Is there any reason for a normal person to fit missiles?

[CATPAIN KIRK]

Well - I fit missiles on ships with poor weapon convergence, however I solely do it because I use a rift and gimballed weapon wobbling completely freaks me out whilst doing so.

Admittedly, I'm weird, so it's just me - just wondering if there's any normal person using missiles and if you do, I'd be intrigued to know the reasons.

 

[777Driver]

Well - I fit missiles on ships with poor weapon convergence, however I solely do it because I use a rift and gimballed weapon wobbling completely freaks me out whilst doing so.

Admittedly, I'm weird, so it's just me - just wondering if there's any normal person using missiles and if you do, I'd be intrigued to know the reasons.

Has the whole gimballed wobbling thing started since 1.3? I keep thinking that will look insane when I get back to using my rift.

Regarding missiles - They are rubbish now, torpedo's on a Conda are fun

 

[IronGremlin]

I fit missiles on smaller ships, or if I plan on engaging smaller ships in combat significantly more often than mid to large ships.

I find that the c2 seeking missile launcher is highly effective against anything smaller than an Asp, decently effective against Asps, and not terribly effective against anything larger.

I could easily see equipping them on some larger and less maneuverable ships as an anti-fighter defense - even if it's difficult to line up an optimal shot, and the missile is avoided, you've still managed to make the target put distance between you, which lets you bring larger weapons to bear.

Objectively, they are less useful than other weapons because of their situational limitations, but I don't find them to be so painfully limited as others.

 

[GJ51]

Sorry Cap. Self included, not convinced there are any normal people here.

 

[goemon]

i do use them on my python, if i go with 160 tons of cargo. because some npc run when 5% hull left, python is to slow if full of cargo, and i don't wanna let that money go.

 

[Surly_Badger]

I think they're cool.

It's too bad that they've become unrealistically weak (generally among weapons-systems, self-propelled projectiles are a good idea; somehow those power/weight/cost/launcher cost trade-offs didn't migrate to ED) but I still pack them every so often just because it's satisfying to be able to yell "FOX ONE!" at my screen.

 

[Marak]

I have two turrets on my Lakon 9 & two missile launchers - If I get interdicted by a small pirate, by the time I get missile lock on 'im his shields are down.

Saves a lot of precious cargo

 

[777Driver]

I have two turrets on my Lakon 9 & two missile launchers - If I get interdicted by a small pirate, by the time I get missile lock on 'im his shields are down.

Saves a lot of precious cargo

I miss the day's when you could actually fight back in a freighter. All missile/torpedo loadout on my T9.. I used to enjoy getting interdicted by cmdr's back then.

 

[CATPAIN KIRK]

hh

Has the whole gimballed wobbling thing started since 1.3? I keep thinking that will look insane when I get back to using my rift.

Regarding missiles - They are rubbish now, torpedo's on a Conda are fun

Good to see you still around! No - it isn't new - as I suggested it's just me - gimballs have always freaked me out in the rift. Doesn't seem to be the case for the majority of rift users though.

I think they're cool.

It's too bad that they've become unrealistically weak (generally among weapons-systems, self-propelled projectiles are a good idea; somehow those power/weight/cost/launcher cost trade-offs didn't migrate to ED) but I still pack them every so often just because it's satisfying to be able to yell "FOX ONE!" at my screen.

Yeah - that's the reaon I use them - I mostly fly an Anaconda with a fixed pulse/rail combination or all fixed beams - but if I want that Top Gun fighter feeling, I switch to a Courier and due to poor convergence, I use it with a fixed med beam in the middle and two med seeker launchers on the nacelles - now if I was a functional individual, I'd use gimballed cannons instead.

I have two turrets on my Lakon 9 & two missile launchers - If I get interdicted by a small pirate, by the time I get missile lock on 'im his shields are down.

Saves a lot of precious cargo

Probably it does - skipped all the Lakons except the Asp (I went Sidewinder -> Eagle -> Viper -> Cobra -> Asp -> Clipper -> Python -> Anaconda).

 

[Unfluffydave]

Well - I fit missiles on ships with poor weapon convergence, however I solely do it because I use a rift and gimballed weapon wobbling completely freaks me out whilst doing so.

Admittedly, I'm weird, so it's just me - just wondering if there's any normal person using missiles and if you do, I'd be intrigued to know the reasons.

I tried missiles recently, then went back to cannons. I can't say i'm normal though...

 

[Iskariot]

Is there any reason for a normal person to fit missiles?

That is quite a limiting factor in that question.
Normal persons?
Never encountered one.
Do they even exist?

 

[W4rSkuLL]

Easy fix. Make some hard points "Missile Compatible". Which will reduce the amount of missile launchers you can carry on a specific ship. Reason for that. Because missile launchers are heavy and firing missiles puts stress on the metal/hull around the hard points. And there could be restrictions from political/police side to not being able to make "Missile or torpedo boats" because it hurts trading and encourages piracy. Well, you get the idea Then, make each missile more powerful. So that the "Incoming missile" sign is actually dangerous again. I still get the scare when I see incoming missile, but I know it wont hurt much so I relax fast again. The sound of incoming missile is actually more dangerous than the missile itself Maybe some of the let down is as simple as the NPCs dont use them either much. So you never get to "eat" a lot of them.

 

[Kastor]

I used to use missiles to hunt big ships before the nerf, took the shields down with lasers then gave em a rain of dumbfires.

Now? I can't see any real use for dumbfires, to slow to hit fast targets to weak to damage big ones. You're better off with a cannon.

Same issues apply for seekers.

 

[IronGremlin]

I used to use missiles to hunt big ships before the nerf, took the shields down with lasers then gave em a rain of dumbfires.

Now? I can't see any real use for dumbfires, to slow to hit fast targets to weak to damage big ones. You're better off with a cannon.

Same issues apply for seekers.

I strongly disagree with the conclusion that seekers are "too slow".

I think that you have to play to their strengths when you launch them to ensure a hit, keeping in mind that they can out accelerate but not out turn most ships, and have a limited top speed.

So, close distance and limit relative velocity before launching.

This is as it should be - a c2 missile can do 30-60% hull damage on smaller ships in one hit, it should not be trivial to make that shot. However, I will certainly agree that tje cannon vastly out preform s missiles against larger ships.

 

[Zmaj od Bosne]

Well - I fit missiles on ships with poor weapon convergence, however I solely do it because I use a rift and gimballed weapon wobbling completely freaks me out whilst doing so.

Admittedly, I'm weird, so it's just me - just wondering if there's any normal person using missiles and if you do, I'd be intrigued to know the reasons.

No. That's why I have 4 missile racks on my ASP.

 

[OldSalt]

Missiles are great fun. The targeting, launching (yes, I yell 'Fox 1' as well), watching them streak towards the target, the flash when they find the mark. The only point they stop being fun is when they hit the target and you realise you would have done more damage if you'd thrown a banana at it.

 

[jacozilla]

Missiles are great fun. The targeting, launching (yes, I yell 'Fox 1' as well), watching them streak towards the target, the flash when they find the mark. The only point they stop being fun is when they hit the target and you realise you would have done more damage if you'd thrown a banana at it.

There must be two completely different Elite versions, either real or perceived, because (my perception lol) is that missiles work just great and do great damage.

The only issue that is the obvious caveat is against shields, missiles are like wet noodles v M1 tank. Pretty much worthless, think we all agree on that.

Where the two camps seem to split is people who consider missiles worthless even when shields are down, and those that think it does good enough.

There may be some math on whether cannon does more dmg, or multi cannon over same time - but I've had zero issues killing anything, small ships or large up to Anacondas with missiles once shields are down.

The key word to me is 'effective' - as long as a weapon does good enough dmg I can kill any ship in the game within my 1 or even 2 notches of my own ship weight class, then it just comes down to fun factor for me. 15% more efficient at killing but 50% less fun - well, that's not my cup of tea.

I usually fly multirole ships though so in speciality combat ships like the vulture I concede there's really only a very few, if not just one, weapon loadout that makes sense. But the vulture is pretty situational. for multirole ships - even the smaller Asp does just fine using 2 lasers and 4 missiles against anything. Will take more of a shield beating and have to use an SCB charge against an Anaconda, but the kill is never in doubt.

Same for python with 3 lasers of whichever type preferred and 2 C2 missile racks.

4 C1 or 2 C2 missile racks, when I fire them, I see a ton of dmg being done to the hull. I totally get the threads where people say they don't like, don't prefer, or really min/max to get the absolute best edge weapon system. But I just don't get where people say missiles do no, almost none, or really weak dmg.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Missiles are still worthwhile. Many players no longer bother with PDTs because "people don't use missiles since they were nerfed".

Once a taget's shields are down, missiles can still be very effective. There are youtube vids showing this.

And torpedoes... oh my gods, they are brilliant. Just so damn expensive, but if you are a PvPer, have spare hardpoints, and looking for the shock kill, try them out.

 

[the100thmonkey]

They're extremely effective against the turrets and heat relays on capital ships. Fit a small, fast fighter out as a missile platform, then go strafe a capship.

 

[wstephenson]

Never mind missiles - who in their right mind uses mines?

Apart from being as non lethal as missiles, they are as visible, cost about the same and as easy to counter. So call them "missiles with defective drive units".

To counter these deficits, mines should be numerous and stealthy. As they are passive units, they are effectively in silent running all the time. Mine laying within sensor range should be alerted, but once the mines are out there they should only be seen on the scanner from a few hundred metres away. Perhaps a single 'minefield marker' would remain at the drop location. Homing mines would "go active" when a ship enters their sensor range, boosting at a relatively high speed towards their target, giving a short time to intercept it or change course.

And mines should be cluster munitions, yielding 3 -10 minelets per trigger pull, for effective area denial.

This would make scooping jettisoned cargo at speed a tricky affair, as well as allowing us to create interesting combat environments in open space - obstacles that go snap, crackle, pop!