Slight Alteration to Missile Slave effect

[jayman38]

I was thinking about the other recent missile-slave thread, and looked back at what missile slaving is supposed to accomplish.

In a space game, conventional shotgun spread doesn't really make sense, for the same reason that most players dislike missile slaving in the first place: in the context of space and/or Starmade, there aren't enough hits to make the spread worthwhile.

Macross Missile Massacres don't really work like conventional shotgun spreads. The shots spread out, and then they return to the original firing vector. (The vector may change spontaneously, due to individual missile tracking, but that's on a per-show basis, not in Starmade.)

My suggestion is to allow the shots to angle out at random, shallow angles like they do now, to a certain distance, maybe 10-20 block lengths, and then return the vector to the original direction for each shot.

It would basically be the equivalent of 20 different output ports at 100% slave. (randomly placed)
It would make more sense in a space game to get back to the same direction after a short spread.
It would allow builders to create more anime-similar weapon systems.
It would allow actual multiple hits like it is supposed to.

It needs to copy the original firing vector, not copy the weapon system's current direction, because of ship maneuvering. (The firing vector will not necessarily be the same as the ship's current vector at the time that the shots change course back to the original firing vector.)

It would be a relatively simple change to current missile-slaved weapon systems.
1. Copy the firing vector. (Don't just use the firing ship's current vector; it's unreasonable to assume that a ship will stay still in a fight.)
2. Terminate the angled shot at the specified distance (E.g. 20).
3. Build new shots at the termination points, with the firing vector copied in step 1. (I.e. "Straight ahead")

 

[NeonSturm]

You can use bezier curves.
They are easy to compute (I used them to draw objects via JavaScript without drivers).

with( F=frame, T=0.0, t=+1.0/second, XYZ=000, xyz=movement/second )you usually do:

F00: T, X, Y, Z = 0 0 0 0
F30: T, X, Y, Z = T+t, X+x, Y+y, Z+z
​

But bezier curves have 2 movements and you change between these 2 as time flows from 0.0 to 1.0.
You also add a second dimension to time itself by altering it's rate of change according to the target's remaining distance between frames.

T = 0.0..1.0 * time
t = 0.0..1.0 * time / flow rate
xyz = {x1 y1 z1}*(1.0 - time) {x2 y2 z2}*time
x1, y1, z1 = shooting entity position {xyz} difference {previous, now} + initial difference {XYZ} / travel time
x2, y2, z2 = target entity position {xyz} difference {previous, now} + initial difference {XYZ} / travel time
​

Or just draw a line between firing and target ship and call it the missiles X-axis while the distance to this line is Y and the direction is Z​

 

[Lecic]

Is this specifically for missile/missile, or....?

 

[jayman38]

Is this specifically for missile/missile, or....?

No.
I'm thinking it should be for all weapons with missile slaves. Beams, Cannons, and so on. (Depending on how the fourth weapon type shakes out, and if there are other weapon systems to be added.

Edit:
So the "curve" that NeonSturm recommended would be useful for missile/missile, but not for beams. In the case of cannons, it might be more useful to "straighten-out" the shots after a tick, instead of by distance.

A lot of people rely on the missile/missile heatseekers, but it's a very isolationist weapon (best not to fire around friends!), so having it be more like multi-dumbfire might actually be more multiplayer-friendly, while still providing a chaff effect.

 

[Lecic]

No.
I'm thinking it should be for all weapons with missile slaves. Beams, Cannons, and so on. (Depending on how the fourth weapon type shakes out, and if there are other weapon systems to be added.

Edit:
So the "curve" that NeonSturm recommended would be useful for missile/missile, but not for beams. In the case of cannons, it might be more useful to "straighten-out" the shots after a tick, instead of by distance.

A lot of people rely on the missile/missile heatseekers, but it's a very isolationist weapon (best not to fire around friends!), so having it be more like multi-dumbfire might actually be more multiplayer-friendly, while still providing a chaff effect.

So, if beams or cannons just bend back around to hit the same spot... why would I use them over the unslaved version of the weapon, which has the same reload time, but doesn't have its damage split into 10?

 

[jayman38]

So, if beams or cannons just bend back around to hit the same spot... why would I use them over the unslaved version of the weapon, which has the same reload time, but doesn't have its damage split into 10?

My idea is not to have them bend right back to the same impact point, but to have them either travel in paths parallel and offset from the original vector, or to converge on a point at the maximum range, allowing each shot to travel in a nearly-parallel path. Think: random waffleboards

Ideas for use: Missile defense, Missile-launch-chaff, spreading damage wider when striking at an opponent's internal systems, and the general "look" that a builder is going for in their weapon.

 

[johno1928]

Theres nothing wrong with missile/missile as it is, and the only problem with missile/cannon and missile/beam is that its weak. It would be a nice aesthetic option, but theres no reason to mess up a perfectly good existing set of systems to impliment one change to missiles

 

[jayman38]

Theres nothing wrong with missile/missile as it is, and the only problem with missile/cannon and missile/beam is that its weak. It would be a nice aesthetic option, but theres no reason to mess up a perfectly good existing set of systems to impliment one change to missiles

This is not a suggestion for changing Missile Primary. Rather, it's for changing Missile Secondary. The shotgun effect.

 

[Nxn]

Would definitely make the shotgun effect much better for cannons and lasers. I remember first reading the wiki and seeing that it made weapons a shotgun, and then the sadness when the extra bullets shoot off at a 10º angle into space.

 

[jayman38]

Would definitely make the shotgun effect much better for cannons and lasers. I remember first reading the wiki and seeing that it made weapons a shotgun, and then the sadness when the extra bullets shoot off at a 10º angle into space.

Exactly! The angle without a "Macross" effect makes the missile slave nearly useless for all but the missile primary. (I don't remember what Pulse/Missile does, but it's probably unimpressive.) Even on a missile primary system, the missile secondary can be hazardous to faction relations, which will only become more important in the future. (Well, maybe not, but probably.)