Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Well, it seems like 4x shield damage is completely ignored against shielded fighters.
All this business about special treatments of units makes me sick.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

I hate guessing games. Why don't you just let us in on your little secret? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Prize goes to Oleg. Small TDB is what I was thinking of. It is reduced in Proportions as are all fighter weapons, but fighter defenses make fighters much stronger than in the standard game.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Rollo asked me a question about upgrading old games to 2.4.2 that brought up something I hadn't considered much, but is a bit of an issue for upgrading old games.

That is, when I fixed the way components upgrade, I had to make identical copies of some components, and make the old Versions part of the unattainable "Inaccessible Technology" tree. This means that existing and under-construction items will function normally when a game is upgraded to a later Version of Proportions, but designs that use the "old" components will show up as too advanced to build. In general this is not a problem.

However there is one case where it can have a non-superficial effect: If ships and bases with old components get damaged, they won't be able to repair those components that have been adjusted, unless they get retrofitted with the new identical Versions.

So, this is just to let everyone know about the unintended side-effect, if they're in ongoing games that have upgraded.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

With Emissive armour finally fixed, it may be worth restoring "armor" ability to proportions' emissive armor. In my short tests, internal emissive armor gives strange protection to all components - 35 hit points (EA III) are subtracted from damage regardless what components are destroyed. Of course it is impossible to trek the partial damage and it may be every time some partial damage is redirected to EA but so far my impression is that EA is extremely powerfull.

Even better would be to make both types of EA - normal and internal.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Yes, the new emissive function will require some rethinking of armor balance. Certainly it would be interesting to have two types of armor that work both ways, though some testing should be done to figure out exactly what's going on with the new mechanic. I expect it's simply that the emissive value gets applied to every hit, until all emissive ability components are destroyed. If the component lacks "armor" ability, it might take a long time to get destroyed, increasing the value of the emissive ability compared to components with the "armor" (hit first) ability.

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

My view is that EA should be made "armor" back again with appropriate changes in damage resistance. Internal EA should be renamed "damper field generator" (like in Moo2) or something like that.
It can be also be moved to Shields research area - just makes more sence to me. Or it can be made a crossover shield-armour tech.

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Sounds about right, although I think I may give all armor a very low emissive ability. Not enough to absorb anything completely, but enough to deflect some damage. Unless it stacks... it doesn't stack, does it?

PvK

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

EA does not stack. The most disturbing fact is that internal EA makes all armor "emissive" - check the "emissive armor" thread.

[ August 16, 2002, 00:17: Message edited by: oleg ]

Re: Proportions 2.4.2 released
 

Thanks for those results, oleg. Interesting. I'm stewing on ideas for how to adjust Proportions armor to compensate for the new EA system.

Current thought is something like (for ships):

Armor I: 60 structure, 5 EA, cost 20
Armor II: 90 structure, 6 EA, cost 40
Armor III: 120 structure, 7 EA, cost 80
Adv. Armor I: 150 structure, 9 EA, cost 160
Adv. Armor II: 180 structure, 10 EA, cost 320
Ult. Armor I: 210 structure, 12 EA, cost 640
Ult. Armor II: 240 structure, 13 EA, cost 1280

Emissive Ar.I: 200 structure, 15 EA, cost 500 + 200
Emissive A.II: 200 structure, 20 EA, cost 750 + 350
Emissive III: 200 structure, 25 EA, cost 1000 + 500

Note EA takes twice the size as normal armor, and corresponds to the top three armor tech levels, plus a physics-2 requirement.

Ideas? Comments?

Anyone tested whether different levels of EA stack, or if two components with different family number, both with EA, have EA stack?

And, does the EA actually stop when all EA components are destroyed?

PvK