ICE Parts
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Usage masks
Usage masks form the different weapon 'classes' so to speak. It is a clunky system, especially because we have a limited number of them to work with. On the other hand, it makes it easier to add in new weapons of the same class without having to go and find/update all of the ships that should load it.
Every weapon must have at least one mask to be usable. Ship loadouts are configured by these masks, not by the individual weapons. Example: EW Util, Gauss and Sniper are all under mask 5. Any ship that can load one of these will be able to load the others as well. This is why all Stealth Fighters can mount these weapons, as mask 5 is enabled for them. If you were to add something else (say, Gat Gun) to mask 5, then all SFs would be able to load that too. By the same note, mask 5 is disabled for Interceptors so they cannot load these weapons.
There are separate mask sets for Countermeasures, Missiles, Boosters, Shields, Cloaks, Weapons and Dispenser items.
When modifying Selectable weapons or items on a ship in ICE, you only have to select one item/weapon in a set for that mask to be enabled. Click on the "Edit" checkbox in the top right to go into edit mode. Scroll down until you find the mask with the items you're looking for, select one and click on the "edit" box again. However, the inverse is true when turning them off: You have to deselect ALL of the items in a mask to disable it for a ship. Make sure you hit Save before you move on to a different ship.
Example Lets say I want to let an Adv. Fighter load the SF weapons. I click the edit box, scroll down until I see them (EW Util Can for example), click on one and then click edit again. After saving, I decide I don't want to do that. I have to edit it again, and deselect all of the items from the mask (In this case, Util, sniper and Gauss all have to be toggled off) then hit edit again and save.
Missiles
Multiple-launch missiles
The problem with having a ship capable of shooting a 'swarm' of missiles is that any that collide as they converge on the target will cause mutual destruction. The following is some discussion of the older-style heavy scout's "dual launchers" vs the hunter-killer swarm available on some capships:
I'm not sure that the swarm has no problems, but if two of the five missiles collide it's not as big a deal as two of two missiles colliding. It may also have something to do with the spread ("salvo ratio") of the missiles - killer swarm missiles may have an initial launch direction more than 28 degrees off-axis, whereas a standard seeker missile has a "salvo ratio" a tenth of that. DN 4.44 had dual seekers with a salvo ratio of .25, meaning 14 degrees. So it's probably the number of missiles that makes killer swarm more workable. Also, hardly anyone ever uses killer swarm anyway, and tests by the CC team have shown that it's probably not worth the bother. It may be upgraded, replaced, or removed when we finally decide what to do with Shipyard.
Another thing about swarm/multiple launch missiles: You can work a narrower "spread' if you increase the launch velocity, since missiles seem to "travel" a little bit before actually appearing. Additionally, they always will have issues in hitting things, especially close things - the Faction X swarmer practically can't hit more than a few missiles at less than half ange, and they're QF agility on steroids.
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