[Androgeos Exeunt]

The INFR1 files contain a long-range hypervelocity missile called the Geodess-1. It's never used in-game and probably isn't meant to be mounted on fighters, but I've tried it myself and it's pretty good.

[ssmit132]

They are mounted on an unused ship, the SOCv Neptune. I used them myself on one of my own capital ships, and they look great swarming around.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

It's a pity the Geodess uses the same lag technology as the Hornet. This means that, if you try firing it at a small ship, it only has an approximate 60% chance of hitting.

[Dragon]

You can see Geodess-1 in action in Ghost Revanenets ,in SOC loop.
They are excellent anti-cap missiles.

[General Battuta]

CAPTOR mines would be awesome. Actually, you can FRED them right now using self-destructing cargo containers (or whatnot) and create-weapon.

Wasn't that done in WarzoneDerelict? There was this one mission where the GTCv Esher had its engines blown up and then you had to avoid flying too near cargo containers masquerading as anti-fighter mines...

But ultimately required luring you into them, which obviously can't be managed very often. They were more like contact (or rather WW2-type Acoustic/Magnetic which operated on blast force to damage nearby ships). The CAPTOR type has greater merit but there's actually still a place for contact versions in FreeSpace, considering the limitations of jump nodes. (Though the situations in which such a total closing of a node, not even attempting recon through it, would be useful are very very few.)

I'm rather enamored of the concept of long-range heavy missiles myself, such as my conceptual Tyr surface-to-space missile for defending against a Shivan bombardment, and shorter-range multiple bomb launchers like I envisioned arming an anti-juggernaut corvette with; salvo a hundred and twenty Helios at something in one go and you're going to make contact with at least fifty; that ought to be enough to make even a Sathanas think twice. (Give it the ability to axial roll and launch a second wave and you might be able to kill the thing.)

Swarm torpedoes are pretty decent in practice, although I'm still not sure after months of using them whether the shockwave from one blowing up can take out the others.

[Darius]

I haven't seen that happen, as far as I know. Usually two or more adjacent torpedoes can go off at the same time when hit, but I think that's because they're both in the hit radius of the laser.

[Dragon]

You can always change them from swarm to corcscrew to avoid it (That's the way the Inferno and I handled this).

[Mobius]

I based a Steadfast mission on the Geodess-1. That's a very good looking weapon.

I guess something like that will be featured in INFA2.

[TrashMan]

Well.. static (contact) mines are pretty useless in space tbh - no shockwaves, target would need to be almost touching the mine even if it was nuclear mine.. however as in freespace as physics are already borked they might work just fine. Something like some of the modern 'mines' which actually launch a weapon (fast torpedo) at the target would be far more useful (ie. better, deployable sentry guns).

Static mines are completley useless because space is 3D and it's BIG and ship are really, really fast. You'd need billions of mines to even try to block even the smallest area of space. And mines can be easily targeted and destroyed in space too.

Sentry guns are MUCH better.

[Retsof]

You could try seeking mines.  It would use a small ship (perhaps a reskin of the EMP missile) and the Kamakaze flag.  Make them activate when a ship gets too close.  (Use "play dead" initial orders and then an "attack any enemy" when one gets in range)

[Aardwolf]

This reminds me of my idea for a Gunboy that shoots Black Shark missiles in D3.

[Mikes]

Well.. static (contact) mines are pretty useless in space tbh - no shockwaves, target would need to be almost touching the mine even if it was nuclear mine.. however as in freespace as physics are already borked they might work just fine. Something like some of the modern 'mines' which actually launch a weapon (fast torpedo) at the target would be far more useful (ie. better, deployable sentry guns).

Static mines are completley useless because space is 3D and it's BIG and ship are really, really fast. You'd need billions of mines to even try to block even the smallest area of space. And mines can be easily targeted and destroyed in space too.

Sentry guns are MUCH better.

The smallest area of space... you mean like a subspace node ?

Considering we saw explosives like the meson bomb featuring a kill radius of several clicks.... i don't see how useful mines could not at least be conceptualized in the FS universe really heh.

[Qent]

First, a (sort of) new weapon:
Laser beam - tabled as a beam cannon, but with a lower sustained damage rate, no pierce shields, longer pulse time, and longer range (6000-8000m), possibly using retail Shivan beam effects. I like to imagine that the Terrans in Sol developed weapons based on the Lucifer's that are somewhat different from the GTVA's.

The CAPTOR sounds like the most interesting mine so far. A mine (cargo container) could do a respectable amount of damage to a freighter or a transport with just a single Cyclops torpedo.

The smallest area of space... you mean like a subspace node ?

Considering we saw explosives like the meson bomb featuring a kill radius of several clicks.... i don't see how useful mines could not at least be conceptualized in the FS universe really heh.

I think there are several reasons that one would not want to use meson bombs or similarly sized explosives as mines:

• Although there is no canon evidence that meson bombs are prohibitively expensive, their sheer size (relative to a Cyclops) suggests that they are (more) expensive.
• Since (in real life) explosions in space are less destructive than in atmosphere, much of the explosive power would be wasted unless there were direct contact between the mine and the target.
• A CAPTOR mine would deliver a much smaller explosive directly to the target's hull.
• A large (say one click radius) explosion would harm friendly ships (including the other mines) as well as enemies. You might not want that around a node blockade.
• A CAPTOR mine, on the other hand, would only damage enemy targets with a torpedo or some kind of homing Piranha variant.
• There is canon evidence that nodes can be damaged by large explosions. There is no assurance that large bombs going off just as an enemy destroyer exits a node will have no ill effects.

CAPTORs in FreeSpace sounded so interesting that it inspired me to complete my first FRED mission! Anyway, sorry for the rant. Long first post.

Edit: Zipped the mission.

[attachment deleted by ninja]

[Killer Whale]

[Androgeos Exeunt]

This reminds me of my idea for a Gunboy that shoots Black Shark missiles in D3.

Don't scare me now!

[Trivial Psychic]

I proposed auto-generated minefields for FSO back when I was an active TBP member.  I suggested that part of the asteroid field code would be used, as an alternative to manually placing large numbers of individual mines and cutting into the ships-per-mission limit.  It would either require the mines to be listed in the ships table with a special class, or have a special minefield table be set up, so the capabilities of different mines can be specified, such as detonation range, stationary vs. homing, whether they have defensive turrets (a la Centauri Blockade mine), whether they are fully detectable, non-targetable (flashing blip), undetectable (not on radar), or cloaked, yeild, etc.  The FRED minefield controls would also allow the size of the field, number of mines, and safe zones, just like with the existing asteroid field editor (though it could use the ability for multiple fields and multiple safe zones), but also whether they are in ordered or scattered layouts, as well as include the ability to mix different types of mines within the same field, with controls for the percentage of each type.

[Killer Whale]

That would be awesome  But, how hard would it be to create the minefield in-game. I mean, hundreds of mines would take a huge amount of time and money, wouldn't it just be cheaper to build a few corvettes and station them around the node, they'd work a lot better. And the FPS when viewing so many polys... *shudders*. Again, it may just be similar to having an asteroid field in the polys. Er, Trivial Phycic, would they cause a massive chain reaction if there was an explosion within the field?

[Retsof]

On a completely different note, I had a thought of replacing some of the capship beams with fusion-mortar-esque missiles.  That way when you fly between duelling capships you have to do some fancy flying to avoid the streams of ordinance, rather than getting insta-vaped by a beam out of nowhere that you have no chance to dodge.  I also thought of giving those massive flak turrets on the hecate faster versions of infyrnoes, because those massive turrets should shoot something more substantial.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

Remember what Command said?

Avoid the beam and you won't get hit, pilot!

He probably meant "Stay far away from any beam cannons".

Before I played Their Finest Hour, I originally imagined that the Colossus and Sathanas would be doing a broadside battle with about 1-2 km of space between them ... and that all ships would be fighting inside this 2 km.

[Trivial Psychic]

Er, Trivial Pshycic, would they cause a massive chain reaction if there was an explosion within the field?

Obviously it would need to be coded to avoid such a situation, or perhaps making it a feature for smaller fields to ensure that ships near the initial explosion can't escape.  It would need to be a table option for specific types of mines.