I don't remember what the answer was on this. Hellfires will clearly lock onto (at least mid-flight) a stealthed mech. Is this "working as intended", or is it a bug? Rocket and Machine Gun turrets do not lock on or locate stealth. If it is a bug then why is it not fixed yet?
If it is working as intended, what is the justification for this? There are already WAY too many hellfires in this game, especially on certain maps. Does the Seeker track stealthed mechs also? It's already hard enough to avoid being hit by random weapon fire. It feels "cheap" for a hellfire to lock onto me when the shooter had no idea I was there.
Anyway, just curious. Thanks.
Hellfires do not lock on "mid-flight." A stealth target must be acquired like any other. Yes, a seeker will lock on to a passing stealthed mech if you are in its line of fire when it is fired.
Furthermore a stealth target still has an advantage over a hellfire mech in that they are more difficult (although not impossible) to visually acquire before starting the lock-on process.
As to the justification, the problem with stealth in Hawken is that most people expect it to render them invisible. It doesn't. It was never meant to. It makes you harder to see and reduces your radar signature. Your outline is still visible. You distort visuals. You can still be heard. You still ping on scanners. Just like in real life, stealth still requires approaches from angles that the enemy is not focusing on. It is less likely that the enemy "has no idea that you're there" and more likely that they saw a refracted image, something that should not look like that, and started the lock-on from your last known position and you failed to notice their attention or your misstep.
If you want to be effective with stealth in Hawken, don't put yourself in the line of fire. As you say, you're going to get hit by random fire.
If Hellfires continue to be a problem for you, I recommend finding Hyginos' "how to dodge hellfires" image, which I'm told is more easily understood than my explanations with angles and speeds.