Rocket Launcher

The Rocket Launcher (or RL, as it's known) is a weapon that has appeared in various incarnations in all of the Unreal series. With the Rocket Launcher equipped, hovering the crosshairs over another player for a brief amount of time will cause the Rocket Launcher to "lock on." While locked on to a player, an RL's rockets will curve slightly towards that player. However, this lock-on attack can usually be easily avoided.

Unreal
The Rocket Launcher in Unreal is called the Eightball Launcher. This is due to the ammo it uses, Eightball rockets, and is based on the eight ball in pool.
 * Primary Fire
 * Can load up to six Eightball rockets and fire them in a straight line or a spiral configuration by holding down the alternate fire button while the rockets are being loaded.


 * Secondary Fire
 * Can load up to six Eightball rockets as grenades. The rockets will bounce around before they detonate.

Unreal: RTNP
Unreal - Return to Na Pali has the same Eightball Launcher as Unreal does but it also adds a standard Marine Rocket Launcher to your arsenal.
 * Primary Fire
 * Unguided rocket projectile.


 * Secondary Fire
 * Guided by moving/aiming crosshairs.

Unreal 2

 * Primary Fire
 * Unguided rocket projectile.


 * Secondary Fire
 * Rocket breaks into four smaller projectiles that fly around drunkenly when secondary fire button is released. Holding down the secondary fire button and moving the crosshairs over enemies before release will lock each rocket to a target, one at a time.

Unreal Tournament
Classification: Heavy Ballistic


 * Primary Fire
 * Slow moving but deadly rockets are aimed at opponents. Trigger can be held down to load up to six rockets at a time, which can be fired at once. Multiple rockets are fire in a flat, horizontal spread unless the secondary fire button is pressed while they are loading. This will cause them to fire in a tight spiral formation.


 * Secondary Fire
 * Grenades are lobbed from the barrel. Secondary trigger can be held as well for up to six grenades. If the primary fire button is pressed while the grenades are loading, they will be fired in a tight cluster instead of spread out.


 * Tactics
 * Keeping this weapon pointed at an opponent will cause it to lock on, and while the gun is locked the next rocket fired will be a homing rocket. Because the Rocket Launcher can load up multiple rockets, it fires when you release the fire button. If you prefer, it can be configured to fire a rocket as soon as you press the fire button down, at the expense of the multiple rocket load-up feature. This is set in the Input Options menu.

Unreal Tournament 2003

 * Primary Fire
 * Fires a single rocket.


 * Secondary Fire
 * Fires three rockets in a horizontal line, and, by pressing primary fire while loading, can shoot up to three rockets in a tight spiral.

Unreal Tournament 2004

 * Primary Fire
 * Fires a single rocket


 * Secondary Fire
 * Loads up to three rockets which are fired in a flat spread, or can be fired in a cluster by pressing the primary fire button while loading.

''The Trident Tri-barrel Rocket Launcher is extremely popular among competitors who enjoy more bang for their buck. The rotating rear-loading barrel design allows for both single- and multi-warhead launches, letting you place up to three dumbfire rockets on target. The warheads are designed to deliver maximum concussive force to the target and surrounding area upon detonation.''
 * Game Description

Unreal Tournament 3

 * Primary Fire
 * Fires a single, non-seeking rocket.


 * Secondary Fire
 * By default, this fires rockets in a spread formation. Tapping Fire once while loading will change to a spiral, while tapping it twice will release grenades. Tapping it a third time will restore the default spread pattern.

''Each year, more accidental deaths are caused by the Trident Tri-barrel Rocket Launcher than in vehicular accidents and extreme sports combined. The kill radius for its standard dumbfire rocket is surprisingly high by design -- so accidentally firing upon a nearby wall, or a nearby enemy soldier, can be quite fatal for the operator. The alternate fire adds to this suicidal lethality by loading and firing up to three rockets at once, in a spread, tight spiral, or lobbed like grenades. Regardless of the grim statistics, veteran soldiers still consider the 'old 8 ball' the most expedient way to put explosive ordnance on target.
 * Game Description

Unreal Championship
Fires one rocket Fires up to three rockets in a flat spread. It can also fire them in a tight cluster by pressing the primary fire button while they are loading.
 * Primary Fire
 * Secondary Fire

Unreal Championship 2

 * Primary Fire
 * Fires a single rocket.


 * Secondary Fire
 * Launches up to three rockets simultaneously. All three rockets can be deflected at once.


 * Weapon Combo (Drunken Rockets)
 * This can only be done by holding down the left trigger. After the three rockets fire, continue to hold down the left trigger, and pull the right trigger. Each rocket will split into two "drunken rockets". This ability is disabled if you release the left trigger too soon.

Tactical Use
The Rocket Launcher's rockets fly straight, do a lot of damage in a direct hit, and have a fair-sized splash damage radius. (Because of the splash damage, Rocket Launchers are less than ideal for close-range fighting and are notorious for causing suicides in this situation.)

Since Rocket Launchers are the most powerful standard weapon except a sniper and they have a reasonably fast reload rate and a large splash damage radius (hence the RL is called a "spammy" weapon), they are a favorite of new players. Because it's much more rarely used by advanced players, the Rocket Launcher is often found opposite the Flak Cannon in Capture the Flag, Double Domination, and Bombing Run maps, and in either wide-open or very tight places in Deathmatch or Domination. The theory behind the latter locations is that a weapon is most balanced if it is placed in a location where it is least useful; since the RL is usually considered a mid-range weapon, these locations make sense.

(The following ideas (but not the text) are mostly copied from UnrealWiki)

Use in Onslaught (UT2004 only)

 * Rockets have a lot of momentum, so they will temporarily stop or slow down Scorpions and usually change their direction slightly, disorienting the driver. Three rockets kills a scorpion.
 * Since Rocket Launchers are the second-most-powerful weapon against vehicles (factoring in their rate of fire) they are the most useful weapon to combat Goliath tanks and other large, slow vehicles (not including the Hellbender unless it's coming straight at you) after AVRiLs. However, Mantas and Raptors are usually too agile to be hit by rockets.
 * Because rockets fly very straight and cannot be shot down, they are ideal for shooting Power Nodes from a distance. A useful tactic if you're bad at aiming is to line up using the Lightning Gun or Sniper Rifle and then switch to the RL without moving.

Use in Deathmatch and other Gametypes

 * Loading up on rockets before bursting in to an area where you know there are enemy players allows you to unleash a powerful attack on multiple enemies before they know what's going on.
 * Players in the damage radius of a Rocket are lifted off the floor, preventing them from jumping or dodging. Good players can predict the landing spot and send another rocket there to greet the enemy.  This ability can also be used to boost players themselves, although the Impact Hammer (in UT) and Shield Gun (in UT2003/4) usually take this role.
 * Hitting the ground near a player's feet is easier than hitting a player because, well, it's a larger target and it's not moving. Often the splash damage is plenty to hurt the enemy.  Jumping in the air gives an easier angle from which to aim at a player's feet.