Wraith Missile Volume

[Bezalius]

Hi, I recently started playing X3 Albion Prelude. I go pretty far and was able to acquire a few wraith missile production facilities.

However, I found that the wraith missiles were 8 vol, but all my searches online said they should be 1 vol. Did they change it or is there something wrong with my game?

[Masochisto]

In Terran Conflict they took up 1 space, in Albion Prelude, they take up 8.

Considering the damage they inflict, 8 still is not too bad.

[riceygringo]

Speaking of which, can someone tell me how am I supposed to use these in TC? Finally completed the Aldrin Expansion and bought a couple of factories.

So far I fired 6 of them at enemies from a M6 (Osprey) to a M1 (J) and missed every shot.

The turn radius is so large that they are basically dumbfire missiles, do I have to get within 3-4 km? Because at that point I'd rather just use the weaker Typhoons.

[Lone Jedi]

Hi, I recently started playing X3 Albion Prelude. I go pretty far and was able to acquire a few wraith missile production facilities.

However, I found that the wraith missiles were 8 vol, but all my searches online said they should be 1 vol. Did they change it or is there something wrong with my game?

In-game encyclopedia is often better than other info found on websites. At least the former is always accurate.

[Masochisto]

They have a very large range, and very slow turn radius. They go 170ms, so they are best used against large targets that are slower than 90ms or so.

If you travel to about 30 km from your target and fly straight toward it at exactly 170ms you can launch about 20 wraith missiles before you reach 10 km from the target. At that point, you can cut your engines and watch the missiles do their work then mop up the fighters.

This has the advantage of overloading the enemy point defense. Wraith missiles are the primary reason I never bother driving anything larger than the Hyperion.

[AgamemnonArgon]

Try Phantom missile factories, again they are Terran, but also cause some nice damage to enemy shipping.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

So far I fired 6 of them at enemies from a M6 (Osprey) to a M1 (J) and missed every shot.

It's more likely they was shot down, the AI in AP was improved to help them to shoot down incoming missiles effectively. Makes the M7M less effective as well.

[riceygringo]

Nope, I watched as the warheads just try to turn and miss the target completely.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

Nope, I watched as the warheads just try to turn and miss the target completely.

I've used them thousands of time and have never had one miss a large target like an M1 before. Are you sure you are using them in their effective range? If you fire them too soon they will fly off in a straight line.

[riceygringo]

Well I'm going to try again tonight, but this is what I did if I remember correctly.

1. Pirate Osprey, 40km launch range. The Osprey was travelling diagonal to me, and the missile tries to maneuver far too late. It must have been very close because I saw the Osprey fire at the missiles with HEPTs, but not a single Warhead detonated.

2. Maneuvering Q, fired at 6km. The missile simply could not keep up with the turning Q and missed

3/4/5. K moving at ~40m/s, fired at 30km. I saw several explosions as the warheads travelled near the K, but whatever the K didn't shoot down simply flew right off into the distance.

6. Got pissed at the worthlessness of the missile, fired at a moving J at 3km, the warheads simply didn't bother to even turn.

[Bezalius]

In Terran Conflict they took up 1 space, in Albion Prelude, they take up 8.

Considering the damage they inflict, 8 still is not too bad.

Well that's disappointing. I was hoping I would be able to fit more on my Hyperion as I bought 8 factories. Oh well.

Thanks though.

lol. when I saw it was 8 vol I kinda panicked and thought that something was wrong with my game and kept trying to reinstall it.

[Masochisto]

They are not dumbfire missiles, but their steering is so bad that they will miss if you fire them away from your target and expect them to turn and track toward it.

They work really well when used head on against an enemy around 30k to 10k out.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

Well I'm going to try again tonight, but this is what I did if I remember correctly.

1. Pirate Osprey, 40km launch range. The Osprey was travelling diagonal to me, and the missile tries to maneuver far too late. It must have been very close because I saw the Osprey fire at the missiles with HEPTs, but not a single Warhead detonated.

The most effective method that I have used is to fire missiles when the target is actually following me. That way they are restricted to using the front turret for defence and it gives them less time to react. Although as mentioned the AI is pretty good in AP.

[riceygringo]

Alright I think I got the hang of it, basically the missile is only good against sub-50m/s ships unless it's heading straight towards you. Which strangely make M7s the most difficult enemy to face in the Hyperion. A Q outmaneuvered 10 Wraith missiles before I gave up and unloaded 15 Typhoons at it.