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Author Topic: Shooting past friendlies  (Read 1519 times)

Kobura

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Shooting past friendlies
« on: October 13, 2021, 09:57:11 AM »

So, I'm playing with bringing a Gryphon in a relatively fresh game, but I've observed multiple different conflicting interactions between frigates+, fighters, missles, mines/dumb bombs, torpedos, and the like. Obviously the Gryphon really has no business getting line of sight to the enemy.
What weapons can be fired through friendly lines? If my observations are correct, friendly and enemy fighters can overlap ships until they're dead or immobilized (this makes lore sense), but what about missiles? If they're active and guided, can they also fly through friendlies? This matters for the difference of putting Atropos versus Ludd's Mallet or the Big Red Grim Reaper on the front facers. Maybe Salamanders or Locusts? And if I'm correct, when do, say, Squall or Hurricanes become unguided and thereby no longer able to track through friendlies?

Or am I misguided (lolpuns) entirely?
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Megas

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2021, 10:08:56 AM »

Quote
If they're active and guided, can they also fly through friendlies?
Yes, active guided missiles passthrough allies.  After they flameout, they lose passthrough and can hit anyone.
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Thaago

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2021, 10:11:58 AM »

For allied ships any guided missile will fly over them, but as you noted there is a time limit until they become unguided. The AI won't fire unless the enemy is in range of the guided portion of flight (though if the enemy is fast they might be able to run effectively!). You can tell when a missile becomes unguided because its engines flare and then go out, and the missile stops maneuvering. Unguided allied munitions will also pass over friendly fighters but not enemies: firing reapers through a cloud of talons usually doesn't work, unfortunately.

Gryphons can be built to get line of sight to the enemy pretty well at present, but they are relatively fragile for their size so it can be risky. Using annihilator rockets on the front smalls, in linked mode, helps a lot in that case because the cloud of missiles causes enemy AI ships to back off (even if they really should just push through). If using Gryphons for ranged support they do really well set to escort a heavy cruiser or capital: they stay nicely tucked to its side and can protect against flanking frigates while staying away from the front and lobbing missiles at vulnerable targets.
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SCC

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2021, 10:14:18 AM »

Even if squalls or hurricane submunitions no longer change their course, they still count as guided missiles. It would seem guided missiles never stop being guided when it comes to collisions.

Kobura

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2021, 10:26:52 AM »

SCC I seem to have accidentally observed that while fiddling with a forward mounted Locust. Even well outside of guidance range, as long as the engine was burning the missile passed over my allies.

This is supremely useful and important knowledge I had no idea of before and will dramatically change how I use missiles (and missile-oriented ships, which otherwise are often substantially less able to survive exposure). If there's some sort of 'newbie knowledge base' I would strongly suggest putting this combination of factors in there as it is not intuitive.
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Kobura

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2021, 10:31:19 AM »

(As a side-aside, does Unstable Injectors also reduce missile range? I assume it does since Energy and Ballistic isn't specified, but that's also 'one of those things')
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Thaago

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2021, 10:38:49 AM »

Even if squalls or hurricane submunitions no longer change their course, they still count as guided missiles. It would seem guided missiles never stop being guided when it comes to collisions.

Huh, interesting. I know that harpoons and pilums will collide with allies after they've flamed out, interesting that squall and hurricanes don't...
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Vanshilar

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2021, 10:50:24 AM »

I think it's because squalls and hurricanes haven't really flamed out per se, which is after they hit their max range. Instead, they were guided initially but no longer changing course, but still coasting along within their weapon range.

Yes the ability to shoot through friendlies with guided missiles (including squalls) is partly what makes them so good, as a way to concentrate fire on target.
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SCC

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2021, 12:10:51 PM »

Huh, interesting. I know that harpoons and pilums will collide with allies after they've flamed out, interesting that squall and hurricanes don't...
They do, as all flamed out missiles do. I meant to say that hurricanes and squalls won't friendly fire even after they have acquired target and won't maneouvre any more.

Kobura

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2021, 02:12:53 PM »

I just observed SCC to be correct again. As long as their engine is on, no matter if their guidance is active at the moment, they do not strike friendlies. Reaper torpedos even straight from the tubes will strike an ally.

Well there we have it. I assume fighter munitions operate the same way, bringing a whole new life to the Atrophos for me.
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Phenir

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2021, 08:50:37 AM »

Fighter torpedoes do not fly through friendlies. This is a good thing though, you can get really close to the enemy so the bombers don't fire until they are basically right on top of the their target. Less chance of their missiles being shot down.
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Kobura

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Re: Shooting past friendlies
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2021, 02:50:29 AM »

Deadfire torpedoes never do, fighter or otherwise
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