Star Citizen Ballista FAQ
Welcome to some more Star Citizen with more details on the Anvil Ballista form it’s FAQ a military anti-ship missile truck that was added straight to live with 3.6 & now we know some more about it’s future too.
Will the Ballista be able to bombard targets or fire over hills?
Currently, all targets (whether air or ground) require both a high enough signature and line-of-sight for the Ballista to be able to lock on to them. In the future, we’ll include out-of-sight targeting by transmitting target data between ships or via some sort of ‘forward operator control’. This will enable players to hit targets without a direct line-of-sight and from a much greater distance than is currently possible.
All missiles in the game currently require a target lock. They don’t have any plans for missile free-fire, but it may be something more suited to less “smart” ordnance in the future.
Are there going to be variants or modular changes for the Ballista?
At this time, no future variants are planned for production, although we’ve seen some fantastic community suggestions. The rover that comes with the Anvil Carrack is an RSI Ursa Rover, not a new Anvil Rover.
How will restocking ammo work?
Currently, the Ballista needs to be taken back to an outpost, where it can be repaired and rearmed. In the future, dedicated rearming and repair vehicles (such as the Vulcan) can be used to support any ground vehicle, including the Ballista.
What is the Effective Range of the Ballista?
At this time, its effective range is around 10,000 meters against most fighters (the furthest we’ve shot is 9,984 meters), after which it can no longer identify them.
However, the firing range doesn’t have a cap as it’s purely by the systemic emissions of the target, so it will be even further on large ships with high infrared or electromagnetic signatures. There will be a cap technically tho on the distance any given missile can travel though.
Which ships will be able to transport the Ballista & can we transport it in other ways?
As it stands, there are only two ship series specifically designed to transport the Ballista – the Idris and the Hercules (by transport, we mean getting it entirely inside the vehicle, properly secured, and doors closed). While not officially designed to carry the Ballista, the 890 Jump’s rear cargo ramp is large enough to take it too. Ships equipped with a suitably powerful tractor beam will also be able to move it, but this comes with a higher risk than having it secured internally.
Weapon Customization
There was an error on the stats page, stating the small front turret was optional… I mean I suppose it is in it’s use.
In regard to customization of it’s missile turret, there are no plans to allow any modification to the turret loadout or to what type of turret it has equipped. Everything is quite bespoke to the vehicle in its current layout and the only customizability is in the missile loadouts themselves.
I also suspect you can change the S2 guns on the smaller turre.
They will be discussing air vs ground combat in more detail in the future. It’s an indepth mechanic that needs a lot more room than an FAQ can provide.
Will the skins be purchasable separately like the Snow & Desert Skins?
The skins are unique to Warbond SKUs. Concierge members get access to the Dunestalker Skin and all backers get access to the Snowblind skin. These-limited time offerings will not be able to be pledged for separately.
Can the Driver use the Missile Turret from the Driver Position?
There is no plan for this at this moment. The person manning the missile turret (or gunner seat) has very specific control over that turret only. The driver of the vehicle can drive around and fire the Gatling turret if they choose to. If you are running the vehicle solo you’ll have to move position.
Will the Ballista be able to intercept other missiles, torpedoes and bombs?
This is functionality that we want all ships to have in the future, not just the Ballista. Being able to target incoming ordnance items is critical to keeping larger ships and ground outposts intact. Of course, targeting is just part of the equation; it certainly helps to pick a suitable weapon system for the intercept.
Can the Ballista fire while embarked on a ship?
The Ballista will still fire aboard a moving Starlifter or Idris, though we’re not sure launching missiles inside a moving ship is the safest thing to do! As for the Kraken, there’s no reason why you couldn’t fire missiles from a landing pad. However, the chance of hitting a friendly ship or part of the carrier could be quite high, particularly if it’s moving.