Missile usage

Lunitari

Spaceman
Is it just me, or does it seem like missiles are much less effective in WC 2 than the original Wing Commander? I remember about 60 to 70 percent of my missiles hitting their targets in the first game. Do all enemy ships now have counter measures as well?
 
I was always one to only use missiles on high value targets or sometimes not at all because I would get overcautious think I might need them if I encountered a capship....wasn't until I knew what ships were present on a mission that I would more liberally use my missiles....

I don't recall too big a difference between effectiveness in the games although it's been an awefully long time since I climbed into the cockpit...
 
Dundradal said:
I don't recall too big a difference between effectiveness in the games although it's been an awefully long time since I climbed into the cockpit...


I like the sound of that....been a long time since you have climbed into the cockpit. you sound like a retired fighter pilot. :D
 
WC4 missiles are vicious. one shot, one kill.
I don't know if the missiles are wors in wc2 than in wc1, But i think that the AI got better... so that the kats are more efficient in dodging the missiles. I never depend much on missiles on these games, they're kinda useless.
 
Hmm I only used my missiles on capital ships, but if my guns are badly damaged I would use my missiles to hit my targets.
"Just point and click"
 
I notice Im either real rusty with missiles in WC4 or that the computer just loves dumping a lot of decoys, I'm not sure which it is.
 
People actually used missiles in the first and second games?

I have to admit, I never found them all that useful unless it was to finish something off swiftly, rather than the stand off capability you had in the later WC games.
 
I used them to even the odds quickly when approaching a group of fighters. Dumbfires were particularly useful for this.
 
Farlander said:
I used them to even the odds quickly when approaching a group of fighters. Dumbfires were particularly useful for this.

Always fun to drop a load of dumbfires into a tight kat formation. :D

And of course, who could not love the mace?

I would use missiles in WC2 conservatively. Better to slowly kill a couple of fighters than to have to slug it out with a Kamekh without missiles.

WC4 missiles are indeed wicked. I find that the missiles work best when you get very, very close to your target's back, then let 'er rip. I get 90% efficiency that way. Trouble with that method is that you have to shoot, turn around, and afterburn quick, cuz I've been killed by the explosion/ramming into the exploding ship before. :eek:
 
LeHah said:
I notice Im either real rusty with missiles in WC4 or that the computer just loves dumping a lot of decoys, I'm not sure which it is.
Well, considering that there isn't much we can do to improve PK in WC games, I think that your enemies use a lot of decoys. But WHEN the missile hits, it's instant kaboom. Well, just think about what happens when YOU are hit by a missile in WC4. It is quite jarring, actually, quite sudden.
 
well, in WC3/4 for the first time your enemies *have* a lot of decoys. It's also dependent on the skill of your target - Flash will leave a string of decoys several kilometers long when you duel against him, and some of the more viscious ace-level enemies will do the same.
 
Remember, in WC2 they added Chaff Pods to most every fighter. Also, the AI is damned good at using them IIRC. Usually I used my missiles on Sartha and Drakhri fighters, which don't have chaff pods. A missile fired at a Jalkethi or Grikath has a good chance of running into a chaff pod instead of the fighter. And Strakha aren't worth a missile, anyways.
 
You Improve your chances of hitting an enemy with a missile in WC2 (but also 3,4, Prophecy) considerably if you wait till you close to atleast 5000 - 2000k. Also if the enemy is head on, that's ok only at very short range. Otherwise wait until you can tail the enemy fighter, and close in with afterburners and fire one up his ass. If you've taken his sheilds down a notch with guns first, even better. Theirs usualy a certain number of fighters that you and a wingman can handle (without your wingman complaining about getting damaged). So I would use the missiles to even things out by quickly bringing the number of enemies down to that number and then Finishing the rest off with Guns. Otherwise they gang up on you.
Also, in wc2 you can usually take out one drakhri or salthi right of the bat when you first get to a nav point. Target the lead and fly straight for them with afterburners. They'll almost always veer when they get too close but if you start firing as soon as their in range you can usualy have one in the bag by that time. Plus if you don't get the kill, a quick turn and your on their tail.

In wc3 it seemed that the imrecs kept their lock the best.
 
My opinion on missilles.

WC1 - Powerful, but easy to dodge just by turning thanks to the velocity drop. Helps me even out the odds.
WC2 - Important to get those pesky heavies down before they get you, but easily dodges with chaff pods. Always used close-up or head-on.
WC3 - The brand new "decoys" shake off missiles easily, so close-up shots are required. AI missiles seem to be just a nuisance to me. Very strong in numbers, just remember to use the right type correctly on the right target.
WC4 - Okay, missiles could become better, but this is BS! Either you instakill them or they instakill you, and since this can even apply to Dragons (mutually), it spoils fun.
WCP - Since you have the uber ships here, the BS is no longer mutual, you just out-missile the bugs. Enemy missiles are either decoyed and don't do much damage, while all bugs save Devil Ray can't decoy enough to save their sorry lives and get at least shields and armor ripped off.
WCSO - Dito, even more since you start with super-duper-killfromafar-imrecs. Those fri-foes aren't even weapons, they're distraction tools.
 
Missiles in WC4 are one of the only things I really did not like about that game. You could be going perfectly well on one mission only to have it all ruined by some ship that was lucky to put a missile up your backside without you noticing. One mistake and its over. Those missile spamming aces were especially irritating. This completely beats the purpose of having more armour and thicker shields on heavy fighters and bombers when they can't save you from a single missile. It takes excactly the same amount of missiles to take it out as a light fighter: just one. On the upside the same applies to the enemy so with practice you can jump from kill to kill with missiles, until they ran out of course and you had to do it the old fashioned way.

I thought the way missiles worked in all the other wing commander games was much better. WC3 missiles were my favourite as they were still lethal, but you actually needed gunnery skill as well since missile did not give you insant kills, except on a darket if you were lucky.

I also have a question regarding missiles in WC4. If I remember correctly, imrecs had a penetration value of 450. If this is true, then why do they kill longbows and dragons instantly, which had shields of 500 and armour of 300? Do they bypass the shields, or is it a different reason?
 
WC1 I only used missiles on the higher value targets, mainly capships
WC2 Same except more liberally use in fighter situations because of better ships and introduction of phase shields on capships
WC3 missiles seem to come finally into their own in fighter situations, usually only used them on vaktoths, sorthaks, pakhtans and thrakhath and against capships
WC4 missiles on roids...no fun...helped in downing capships without torps...
WCP missiles more even although the difference between races is a bit much. SO ups the ante with the improved versions while nephilim missiles remaining basically unchanged.

I always found myself getting to attatched to my missiles because I always thought I would need them at an upcoming nav point. WC3 had an odd habit of throwing large capships at you with little warning
 
If you want a realistic flight game, why not just double the amout of missiles, the range and make guns useless?

That's why I prefer WC.
 
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