12 replies to this topic

[Kareekoe]

What are all the pieces of equipment and sources of decreasing lock on time for lock on missiles used in missile boats and various other mixed weaponry builds?

[kalashnikity]

Someone will come along and correct me if I'm wrong, I think TAG is the only thing that decreases actual lock time.

And physically getting closer to the target, and using a PPC to knock out their friend's ECM will also reduce time needed to lock on to them significantly.

[JediPanther]

Depends on how much tonnage you want to devote to a missile boat. My usual set up:

1. Decide on number of launchers and type. Usually 10 or 15s if lrm.
2. Any back up weapons. Even two smls are good enough. You should be fairly close to team mates that any faster mover attempting to flank you can easily be ganged by you and your team mate.
3. Equip C/Beagle Active Probe DO IT. So you can cancel at least one ecm near you if they aren't overlapping or stealth-ed.
4. Equip UAV on Auto-refill. Easiest way to cancel an ecm while it lasts.
5. Max uav skills to get the longest use out of it and a second one. Some mechs get three.
6. Max out sensor range skill.
7. Max out target decay to keep locks longer.

Optional things depending on how you play. Stay with your team as a group as much as possible getting los yourself.
8. Equip a tag laser. Fire and hold on target. Does zero damage and leads right back to you.
9. Equip any ppc. Fire at an ecm to counter it plus damage unlike tag.
10. Highly optional and weight dependent:Use a NARC launcher with 1-2 tons ammo. Invest in the narc skills to make it move and last longer. I find it most the time dead weight. Usually it has the longest cool down of any thing in the game at 7 seconds so ppc/tags/uavs are more better to use.

[kalashnikity]

JediPanther, on 17 April 2024 - 03:59 PM, said:

Depends on how much tonnage you want to devote to a missile boat. My usual set up:

1. Decide on number of launchers and type. Usually 10 or 15s if lrm.
2. Any back up weapons. Even two smls are good enough. You should be fairly close to team mates that any faster mover attempting to flank you can easily be ganged by you and your team mate.
3. Equip C/Beagle Active Probe DO IT. So you can cancel at least one ecm near you if they aren't overlapping or stealth-ed.
4. Equip UAV on Auto-refill. Easiest way to cancel an ecm while it lasts.
5. Max uav skills to get the longest use out of it and a second one. Some mechs get three.
6. Max out sensor range skill.
7. Max out target decay to keep locks longer.

Optional things depending on how you play. Stay with your team as a group as much as possible getting los yourself.
8. Equip a tag laser. Fire and hold on target. Does zero damage and leads right back to you.
9. Equip any ppc. Fire at an ecm to counter it plus damage unlike tag.
10. Highly optional and weight dependent:Use a NARC launcher with 1-2 tons ammo. Invest in the narc skills to make it move and last longer. I find it most the time dead weight. Usually it has the longest cool down of any thing in the game at 7 seconds so ppc/tags/uavs are more better to use.

If most of my firepower is in lock on weapons I always bring at least 2 methods to assist lock on (TAG/ECM/PPC/NARC) Sometimes 3. My best Direwolf LRM build has NARC, TAG, PPC, and sometimes ECM or CAP.

My archer uses TAG and NARC (and 5ML backup) and with 2xLRM20 does really good.

Often I will use 2 or 3 LPPC, and a bunch of LRM, send a spread out to knock out ECM, and then go to town.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Ok, first, you have to understand that there are two types of missile lock: In LOS (line of sight) and in IDF (indirect fire).
In LOS, missile locks are the fastest they can get. No type of equipment nor any skill will speed up missile locks any further.
With IDF, there are several factors to be considered:

• Sensor Range - the closer you are to your target, compared to your sensor range, the faster the missilelock is
  
• enemy ECM - is your target showing the eye symbol, that means it's protected by enemy ECM. This will increase your missile locktime by the factor of 4 (2 after April Patch)
  
• TAG - a target painted by TAG (by another ally, else LOS would apply) shows a little reticule icon. While showing this, lock-on time is as quick as if being in LOS. (Also Spread is counted as if in LOS)
  TAG also renders a target that would not be lockable normally, either by being protected by enemy ECM or using Stealth Armour, targetable. TAG does not work when under the "low signal" condition.
  
• NARC - a target hit by a NARC beacon shows a little WIFI-symbol and stays lockable even without any LOS for a considerable amount of time. In this state, Missile locks are as quick as if they were in LOS.
  A NARC beacon also disables ECM equipment on the mech it is attached to, but the signal is in turn disrupted when the NARCed target enters another enemy's ECM bubble

[caravann]

Shoot them

[w0qj]

If Sensor Range does indeed help IDF (indirect flight) missile lock speeds, then would equipping the ASP (Advanced Sensor Package) help get faster IDF missile lock?

~ASP increases TAG range by +20%
~ASP now can be equipped by both IS + Clan mechs (must be equipped in the head)

https://mwomercs.com...auldron-changes

Edited by w0qj, 18 April 2024 - 07:16 AM.

[torsie]

I have question.

Is targeting computer helping for missiles? Because it is increasing your sensor range, so it should help with indirect lock on?

Edited by torsie, 18 April 2024 - 07:43 AM.

[An6ryMan69]

I experimented with targeting computers all the way up to the max vs no targeting computer in testing grounds (literally used a stopwatch and dozens of retries to make sure) and targeting computers do nothing for lock times.

Which makes zero sense of course.....but there it is.

Edited by An6ryMan69, 18 April 2024 - 08:02 AM.

[martian]

torsie, on 18 April 2024 - 07:43 AM, said:

I have question.

Is targeting computer helping for missiles? Because it is increasing your sensor range, so it should help with indirect lock on?

The effect is minimal.

[torsie]

An6ryMan69, on 18 April 2024 - 08:01 AM, said:

I experimented with targeting computers all the way up to the max vs no targeting computer in testing grounds (literally used a stopwatch and dozens of retries to make sure) and targeting computers do nothing for lock times.

Which makes zero sense of course.....but there it is.

Oh, did you bring friend or do you try alone?

Because I did exactly this same thing.
But you can not have indirect fire target when you are alone, so I try using UAV, but I think when you use UAV it does not work like indirect fire.

That is why I ask, because I try different sensor range, but there is no change.
When I try it alone with UAV.
It is difficult to test in real map.

Edited by torsie, 18 April 2024 - 08:34 AM.

[Cyborne Elemental]

TAG is about it.

Narc and visual targeting by other team mates only get you targets.

Currently, range to target plays a huge impact on lock speeds.

Next patch lock-on times for Personal LOS + Tag will get buffed vs ECM.

BAP, ARTEMIS, ASP, NARC, TAG nor any skilltree node has any affect on lock-on time.

[Aidan Crenshaw]

Cyborne Elemental, on 18 April 2024 - 01:19 PM, said:

Next patch lock-on times for Personal LOS + Tag will get buffed vs ECM.

Not quite correct. ECM offers no lock-on time penalty for LOS locks. The increased lock-time against ECM shielded mechs is only in IDF mode.

An6ryMan69, on 18 April 2024 - 08:01 AM, said:

I experimented with targeting computers all the way up to the max vs no targeting computer in testing grounds (literally used a stopwatch and dozens of retries to make sure) and targeting computers do nothing for lock times.

Which makes zero sense of course.....but there it is.

Because you did it wrong. Sensor range has no impact on LOS missile locks, only IDF.

Again:

Aidan Crenshaw, on 17 April 2024 - 09:34 PM, said:

In LOS, missile locks are the fastest they can get. No type of equipment nor any skill will speed up missile locks any further.

Edited by Aidan Crenshaw, 18 April 2024 - 08:56 PM.