Heatseakers or ImRecs? An analysis of missiles

I

Ijuin

Admiral
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?
 
HS should be more faster or quicker to lock
that it could compete with IR. Speed diffrence
is too small and in practice IRs lock from any
angel is far more useful than extra speed.
FFs and DF have their pros and cons but HS
don´t have really any advances over IR other
than cost that isn´t simulated.
 
I would tend to agree with that--the only advantage that Hatseekers seem to have over ImRecs is that they can lock onto a new target if lock is broken (ImRec lock can't be broken except by decoys or by the target disappearing, whereas Heatseeker lock can be broken if you dodge it). This "advantage" can often backfire because the Heatseeker missile does not distinguish between friend and foe and may lock on to friendly craft

I think Heatseekers should travel at 3000kps to match Dumbfires instead of at 2000kps. This would make them harder for the target to evade. As it is, ImRec missiles have the advantage since they can be fired from any angle and have a faster and harder-to-break lock.
 
IR are THE missiles.
HS should be stronger and faster, not to mention to have shorter lock time.
IR's still rule supreme!:)
 
IRs are the way to go. HS are good for Corvettes and small cap ships for a lil extra punch, but IRs stand the test of hitting fighters a lot more often.

Still, I'd perfer a loadout of all FoFs and a torpedo myself.
 
Hi,

I'd go with with IR`s. - little in the way of waiting with a decent warhead.

HS missiles are great when you need a little extra punch.

FOF's, even less waiting, but a warhead that won't take a gnat down.

Overall, I tend to bring most missiles back unless I'm going against cap ships.

Cheers
 
I agree with just about everyone else here, IR missles are the outright best. I think the game designers could have taken a page out of the books of WC1 designers and gave the HS a much bigger payload than the IR (if I remember correctly).
Also, the HS missle speed should be increased, but not to 3000 kps. The faster a missle goes the farther it will over shoot if evaded. This is bad for a heatseeker, more effective for a FoF missle.

C-ya
 
I prefer IRs as well...
Usuallly when I fire a missile, it's to finish off a specific target, or to divert a specific enemy fighter from my wingman for example, so in such situations IRs are the best you can get....
 
Though I agree thtat IR missiles are by far the best all-round missiles (but I have very little experience with both Leech missiles and mines), there's something about the HS I like. Well, that's it, I suppose: I find the HS likeable, especially in WCP again.
 
remember, in the larger fighters in WCP and SO, only IR is used. AND they only made improved IR missiles, no visible improvement in HS missiles
 
The best improvement for a heat seeker is to make it less prone to being spoofed by decoys. Making it faster would be nice too.
 
I personally am non partial to either ImRecs or Heat seekers. Neither is effective unless used with strategy and a great degree of good timing and aim.

Because of my flying style in WC games, I often end up behind the craft I'm aiming at. Depending on the range and shield strength in the back, I might unload a heatseeker into their tailpipes. With shields down and relatively good armor, ships go down to Heatseekers like a two dollar hooker on Valentine's Day.

IR's are good for when a ship's getting away and you want to get a hit in while it's fleeing. If you're chasing a ship though, you'll have to take the outer armor out too if you want it to kill the ship you're aiming at.
 
bah, a missile moving at warp 0.9 would solve your problems, all it needs is a big warhead and rudimentary guidiance systems, nothing can outrun THAT
 
Originally posted by dacis2
bah, a missile moving at warp 0.9 would solve your problems, all it needs is a big warhead and rudimentary guidiance systems, nothing can outrun THAT
Click to expand...

Unless it was something... I dunno... fast? Also, Warp is a fictional scale of measurement that *isn't* used in Wing Commander.

TC
 
Originally posted by panther
Overall, I tend to bring most missiles back unless I'm going against cap ships.
Click to expand...
Me too.

I don't like the HS in WCP as they don't re-acquire lock, and they're weaker than the Enhanced IRs which come later. Still, I suppose they're useful in the earlier missions (and are better than nothing).

I hardly use missiles in WC1/2, so I don't recall seeing a HS missile re-acquire lock. In WC3/4, I usually load all possible points with IRs.

As I've said before, FFs are good in WCP/SO for taking out pesky fighters which don't carry decoys - Skates, Stingrays, etc.

DFs (and RPs) are useful against slow moving targets like corvettes and (WC1/3/4) capships, and heavier fighters, if you're a good shot.
 
I would tend to agree with Wedge009. I too use very few missile unless I come up against a capship and I do't have any torps.

I like to load up on IRs whenever possible. Course it depends on the mission.

Somtimes I may load up a bunch of FF and if I get swarmed by a bunch of light or medium fighters I let em fly. Works good for breaking up the enemy formation and giving me time to deal with individual targets.

HS missiles work good on slower ships that are unable to manuver fast enough to break the lock.

WCP is different in the way missiles seem to work. If a target is quick enough HR lock can be broken very easily. IR doen't have enough punch to take down anything until they get upgraded. FF are good for as Wedge009 mentioned skates and stingrays. Or else as a finishing blow to a fighter that I have scraped enough armor off of. DF and RP work real well on corvettes or slow moving bombers, like when skates are clustered together. I really don't like the missile pods on the Vampire that carry smaller versions of the FF. Whenever I use those every missile on that pod goes after the same damn target. I hate that. Swarmers ROCK.:D
 
Originally posted by I'm thinkin...
I really don't like the missile pods on the Vampire that carry smaller versions of the FF. Whenever I use those every missile on that pod goes after the same... target. I hate that.
Click to expand...
As do I. Tracker MIRV - they're actually four full FFs strapped together. They are good against corvettes if there are no other enemies near it.

I don't think Casey flies Wasps too many times in WCP, but in the earlier missions, like Wasp Intercept, Swarmers quite useful on Mantas. But the funny thing, with my conservation of missiles, sometimes I only use one or two sets of Swarmers, if at all. And, unfortunately, sometimes two of the missiles from the Swarmer will crash into each other while converging on the target, so I don't get the 'instant kill' that I'd like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top