What are the specific mechanics of Ground Combat?

[Loser]

I hope somebody has worked this out, and I seem to remember that Mr. Hall promised to share the specifics of those little rules, but I can't seem to find it, exactly.

What I believe to be true is this:

1. Damage done in Ground Combat is reduced by the Ground Combat Damage Modifier in Settings.txt.
2. Range and Rate of Fire do not matter at all, and all Ground Combat uses the Point Blank damage field only.
3. Hits are not guaranteed, so Sensores and ECM do help.
4. Like other units, Shields are added to total hit points and Shield Piercing weapons mean nothing.
5. Damage is done in a hit-trading, rock-em-sock-em-robot-style fashion, with the planetary forces firing first.
6. when combat is over, any partial losses of hit points are restored.
7. Militia is only replenished if invading troops are eliminated.
8. Additional troops may be build on-planet while combat continues.
9. The absolute best weapons for Ground Combat are
   2. the Ground Cannon III,
   3. the Shield Depeleter III (since it does damage to hit points, any hitpoints, and not jsut shields),
   4. and the Small Acid Globual (provides a better ratio and will fire every turn).

Does anyone have the exact mechanics?

Am I missing anything?

Did I get anything wrong?

How does the Small Time Distorition Burst work? Does this do Quad Damage to any Groun Combat unit that has or had Shields?

How about the Small Shard Cannon? Is it rendered mundane, like the Small Phased Polaron Beam?

[ July 15, 2004, 16:45: Message edited by: Loser ]