Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

[Thia Halmades]

I've settled on a new name for the project -- "HERO: Combat Evolved," which is simple & clear all at the same time. I've decided that in keeping with my stress on clarity & realism, I'll be handling guided ordinance as separate vehicles.

 

So, the my next vehicle, an atmospheric V/STOL Aircraft called the Skyhawk, I'll be including the Scorpion ATM (very similar to a Maverick, but nastier). So here's the question.

 

Since the weapon is built as a vehicle attached to a warhead, is this most easily done by having the vehicle (the missile) travel at full NCM (as acceleration allows) and then make an "attack roll" when it hits the designated hex to set off/connect with its payload?

 

Also, as a separate vehicle (not a Summon or anything) fired on your turn, how quickly does it accelerate?

 

Tacked on question: What's the easiest way to put the Vehicle-as-Weapon into Hero Designer? I'm assuming (I'm now doing it as) a Follower, yes? Because I can't make the vehicle a power.

 

Thanks, y'all.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

ISince the weapon is built as a vehicle attached to a warhead, is this most easily done by having the vehicle (the missile) travel at full NCM (as acceleration allows) and then make an "attack roll" when it hits the designated hex to set off/connect with its payload?

 

Pretty much, yes.

 

Also' date=' as a separate vehicle (not a Summon or anything) fired on your turn, how quickly does it accelerate? [/quote']

 

Same as any other vehicle or character: 5" per hex moved. There's a different way to figure noncombat movement, but that's up to its combat speed. In other words, pretty much any entity can reach its full velocity in one Phase; the acceleration number is only used if, for instance, you're three hexes from a wall and you need to see how fast you're going when you hit it.

 

Tacked on question: What's the easiest way to put the Vehicle-as-Weapon into Hero Designer? I'm assuming (I'm now doing it as) a Follower, yes? Because I can't make the vehicle a power.

 

I usually see this done as Summon Vehicle on Charges to represent how many missiles are carried (ex. six missiles means Summon Vehicle with 6 charges).

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

I made it a Follower, six total followers. You can see the build via linky in my revised signature. It's on the last page (the boards let me load up to 4 files max per post).

 

While we're on the subject, can you explain the whole movement acceleration thing again? Cause you lost me. The missile (in this current version, always subject to revision) is modeled on TUV's AIM-9 Sparrow. It has a SPD 6, 45" Flight, and x32 NCM. I think Mavericks are slower & lower, though, so I'll probably have to change it. But right now, is what it is. Can you walk me through the launch/tracking/reaching process?

 

In this model, I should probably assume that the pilot needs to acquire his target -- are there rules covering that in TUV? I didn't see them.

[Tom]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

Same as any other vehicle or character: 5" per hex moved. There's a different way to figure noncombat movement, but that's up to its combat speed. In other words, pretty much any entity can reach its full velocity in one Phase; the acceleration number is only used if, for instance, you're three hexes from a wall and you need to see how fast you're going when you hit it.

While we're on the subject, can you explain the whole movement acceleration thing again? Cause you lost me.

 

Standard rules for accel is 5" per hex up to your full movement for combat movement. (ie: someone/thing with 20" of movement requires 4 hexes to reach 20" of movement velocity)

 

For Non-Combat, the same applies, plus you cannot accel to more than your combat velocity per phase. (ie: your missile with x32 NCM will require 32 phases to reach it's full velocity)

 

The advantage 'Rapid Non-Combat Movement' will allow the missile to reach it's full velocity in a number of phases equal to the number of times it's been doubled (x32 has doubled movement 5x -- 2,4,8,16,32 -- so it would reach full speed in 5 phases).

 

The advantage 'Non-Combat Accel/Decel' will allow the missile to reach it's full velocity in one hex of movement in a single phase.

 

The rules for Accel/Decel are on page 122 of 5er, the advantages above are explained on page 124.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

I made it a Follower' date=' six total followers. You can see the build via linky in my revised signature. It's on the last page (the boards let me load up to 4 files max per post).[/quote']

 

Hmmm. After thinking about it, I can see why you'd want to use Follower. Makes some sense, but I'd still recommend Summon (there's a specific "activate this Power" with Summon that you don't get with Followers).

 

While we're on the subject, can you explain the whole movement acceleration thing again? Cause you lost me. The missile (in this current version, always subject to revision) is modeled on TUV's AIM-9 Sparrow. It has a SPD 6, 45" Flight, and x32 NCM. I think Mavericks are slower & lower, though, so I'll probably have to change it. But right now, is what it is. Can you walk me through the launch/tracking/reaching process?

 

Edit: Tom answered this much better than I could.

 

In this model, I should probably assume that the pilot needs to acquire his target -- are there rules covering that in TUV? I didn't see them.

 

This is why I recommend Summon over Followers. You can build your Summon Power with whatever "launch" conditions you want, essentially treating it as an Attack Power (which, as GM, I'd rule it becomes once you're using it in this situation -- it becomes a half-Phase combat action to Summon one or more of them). Target acquisition may be handled by the missiles themselves; I seem to recall one missile writeup I've seen having a fairly dumb AI with some perception abilities and enough skill to drive the missile.

 

If you want to use Follower, I'd say that launching the missile is still a half-Phase combat action, but you don't really have a way to mechanically tie any other requirements to the launch action.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

Missiles & Damages:

 

In TUV, there's an AGM that seems to deal 3d6 damage -- there's also the AIM-9 model they have (which was the base for the Scorpion ATM I designed) and it does... 8d6 or so. IIRC, the AT-4 in HSEG deals 8d6 as well -- this is where I get confounded in HERO more than anywhere else. That, or I have a poor grasp of how much "damage" a thing should do.

 

Should a Maverick AGM deal less damage than a turret emplacement? Just have more AP on it? Curious what y'all think about that. 3d6 suggested last night (and I think he has a point) that cluster weapons like FFARs, Hellfires, Mavericks and their ilk are probably more easily modeled as straight modded RKAs, whereas "a missile you can ride" (such as a larger AIM, AMRAAM, etc.) is better built as a vehicle. So I'll revise my design for the SkyHawk to incorporate that.

 

But if you can give me insight to the damage thing, that'd be great.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

I can't help you there. My best advice is compare, see what looks about right, and guesstimate.

[Greywind]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

Any missile fired in the direction of travel, of a moving vehicle, should have a starting velocity of whatever speed the firing vehicle was traveling at.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

That is an excellent point. BTW, where the heck have you been?

[Greywind]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

I got sucked into being a moderator on another site.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Guided Missile Question [HERO: Combat Evolved]

 

l4m3r. HERO is your Deity and Steve Long its Line Developer. Swear allegiance!! Where was I? Oh yeah, welcome to 200 ('cause I can) and obviously you'll want to check out all the nifty HDv3 updates I'm doing to my pet project.