Splash damage problem solved!
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2002 7:05 am
This is what I mailed to Paul Vebber two minutes ago:
Having tested the new mech.exe with the Splash damage fix, it shows that both kinds of damage are now applied properly to infantry units.
In general: I first discovered the Splash problem in a test conducted with Sturmtigers armed with 38cm Mörsers (the most powerful tank-mounted weapon). I had them fire against 20 man Japanese inf squads placed adjacent and/or in the same hex as target. I also tested fire using the 'Z' key. This gave the results as listed in the thread found here:
http://www.matrixgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=008500
The newly applied patch fixes the problem as suggested by several people (including me) in that thread.
Testing the new patch, I turned 'To hit' factor first to 30% (minimum) to watch them miss. The targetted units were consequently damaged, showing that Splash damage was applied correctly.
Next I set 'To hit' to 250%. This allowed the Sturmtigers to almost consequently hit. I noticed that - since the damage to target is applied before splash damage - the targetted infantry unit took damage *twice*. Both from direct and from Splash damage. Whether this is realistic might be discussed, but I like the feature. It simulates a precise and very devastating hit, and the effect is of course less for units with lower KILL ratio.
I do fear, however, that this will considerably increase the killing ability of e.g. FlaKs that are already *very* effective. This might be justified by the planned increase of unit cost for FlaKs. Also I suggest lowering the general Splash damage (WARHEAD number) for high caliber (direct fire) shells while increasing KILL value to better reflect their ability to target single emplacements like ATGs.
Weapons using both direct and indirect fire are the problem here. Lowering Splash for those will decrease there effectiveness, especially in terms of Suppression (I guess). I believe firing doctrines and that kind of stuff could excuse changing WARHEAD and KILL ratios for direct fire units while not indirect fire units.
It must be said that a strange error occured when I tried to load my custom-made test scenario after copying mech.exe. Apparently the Sturmtigers were armed with M3 SMGs as primary weapon! I entered the editor and bought some new ones - and they worked correctly. I checked in the OOB's that nothing had in fact been changed. Strange; perhaps I should have deleted steel.prf. Sure hope it won't affect scenarios.
Having tested the new mech.exe with the Splash damage fix, it shows that both kinds of damage are now applied properly to infantry units.
In general: I first discovered the Splash problem in a test conducted with Sturmtigers armed with 38cm Mörsers (the most powerful tank-mounted weapon). I had them fire against 20 man Japanese inf squads placed adjacent and/or in the same hex as target. I also tested fire using the 'Z' key. This gave the results as listed in the thread found here:
http://www.matrixgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=008500
The newly applied patch fixes the problem as suggested by several people (including me) in that thread.
Testing the new patch, I turned 'To hit' factor first to 30% (minimum) to watch them miss. The targetted units were consequently damaged, showing that Splash damage was applied correctly.
Next I set 'To hit' to 250%. This allowed the Sturmtigers to almost consequently hit. I noticed that - since the damage to target is applied before splash damage - the targetted infantry unit took damage *twice*. Both from direct and from Splash damage. Whether this is realistic might be discussed, but I like the feature. It simulates a precise and very devastating hit, and the effect is of course less for units with lower KILL ratio.
I do fear, however, that this will considerably increase the killing ability of e.g. FlaKs that are already *very* effective. This might be justified by the planned increase of unit cost for FlaKs. Also I suggest lowering the general Splash damage (WARHEAD number) for high caliber (direct fire) shells while increasing KILL value to better reflect their ability to target single emplacements like ATGs.
Weapons using both direct and indirect fire are the problem here. Lowering Splash for those will decrease there effectiveness, especially in terms of Suppression (I guess). I believe firing doctrines and that kind of stuff could excuse changing WARHEAD and KILL ratios for direct fire units while not indirect fire units.
It must be said that a strange error occured when I tried to load my custom-made test scenario after copying mech.exe. Apparently the Sturmtigers were armed with M3 SMGs as primary weapon! I entered the editor and bought some new ones - and they worked correctly. I checked in the OOB's that nothing had in fact been changed. Strange; perhaps I should have deleted steel.prf. Sure hope it won't affect scenarios.