Called Shots

osilver · Post by **osilver** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 12:23 am

I'm new to the gane and have been reading the manual and searching on the Board but have been unale to find out how to make a Called Shot or even understand what exactly it is. Might someone be able to explain this to me.

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 12:48 am

If your chance to hit is high enough (70% maybe? Iceman? Larkin?), the little targeting reticule on the left of the weapon fire box will be green. If you click on that reticule, it will bring up the diagram of the enemy titan and give you the opportunity to choose which location on that titan you'd like to try to hit, as well as how much of a penalty to your chance to hit will be incurred by aiming for that particular part.

LarkinVB · Post by **LarkinVB** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 12:52 am

Of course. As soon as you have at least scanned an ememy at level 1 you have the choice to do called shots with cannons or energy weapons (as well as power axe and chainsaw).

Another requirement is that you have at least 80% to hit the target.

If you meet these requirements a green crosshair will show up at the left border of your attack window (the one were you choose your wepons to fire). If you click it you will get the choice to target a specific location. Below the titan image which will be displayed is the modifier to do the attack.

Certain weapons get modifiers : Energy weapons do it at +5%, close combat weapons at - 10%. Cannons are default at +-0%.

osilver · Post by **osilver** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 12:53 am

Thank you very much. I will try that

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 1:06 am

Doh. 80%. Well, I was close.

LarkinVB · Post by **LarkinVB** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 2:10 am

85% in WS ......

firestorm · Post by **firestorm** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 2:33 am

i have a question about called shots that i just thought of. (i havn't used them much in the past) anyways, how much does it change the chance of you hitting that particular spot (as opposed to hitting another part of the target).

Thorgrim · Post by **Thorgrim** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 3:18 pm

I'm not sure I understand your question, but each bodypart has a specific location modifier. The CT for example reduces your to hit by 30%, the head by 55% or something.
Don't forget also that distance to the target is also a factor, energy weapons get an additional modifier of -1%/hex, cannons -2%/hex. CC weapons obviously have no such mod

Also, the fact that you hit with a weapon while calling the shot doesn't mean you'll necessarily hit the desired location. This process is explained in the guide for those who are interested.

LarkinVB · Post by **LarkinVB** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 12:25 am

Called shots will be more difficult in WS. Same goes for lighting woods which will be also modified by wind power. So it might be nearly impossible to light woods at wind power 9.

Smoke screens will be more valuable so I have taught the AI to take advantage of them. Wind is also very important here as wind 9 will make them last only a couple of seconds. But it might be enough to make your opponent to loose target. The AI will be better in changing target if a it can gain a good shot on lying targets. Same as any player would do if the enemy is grounded.

I'm a bit proud of the AI but it will not be able to stand ground against real veteran players. Some battles will force you though to advance instead of just sitting in your favorite hill hex covered by forrest. The AI might also decide to be stationary and hide.

In general I would say that the AI was rank green in 1.4 and now will play as rang regular. AI will NOT make good use of standard tricks at low levels. So the common 'finish move, than fire' might be disregarded by rookie level AI but will be obeyed by veterans.

This does mean that low AI ranks will not use advanced tactics and it will be added as its rank is increased.

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 12:36 am

Sounds like battles against the computer will be much more interesting. I'm looking forward to trying it out. Will the AI change targets if it's fired on? I remember a lot of my computer battles where the AI's titans would start shooting at one of my titans, and not change even when my other titans started cutting it apart and its original target was just trying to get away.

LarkinVB · Post by **LarkinVB** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 1:09 am

I guess it will do. After every volley the AI will determine its chances and if a new target is 20% more likely to be hit it will switch.

In 1.4 it was only switching if certain requiremnts like 1/2 distance were met. Its much more flexible now.

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 1:41 am

Originally posted by LarkinVB
I guess it will do. After every volley the AI will determine its chances and if a new target is 20% more likely to be hit it will switch.

In 1.4 it was only switching if certain requiremnts like 1/2 distance were met. Its much more flexible now.

What if the new target is no more likely to be hit, but is the one dealing damage to the AI titan? Will it switch then? If one enemy titan isn't firing back, and another is, will it attack the one that's firing?

LarkinVB · Post by **LarkinVB** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 3:35 am

No, it won't. But this is easy. It will only consider the best target. Why should it revert to its direct opponent if it can hit another with much better percentage.

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 4:39 am

Originally posted by LarkinVB
No, it won't. But this is easy. It will only consider the best target. Why should it revert to its direct opponent if it can hit another with much better percentage.

Well...because if it's spending all of it's time firing at a titan that isn't shooting back, it's leaving itself totally open to fire from the one that is. What good does it do to blast the heck out of someone standing around doing nothing while the guy next to him fills you full of holes?

GROND · Post by **GROND** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 5:34 am

Mikey, let me put it to you this way. The new AI is MEAN

(pouts)

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 5:46 am

Originally posted by GROND
Mikey, let me put it to you this way. The new AI is MEAN
(pouts)

Speaking of pouting, I want to get a chance to test it myself already. I wonder why my NDA hasn't arrived yet. (pout)

firestorm · Post by **firestorm** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 1:01 pm

ok, lemme rephrase my question.

say you've got an 80% chance to-hit. you make a called shot to the, say, CT, so now you have a to-hit of 50%. what's the likelyhood you will actually nail the CT?
now say you didn't make that called shot. what's the chance of hitting the CT then?

Thorgrim · Post by **Thorgrim** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 3:36 pm

If the called shot hits, you are given a number of rolls depending on the size of the targeted location. CT gets more rolls, HD gets less. Those rolls are checked against the hit location table. If any of them falls in the targeted location, your called shot is fully successful. Otherwise, the result of the last rolled location (I think) is the location hit.
This is explained in the guide. So go RTFG!!!

If you want %s, only Larkin and a book on probabilities and statistics can help you

firestorm · Post by **firestorm** » Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:00 pm

it's in the manuel? i don't remember that... ah well, i don't have ToS on my comp yet, so i geuss i have to take your word on it.

tarendelcymir · Post by **tarendelcymir** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 3:07 am

Haven't we learned yet to ALWAYS take Iceman's word for it? Heh heh.