[Lynx]

Would it be possible to add an missile that only attempts to lock on the target if it faces the targets biggest heatsource=the engines? The target lock works like aspect seekers, but only locks on the target if facing the engines.

[Trivial Psychic]

That raises an interesting question... if so-called heat seaking missiles like the MX-50 (52, 60, etc) and Rockeye are true heat seakers, then why are they able to lock on to subsystems and turrets?  If the target is a cap-ship, shouldn't they be limited to targetting the engine subsystem?

Later!

[Solatar]

It locks on to HEAT not engines. Which means that if something puts out heat, it can track it. Turrets, subsystems, the cockpit, they all put out heat.

[IceFire]

Originally posted by Trivial Psychic
That raises an interesting question... if so-called heat seaking missiles like the MX-50 (52, 60, etc) and Rockeye are true heat seakers, then why are they able to lock on to subsystems and turrets?  If the target is a cap-ship, shouldn't they be limited to targetting the engine subsystem?

Later!

Most modern day heat seekers, the ones that have come out of the last 10 years or so do not require a hot engine to lock onto a target.  They are called multi-aspect seekers because they can lock onto virtually any angle of an aircraft and hit it because the aircraft has a variety of hot locations (the leading edges of the wings, the engines, the intakes at the front, the nose, etc.).  This is unlike the tail chasers of the 1960's that exclusively went after engines (and were easy to fool with flares and things like the sun).

So it goes to say that a Rockeye should be able to lock onto any subsystem since its probably emitting heat...sensors, navigation computers, etc.

[_argv[-1]]

Originally posted by IceFire

Most modern day heat seekers, the ones that have come out of the last 10 years or so do not require a hot engine to lock onto a target.  They are called multi-aspect seekers because they can lock onto virtually any angle of an aircraft and hit it because the aircraft has a variety of hot locations (the leading edges of the wings, the engines, the intakes at the front, the nose, etc.).  This is unlike the tail chasers of the 1960's that exclusively went after engines (and were easy to fool with flares and things like the sun).

So it goes to say that a Rockeye should be able to lock onto any subsystem since its probably emitting heat...sensors, navigation computers, etc.

Multi-aspect seekers? I always wondered where the Volition people came up with the term 'aspect seeking missile'...

Anyway, yes, different subsystems on a ship will certainly have different heat signatures, which aspect seeking missiles could lock on to. It's no longer enough to try and fool them with flares or chaff, so ECM is used instead to shake them.