I have sometimes noticed Phase Lances and Tachyon Lances swing off of targets in the middle of a burst, and I think I have figured it out: its caused by the AI turning off the autofire group of the burst weapon while it is firing! I think the weapons then turn towards the 'aim point' of whatever the active weapon group is, because with the below example the beams will rotate to face forward.
To reproduce in the mission simulator, take a Falcon and give it:
ITU, Advanced Turret Gyros (to see the effect better)
2x Arbalest
2x Reaper
2x Phase Lance
0 caps, 0 vents (lots of spare OP, but its for reproduction)
Weapon groups to auto (linked, alternating, linked respectively).
Simulate against the Condor Attack variant with the broadswords. To get a really clear view I would pause the instant the lances fired, then unpause in small bursts. There is a definite moment when the AI turns the Phase Lance's autofire off, the reapers are still selected, and the phase lances swing way off target.
Setting caps and vents to 30 gives more chances to see the effect over the whole fight, but it can sometimes fire a burst without going off autofire in which case the bug does not happen.
[Edit] The same effect can be seen on a Dominator with 2x Hellbore, 2x Heavy Needler, 3xTyphoon Reaper, ITU, advanced turret gyros, no other weapons or caps. The heavy needlers get turned off midburst while the reapers are still the active weapon, and the turrets turn to front instead of nearby targets. Also vs the Condor Attack.
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Topic: The AI Turning off Autofire Midburst Causes the Weapon to Lose Target (Read 376 times)