks cause you need the guns for the fight after.

Zeta-13 (space for rent)

if you use them at the right time torpedoes are as good as any missile but dont take up a valuable gun mounting which makes them great. there is nothing more satisfactory than hitting an unsheildded ship with a sunslayer at very close range.
if you fire the torpedo then boost the guy gets hit behind you which is very usefull if you are already engaging some on else.

zeta-13, the Dagger has many weapon mount points so you can certainly afford to swap one of your guns for a missile launcher, or even two, for solving mission 12. The important point is that you must be able to fight with your remaining guns alone, as you will certainly spend all your missiles on the stationary objects.

The advantage of missiles over mines against stationary targets is that missiles are easier to launch. With mines you have to be near enough to the target so that the mines will home in on it instead of trying to find something to blow up elsewhere, yet you have to be far enough away to be outside the explosion radius. Missiles, on the other hand, can be launched directly at a target from pretty far away. Just be sure not to blow up your own missiles with your gun fire.

Also, it takes quite a bit of damage to destroy the stationary targets. The guns will use up the energy stored in your powerplant and from then on they get energy only at the recharge rate. Two guns are more than enough to deliver this energy to the target, so having 5 guns will not help you destroy the stationary object any faster than having 3 guns for example. Also, you do not lose time if you turn away from the target while your powerplant is depleted; the powerplant will store the generated energy until it is full, just be sure to start raining fire on the target again before the powerplant has recharged all the way.

Back to the missiles: one ammo-load of missiles (of the kind the Dagger can use) does not do enough damage to destroy even one of the stationary targets fully but missiles can certainly help to shorten the overall time needed for destroying all of the targets. With a load of Slingshots you gain about 1/4th; with Slingshots + Javelins you could gain a bit more than 1/3rd but that would leave you with only 2 guns and 1 turret for combat. I used Liberty plasma guns and high-powered mines on the Dagger (no missiles); the mines cut the time needed for destruction by about 1/3rd and I solved the mission on the first try with time to spare.

While guns are great, missiles have the option of being better, look a few shield killers on a titan and the whole story of which is better goes out the window cause once you get rid of the shields and his battery's which will go fast then hit him with a few sunslayers and theose 4 remaining guns the armour goes kaput
very quickly and if he's only got guns at your back then you can avoid most of that, I've found most players are lousy at avoiding missiles, letting only the countermeasurs do the work, but two launches of shield killers are usually enough with a little help from you 4-5 guns (depending on vhf) to take any player down, the ai is actually better at avoiding most missiles, cause players never face the ai with high powerd missiles and almoct no one uses them in groups in multi-player. Now I know that a few been there done that's will flame this but,
look at the states to shield power and do the math, this is about supeiority by
fire power not the cost.

Stand back I don't know how big it gets.