Missile Launcher

This article contains information relevant to both the C# and VB6 versions of Aurora. Where differences exist, they are noted in the appropriate sections.

Component Information
Type	Designed
Class	Military
Tech Branch	Missiles / Kinetic Weapons
Specifications
Size (HS)	1 to 100
Size (Tons)
Crew Required
Production Cost
Wealth (BP)	1
Duranium	0.25
Neutronium	{{{necost}}}
Corbomite	{{{cbcost}}}
Tritanium	0.75
Boronide	{{{bocost}}}
Mercassium	{{{mecost}}}
Vendarite	{{{vecost}}}
Sorium	{{{socost}}}
Uridium	{{{urcost}}}
Corundium	{{{cdcost}}}
Gallicite	{{{gacost}}}

Impressive first attempt, but can possibly be improved through research.

Image source: User Clarinetlover, town hall of Mercato San Severino, via wikipedia

A Missile Launcher is a player-designed component that is used to launch Missiles.

Overview

Missile Launchers are used to deploy all kinds of Missiles, including drones and buoys. A launcher can launch missiles up to its maximum size, and can store one missile equal to its size. After a launcher fires its missile, it must be reloaded from a Magazine before it fires again. (Remember, missiles themselves are powerful weapons, but without ammunition your missile launchers are just expensive targets.)

A Launcher's rate of fire decreases as the launcher gets bigger.

C# = SQRT(Size) * 30 seconds * Reduced Size Modifier / Reload Rate Tech [1]
VB6 = Size * 30s * Reduced Size Modifier / Reload Rate Tech

In both cases, round up to the next multiple of 5 seconds.

Reduced size launchers can be useful to increase the salvo size for penetrating Point Defense. Box Launchers take this to its extreme, being small, but unable to reload outside a hangar deck or Maintenance Facility, and are a popular choice on fighters and FACs.

Background Technology

Missile Launcher Size controls the size of the missile that may be launched by the launcher. Advanced ICEF fields allow smaller missiles to be launched from larger launchers, but larger missiles will not physically fit in the launcher. The base physical size (in HS) of the launcher is equal to its Missile Launcher Size. The size can be anywhere from 1 to 100 HS. Size also influences HTK.

Missile Launcher Reload Rate controls the reload rate of the launcher. This tech acts as a divisor for the base reload rate, while linearly increasing each of the costs mentioned under the size segment by 25% of the base cost.

For example, A size 1 rate 1 launcher reloads in 30s, while a size 1 rate 2 launcher reloads in 15s, a 50% reduction. A size 1 rate 3 launcher reloads in 10s, a 66% reduction from the original, but only a 33% reduction from the rate 2 launcher. In general, a rate N launcher offers a 1/N improvement in reload time over the previous rate, making the diminishing returns obvious.

Missile Launcher Reload Rate

Reload Rate	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
RP cost	-	2,000	4,000	8,000	15,000	30,000	60,000	125,000	250,000	500,000	1,000,000	2,000,000

Platform Type only applies in VB6, where a launcher can be either Ship-based or PDC-based. Ship-based launchers can be used on either ships or PDCs. PDC-based launchers can only be used on PDCs. Because they don't have to meet the same space requirements as ship-based systems, PDC-based launchers can afford to include more reloading machinery, reducing their base reload rate in half compared to an equivalent ship-based system. Launch platform has no effect on module cost.

Reduced Size Launchers allow for decreasing the physical size of a launcher while increasing reload rate. This also influences HTK. Each reduction in size applies the same proportional reduction in part cost to each of the items mentioned in the previous section.

The 0.15 size launcher, the smallest, is better known as the Box Launcher. are not capable of reloads unless the ship is docked at a maintenance facility or hangar deck.

Reduced Size Launchers (C#)

Size	1	0.75	0.6	0.4	0.3	0.15 (Box)
Reload Multiplier	1	2	5	20	100	100

Reduced Size Launchers (VB6)

Size	1	0.75	0.5	0.33	0.25	0.15 (Box)
Reload Multiplier	1	2	5	20	100	15
RP cost	-	1,000	2,000	3,000	6,000	10,000

Box launchers also have an additional limitation on reloads - they cannot be reloaded in space. A ship must either be at a colony or inside a Hangar Deck to reload a box launcher. (This means the x15 reload time in VB6 is not actually an improvement over the x100 time on 25% size launchers)

Final Cost Formula

Final cost = Base Cost * Size in HS * (1+((Reload Rate-1)*0.25)) * Size Reduction

Base costs:

• Materials Required: 1 Duranium, 3 Tritanium
• Cost Per Launcher: 4 BP