Missile Tank

[Dunenewt]

Has anyone noticed that if a missile tank tries to fire at a unit close to it the missiles never hit.

[Timenn]

Yes, for me it is known from the beginning, when I was playing the game.

I could take out a launcher with only a quad...

[Khan]

Yeah, its supposed to be that it can't lock on to something that is close range to it.

[Dunenewt]

You can take it out with anything providing you put the unit right next to the missile tank.

[nemafakei]

Except infantry, which it can squish.

[Khan]

Or harvesters... ;)

[Dunenewt]

Or MCV's then lol.

[erjin999]

I dont know about any other versions but on the Amiga, putting the game on the slowest setting would allow the missile tank to hit targets right in front of it. But only on the slowest settings.

Some counting routine to count how long a missile had to fly before it could lock that never took account of the game speed  ;)

[neonext]

same thing with the sonic beam. if you put the game speed on highest, it goes an extra tile or two, allowing you to take out those annoying rocket turrets with ease. funny how they had those things tied to the game speed

[Timenn]

Welcome to the world of writing programs based on processor speeds and such...

My guess is that the Sonic Tank and Launchers were meant to have a longer range then Rocket Turrets. Then there was another way to attack a base, instead of heading in with full force. Which the Dune II engine didn't quite support.

But the range was only bigger when facing the turrets vertically. When you did this horizontally, they had a smaller range then Rocket Turrets.

[minniat]

Welcome to the world of writing programs based on processor speeds and such...

Exactly. Dune 2 refresh routine on Amiga seems to be based on Refresh rate of the screen thus running it on screen with more than 50Hz make the game run faster overall. The games based on processor speed are much worse though.

[tag]

Timenn,

I often attacked Rocket Turrets with Sonic Tanks from a horizontal (90*, 270*) angle with impunity.  If I recall correctly, I was usually able to assign three such weapons in an inverted chevron (v ^ < >) formation depending on what angle I attacked from, one on the same "longitude" or "latitude" as the turret and two offset on either side of the first but one tile closer.  But I am certain I could use at least one Sonic Tank.  If you meant Rocket Turrets had a superior range when firing diagonally, though, this I do not know.

I was running on a 33MHz IBM compatible at the time, though I can't recall the game speed I was playing at.  But I never recall a Sonic Tank's -not- being able to outrange a Rocket Turret, though, so I am in agreement with you that I believe the weapon's superior range was an intentional design feature.

[Terror]

I remember that rocket tanks could hit a rocket turret without impunity from most angles. Sonic tanks only a few. Vertical i'm sure, diagonal not i think, and i'm not sure about horizontal. The missile tank was still my primary rocketturret killer though.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Exactly. Dune 2 refresh routine on Amiga seems to be based on Refresh rate of the screen thus running it on screen with more than 50Hz make the game run faster overall. The games based on processor speed are much worse though.

thats interesting

[minniat]

thats interesting

Actually it's very common in old Amiga games since 50Hz screen was called "native screen mode". On newer Amigas with AGA Chipset it is possible to get better screen modes.

Dune 2 just considers one vertical blank as 1/50 of second but should use more precise timers that are available.

[Ninja_Sher]

Missile tanks miss targets from long distance too. But what the heck get in a shooting range of a base and see missile frenzie ( it just can not miss while attacking an area filled with targets ).

Sonic tanks can take both defense and units with ease. Just put no other type of units of yours in front of it ok. ( Sonic tanks blast through everything except user's own sonic tanks )

[otheymzefedaykin]

The only way to destroy with a missile tank is to shot far !