Regrouping, Renaming and Revamping Missiles | DPRK ("North Korea") Tech Tree [Missiles]

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    • Regrouping, Renaming and Revamping Missiles | DPRK ("North Korea") Tech Tree [Missiles]

      Currently there three types of missiles in the game: ICBMs, Cruise Missiles and Ballistic Missiles. Since there is a lot of wrong naming, typecast and a bad scaling in terms of range and range scaling, I would like to suggest some improvements.

      Missile Revamping


      Basically, there are four types of missiles:

      1) Ground-Ground Missiles
      2) Ground-Air Missiles
      3) Air-Ground Missiles
      4) Air-Air Missiles

      Furthermore missiles are tagged as a "strategic" or "tactical" weapon, meaning, you use those weapons to either vaporize your enemy (strategic weapon) or you want precise hits (tactical weapon) against military units, military buildings, military areas etc. In CON there are de facto only two types of missiles represented: 1) and 3) [Not considerung the Anti-Air Systems, because there use of missiles are inherent].
      So, we can reduce the point of view to two weapon systems: Cruise Missiles, which can opt Ground-Ground and Air-Ground (Sea-Ground is also possible but I subsume it under Ground-Ground Missiles), Ballistic Missiles, which can opt Ground-Ground (and Sea-Ground).
      Cruise Missiles are by definition a tactial weapon; even when armed with nuclear warheads, because of there limited ability to carry a heavy weight nuclear warhead, so they usually have only several kilo tons of explosive power.
      Ballistic Missiles are by definition a strategic weapon. They are used for deterrence and a show of power. Usually they have several mega tons of explosive power.

      The difference in CON between a "Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)" and a "Ballistic Missile (BM)" is- by definition- not given. A "ICBM" and a "BM" are belonging to the same group of missiles- ballistic missiles. The main difference between "ballistic" and "non-ballistic" missiles is the fact that ballistic missiles are only powered by a rocket engine while it is in the starting phase. After the missile left the atmosphere it is no longer powered but follows then an ballistic flight curse (therefore the name) to hit its target. The opposite would be a guided missile such as a Cruise Missile, which is propelled in the whole flight phase until it hits the target.

      However, the description and allocation in the research tab "Missiles" suggests, that both ICBM and BM are two whole different things; in fact ballistic missiles are devided into several groups, considering there range.

      Battlefield Short Range Ballistic Missiles (BSRBM): Not implemented in CON, but mentionted for the sake of completeness. [Range: 0 - 150km]

      Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM): Not implemented. [Range: 151 - 799km]

      Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBM): The CON named "Ballistic Missile" kinda fits this. [Range: 800 - 2399km]

      Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM): Not implemented. [Range: 2400 - 5499km]

      Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM): The CON name "ICBM" fits this category. [Range: 5500km +]

      Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM): CON uses "Ballistic Missiles" to use them as SLBMs as well. [Range: There is no range definition. But, considering the usual range of submarine launched ballistic missiles, most have a range of several thousand kilometers.]


      Introducing more ballistic missile types would allow a better balancing and more depth in terms of strategy and tactical usage. And of course it would be more realistic, even though I doubt there will be BSRBMs or SRBMs introduced. Moreover, ballistic missiles are are either fueled by liquid fuel or by solid fuel. This has a serious impact on how fast a missile can be launched and what range it has, because liquid fuel has the chemical property to corrode the materials of fuel tanks, while solid fuel can be filled into those tanks without corroding them, thus leading to a significant shorter launch preperations, since the liquid fuel has to be filled into the tanks shortly before the launch.

      On the other hand liquid fuel missile technology is easier to develop and to handle, while sophisticated missile systems use solid fuel to power these missiles. In CON you could make liquid fuel missiles cheaper but less reliable (missiles can self destruct, explode while flight etc.?) and solid propelled missiles more reliable but they also cost much more.

      Another thing I want to mention is the ability of sophisticated ballistic missiles to have a MIRV (= Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle) warhead to bypass enemy "missile shields". An introduction of these would also be very appreciated.


      DPRK ("North Korea") Tech Tree "Missiles"

      Cruise Missiles

      Tier 1: KN-01; Tier 2: Kumsong-3 (Kh-35 Variant); Tier 3: "Kumsong-3-U" [Kh-35 (U)]

      IRB Missiles (CON: "Ballistic Missiles")

      Tier 1: Taepodong-1 (Actually a technology demonstrator for the Taepodong-2 ICBM/SLV); Tier 2: BM-25 Musudan; Tier 3: KN-17 (DPRK name: Hwasong-12)

      ICB Missiles

      Tier 1: KN-08 (DPRK name: Hwasong-13); Tier 2: KN-14; Tier 3: KN-20 (DPRK name: Hwasong-14)

      The post was edited 1 time, last by DPRK Gaming ().

    • Really good read - but besides a bunch of technical and balancing issues, we can't envision our players to become missile experts... When we designed CON we deliberately dumbed down the system, grouping and simplifying where possible. Ranges and scaling are more oriented towards game balancing, not reality.
      "Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion." Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf