How do I dodge missiles?

[Vinman]

I've gotten used to dumping chaff and making a hard turn in the general direction of an incoming missile, thanks to the more recent WC games, and for the life of me, I can't remember how to dodge missiles in the first installments of the series. Am I really supposed to switch weapons to that chaff pod in combat? What do I do after a drop it? What if I don't have one to begin with?

 

[Farbourne]

In WC1, my approach for dodging missiles is...I don't bother. They never seemed to do all that much damage to a fully shielded ship, and (unless fired right on my tail when I happen to slow down) never seem to hit me anyway. When I actively want to ensure that they don't hit me, I generally towards them, get them in front of me (but not directly in front) and tap my burners as they try to close on me.

In WC2, I generally used the same tactics. The one chaff pod you get generally was too hard to switch to while a missile was bearing down on me, and the only time that you can't maneuver to avoid a missile is when you're on a torpedo run (and in that case, you can't switch missiles to drop the chaff pod anyway, because you lose your lock!)

 

[Dundradal]

I usually AB away and try to turn so that the missile can't follow and ends up just going off into space.

 

[McGruff]

It's been some time since playing the old ones, but I'm pretty sure you can actually outrun them flat out in WC1.

 

[Max Gene]

Which really sucks if you launch one while afterburning.

 

[RogueBanshee]

Which really sucks if you launch one while afterburning.

Been there, done that, didn't live to tell about it.

 

[Wedge009]

Mace + Afterburners = Kaboom

 

[Aginor]

Yeah, I remember that, too.

Reminds me of something "heroic" (aka stupid) I did in WC3. I didn't manage to shoot down the skipper missile the first time I flew the mission, so I saved the Victory by... well... basically, I just crashed into the skipper while it was decloaking, right in front of me. (It wasn't far away from the carrier, perhaps 200m)

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

I've gotten used to dumping chaff and making a hard turn in the general direction of an incoming missile, thanks to the more recent WC games, and for the life of me, I can't remember how to dodge missiles in the first installments of the series. Am I really supposed to switch weapons to that chaff pod in combat? What do I do after a drop it? What if I don't have one to begin with?

Afterburning should do the trick against missiles in WC 1/2 since the missiles are slower than you.
Also, IIRC, pressing ALT+Enter releases a Chaff Pod in WC 2 without having to switch via "w".

 

[Ijuin]

Yeah, I remember that, too.

Reminds me of something "heroic" (aka stupid) I did in WC3. I didn't manage to shoot down the skipper missile the first time I flew the mission, so I saved the Victory by... well... basically, I just crashed into the skipper while it was decloaking, right in front of me. (It wasn't far away from the carrier, perhaps 200m)

I thought that was instant death for your fighter to do that?

 

[NinjaLA]

wait until it is right next to you, break hard right or left and punch the afterburner while hitting the electronic countermeasures button, that usually works for me.