Missile Lock Algorithms

[Qjet]

QUOTE when a ship is flying from left to right across your screen in range at a constant speed. In this case a locked missile will predict target position very well, unless it can’t turn enough (which is a whole separate discussion).[/quote] I was referring to that, but if you insist /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

[factoid]

QUOTE (Jell @ Oct 4 2006, 10:31 PM) What could indeed explain it in the most simple way is if the CM has an actual hitbox, but I thought it was really just an image and nothing more...

Nope, they have a hitbox. They start at radius 1, and grow towards the size defined in ICE over their lifetime.

[vlad13]

I was playing RPS today and i noticed that the hailstorm4 missiles have 125% lock. If i understand the formula correctly this is actually worse then 100% since it is gonna aim too far in front of the ship. Is this true or not?

[bahdohday]

QUOTE (Qjet @ Oct 5 2006, 06:57 AM) I was referring to that, but if you insist

I'd stand by that statement. If target is moving sideways at constant velocity (from launchers point of view) and missile is locked, then the prediction is perfect. The missile may not be able to turn hard enough or live long enough to catch up with the target, but the prediction is still very good.

[factoid]

QUOTE (vlad13 @ Oct 5 2006, 08:45 AM) I was playing RPS today and i noticed that the hailstorm4 missiles have 125% lock. If i understand the formula correctly this is actually worse then 100% since it is gonna aim too far in front of the ship. Is this true or not?

Quick code check says, yes... the maxlock doesn't get capped at a maximum of 1, so the missile will target in front of the ship if it has a maximum lock. Off to the faz forum.

Edit: I also noticed that missiles have an activation time before their tracking system kicks in. It seems to be fixed at 0.25 seconds for all missiles on DN and RPS. Is this a value that ICE lets you modify?

[bahdohday]

You may be right. Although I have no definitive answer on this. It looks like it's just multiplied by the maxlock. You would imagine this would worsen the prediction algorithms. In cases where the target is accellerating significantly, overcompensating for velocity is a better strategy, so if this is often the case, this missile may perform better. But I would be surprised. I would expect it to perform comparably to the 75% lock missiles such as qf1, except as a level4 tech it probably has awesome tracking and speed and therefore lifetime so the tracking nerf isn't so obvious.

[madpeople]

QUOTE (factoid @ Oct 5 2006, 03:02 PM) Edit: I also noticed that missiles have an activation time before their tracking system kicks in. It seems to be fixed at 0.25 seconds for all missiles on DN and RPS. Is this a value that ICE lets you modify?

so thats why if you firea df from a funny angle it heads towards the target, then turns away from the target.

well, i've learnt from this thread to use target nothing more often /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

[factoid]

I'd say this is more the reason why miners seem to dodge dfs if you fire them too close.

[madpeople]

yeah, thats what i meant.

[Spunkmeyer]

It brings joy to my heart to see how madpeople has gone from rank n00b spammer to one of the most informed players around *sniff* *wipes tears* /mrgreen.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="mrgreen.gif" />

To answer the question about sig affecting tracking - it doesn't, but as bahdohday explained, a different value, ECM, affects lock time.

BTW, AFAICS all of his explanations are spot on.