Are missiles making a comeback?

[scorpyon]

Like many of you, I've been studying the feedback about combat on the forums, as well as watching how it plays out in the game.

Back in the day (last year), missiles were kind of an ongoing joke. They were pointless aside from the dumbfire troll-spamming.
So I'm wondering if people are starting to use them now and if they're any good?
Should we be considering putting point-defences back on?
Are point defences still overpowered, making missiles useless?

If the one thing that comes out of the whole combat fiasco is that it pushes players to staert usoing a more diverse range of weaponry and loadouts, that can only be a good thing. I am personally dead against having one type of weapon that "rules them all".
Even Ye Olde Runescape had a combat "triangle" in the Rock-Paper-Scissors style.

 

[Cmdr Zach]

Yes. Missiles and torpedos got a lot of love in 2.1.

Always carry point defences systems now!

 

[crushdepth]

I gave seeker missiles another go, felt a bit underwhelming to me (ammo is a pain). Haven't tried torpedoes yet (but who wants missiles when you can have TORPEDOS anyway).

 

[anikaiful]

I quite like missiles, and engi mods can remedy the lackluster ammo number to quite a degree.

 

[SpeakerToAliens]

I've only been killed once since v2.1 came out and that was by missiles. I now fit PD to my ships - I'd never felt the need before (ECM doesn't seem to be very effective at all).

Missiles do very little damage against shields, but once the shields are down its a different story. Also, although NPCs use chaff I haven't seen one using PD. WMMV.

 

[anikaiful]

Also, although NPCs use chaff I haven't seen one using PD. WMMV.

And if you fire missiles or torps point blank, PD has no time to react to them anyway.

 

[PavelKCZ]

Anyone tried the ECM ? I must admint that I never bought this module. Is it better than PD/Chaff or not ? Also, is manually operated like in original Elite ECM or chaff in ED ? Or it simply works automatic, like PD ?

 

[DNA-Decay]

Yeah boomerang missiles!

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Ren Garris]

I got into a scrap with a mid level Cobra and he tossed quite a few missiles my way.

Since 2.1 I always carry PDT's. Matter of fact, I carry two- one on top and on bottom of my Python. I figure 2 gives me added security no matter where the missile comes from.

The light show is pretty cool too. I couldn't figure out where the blue-green tracers where coming from followed by an explosion in my face. Then it dawned on me that my counter measures where actually doing their job.

I don't normally use ECM since I can't bind a key to it like I can with chaff. I use VA, so thats one less button to push when all I have to do is say the magic word.

 

[Tikigod]

Yes Missiles are very dominant in 2.1.

Too much so.

A single volley of 2 medium seekers from a player Viper MK 4 can pretty much completely melt almost all external weapons and do significant drive damage to a similar or slightly larger high rated NPC ship if they land above/under the target instead of just to the face or rear.

Direct hit to the drives can shred a targets drives in 1-2 volleys.

And you can fire off volleys in about 1 second intervals from over 3KM away.


NPC missiles behave exactly the same. A single volley of missiles from a NPC can and will shred your external modules to a ridiculous amount and in a couple of hits will leave you will very little weapons left to use if allowed to hit. In one situation I had a NPC fire two seekers at me whilst I still had shields. Missiles impacts shields, took them down and a small partial amount of the damage made it through to hull, did 4% hull damage and instantly wiped out a stock size 2 Multi-cannon.


They're pretty much out of balance "I Win Weapons" against anything that has no point defence, or is in a ship that can support very few point defences/have crappy hardpoint positioning.

If you have missiles, the target doesn't and has no Point defence and you get their shields down even just once... you've won as long as you know what external modules are. Straight forward as that.

 

[SpeakerToAliens]

And if you fire missiles or torps point blank, PD has no time to react to them anyway.

That works both ways of course, so let's hope Sarah isn't reading this. O-o

 

[TomP]

That works both ways of course, so let's hope Sarah isn't reading this. O-o

Actually you can't effectively fire them point blank, as the missiles/torps do not arm until shortly after being fired. At point blank range they just disintegrate against the shield or hull.

 

[Martian Successor]

Missiles have indeed become a viable weapon now. Torpedoes as well although torps are slower (so higher chances of being shot down by point defence) and they have considerably less ammo. Both do a healthy amount of splash damage and can cripple weapon hardpoints, sensors, modules and engines (anything that sticks out on a ship basically) in as few as two hits.

Point defence is a little underwhelming in defending against missiles and torpedoes fired by a person in my experiences. It misses a lot and sometimes doesn't even fire at all - I tested this with a fellow commander by putting 2 point defences on a Viper MKIII. He fired 2 torpedoes at me from straight on at a distance of 1.6KM (slower than missiles remember) and my 2 point defences missed them both!

We then tested him firing a single torpedo from the farthest distance that a torpedo lock on is possible (I can't recall the KM) and with him above my ship, right where the point defence will have the best chance to shoot it down. Both point defences did not fire even though they were on and had sustained no prior damage. In another test with missiles the point defence faired a bit better and managed to shoot some down but not as effectively as I would have expected. Point defence produces meh results. It still beats having to put an ECM on the secondary fire button but point defence is unreliable in my opinion.

Of note is that point defence can be bypassed by being closer to your target when firing missiles/torps because it can't react to them fast enough at close distance. Additionally it is good to keep in mind that if a missile explodes close to your ship (whether you fired it or not) you will still sustain some damage due its area of effect - so point defence destroying missiles close to your ship means you will still sustain damage. Reactive armour is your best bet against missiles and torps because it has increased resistance against explosives.

That's all I got so far

 

[FiddenUK]

The higher ranked NPC ships have PDT fitted, I saw two Anacondas slugging it out with missiles and PDTs firing at each other (very pretty).

 

[anikaiful]

Actually you can't effectively fire them point blank, as the missiles/torps do not arm until shortly after being fired. At point blank range they just disintegrate against the shield or hull.

Use dumbfires if in doubt (excludes torps, of course, there's no dumbfire version of those). Just watch with the blast, as those things can damage you too if fired TOO close.

 

[[VR] Deggial]

And if you fire missiles or torps point blank, ...

Which isn't possible any more, IIRC.
Missiles and torpedos now have a minimal traveling time until they are primed. 'Point blank' is increased to round about 800-1000 m.

Edit: ninjad (including answer! ). Have Dumpfires no arming time, Anikaiful?

 

[VR jefranklin18]

Like many of you, I've been studying the feedback about combat on the forums, as well as watching how it plays out in the game.

Back in the day (last year), missiles were kind of an ongoing joke. They were pointless aside from the dumbfire troll-spamming.
So I'm wondering if people are starting to use them now and if they're any good?
Should we be considering putting point-defences back on?
Are point defences still overpowered, making missiles useless?

If the one thing that comes out of the whole combat fiasco is that it pushes players to staert usoing a more diverse range of weaponry and loadouts, that can only be a good thing. I am personally dead against having one type of weapon that "rules them all".
Even Ye Olde Runescape had a combat "triangle" in the Rock-Paper-Scissors style.

Have always packed PDTs on my T6, but since the 2.1 buff I am slowly adding them to each other vessel in my fleet. I was in the bounty hunter CG yesterday and the PDT on my Cobra was having a good workout.

I'm thinking of adding mines into the mix for the T6 as well now.

 

[anikaiful]

Which isn't possible any more, IIRC.
Missiles and torpedos now have a minimal traveling time until they are primed. 'Point blank' is increased to round about 800-1000 m.

Edit: ninjad (including answer! )

Hmm, is it? I do see my own working just fine as long as they hit the target and don't go astray.

 

[[VR] Deggial]

Hmm, is it? I do see my own working just fine as long as they hit the target and don't go astray.

Hmpf... complicated crosspostings...

Anyway, yes, they need some time according to dev posts, patch notes and user comments. Maybe you are just used to launch them far enough?

 

[anikaiful]

Maybe you are just used to launch them far enough?

That could be the case. Never truly watched the distance meter, just fired when felt comfortable about scoring. But oft that has been with target being close enough to fill half the screen.