Since so many people seem to think that Heatseeker missiles are inferior, I decided to sit down and quantatatively compare the different types of missiles available in WC3/4
Dart DumbFire
Max. Speed: 3000kps
Duration: 3 seconds
Lock Time: N/A
Acceleration: 1000k/s^2
Manouverability: 0dps
Damage: 800cm
Pro:
1.) Highest speed of any missile
2.) No need for lock
3.) Causes twice the damage of most other missiles
Con:
1.) Short duration
2.) Zero manouverability means it cannot track targets, so it has approximately the same chance of hitting a given target as a shot from energy guns.
Pilum Friend or Foe
Max. Speed: 1200kps
Duration: 20 seconds
Lock Time: 0 seconds
Acceleration: 800k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: 250cm
Pro:
1.) Longer duration than most other missiles
2.) No need to lock onto a target--missile automatically locks onto the nearest valid target and reacquires lock if it is lost through any means other than decoys, including switching targets if the target disappears because it cloaks, jumps out, or is destroyed.
Con:
1.) Low speed means that light fighters (Darket, Arrow, Banshee, etc.) can actually outrun it on afterburner.
2.) Causes 1/3 less damage than Heatseeker or ImRec missiles, meaning that two missile hits may be needed to destroy heavy fighters or bombers.
Javelin Heatseeker
Max. Speed: 2000kps
Duration: 10 seconds
Lock Time: 2.0 seconds
Acceleration: 800 k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: 400cm
Pro:
1.) Reacquires lock if lost other than to decoys--can lock onto new targets if original target disappears by cloaking, jumping out, or being destroyed.
2.) Marginally faster than ImRec missile.
Con:
1.) Must be behind target to acquire lock--this makes it difficult to lock onto light fighters as they do not tend to allow a player to stay directly behind them for long.
2.) Can be dodged by light fighters if they turn to face missile and get behind it--missile loses lock if this should happen
3.) Cannot distinguish friend from foe--if lock is lost, missile may lock onto friendly craft.
Spiculum Image Recognition
Max. Speed: 1600kps
Duration: 15 seconds
Lock Time: 1.0 seconds
Acceleration: 600k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: 400cm approx.
Pro:
1.) Shortest lock of any missile that requires lock to fire.
2.) Can acquire lock from any angle relative to target.
2.) Cannot lose target lock except through decoys or if target disappears by cloaking, jumping out, or being destroyed.
Con:
1.) Marginally slower than Heatseeker--speed of 1600kps is only slightly higher than maximum afterburner speed of light fighters.
2.) Cannot reacquire target lock if lost.
Porcupine Mine
Max. Speed: 100kps
Duration: Longer than any fight is likely to last, so effectively infinite.
Lock Time: 0 seconds
Acceleration: 200k/s^2
Manouverability: 20dps
Damage: 400cm
Pro:
1.) Mine does not trigger target's missile lock alarm, so target pilot will be unaware of mine unless pilot spots it visually.
2.) Mine is released behind ship instead of in front, so it can be used against persuers.
3.) Mine will lock onto nearest enemy target, and will reacquire lock if lost.
4.) Mine lock cannot be broken with decoys
Con:
1.) Extremely low speed means that mine must be launched from in front of target at close range if used against fighters as it is far too slow to persue them--the targeted fighter may easily dodge the mine if the pilot has enough time to react. Mines are best used several at a time in the hopes that an inattentive enemy will run into one later in the fight.
Leech
Max. Speed: 1400kps
Duration: 20 seconds
Lock Time: 5.0 seconds
Acceleration: 800k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: N/A
Pro:
1.) A single missile hit will completely disable any fighter-size craft, rendering it incapable of using either its weapons or its engines.
2.) Relatively long duration
Con:
1.) Relatively low speed means that light fighters may be able to outrun it if it is not fired at close range.
2.) Long lock time means that light fighters may dodge out of view before lock is complete, which resets the lock cycle.
Would anybody like to comment?
Dart DumbFire
Max. Speed: 3000kps
Duration: 3 seconds
Lock Time: N/A
Acceleration: 1000k/s^2
Manouverability: 0dps
Damage: 800cm
Pro:
1.) Highest speed of any missile
2.) No need for lock
3.) Causes twice the damage of most other missiles
Con:
1.) Short duration
2.) Zero manouverability means it cannot track targets, so it has approximately the same chance of hitting a given target as a shot from energy guns.
Pilum Friend or Foe
Max. Speed: 1200kps
Duration: 20 seconds
Lock Time: 0 seconds
Acceleration: 800k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: 250cm
Pro:
1.) Longer duration than most other missiles
2.) No need to lock onto a target--missile automatically locks onto the nearest valid target and reacquires lock if it is lost through any means other than decoys, including switching targets if the target disappears because it cloaks, jumps out, or is destroyed.
Con:
1.) Low speed means that light fighters (Darket, Arrow, Banshee, etc.) can actually outrun it on afterburner.
2.) Causes 1/3 less damage than Heatseeker or ImRec missiles, meaning that two missile hits may be needed to destroy heavy fighters or bombers.
Javelin Heatseeker
Max. Speed: 2000kps
Duration: 10 seconds
Lock Time: 2.0 seconds
Acceleration: 800 k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: 400cm
Pro:
1.) Reacquires lock if lost other than to decoys--can lock onto new targets if original target disappears by cloaking, jumping out, or being destroyed.
2.) Marginally faster than ImRec missile.
Con:
1.) Must be behind target to acquire lock--this makes it difficult to lock onto light fighters as they do not tend to allow a player to stay directly behind them for long.
2.) Can be dodged by light fighters if they turn to face missile and get behind it--missile loses lock if this should happen
3.) Cannot distinguish friend from foe--if lock is lost, missile may lock onto friendly craft.
Spiculum Image Recognition
Max. Speed: 1600kps
Duration: 15 seconds
Lock Time: 1.0 seconds
Acceleration: 600k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: 400cm approx.
Pro:
1.) Shortest lock of any missile that requires lock to fire.
2.) Can acquire lock from any angle relative to target.
2.) Cannot lose target lock except through decoys or if target disappears by cloaking, jumping out, or being destroyed.
Con:
1.) Marginally slower than Heatseeker--speed of 1600kps is only slightly higher than maximum afterburner speed of light fighters.
2.) Cannot reacquire target lock if lost.
Porcupine Mine
Max. Speed: 100kps
Duration: Longer than any fight is likely to last, so effectively infinite.
Lock Time: 0 seconds
Acceleration: 200k/s^2
Manouverability: 20dps
Damage: 400cm
Pro:
1.) Mine does not trigger target's missile lock alarm, so target pilot will be unaware of mine unless pilot spots it visually.
2.) Mine is released behind ship instead of in front, so it can be used against persuers.
3.) Mine will lock onto nearest enemy target, and will reacquire lock if lost.
4.) Mine lock cannot be broken with decoys
Con:
1.) Extremely low speed means that mine must be launched from in front of target at close range if used against fighters as it is far too slow to persue them--the targeted fighter may easily dodge the mine if the pilot has enough time to react. Mines are best used several at a time in the hopes that an inattentive enemy will run into one later in the fight.
Leech
Max. Speed: 1400kps
Duration: 20 seconds
Lock Time: 5.0 seconds
Acceleration: 800k/s^2
Manouverability: 80dps
Damage: N/A
Pro:
1.) A single missile hit will completely disable any fighter-size craft, rendering it incapable of using either its weapons or its engines.
2.) Relatively long duration
Con:
1.) Relatively low speed means that light fighters may be able to outrun it if it is not fired at close range.
2.) Long lock time means that light fighters may dodge out of view before lock is complete, which resets the lock cycle.
Would anybody like to comment?