|| Archive || Basewars ||

Electronic Warfare - Or what?
03/09/2006

Guidance Jamming

It's something of a hidden feature in Basewars that I will try to explain here. Although some of it was unintentional, I decided - It would be best to give it a fictional reason! First let's cover the first question you will probably ask after a while of playing Basewars. You might notice that all the larger ships (including Cruisers, Battleships and anything bigger than a Frigate size ship) can't be locked onto with homing missiles. There are several homing missiles in Basewars, each has its own unique tracking efficiency (also known as POV and Thrusters). Take for example, the Hornet Missile (which replaces the Frag) or the Blood Cruise Missile (replacing the Mortar) - The first has a small POV, but a fast velocity. It can't make sharp turns, however. The Cruise missile on the other hand, can almost make 360 degrees in-flight.

Now that's cleared up, you'll notice neither of them track larger ships. This is because that larger ships use a ¡°guidance jamming system (GJS) which prevents any missile locking onto them. Since some of them are so slow, you can still predict the trajectory of the target and fire your missile accordingly. You also cannot lock onto the Turrets of larger ships - Although they appear as individual objects ingame, they are infact treated as one whole object, merged together - Hence why you can't lock onto them either. The GJS works much better in Multiplayer as opposed to Single Player.

Developers hint: The real reason you can't lock onto them, is because larger ships are technically buildings or clutter, which missiles don't see as robots.

Afterburner & Weapon Jamming

You'll notice when playing Basewars that you can't use your Afterburners or Weapons in your base. This is because a jamming system is enabled which prevents you from doing so. It's essentially a safety system that prevents accidents and fights from occurring in sensitive areas. Some larger and older bases don't have this equipment, and thus are vulnerable to attack from the inside. Only stationary bases use jamming equipment due to the power requirements. Carriers aren't capable of generating a similar jamming field - however, they are capable of anti-jamming - Which will effectively shut down the opponents jamming systems, opening it to attack when the overall objective is to capture the target instead of destroy.

Developers hint: The main reason I implemented this is to prevent players killing each other in their own bases. Although it's not possible for players from the opposing team to enter your base, it is possible to exploit it.

Ship-to-Ship Afterburner Jamming

Some larger NPC's (Non-Player) in Basewars are capable of shutting down your Afterburner when you are within a close proximity to the ship. Their turrets will also track better once you slow down - So care is advised!