Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

I did a search for this topic on the forum, but came up with zero results. I just started playing the game a few days ago, and from the simulator, I noticed that some weapons seem to miss more than others. In particular, I've noticed that at point-blank range, my Meson BLasters and Anti-Proton Beams seem to routinely miss, whereas my Null-Space Projectors and Wave-Motion Guns hardly ever do. This is with Multiplex Tracking (5) and Combat Sensors III by the way.

Also, is there a way that I can get Time Distortion Burst V as Terran? I've tried scrapping the Sallega ships that I've captured, but I never seem to get this tech. Any advice?

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No, unless you spent points in race setup to get the racial trait, you can't acquire the technology in any way.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Also: scrapping is not what you want to do.

The scrap order strips the ship down and gives you resources.

You want the "deconstruct and Analyse" order, which will give you no resources, and +1 level for each researchable tech on the enemy ship that you don't have.

You don't have to have the prerequisite techs to gain the tech on the ship, but it cannot be a racial tech that you haven't purchased.
IE: You can Analyse a ship to get Phased Polaron Beams, without having researched Physics, but you can't get Organic Armor without the Organic manip trait.

As for the accuracy effects, yes there is a difference between some of the weapons.
Incinerator beam: +10%
Wave motion gun: +30%
Point Defense: +50%

There are a few others as well. If you look in the components.txt and do a search->find for the weapon, at the bottom on the entry "Weapon modifier" is the bonus accuracy in %.

A number of mods add a point describing the accuracy bonus in the abilities section of the component portrait (right click on a component to view)

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Null space, meson bLaster, and APB are not weapons that have the built-in bonus. But at point blank range, with Sensor III I get only the occasional miss, I would say no more than 2-3 out of 10. Maybe the target has ECM3, but routine miss seems wrong -- especially in the simulator, where IIRC, ship experience is not included. Is this the result in real combat?

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

You can gain techs you don't have the prerequisite for by analyzing ships? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif But you can't by trading tech with another empire! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif So let me get this straight, it's easier to figure out some totally alien technology with no help at all than it is to build a prototype when your ally is actively guiding you along? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Correct ... I said so before ... I said I dislike that state of affairs ... and no one else cared http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Glad to hear from you on this subject Ed.

On PBW, someone tried to gift me some tech, like shields or beam weapons. I accepted and got nothing, cause I don't have Physics 1. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

My gift was repair bays. And I'm sure they got it.

So I've researched constrution, then fighters. Can I gift fighters? ... sure you say, just have to gift construction first, giving them a quicker route to mines and troops. Thanks a bunch, MM.

Oh who am I kidding, if they'd given me Physics 1 first, I'd have waited until I was 0.1 away from it myself to accept, to make Physics 2 appear faster and then get PPB before everyone else.

[ September 27, 2002, 20:28: Message edited by: Arkcon ]

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

There's a toggle on one of the Options menus to display To Hit chance in Tactical Combat.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Correct ... I said so before ... I said I dislike that state of affairs ... and no one else cared http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif Glad to hear from you on this subject Ed.

On PBW, someone tried to gift me some tech, like shields or beam weapons. I accepted and got nothing, cause I don't have Physics 1. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

My gift was repair bays. And I'm sure they got it.

So I've researched constrution, then fighters. Can I gift fighters? ... sure you say, just have to gift construction first, giving them a quicker route to mines and troops. Thanks a bunch, MM.
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I definitely agree it's wrong to be able to analyze tech you don't have the prereqs for. I didn't realize that was the case.

I think it's mostly that not a lot of people noticed or considered the implications of what you were saying.

I don't think you're right about giving away construction when you gift fighters. In the first place, units can't be analyzed. In the second place, I think you only get the techs that are listed in the component's requirements, not that tech's prerequisites. So if someone analyzes a fighter bay, they can get fighters (also silly - it should be two tech areas to prevent this, IMO), but they won't get Construction.

Quote:

Oh who am I kidding, if they'd given me Physics 1 first, I'd have waited until I was 0.1 away from it myself to accept, to make Physics 2 appear faster and then get PPB before everyone else.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't think this works, either, in SE4. In SE3, yes, they'd give you points per level, because SE3 had a more detailed and controllable research system (...). In SE4, it always looked to me like a tech gift clears any progress you had built up in that tech area, which more or less makes sense.

PvK

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

[quote]Originally posted by PvK:
I don't think you're right about giving away construction when you gift fighters.
[qb]

Quote:

PvK

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Umm.. no I meant when you gift the technology named Fighters 1 or Beam Weapons 1. The gift will go through, but you scientists will say they can't understand it without Construction or Physics 1, either researched by you or given as a gift

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

Oh, ok, I just misunderstood what you were saying about that.

PvK

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you have 3k points in, say, Shields 1, and someone gives it to you (or you analyze a ship, or find it in Ruins), then you get those 3k points credited to Shields 2. They are not lost. They are only lost if you get the Last level in a tech area.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, that's what happens. I often do that when analyzing techs... who wants the same tech as some potential opponent ... what you want is to be one better.

In another 4X space game, I would often trade weapon tech with the AI races, even the violent ones, so they would be a better buffer zone against other AI's. I just made real sure I was about to get a better weapon for myself.

I understand trading tech with the AI is cheezy. But I think the sort of problems I mentioned already that I saw in PBW need fixing. I'm not taking advantage of a human when they accept the trade.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

To get around this problem, switch of tech trading in PBW games and force the players to trade and analyse ships if they want to trade techs.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Agreed, it's easy enough to work around. But seriously, why is it like that -- so you don't take advantage of the AI? Is that so important?

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

Arkcon,
If you are asking if it is important not to take advantage of the AI the answer is Yes and No.
It is a matter of Play Style. Many people here fight the AI with self imposed restrictions.
Some won't trade tech and others won't use Training Facilites.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Agreed. We all have choices to make. Therefore, IMHO the game doesn't need to be hardcoded to prevent anything that a human wouldn't fall for.

I am frequently, in a current game on PBW, gifting star charts and comm channels. I get nothing in return, 'cause no one has reciprocated, but I don't mind. I just want to move the game along by saving everyone explore time.

I don't believe all trades have to be "fair", against humans or AI. I just think it's dumb to have tech acquisition work one way in one case and a different way another time, is all.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

I got tired of beating up the AI. I modded them, used the TDM races, etc.. just to make it tougher.

That wasn't enough!!! I had to move on to PBW for some real stress and some real losses.

Next time my woman is out of town, me and several mugs of Black&Tan are going to kick some AI butt anyway we can.

Re: Varying Weapons Accuracy
 

Wave-Motion Guns have +30% to-hit. As far as I know the null space do not - so I'm not sure why they would hit more.