Freefall Bombs

How do they behave?

When describing the behaviour of freefall bombs (guidance type 5), the Nova Bible uses the phrase ' "weathervanes" into the "wind." ' - but what exactly does that mean? I suspect it means the projectile points in some specific direction, but what direction?

Also, according to threads here in the Developers' Corner, they're not used in the game because the AI doesn't recognise them - so why is it present at all?

The projectile will point and travel in the same direction in which your ship is traveling at the time you droped it.

When the freefall bomb is released, it is traveling in the same direction as your ship is currently moving regardless of the direction you're facing. As it continues to fly, it will slowly point to mach the direction it is moving.

So if you are flying sideways, the bomb will be released facing the same direction as your ship, but also be moving sideways as well, and at 80% of your current speed. The bomb will then slowly rotate, but not change its velocity vector.

This post has been edited by Desprez : 22 August 2006 - 09:25 PM

That was what I was trying to say.

@scienceguy8, on Aug 23 2006, 02:27 AM, said in Freefall Bombs:

That was what I was trying to say.

Well, yours was more simply stated.
When I started writing my post there was no replies yet. You must have posted while I was writing.

Also, I believe the reason the AI was not built to use them was because the arc of the approaching AI ship was never coincidental with the target ship, so they would be wildly inaccurate and highly ineffective.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks all. 🙂