[T-Man]

I can't help but feel that the SCP coders are gonna throw me out of an airlock for asking this but...

Would it be realistically possible to have an aspect swarm secondary (Hornet etc) able to lock onto a seperate target for each warhead (so essentially multiple aspect locks on the screen at once)?

I can't begin to imagine the code, but i was brainstorming it for a bomber defense weapon in a campaign and wanted to just see how possible it would be to code.

[Stormkeeper]

I distinctly remember this being suggested sometime back, and being shot down (or at least, rejected due to code complexities).

[chief1983]

I was thinking something similar recently, but it would have to be done a bit differently I think.  I was thinking a ship should be able to 'track' up to X number of targets, similar to how it marks asteroids on your HUD when they threaten an Escort ships, except these would be bracketed a different color.  It would just pick the closest hostiles or the ones with the highest priority.  Now, if you had a swarming heatseeking missile, perhaps it could use this list to throw one missile at each target the game has bracketed for you.  Imagine how awesome it would be to be able to launch a volley of missiles at 4 shivans emerging from subspace in their tight little formations, all at the push of a button (from behind if you know where they're coming from in advance even ).

[Stormkeeper]

It would be cool for a ship to be able to track multi targets, but I don't think that the targets she's tracking should appear on your HUD. It might get distracting with so many brackets on screen.

[chief1983]

Other than every mission feeling like an asteroid mission, I don't know how.

[asyikarea51]

I remember suggesting this too sometime ago, but whoever replied to me said that it's possible with scripting. I can't do a thing without knowing the language though, so there.

Would be cool to recreate some animated scenes with such a thing... XD

[Commander Zane]

I remember suggesting this too sometime ago, but whoever replied to me said that it's possible with scripting. I can't do a thing without knowing the language though, so there.

Would be cool to recreate some animated scenes with such a thing... XD

Like...Macross Frontier?

[Mongoose]

Oooh, Itano Circuses.

[Stormkeeper]

Like...Macross Frontier?

Macross Missile Massacre!!!

[Commander Zane]

Itano Circus, hell yes.
Closest way I got to one was by modifying a Hornet D to have a rearm rate of .01, only then when you push the fire button it doesn't stop launching missiles until you run out (Or if you have unlimited missiles on...hello...).

[asyikarea51]

Nope, some other show.

[Commander Zane]

Okay, you'll have to show me this "other show" because I've only seen one show that has 50 missiles lock on to everything in front of someone screen and that's Macross / Robotech.

[Mongoose]

Okay, you'll have to show me this "other show" because I've only seen one show that has 50 missiles lock on to everything in front of someone screen and that's Macross / Robotech.

The recent anime series Eureka seveN featured similar scenes...mainly because Itano was one of the animators who worked on it.

[JGZinv]

Gundam (pick almost any series), Eureka 7, Macross, Cowboy bebop, etc...

[Stormkeeper]

Eureka 7 is awesome. But it doesn't have much missile spamming.

[Mongoose]

Eureka 7 is awesome. But it doesn't have much missile spamming.

...you sure you watched the same series I did, chief?

And ooh, how did I forget about Bebop.  That aerial combat scene during the movie is nearly orgasmic...

*cough*

On a more on-topic note, I don't know what the feasibility of this feature would be, but it could definitely produce some spectacular visual effects.

[Stormkeeper]

...you sure you watched the same series I did, chief?

Pretty damn sure. The only missiles I could remember being launched were from the military KLFs launching their missiles in salvos of 4 that just maintained their lock for very long and also had 90 degree turning. Not the mention The END's lasers.

On a more on-topic note, I don't know what the feasibility of this feature would be, but it could definitely produce some spectacular visual effects.

For cutscenes and the like, it could really prove useful.

[Backslash]

I was thinking something similar recently, but it would have to be done a bit differently I think.  I was thinking a ship should be able to 'track' up to X number of targets, similar to how it marks asteroids on your HUD when they threaten an Escort ships, except these would be bracketed a different color.

In a way, this already exists: the 'Hotkey list'.  In mission, press F3.  Assign ships to a hotkey (F5-F12) and then go press that hotkey back in game.  I didn't know this existed until two years ago!  I toyed with expanding this a year ago and made some hacky progress, but haven't had time to do more.

It would just pick the closest hostiles or the ones with the highest priority.

That's the trick.  I couldn't come up with a good way to keep track of the ones with highest priority besides doing it manually in-flight.  Or having it select EVERYONE   I did come up with new keys for multitargeting "all ships in target's wing", "all ships attacking target" and "all ships attacking me".  Only problem is, we can't add any controls until the new pilot code in 3.7.

Now, if you had a swarming heatseeking missile, perhaps it could use this list to throw one missile at each target the game has bracketed for you.  Imagine how awesome it would be to be able to launch a volley of missiles at 4 shivans emerging from subspace in their tight little formations, all at the push of a button (from behind if you know where they're coming from in advance even ).

Indeed, this sounds awesome and I want it to happen.  I wish I had more time to try and work on this myself, but I'll be glad to help someone by pointing out places in the code that would be involved...

It would be cool for a ship to be able to track multi targets, but I don't think that the targets she's tracking should appear on your HUD. It might get distracting with so many brackets on screen.

Oh it's distracting, but it's also frelling awesome, especially if they have lead indicators.  Imagine: flying at a wing of bombers, firing primaries at the closest one while locking on another with secondaries.

[JGZinv]

It would just pick the closest hostiles or the ones with the highest priority.

That's the trick.  I couldn't come up with a good way to keep track of the ones with highest priority besides doing it manually in-flight.  Or having it select EVERYONE   I did come up with new keys for multitargeting "all ships in target's wing", "all ships attacking target" and "all ships attacking me".  Only problem is, we can't add any controls until the new pilot code in 3.7.

Here's your solution... keep the number of targets limited to what is within the field of view of the cockpit on the ship. Set a high recalculation/refresh rate. Set it up like the FOF or FOV on a locking missile or a turret, then apply that to the cockpit and link it to the display you've described you've got working already. May even be able to do it if you mount a fake turret near the cockpit or maybe even inside one, then use that turret's functions like a targeting computer (code wise/function wise) to slave the rest of the ship weapons to it.

Essentially.. it'd be a like a laser marker for an air strike almost, or a salvo fire control, or even perhaps cap ship style turret control... if it could be expanded upon. The basic function as is should give you what you need if it can be combined. May even help with those bouncing beams we were thinking about.

Anything up and new going on?

~J

[CaptJosh]

Swarming fire and forget homers that could pick different targets based on the direction they were fired and proximity to targets would be good for Fate of the Galaxy since it would allow them to use the cluster seeker missiles from Rogue Squadron 3D if they wanted to.