Trying to understand how frequency crystals interact with target speed and angular velocity.
On paper, switching from something like Standard to Multifrequency (or Gleam, etc.) looks like a simple DPS vs. range tradeoff. But in practice, if a target is orbiting fast and my tracking starts to struggle, does switching crystals meaningfully improve applied damage or is angular velocity usually the dominant factor anyway?
In other words:
If I’m missing because of tracking, can better optimal/falloff management through crystal choice realistically compensate? Or once transversal is too high, is crystal swapping basically irrelevant compared to piloting (manual flying, range control, webs, etc.)?
I feel like I’m missing the “real fight” mechanics behind the fitting window numbers.
Yes, having longer optimal range will help you with tracking against small targets.
Tracking goes off of angular velocity and signature radius. You can increase your accuracy by either increasing the target’s signature, or by lowering his angular velocity, ie how many radians per second the target is moving around you. A target that is moving at a steady 1000m/s in a circular orbit 10km around you will be traveling at 0.1 rad/s, while if you increase the distance to 30km, it will be traveling at just 0.03̅3 rad/s, substantially alleviating your tracking issue. The target is traveling at the same velocity, but because it is further away, how fast your turrets need to move to keep up with the target is much lower.
Another option is to use keep at or even approach rather than orbit. In some cases you can drop angular velocity to zero with this.
Only if the target wasn’t in optimal range with the previous crystal but is in optimal or much lower falloff with the new one.
If a fast frigate is orbiting you at 2500m and you don’t hit it with Multifrequency despite having 12km optimal range, switching to Standard with 24km optimal range or Radio with 36km optimal range actually does nothing to increase your chance to hit the target. You only do less damage if you get a hit out of pure luck.
The only useful switches in laser crystals to increase application are going from a T2 crystal (Scorch/Conflag) to a T1 faction crystal of roughly the same range with pulse lasers. Or using Gleam with beam lasers, sacrificing a lot of range for getting a tracking bonus.
It depends on which party dictates range. If you control range, fighting further away will reduce your reliance on tracking. If the opponent dictates range, then yeah, all you’re doing with your radio crystal is reducing your damage the handful of times you do manage to hit.
In general, because switching crystals is near instantaneous you want to change as the range changes - keep the selected optimum range so that you are “just within” optimum. Fall off with energy weapons is very steep, go outside of optimum and bad things happen quickly (unlike Hybrids where you are often fighting in the first fall-off).
If you are having problems with tracking - especially in missions, then you want a prop-mod of some sort and a webifier. Web 'em then run directly away from them (use “keep at range” set to a nice long sniping distance). Make them chase you rather than orbit you - get the traversal as low as possible.