So when I fire a missile in the same direction as my ship is flying, I believe my ship velocity is added to the missile, increasing its speed and range right?
And the same thing happens when I fire one backwards, my ships's velocity is deducted from the missile, sometimes even making the missile go backwards right?
But missiles are guided, so what happens to that velocity when it changes direction? Say I fired a missile fowards while thrusting, so it had an initial velocity of 290 m/s.
But then the enemy target moved upwards, so the missile had to turn 90degrees to track it. Would it now have 290 m/s velocity upwards somehow? Would it revert to normal speed as soon as it had to change direction? (In this case surely the slightest movement by an enemy would remove the added velocity to your shots?) Would it have 90 m/s velocity upwards, but retain the 200 m/s ship momentum forwards it initially had? (in this case wouldnt it be unable to hit anything, as it would be travelling sideways away from them, faster than it would be travelling upwards towards them?)
I think it is number 1, it keeps the added velocity in the new direction, despite the fact that this makes no sense. I think this because I have tried the "change direction" tactic, thrusting upwards at 200 m/s theortically untouchable by the missile's 90 m/s thrust speed, yet I have still been hit.
TBH I dont think the ships velocity should be added to missiles, as thats not how physics works, either in FL or real life. (In real life the missile would keep the momentum in the original direction when it tried to turn, and in FL you dont get "cumulitive momentum" otherwise the ships and missiles would have no top speed s)
Anyone know?
Cheers.
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From what I can gather, it alwys cruise forward in a straigth line, no mtter when you shoot it - even if you turn.
Also, the only difference betw a good missile and a bad missile is the ship's hardpoints - to maximize your chances of hitting you are going to need a ship that can have a missile on its "nose" or head - not on the wings.
Your own speed is added onto the missile one's.
Possibly a missile loses some velocity, when turning, just like when your own ship turns. But I am pretty sure inertia is not as heavy as in RL.
Oh and adding the ship's velocity to the missile actually is how physics works. It's why you can't really fire a missile backwards from a jet fighter.
Actually initial missile speed being greater if you move forward does work that way in real life, it's just that in RL this is not an issue as fighters kinda have to move constantly so the initial speed is added to calculations as anything within the margin of standard flight to top speed of an aircraft, so it makes less of a difference since they are assured to always start with some momentum, then they accelerate. Simple missiles in RL (the ones that don't adjust acceleration for homing purposes) accelerate for a specific time, until their fuel runs out or they reach the point where air resistance cancels out the acceleration force so that the missile starts moving at a constant speed.
Of course while physically (sort of) correct, the FL mechanic where the missile's initial speed is defined by the initial speed of the craft, doesn't really work too well in gameplay... but it's not like we can change it anyway.
The other factors on how well a missile can track are its projectile turn rate (if it's too low it will just fly around you in circles depending on lifetime, hence why bs missiles are such murder in fighter furballs) and (I believe anyway) acceleration, because once the acceleration period ends the missile can't switch directions any more (which means it can't home). Of course bs missiles need to be able to home for as long as possible because they are meant to be long range, so it's just impossible to do anything about their "circling" problem.
Anyway Freelancer's flawed physics engine doesn't take momentum into account during directional changes at all for missiles as far as I can tell (though not completely sure, more tests are necessary). If it doesn't as I think, there isn't much we can do about that sadly.
I know in RL the ships velocity is added to the missile, as I said in my OP In RL the missile would keep the momentum from the origional direction when it tried to turn, not add it to its speed in a new direction.
Blodo are you saying that in FL the missile gets the speed boost from the ship,and can use it in any direction it wants? And there's nothing to be done about this?
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