Small Shield Depleters = Uber Troop Weapon [Archive]

View Full Version : Small Shield Depleters = Uber Troop Weapon

Ed Kolis

December 16th, 2003, 03:39 PM

I was going to email this to Aaron but I thought I'd post it here first to see what reaction I got...

Small Shield Depleters appear to be the uber-weapon for troops, surpassing even ground cannons - since damage types don't matter, they do massive damage to all enemy troops, and they only take up 2kT and are cheaper than ground cannons! So how about making small shield depleters mountable only on fighters?

oleg

December 16th, 2003, 04:10 PM

Originally posted by Ed Kolis:
I was going to email this to Aaron but I thought I'd post it here first to see what reaction I got...

Small Shield Depleters appear to be the uber-weapon for troops, surpassing even ground cannons - since damage types don't matter, they do massive damage to all enemy troops, and they only take up 2kT and are cheaper than ground cannons! So how about making small shield depleters mountable only on fighters? easy http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif simply edit components.tct file and set vhicle type := fighters only for small SD.

geoschmo

December 16th, 2003, 04:42 PM

Um, wasn't that fixed with 1.84?

Version 1.79:
2. Fixed - Shield Depeleters will now work properly against units.

Asmala

December 16th, 2003, 05:37 PM

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Um, wasn't that fixed with 1.84?

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Version 1.79:
2. Fixed - Shield Depeleters will now work properly against units. <hr /></blockquote>Work properly == do no damage?

geoschmo

December 16th, 2003, 05:42 PM

Originally posted by Asmala:
Work properly == do no damage? It would help me understand you if you'd use complete sentances. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

As I understand it, the problem originally was shield depleters used against units would do normal damage. And under those circumstances Ed would be right, the small shield depleters would rock as troop weapons. But I believe that with 1.84 that was fixed so shield depleters fired against units only deplete the shields instead of doing normal damage.

Although I could be incorrect. Ed, have you tested this to see if it still does what you are saying?

Geoschmo

Asmala

December 16th, 2003, 05:55 PM

Originally posted by geoschmo:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Asmala:
Work properly == do no damage? It would help me understand you if you'd use complete sentances. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif <hr /></blockquote>Hmm, that was indeed quite unclear sentence. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif I meant shields are counted as hit points for units, so how the shield depleter works then? Or do troops work differently than other units?

Fyron

December 16th, 2003, 06:14 PM

Geo, he is talking about in troop combat, not any other units. Ground combat follows its own set of rules that are wholely separate from those of regular combat.

Asmala

December 16th, 2003, 06:48 PM

How PPB and SD work against fighters/units/drones/weapon platforms? Geoschmo said SD works normally (i.e. depletes shields), but I thought shield points for units are added to their HPs. Is it changed?

Taera

December 17th, 2003, 02:04 AM

i guess that they're split into Groups..

parabolize

December 17th, 2003, 02:41 AM

correct me if i am wrong but didnt all units turn shields into armor befor 1.78 and after 1.78 they had real shields (i know sats make shield picture when hit).

Ed Kolis

December 17th, 2003, 03:18 AM

Originally posted by geoschmo:
As I understand it, the problem originally was shield depleters used against units would do normal damage. And under those circumstances Ed would be right, the small shield depleters would rock as troop weapons. But I believe that with 1.84 that was fixed so shield depleters fired against units only deplete the shields instead of doing normal damage.

Although I could be incorrect. Ed, have you tested this to see if it still does what you are saying?

Geoschmo No, I haven't... testing stuff in SE4 takes so long to set up, and if you don't go about it the long way (i.e. set up 2 empires in a human-vs.-human game) it won't always work! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

Now I had been noticing other problems with shield on units, at least in the combat replays - shielded units wouldn't display their shield animation until a unit was destroyed, for some strange reason... still not sure if the shields are being treated as shields, as hitpoints, or both (there IS a blue bar but as I said the shield animations only show up when they shouldn't and the red bar seems kinda elongated too... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif )

oleg

December 17th, 2003, 11:56 AM

Originally posted by parabolize:
correct me if i am wrong but didnt all units turn shields into armor befor 1.78 and after 1.78 they had real shields (i know sats make shield picture when hit). No, shields are still part of the structure. Blue bar and shiels effect are just an illustration. I think. At least there was no change mentioned in the patch history.

geoschmo

December 17th, 2003, 01:22 PM

Originally posted by Asmala:
How PPB and SD work against fighters/units/drones/weapon platforms? Geoschmo said SD works normally (i.e. depletes shields), but I thought shield points for units are added to their HPs. Is it changed? I didn't say they work normally. I simnply posted the history file saying they work normally. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

I have no idea how they work.

Geoschmo

PvK

December 20th, 2003, 04:23 AM

Anyone willing to test this? There is a patch in the works, so now would be the time...

PvK

December 20th, 2003, 06:56 AM

I tested the shield depleter in the combat simulator against weapon platforms (Version 1.84): There seems to be no effect.

December 20th, 2003, 07:20 AM

Same test situation against fighters: shield depleters seem to work.

Asmala

December 20th, 2003, 12:03 PM

Originally posted by Q:
Same test situation against fighters: shield depleters seem to work. Yep, SD works against fighters. Even if the fighters don't have shields...

December 20th, 2003, 04:00 PM

I wonder if it is possible to make these special damage type weapons work correctely with units. The way SE IV treats units in damage calculation makes me believe this will be very difficult.
My personal solution to the problem: I allow these weapons only target ships and bases.

Loser

December 20th, 2003, 04:04 PM

Originally posted by Asmala:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Q:
Same test situation against fighters: shield depleters seem to work. Yep, SD works against fighters. Even if the fighters don't have shields... <hr /></blockquote>Yeah, but that isn't such a big deal. Unless you have the Talisman, the SD doesn't have much chance of hitting the Fighters.

Grandpa Kim

December 20th, 2003, 06:38 PM

Originally posted by Loser:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Asmala:
<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Q:
Same test situation against fighters: shield depleters seem to work. Yep, SD works against fighters. Even if the fighters don't have shields... <hr /></blockquote>Yeah, but that isn't such a big deal. Unless you have the Talisman, the SD doesn't have much chance of hitting the Fighters. <hr /></blockquote>Er... why not? I have no particular problem hitting fighters with any DF weapon. Sure PD hits more often, but DF hits satisfactorily.