Missile mechanics: Difference between revisions

Line 391:

Since signature radius of Griffin is smaller than missile's explosion radius, we are limited by the second term in the missile damage formula - S/E, which is 0.3. That means that at the best we are able to do only 30% of Heavy Missile's damage when firing at Griffin, even when Griffin is not moving at all. Also, we can notice that in this case, Griffin's speed will take effect much later than at required speed. While required speed is 27.216m/s (42 * 0.648), at this speed third term in the missile damage formula is 1, however, it still does not have any effect because second term is 0.30. We will need to solve different (and more complicated) equation to get the speed of Griffin which will lower damage further below those 30%. After calculation we see that speed of the Griffin needs to be at least 141.89m/s to have further effect on reducing damage, which is more than 5 times more than required speed of 27.216m/s.

}}

== Missile range ==

When fired, a missile will leave the launcher, quickly accelerate, and then proceed at its best speed directly at the target until it runs out of fuel. If it encounters the target during that time, it will explode - otherwise it will vanish. The approximate maximum distance that a missile will travel can be found by multiplying the speed of the missile by the number of seconds that its fuel will last. (''The approximation is due to eve running at 1 second intervals while missile flight time may not be a whole number. Also the missiles start at slower speed as the missile accelerates ''.)

::''Maximum Distance ≈ Speed x Seconds of Fuel''

[[File:QSM_missleHeadsUp.jpg‎|369px|thumb|Missile Launcher On-Screen Pop-Up shows its attributes.]]

For example:

* A Light Missile has a flight time of 5 seconds at a speed of 3750 m/s. The maximum distance it can travel is 5 x 3750 ≈ 18,750 m.

* A torpedo has a flight time of 6 seconds at a speed of 1500 m/s. The maximum distance it can travel is 6 x 1500 ≈ 9,000 m.

There are two special cases to missile flight time.

Eve uses 1 second ticks. If the missile flight time is not an integer then the missile will fly for integer number of seconds and has a chance to fly one more second. For example missile with flight time of 12.3 seconds has 70% propability to fly for 12 seconds and 30% propability to fly for 13 seconds.<ref>If the flight time is a fraction, EVE rounds it up or down. At times, this produces considerable departures from the computed range. See [http://forum.eveuniversity.org/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=95249&p=810154 Interesting fact about missile mechanics] for details.</ref>

The second exception is a result of the fact that missile ranges are calculated from center of the ship while ranges on overview are calculated from "edge" of the ship. To counter this large ships get small bonus to missile flight time.<ref>https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=6523910#post6523910</ref>

This information, as modified by your skills and equipment bonuses, along with the missile's dps and type of damage, is shown when you move your mouse over the icon for a missile launcher while in space.

Although the terms "range" and "distance" are often used interchangeably, technically, the range answers the question of whether the missile can reach its target: is it "in" or "out" of range? If the target is stationary, then the maximum distance will be the missile's range. Normally, however, the target is moving, and the range depends on this motion.

If the target is moving directly away from the missile, then it will take the missile longer to reach the target than it would a stationary one. In fact, if the target is moving fast enough, the missile may not be able to reach it at all - in this case, the target would be considered "out of range." Note that the target does not have to be moving faster than the missile ... just fast enough to stay ahead of the missile until it runs out of fuel.

If the target is moving directly at the missile, then the missile will reach it much faster than it would reach a stationary target. In this case, the target may be "in range" even when it seems too far away to hit.

In most cases, however, the target will be moving in a curve with regard to the missile ship - possibly in an orbit, possibly curving towards or away from the launch. It is hard to specify the range, exactly, in these cases, but as always, the missile will head directly for the target, and it will continue as long as it has fuel. Its path is likely to be some sort of a spiral.

There is no way to control the path of a missile once it has been launched. It will point itself at its target and follow the target until it hits or runs out of fuel.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Missile Chases the Target!! Missile Catches Fleeing Target!! Missile Does Not Catch Fleeing Target

|-

| [[File:QSM_missile_orbit.gif‎]]|| [[File:QSM_missile_catchyes.gif‎‎]]|| [[File:QSM_missile_catchno.gif‎]]

|}

== Footnotes and references ==

[[Category:Weapons]]

[[Category:Game mechanics]]

@@ Line 391: / Line 391: @@
 Since signature radius of Griffin is smaller than missile's explosion radius, we are limited by the second term in the missile damage formula - S/E, which is 0.3. That means that at the best we are able to do only 30% of Heavy Missile's damage when firing at Griffin, even when Griffin is not moving at all. Also, we can notice that in this case, Griffin's speed will take effect much later than at required speed. While required speed is 27.216m/s (42 * 0.648), at this speed third term in the missile damage formula is 1, however, it still does not have any effect because second term is 0.30. We will need to solve different (and more complicated) equation to get the speed of Griffin which will lower damage further below those 30%. After calculation we see that speed of the Griffin needs to be at least 141.89m/s to have further effect on reducing damage, which is more than 5 times more than required speed of 27.216m/s.
 }}
+== Missile range ==
+When fired, a missile will leave the launcher, quickly accelerate, and then  proceed at its best speed directly at the target until it runs out of fuel. If it encounters the target during that time, it will explode - otherwise it will vanish. The approximate maximum distance that a missile will travel can be found by multiplying the speed of the missile by the number of seconds that its fuel will last. (''The approximation is due to eve running at 1 second intervals while missile flight time may not be a whole number. Also the missiles start at slower speed as the missile accelerates ''.)
+::''Maximum Distance ≈ Speed x Seconds of Fuel''
+[[File:QSM_missleHeadsUp.jpg‎|369px|thumb|Missile Launcher On-Screen Pop-Up shows its attributes.]]
+For example:
+* A Light Missile has a flight time of 5 seconds at a speed of 3750 m/s. The maximum distance it can travel is 5 x 3750 ≈ 18,750 m.
+* A torpedo has a flight time of 6 seconds at a speed of 1500 m/s. The maximum distance it can travel is 6 x 1500 ≈ 9,000 m.
+There are two special cases to missile flight time.
+Eve uses 1 second ticks. If the missile flight time is not an integer then the missile will fly for integer number of seconds and has a chance to fly one more second. For example missile with flight time of 12.3 seconds has 70% propability to fly for 12 seconds and 30% propability to fly for 13 seconds.<ref>If the flight time is a fraction, EVE rounds it up or down. At times, this produces considerable departures from the computed range. See [http://forum.eveuniversity.org/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=95249&p=810154 Interesting fact about missile mechanics] for details.</ref>
+The second exception is a result of the fact that missile ranges are calculated from center of the ship while ranges on overview are calculated from "edge" of the ship. To counter this large ships get small bonus to missile flight time.<ref>https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=6523910#post6523910</ref>
+This information, as modified by your skills and equipment bonuses, along with the missile's dps and type of damage, is shown when you move your mouse over the icon for a missile launcher while in space.
+Although the terms "range" and "distance" are often used interchangeably, technically, the range answers the question of whether the missile can reach its target: is it "in" or "out" of range? If the target is stationary, then the maximum distance will be the missile's range. Normally, however, the target is moving, and the range depends on this motion.
+If the target is moving directly away from the missile, then it will take the missile longer to reach the target than it would a stationary one. In fact, if the target is moving fast enough, the missile may not be able to reach it at all - in this case, the target would be considered "out of range." Note that the target does not have to be moving faster than the missile ... just fast enough to stay ahead of the missile until it runs out of fuel.
+If the target is moving directly at the missile, then the missile will reach it much faster than it would reach a stationary target. In this case, the target may be "in range" even when it seems too far away to hit.
+In most cases, however, the target will be moving in a curve with regard to the missile ship - possibly in an orbit, possibly curving towards or away from the launch. It is hard to specify the range, exactly, in these cases, but as always, the missile will head directly for the target, and it will continue as long as it has fuel. Its path is likely to be some sort of a spiral.
+There is no way to control the path of a missile once it has been launched. It will point itself at its target and follow the target until it hits or runs out of fuel.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|-
+! Missile Chases the Target!! Missile Catches Fleeing Target!! Missile Does Not Catch Fleeing Target
+|-
+| [[File:QSM_missile_orbit.gif‎]]|| [[File:QSM_missile_catchyes.gif‎‎]]|| [[File:QSM_missile_catchno.gif‎]]
+|}
+{{clear}}
+== Footnotes and references ==
+{{reflist}}
 [[Category:Weapons]]
 [[Category:Game mechanics]]