Aiming with Dumbfire Missiles

[Der Guator]

I wanted to give them a try because I like those kind of fixed weapons in the game that are projectile based and have a slow rate of fire but high damage per shot.

But even more annoying than the overpowered point defences is the target reticle.

Normally you have that little dot that you have to put inside the litte cirlce to hit your target. But with missiles you only have large brackets that you somehow have to put over the circle until they do this blinking animation thingy.

I find it not very easy to aim accurate with them, compared to cannons or PAs.

Is there another trick to it?

 

[St0rmFury]

It sounds like you're describing seeker missiles.

I don't remember dumbfires having this blinking animation thingy.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Dumbfires are unguided. Thus they require no lock on. You got the wrong missiles equipped.

 

[BelExandor]

Turn on the mouse widget when using dumbfires without another fixed weapon in the fire group. Mouse widget can be found under options-> controls->ship controls->mouse controls->show mouse widget.
If you are using another fixed weapon (railguns for instance) you can use those dots to aim the missiles with also.

 

[Der Guator]

It sounds like you're describing seeker missiles.

I don't remember dumbfires having this blinking animation thingy.

No I did equip dumbfires. They have the same aiming mechanism as abrasion blasters. No dot, only brackets that have a short blinking animation without sound when you are above the target.

I see if I can make a clip later to show what I mean.

Turn on the mouse widget when using dumbfires without another fixed weapon in the fire group. Mouse widget can be found under options-> controls->ship controls->mouse controls->show mouse widget.
If you are using another fixed weapon (railguns for instance) you can use those dots to aim the missiles with also.

This must be a PC thing that I'm too console peasant for to understand...

 

[CMDR MagPaye]

Try checking your fire groups. Maybe you have something on there that's overriding the reticle?

 

[Scoob]

I thought dumbfires still had a target lead indicator...I was playing with them a while ago and reliably hitting stuff with them, so some sort of assistance must of been present, cos I ain't that good a shot.

Dumb fire are fun, plus you get lots of them

 

[Der Guator]

I thought dumbfires still had a target lead indicator

They have one but they just hadn't the aim-dot that other weapons have when I tried them out last time.

I think I will also like them

 

[Der Guator]

So here I try to demonstrate what I meant above. Comparing the missiles to a plasma accelerator in a little video clip. Ironically I missed more with the latter

Source: https://youtu.be/xilOsiNfaig


It's harder to know if you're really on target but you can get used to it.

 

[BelExandor]

This must be a PC thing that I'm too console peasant for to understand...

My bad. Yeah I often forget about consoles and the differences that must exist between the versions.
Still, if you want a dot to use for missile alignment, put another fixed weapon in that same fire group.

 

[d8veh]

Dumfires are better for stationary and ground targets than for ships. Did you try packhounds?

 

[sandkid]

Console commander here, but...

You've arrived at why so many threads (did) exist on the need to significantly work on missiles, especially dumbfires. Part of the problem is, unless fighting the Big 5, you'll likely never hit a target without doing damage to yourself, too. It's a real shame because dumbfires and the notion of rockets ought to be in this dog-fighting-like game. They're crazy fun in other titles and, c'mon.

Smoke trails. Whoosh. Thump. BOOM.
Let's be real: lasers are neat the first few times. Even the huge beams on a Vette, with that rave bass beat.
After hours of grinding or w/e you do in Elite...it gets stale.

Cannons? Multicannons? Those last a bit longer for a reason.

Then missiles. But missiles stink as a whole category, and the ones that should be the most satisfying - dumbfires - are awful. Half of it is the launch speed, half of it is the targeting reticle, and 150% of it is the lack of useful targets. It speaks volumes the best-case use was for hunting skimmers.

 

[DemiserofD]

Honestly, if anything, dumbfires are OP. Especially in size 1. They do insane damage and module damage, at insanely low distro draw. If they weren't hard to hit with, they'd be completely overpowered.

 

[Der Guator]

Honestly, if anything, dumbfires are OP. Especially in size 1. They do insane damage and module damage, at insanely low distro draw. If they weren't hard to hit with, they'd be completely overpowered.

The module damage indeed is nothing to joke about. When my shilds drop against one of those missile spammer NPCs then I run!

 

[d8veh]

It's a real shame because dumbfires and the notion of rockets ought to be in this dog-fighting-like game. They're crazy fun in other titles and, c'mon.

Smoke trails. Whoosh. Thump. BOOM.

Don't forget that we have seeker missiles and packhounds!

 

[Torrigwynt174]

No I did equip dumbfires. They have the same aiming mechanism as abrasion blasters. No dot, only brackets that have a short blinking animation without sound when you are above the target.

I see if I can make a clip later to show what I mean.



This must be a PC thing that I'm too console peasant for to understand...

I play on Xbox and we do indeed have this option in the settings menu