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Proper Application of Missiles...

This is a free discussion forum on Freelancer. This is the place to discuss Freelancer issues NOT covered by the other boards!

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:09 pm

Proper Application of Missiles...

Hi all...new to game just bought it passed the SP campaign, and have tried using missiles in this game, but man either im missing a mapped 'Lock-On' button OR the missiles in this game are as usefull as paper weights with solid rocket engines attached to them...

Ive played games like X-Wing Alliance, Freespace 1 and 2...and uhh...some space mmo's like Earth and Beyond and beta'd for EVE...<shudders>

now in all of those games a solid or partial target lock is required to fire the missile efficiently/semi-efficiently or without any lock and the missles would have as much of a chance to hit as a desensitized person has finding horse $hit at a stable.

Now ive tried all the launchers and just eschewed them completely because they take up a valuable gun spot and do not make up for the dmg that gun spot COULD b doing...on top of that...talk about ordinance expenses....id go broke on the ammunition alone.

am i missing any thing here...a secret button...or maybe a better missile launcher?...or even a Virgin sacrifice to the all-mighty Missile God?

<begins chanting>

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:13 pm

i use only shield killer missiles

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:16 pm

I've just about given up on missiles. Only way they are really useful is to fire them straight into someone's face when they are charging at you. Otherwise, they wander off and seldom seem to hit their target. I'd rather mount another gun instead.

Now torpedoes are another matter. A few torpedoes can take out a cruiser or battleship in a big hurry. Of course, they only work against almost stationary targets.




Juni: "Trent, we've got to go faster!"

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:26 pm

I use missiles and not only when I'm flying head-on into someone else and about 75% of my missiles hit my target. Ofcourse it's just an estimate and I only play SP, but still...
In MP I'm sure I wouldn't hit that much.

Is there a mod btw witch counts your hit percentage and accuracy and stuff?
Is it possible to make one. A good modder could use it to adjust the leveling system, so you'd actually have to improve your skills to level up instead of earning money.
Would that be a nice MP mod?


ERROR

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:39 pm

Cruise disruptors are a handy weapon to use when you hapless victim only has a silver of hull points left. The Wasp is dropped by about everyone and is fast enough to be fired from any deflection.

JEDI ERRANT
For the joy of smoting.
"You're clever than you look, Q" ~Bond
"Better than looking clever than you are, 007" ~Q

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:52 pm

Don't turn the missile to green. Default missile launcher is Q. So when a enemy charges on u press the Q button. I think it does more damage when the enemy is close. I once killed a fully armored Gaian Startracker(1900 armor)with a slingshot (636 armor damage) when it was directly in front of me.

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:59 pm

<ends chanting>

hmm...so basically the best missle out there in terms of hit rate is the Cruise Disruptor?....no thx...ill stick to me guns...

oh one more thing...between two guns that are same class

your choices are:

GUN1
Fires slower but hits harder

GUN2
Fires faster but doesnt hit as hard

now to my calculations ....all the GUN2 types in the whole game always have a lower general dmg output than their GUN1 type counterparts...
this i calculate by multiplying the GUN2's shield/hull dmg values by X
X = how many times i can divide GUN2's fire rate by GUN1's

and the values are always under GUN1's shield/hull dmg values...hence making ALL(all the ones ive seen)GUN2 type weapons useless...

unless your one of those stifflers that says DoT(dmg over time) outweighs Capitol dmg...which in most cases it doesnt.

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 7:30 pm

look better, the best class 9 weap is kraken type 2

586 hulldam
4.00 firerate
2344 hull dam/sec

after that it is the GMG class 9 weap, if i'm right the skyblast B

Post Wed Jul 09, 2003 8:04 pm

I use Torps vs HFs and VHFs, you iniciate a joust drop the shields launch the torp then burn or drop the shields and chase your target firing and at the precise moment burn n torp.

Post Thu Jul 10, 2003 2:43 pm

Actually, if your reputation gets really bad against, say, the Bounty Hunters and you are in one of the far flung systems where the levels are really high, you'll wish you had missles when you get jumped by 6-10 of 'em in Hammerheads... I had to take them on in a light fighter with 2 guns and 1 Lancer missle sytem and 1 Neutralizer missle system, and I barely got out of it. It cost me everything I had, but I made it...

Post Thu Jul 10, 2003 6:54 pm

Missiles are great versus **** like Gunboats. Get behind em, and lauch two Cannonballs up thier ass. And its good practice trying to torp a gunboat too. its doable, just very difficult

Post Fri Jul 11, 2003 4:42 am

now to my calculations ....all the GUN2 types in the whole game always have a lower general dmg output than their GUN1 type counterparts...

Not strictly true. All the 8.33 and 5.88 refire guns do have lower damage-over-time outputs than guns of the same class with 4.00 refire rates. But at the same time the 4.00 guns are usually better than 3.03 and especially 2.00 guns of the same class. For example, the class-4 gun with the highest damage output is the 4.00 refire Outcast Pyros Type 1, better than the 2.00 refire Liberty Magma Hammer Mk I. And the class-6 Pyros and Adv.Tarantula guns are 4.00 refire and have better damage output than any other class-6 guns.

Post Fri Jul 11, 2003 9:46 am

Aren't you all forgetting something?

If you fire a 2.00 rate gun for one sec. and you mis one shot, you've missed 50% of you're shot.
But when you fire a 8.33 rate gun (or higher when modded) for one sec. and you miss one shot, you've missed only 12% of your shot.
So that's why I think the fast guns are better.


ERROR

Post Fri Jul 11, 2003 10:10 am

in short: missiles suck at tracking a target but do delliver damge when (or better if) they hit, cruise disruters are good to stop fleeing enemies but nothing else, high refire rate is good if you aim sucks, otherwise go with more damage, torps are great for capital ships and large groups of ships that for some reason wont move for 15 min sothat the torp can hit, mines simply suck

Post Fri Jul 11, 2003 10:11 am

terminova, replace the missile launchers with decent guns (including one shield buster) and you get a package that has nothing to fear except running out of countermeasure flares while fighting swarms of lvl 18/19 enemies. The pulse gun is useless against the ships that guard the graveyards in the Omicrons, though, and fighting these with only three class 6/7 guns can be tough.

Missiles have about the same damage rate as a decent gun of the same class, so their only advantages are range, damage delivery in larger 'portions' and zero energy drain. But the latter is not important for your ship since it has an unusually strong powerplant.

dexter_84, cruise disruptors are also useful for finishing off enemies that get out of your gun firing cone with just a few shreds of armour remaining. One has to be careful with disruptors when there are swarms of neutrals, though. An accidental disruptor hit will turn them hostile and disruptors have pretty long range. Mines are great for freighters, and also as ersatz torpedos if you fly a light fighter. NukeIt has killed Sabres in a Patriot, using 4 pulse guns and Ripper mines. And torpedoes are great against enemy fighters. A decently equipped class 6 ship with Starkillers can take out any NPC fighter up to level 17 during initial approach - including Sabres and Titans! And using torpedos in a dogfight is one of the most fun things you can do in this game. If an enemy flies towards you while being in front of you ship then it is dead. Period.

Edited by - Sherlog on 11-07-2003 11:26:50

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