Why "Out Of Range" ALWAYS Means You Are Hitting Your Target

One of the most common confusions I hear, even among experienced players, is the meaning of the "Out of Range" message that appears at the top left corner of your screen.

Most people think it means they are missing their target and must get closer.

That is absolutely wrong.

When you see that message, you are hitting your target.

Every single time. Especially if it keeps repeating over and over again.

Clear?

What "Out Of Range" Really Means

The message "out of range" really means that your missiles are not hitting your target. This message ONLY appears, though when your lasers ARE hitting and your missles are NOT hitting.

Watch your ammunition count closely. You will see that as long as the "out of range" message appears, your laser ammo will drop, but your missile ammo will stay the same.

How To Use the "Out Of Range" Message

Personally, I find the message incredibly useful.

Most of the time I do NOT want it to appear. I want to be close enough to my target so that both missiles and lasers are both hitting. I make sure this is happenening by watching my ship to see the missles periodically flying off my ship. I no longer even try to watch for the lasers, because of the bug that usually hides the laser fire.

Sometimes I WANT my missiles to miss. When I am circling a large group of aliens, circling uber aliens, or attacking an enemy ship from the edge of my range, I watch for the "Out of Range" message.

Once that message appears, I KNOW I am hitting my target. Success! Sometimes I want to stay at the very edge of my range, even if the missiles do NOT hit my target. I try to stay at that distance, so that the "Out of Range" message starts to scroll down my screen. If I get a little too close, the missiles will start flying from my ship, and I back off away until I see "Out of Range" again.

What Does It Mean When "Out of Range" Disappears?

If you see "out of range" on your screen, and then it disappears, one of two things have happened:

1. You have gotten within missile range, and missiles started firing
   
2. You have gotten outside laser range, and nothing is firing
   

The ironic part is this: when "out of range" appears, you KNOW you are in laser range. When the message disappears, you are either fully within range, or completely out of range with all your weapons.

You Only Get This Message If You Fire Rockets

A quick note: you only see this message if you are firing rockets. Some players do not, but I always use either an AROL-X auto-rocket launcher or I hold down my spacebar to fire rockets continuously.

If you prefer to play without rockets, ignore this post.