I found a line in the modlog:
[ThermalMissileClass]
lockRange = lifeSpan * velocForward // homing lock-on range
Im guessing since the changelog has lifespan * velocForward as the value, is that its the default when undefined, however, changing this to lockrange = 10, does nothing at all, the missiles still lock on to the forward enemy pools (large heatsource), which should be way out of range of the 10m lockrange. My missiles that Im toying with should shoot straight up with a wide variance then come screaming back down onto the target. Instead, when there's a larger heatsource ANYWHERE on the field, it goes for it instead...
Is the lockrange a multiplier or a value? IE, does putting lockrange = 10 mean lockrange of 10 meters or lockrange = (lifespan * velocforward) * 10?
Just ran a test to see if its a working feature at all.
I set to lockrange = 0.
If its a multiplier, it should multiply by 0 and never lock.
If its a range value in meters, it still should never lock because nothing would get within 0 meters of it without it blowing up.
Ran it, and they still beelined for the front pools...
Can someone fix this feature please?
Nother test, tweaking the lifespan and velocforward values to reach the proper distance (350m) still doesnt prevent the missiles from tracking something 450 and 500m, which is well out of range...
Im guessing its a botched code in the ThermalMissileClass, definitely something for the PB4 team to look into if there is going to be a PB4b (most likely).
it has to do with the missile's auto targeting thing. Coneangle and lockrange should both effect this. as well as object's heatsignature
GBD, even stock FAF missiles suffer from this. Play IA Firestorm and you will see this issue near your second pool. The missile will go straight into the ground instead of going to the two turrets guarding it.
ya but there was a flag put in to prevent that.
Quote from: General BlackDragon on August 17, 2008, 07:12:17 PM
ya but there was a flag put in to prevent that.
Which was lockrange, but it doesnt work.
Do a test with FAFs maybe, see if they turn. It might be its effects missiles without target instead of missiles with targets from launchers.
try reducing the missiles own coneangle maybe? and using the avoid flags added in...
lockRange works fine. lockRange is the range within which it can get a lock. Try setting it to 50 and firing a FAF at something 120m away. It will get a lock and turn towards the target when/if it is within 50m.
The default seems to be large, so I'm uploading a fix to Mantis.
I thought FAFs were acting funny.
The fix includes Stinger, Hornet, and FAF.
Hmmmm....while I'm at it, should I add the terrain avoidance features to them?
No...
Quote from: Red Devil on August 18, 2008, 11:50:07 PM
lockRange works fine. lockRange is the range within which it can get a lock. Try setting it to 50 and firing a FAF at something 120m away. It will get a lock and turn towards the target when/if it is within 50m.
The default seems to be large, so I'm uploading a fix to Mantis.
Did you read my tests? Setting to 10 meters still had them lockon to an object 500 meters away, setting to 0 STILL locked onto the object 500 meters away!
Try setting it to -500. :-P
QuoteHmmmm....while I'm at it, should I add the terrain avoidance features to them?
I have been experimenting with this, it is only suitable for certain types of missile, like shadower's for example.
Fafs are good for killing pilots by shooting the ground, you can't do that if it avoids the ground.
Heat seekers are fairly indiscriminate when it comes to selecting targets, and I think the avoidance function is more likely to make them miss and hit something else, like your own scavs.
It should probably be used on weapons with team filters as weird things happen if you fire one at your own buildings and it attempts to avoid it and hit it. Tag-missiles with ground/object avoidance can also cause this conflicting objective issue.
Having said that, It does seem to work quite well with the AI and Laser missiles, as "loose" missiles avoid the ground and find the next target the AI points at.
I had to make some serious adjustments to the Dalek Laser Bombs after a Hillarious/scary incident involving me, about 28 "still live" laser bombs and the destruction of about 1/2 of my base...
I like this feature Im sure creative weapon smiths can make some wonderfull new weapons with it.
I agree about the team filters, but not so sure about the avoidance thing on heat seekers. The lack of it causes them to plow into the ground if you're in back of a small hill and the target is beyond that. With the lockRange and avoid range set small, you can still nuke the pilots.
Agreed, the terrain avoidance relies on the missile's ability to turn. (if it can't turn fast enough, then it will crash into the terrain) So it would still be possible to FAF pilots that are on the ground, you would just have to adjust your aim a little bit.
[MissileClass]
velocForward = 150 // powered speed of the missile
accelThrust = 50 // rate the missile can change speed
delayTime = 3.0 // homing delay time (zero turn rate)
rampTime = 0.5 // homing ramp time (from zero to full turn rate)
avoidRange = 50.0 // terrain obstacle-avoidance range
avoidStrength = 50.0 // terrain obstacle-avoidance strength (~2 seems best)
It was almost impossible to kill arc mines with the missiles in QF mod.
Its not just the ground but friendly objects they avoid too, heat seekers have no ability to regain their intended target after avoidance.
N1- Did you consider at all that you are supposed to use the machinegun??
With a large coneAngle (Pi), they can pick up pretty much any target within their lockRange.
Quote from: bigbadbogie on August 20, 2008, 03:27:21 AM
N1- Did you consider at all that you are supposed to use the machinegun??
That P-Shooter??
Its more powerful than the standard minigun. :-P
Quote from: bigbadbogie on August 20, 2008, 05:56:02 AM
Its more powerful than the standard minigun. :-P
So we're shooting pebbles at them instead of lima beans?
QuoteWith a large coneAngle (Pi), they can pick up pretty much any target within their lockRange.
That's why I said
Intended target.
FAF is a thermal missile launched from a cannon and not a thermal launcher, so it get it's lock where it finds one, not from the launcher. That's why flares work.
What were you using to launch the thermalmissile, Steeveeo?
Same way FAFs are launched at first, but I also tried the ThermalLauncher class before IIRC (its been awhile since this issue).
Okay, I'll try it again by shooting it straight up with a cannon from my base in Alien Dunes.
Nope, I don't get it using stock. Only after gradually lowering the pitch of the gun does the missile head towards a nearby target.
Is the lockRange specified for FAFs? If so, I would comment it out so it will default to the weapon's actual range. Lifespan * speed.
Then its lockRange would be 120 meters, so if it got, say, 100 meters out, it could still lock on something 120 meters away, distracting it from something near it.
When lockRange is set to ~50 meters, it behaves much more like a true FAF missile, where, if it is fired near something ~100 meters away, it will suddenly lock onto that target when it gets near it and turn to hit it. Looks cooler, too. :mrgreen:
Just to toss my 2 cents in here...
Keep in mind that not all missiles are supposed to be 'smart' missiles. Obviously the FAF is supposed to be smart, in keeping with the whole 'fire and forget' philosophy, but others like the Hornet are not supposed to be too smart. It's left up to the user to accurately target and properly use a 'dumb' missile and any changes to how smart they are will be the source of endless complaints...
IOW I don't think I like the idea of other than the FAF, Comet, and WASP being too good at avoiding other things in their way such as terrain, friendlies, other enemies than were targeted, etc... even Shadowers, despite their name, should have fairly tight limits to how well they can shadow you... (yes, I admit it, I hide behind my Scavs) :)
-Av-
(who gets very nervous whenever he sees a thread with both 'missiles' and 'Red Devil' in it...) :evil:
Remember that Shadower we made that followed you around for 5 minutes through the alleys on Loot and blew you up if it got you? :lol:
*stops rocking*
Well, fear not; I didn't add any of that. :-)
i'd like to see that missile RD.
You never do... :-o
:evil:
:-D
couldnt be too hard, no waver, slower speed and that fancy new avoidance feature should be a good way to do it =]
wouldn't mind playing with it though =D
This is the closest I could find. Was playing around with it afterwards.
[OrdnanceClass]
classLabel = "imagemissile"
shotGeometry = "iorckt00.xsi"
shotgeometryScale = 8.5
shotSound = "hrckt05.wav"
xplGround = "xshdwgnd"
xplVehicle = "xshdwcar"
xplBuilding = "xshdwbld"
renderName = "shadow_c-DM.render"
ammoCost = 25
lifeSpan = 300.0 // 16000m
shotSpeed = 20.0
damageValue(N) = 5000 // none
damageValue(L) = 5800 // light
damageValue(H) = 5400 // heavy
damageValue(S) = 5800 // standard
damageValue(D) = 5400 // deflection
damageValue(A) = 5000 // absorbtion
[MissileClass]
omegaTurn = 8.0
velocForward = 40.0 // powered speed of the missile
accelThrust = 30.0 // rate the missile can change speed
delayTime = 0.5 // homing delay time (zero turn rate)
rampTime = 1.0 // homing ramp time (from zero to full turn rate)
avoidRange = 50.0 // terrain obstacle-avoidance range
avoidStrength = 5.0 // terrain obstacle-avoidance strength (~2 seems best)
TeamFilter = 3 // 0 = targets all teams, 1 = targets same team only, 2 = targets only allies, 3 = targets only enemies, 4 = targets not same team
[ImageMissileClass]
coneAngle = 0.75