Scythe missile revamp ideas

[thin lynx]

All taken from very recent general chat :
Scythe missiles are pretty easy to dodge unless used as a close range missile Wich ain't really it's purpose, here are propositions for revamping them:

-scythe shouldn't spoof rwr until a bit before their own radar starts, for example since we're on the 2070's I assume your radar can find the missile heading for you at like 20-16km from you before it hits but rn it spoofs rwr the second it's launched Wich is insanely weird because it would mean your radar can pick up a specific missile out of 600different one.

-scythe at detection range should spoof nearby rwr's too, if the scythe gets into rwr detection range it would spoof all radar near it (for example a revoker beside the locked ifrit will get the warning)
This is also what real arh missile do getting a rwr warning even though you aren't the one locked happens very often

[upper kelp]

someone on your team (cricket with optical sensors, ground radar, medusa) picks up the scythe and then the whole team knows about its existence, so you get a missile warning

it doesnt have to be your own radar

[brave silo]

Problem is, for example you have 4 planes on its path that have zero bearing rate (i.e. collision course) when it is 30-40 km away. Yet, only the actual target receives the warning.
Assuming enemy datalink isnt hacked (in this case we would receive WAAAY more information), system should not be 100% sure about its target until it is close enough (probably 15-20 km) to confirm it is indeed going for that plane in particular and start screaming at pilot
It isnt the detection itself is the problem

[upper kelp]

kind of an edge case that shouldnt really be accounted for when designing the missile warnings imo

[brave silo]

Then it should give warning to all 4 planes until it is close. Which is again isnt the case in game
But nobody likes unreliable MAWS so the option when it lights up only when weapon at a certain range is better

[thin lynx]

By revamp I mean just mixing the idea of insta rwr response and slower detection

[merry wind]

I think that the bigger issue is that the scythe does not actually require expending anything useful to dodge.

If someone fires it from 100 km away, you will simply see the datalink notification, you will very gently turn into a beam aspect when it gets to about 20 km from you, and then hold the jammer for 2 seconds.

But an S3 always requires expending flares. A limited resource.

Make it so that jamming the scythe is not enough to defeat it. You also need to do a break turn either up or down (to maintain notch) in order for it to miss.

The justification is that while the rather weak ARH seeker is easy to jam, The datalink is not.
But unfortunately datalink does not have enough track quality for terminal guidance.
So the computer of the missile blends its jammed radar signals with the data link, creating a somewhat delayed, lag guidance.
The lower the RCS of the plane, The more delayed the guidance is.

Meaning a Darkreach has to turn with far fewer g's then a compass, in order to avoid the missile.

Radar floor would remain unaffected in this system.

Ideally, this would make it so that having 6+ scythes fired at you with 10 second delays would force you to the ground.

Because you run out of energy, and ability to dodge them by the time the 6th missile arrives.

So you're better off using the radar floor.

[marsh jewel]

i mean, an S3 doesn't require expending flares if you can run it into the ground

[frozen isle]

here's a notch counter idea for the scythe

if a scythe sees you trying to notch using it's datalink connection it will try to flank you and attack from the side, therefore countering your notch attempt. If you notch again enough times, you'll eventually exhaust the scythe's energy and it will fall out of the sky.

[thin lynx]

That could work if scythe wouldn't travel at mach 3

[merry wind]

Radar missiles also share this feature with the radar floor, which would be unaffected.

[lone anchor]

Yep that and complete loss of radar contact via terrain obstruction too of course, like flying behind a hill for long enough. That's my preferred method of ditching SARH and ARH

[digital hound]

As someone who has played a good bit of war thunder top tier, the Scythe feels a lot like the Sparrows do. With basically no experience in this game, I was able to consistently kill people with the Scythe using it exactly like a Sparrow in War Thunder.

I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but I like it, so I don't mind them as they are. (well okay the sparrow is SARH but i meant like positioning and range and stuff)