Killjaeden wrote:Adding more combat utilities that do not serve as offensive weapons helps to increase specific defenses without increasing offense. Chaff, Flares, Counter-missiles, EMP charges for disabling of incoming missiles and so on. Being usables they dont represent "just another shield".
it all depends ...
flares, for example, serve as defensive items, but not all missiles are / have to be "stupid" (= having IR/heat sensors). which brings me to another topic: modular build missiles, allowing YOU (& not egosoft) to change "charge" and "seeking device". for example, a silkworm-type missile comes with these stats:
-- speed = 250m/s
-- range < 20km
-- charge volume = 0.2m^3
(different types of missiles have different stats)
you can fit either emp charge, chemical charge, or usual explosives, each damages certain protection capabilities. then the seeking device (= missile "head"):
-- seek heat (countermeasure: flare)
-- seek radar (countermeasure: "WW2-like" strewed metal pieces)
-- seek gravity or whatever / other physical principles (or combinations of those), (countermeasure: none, but seeking device works only against capital ships / stations)
one thing i agree on is that in X3 things were very unbalanced, to resupply M7M / M8 ships you had to build large (self-sustained) station complex, but once your resupply-chain worked it was not even a question anymore if you'd win a battle, just spam a bunch of autonomously target-seeking missiles (hammer torpedo) and wait 1 or 2 minute(s).
countermeasures:
-- moskito missile defense
-- up to 6 "intelligent" turrets (MARS + goblins / MDMK2)
-- high enough frames-per-second so that those scripts work as intended
flare would REALLY help so that you dont have to destroy them, distracting their seeking device would have lead them away ..
another aspect: in case the missiles "forward/look-at" direction points away from the target, it would be better to let the missile NOT (as if by magic) turn around and re-engage the target, BUT just fly straight ahead until another random object is in the missile's flight path / view angle (= maybe another type-specific stat, or just const 60°) ...