Starstreak HVM Guidance

[Harrod200]

With the introduction of the Stormer in .8, do we know what guidance will be used on the Starstreak missiles?

Unlike the other sides' SAMs, Starstreaks don't lock on and are guided by the user after launch using a SACLOS system. The closest thing to this I can see is the original method of guidance for AT missiles in vBF2, where the target has to be kept in sight until impact.

If this system were used, the Stormer's effectiveness would be affected greatly by user skill and the local environment, which is realistic in that it is exactly the same IRL.

In the right hands it would be lethal against aircraft since it cannot be avoided or dodged by using flares, but in the wrong hands it wouldn't be able to bring down the dumbest pilot around.

I imagine that the missile has a significant minimum range, due to needing to reach Mach 3.5 in order to deploy the submunitions (around 400m), but that it will travel incredibly fast, meaning that a steady hand and good control interface will be needed to make it useful, more refined and less sensitive when zoomed than tanks currently.

Will the Starstreak also replace the Stinger as the British MANPADS system? It can be launched from a MANPADS, but I don't know if we have adopted that system...

[Flanker15]

The Tunguska's missile system use SACLOS aswell. The gunner doesn't need to keep the aircraft in LOS manually since the computer does it for him, all he needs to do is lock a target and fire the missile/guns the computer aims for you. The upside of SACLOS AA missiles is they can't be decoyed, the downside is the can't track a target when it moves out of LOS.

[Rhino]

it will act like any other AA missile in BF2, since that is the only way they can work... Thou we will try to make the Starstreak a little improved over the others since it is a very advanced missile in r/l and the Stormer has no guns.

[Harrod200]

Shame. In many ways a manually guided bloody fast missile would be great, but also very, very bad when used improperly.

Managed to get the submunitions working properly, or is it like any other AA there too, just the one? 3 small missiles would be hell to avoid.

[Rhino]

lol, do you really think you could hit a PR jet with a manual guided missile, with taking into account of the speed they go at, and then with that how offset the "hit boxes" ie, col meshes are for the server due to ping etc? good luck...

[Harrod200]

I am superman, thus yes. Any mere mortals such as yourself, however...I suppose you have to dumb some things down

[SuperTimo]

*shudder* manual guidnce

[markonymous]

it will act like any other AA missile in BF2, since that is the only way they can work... Thou we will try to make the Starstreak a little improved over the others since it is a very advanced missile in r/l and the Stormer has no guns.

anything new for the aircraft? Since they aren't balanced now and adding better missiles wont really work to the aircrafts advantage..

oh and the guns are useless against aircraft because of the hitbox lagg.

[bosco_]

No way you could hit most of your targets with manual guidance, it's often hard enough to see the enemy and the only indicator is the green lock box.

[Harrod200]

I've always found SAMs useless against jets cos they can reload and redeploy their flares during the average missile flight time, so even if you do lock and fire before he flares, or instantly after he has flared (locking onto the plane), by the time your missile reaches him, he flares again and the missile is diverted...

[Rhino]

oh and the guns are useless against aircraft because of the hitbox lagg.

yes but they are very good vs choppers and ground targets.

[Alex6714]

I've always found SAMs useless against jets cos they can reload and redeploy their flares during the average missile flight time, so even if you do lock and fire before he flares, or instantly after he has flared (locking onto the plane), by the time your missile reaches him, he flares again and the missile is diverted...

On the training map, and in game almost every manpad I fire seems to hit its target...

[Drav]

Ye and in the fighters I get shot down way by more AA than jets....

[Ironcomatose]

On the training map, and in game almost every manpad I fire seems to hit its target...

Hehe, you said MANpad.....hehe.

I agree though, they work fine.

[Alex6714]

Hehe, you said MANpad.....hehe.

I agree though, they work fine.

Whats wrong with manpad?

Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).

[Ironcomatose]

Whats wrong with manpad?

Nothing, it just sounds....MANly.

[V4.SKUNK]

Will we be able to use Starstreak against ground targets??? I pretty sure that it can in "reality".

[Harrod200]

It's never actually been used in combat yet, so we dunno what it can do

In theory each submunition has similar penetration power to a 40mm AP round. Would be nice to see that, but meh, no preference here.

[Rhino]

Will we be able to use Starstreak against ground targets??? I pretty sure that it can in "reality".

The last thing we want the Stormer to be is a "TOW Hummer with 8 missiles ready to go" as such driving around the map with only most likely 1 man operating both the driving and gunning and just 1 shot killing every tank it sees, and if it dont kill it in the first shot it has 7 other missiles to throw at it...

[maverick551]

anything new for the aircraft? Since they aren't balanced now and adding better missiles wont really work to the aircrafts advantage..

oh and the guns are useless against aircraft because of the hitbox lag.

HARMS on the Tornado or on another fighter/bomber could be a nice addition to an aircraft's anti air capability, thus balancing the planes and aa defense.