[General Battuta]

Now we can balance CMs - and Seeker Strength - according to some kind of logic!

I think I've found the relevant code (see below), which means that the chance of a homing missile chasing a countermeasure is:

+Heat Effectiveness: (default 1.0) / +Seeker Strength: (default 3.0)
or
+Aspect Effectiveness: (default 1.0) / +Seeker Strength: (default 2.0)

(The homer has to be inside the CM +Effective Radius: (default 300.0), and each CM has one chance to decoy any given missile)

[The Jovian]

Does that mean we're gonna get an aspect seeking missile that can bypass countermeasures completely? Because that would be sweet, or terrible depending on which side has it. Actually the AI doesn't use countermeasures all that effectively anyway so it won't make too much of a difference in the hands of a human player, but if the AI is launching one at you... Seriously guys make it happen: A GTVA designed aspect seeking missile that can bypass countermeasures, basically their response to the UEF's Slammer missile.

[General Battuta]

Wow, this was supposed to be on internal 

We are interested in this because it allows us to balance capship-launched countermeasures correctly vs our various types of standoff attack weapons - from warship launched torpedoes, to conventional bombs, to tactical weapons like the Paveway and Grimler.

[Dragon]

I think that a system to swap out ship's countermeasures just like missiles and guns would be a good idea at this point. That, and have CMs support automatic burst-launch and substitution. Would add yet another factor to customize when gearing up the ship (not to mention burst chaff+flare launch would look really cool).

For now, it'd be good to see some variety between different races. UEF, GTVA, Vasudans and (eventually) Shivans and Vishnans could each have their own flares, with actually different stats, not just different visuals.

[General Battuta]

Our focus in Act 4 is on capship-launched countermeasures. They can be launched in bursts or individually, and there are multiple types.

[Black_Yoshi1230]

So, basically, ships will have their own type of ASE (such as the R/LWR, Radar Detector/Rangefinder, Radar/IR Jammer [like the affectionately named "Disco Ball"* on some modern helos]) and unique countermeasures? That sounds like a neat idea...

*Missile approaching a disco ball: "OH GAWD MY EYES I CAN'T SEE."

[crizza]

I don't see Shivans and Vishnans using CMs...
When fighting for real, I would rather believe that weaponry of the UEF/GTVA is no longer able to target them in a usefull way.

[QuakeIV]

It seems to me they would be perfectly happy to use easy-mode CMs like they do everything else.

[Kolgena]

I definitely recall shivan fighters dumping countermeasures as default behavior. I'm pretty sure it still happens in BP.

[Black_Yoshi1230]

As of Aquarius, yes, they sometimes manage to pop out CMs. I'm willing to hand-wave it and chalk it up to organic decoy systems. (And unless the Shivans have done SOMETHING to justify another need for the Alliance to run another electronics raid in 18 years in the post-Capella verse, I'm pretty sure Alliance targeting systems can still track their signatures. Vishnan signatures on the other hand... eh.... maybe the 14th still has all records of them and classified beyond "need-to-know" status.)

[Mars]

As of Aquarius, yes, they sometimes manage to pop out CMs. I'm willing to hand-wave it and chalk it up to organic decoy systems. (And unless the Shivans have done SOMETHING to justify another need for the Alliance to run another electronics raid in 18 years in the post-Capella verse, I'm pretty sure Alliance targeting systems can still track their signatures. Vishnan signatures on the other hand... eh.... maybe the 14th still has all records of them and classified beyond "need-to-know" status.)

So you're not subscribing to BP canon here? Cause of course BP isn't going to mesh well with something that isn't BP.

[crizza]

I was refering to capship CMs.