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[Flying Birdy]

Something interesting happened in my latest playthrough, thought I'd ask the community for some clarification on a mechanic that seemed interested.

On an Odyssey, if I were to fire a Sabot during plasma burn, the Sabot round is rapidly accelerated and will "launch" almost immediately at my target, rather than undergoing its initial slow movespeed phase. This interaction has had some "interesting" uses, I could plasma burn and fire 6 sabots from my medium mounts, instantly flux cap my target, and destroy them with a MIRV + plasma cannon.

I've tried to do the same with dagger torpedos. But they don't "feel" that much faster when I launch them during plasma burn. So here's my question, how are missile move speeds determined? Is the ship's own move speed a dependent variable?

[SCC]

Every projectile in the game retains ship's momentum. This includes missiles, though most are supposed to have their own top speed and will slow down to it at their own acceleration speed. First stage sabots are pretty sluggish, so they can't lose that additional speed before they get in the shotgun range and enter the second stage.

[Vind]

ECCM Package hull mod can improve missiles a bit and Odyssey have one by default.

[Linnis]

ECCM Package hull mod can improve missiles a bit and Odyssey have one by default.

Quite interesting with mobility + large shield + missle built a Odessy can protect the missiles they fire untill they baisically make impact with the target cruiser or capital.

[Flying Birdy]

ECCM Package hull mod can improve missiles a bit and Odyssey have one by default.

Quite interesting with mobility + large shield + missle built a Odessy can protect the missiles they fire untill they baisically make impact with the target cruiser or capital.

Yea the right-facing missile turret is actually optimally placed for Sabot rounds. If I don't plasma burn accelerate the sabot, it will travel for a really long time under my shield before shotgunning towards its target. If I set longbows to "regroup", they will also launch sabots from the protection of my shield which is great!

The front mounts are a little too close to the field for it to work though. That said, I've still been still just plasma burn to accelerate the Sabot rounds forward. It's so good its tearing me apart - Sabot or aim-able reapers.

[CopperCoyote]

One thing i wanted to mention about missiles retaining the ships velocity: this is only true while the missile's engine isn't firing. This is most dramatically obvious with pilums. If you fire them sideways they travel very swiftly forward, but as soon as they orient toward the target they slow down to their normal speeds.

[Flying Birdy]

One thing i wanted to mention about missiles retaining the ships velocity: this is only true while the missile's engine isn't firing. This is most dramatically obvious with pilums. If you fire them sideways they travel very swiftly forward, but as soon as they orient toward the target they slow down to their normal speeds.

Interesting. So the longer it takes for the missile to re-orient itself towards the target, the longer it will retain its added velocity?

[CopperCoyote]

That is correct. Missiles with fast turning like swarmers see no benefit from the initial speed.

Tangent: several versions ago there was a bug or maybe exploit depending on how you looked at it that allowed you to maintain the velocity you're traveling so long as you aren't accelerating. you could even turn your ship. The pinnacle of this nonsense was having a conquest use maneuvering jets with 0 flux bonus (with i believe a higher top speed at the time also) to build up speed, and then let go of the accelerator and then wiz by at top speed guns blazing and still benefit from the bonuses. I kinda miss it but like i said it was nonsensical speed for a capital.

My conjecture as to why the missiles do this is because they're still using the prior movement limitations still.

[Goumindong]

You can still do that if you flame out. Though finding ways to do that intentionally is tough.

[CopperCoyote]

That's true, but the use of burndrive or aux thrusters prevents a total flameout until the special ability is finished so no using those to reach obscene speeds anymore either.