Fractal Softworks Forum

Starsector => Suggestions => Topic started by: bananana on November 18, 2020, 01:58:39 AM

Title: shield flanking damage
Post by: bananana on November 18, 2020, 01:58:39 AM
i have noticed a while ago that beams completely ignore the existence of shields if shot at/through the "inner" part of the shield
like shown on screenshots:
Spoiler
(https://i.imgur.com/Q5V9SFW.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/K6cXcsr.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/pOvkSek.png)
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are there any plans to change this behavior? especially in 0.95? is this an intended feature?
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: Arcagnello on November 18, 2020, 02:02:16 AM
I would say it's an intended feature considering you're shooting from the inside out of the shield and not directly into it.

What's more, I'd like all other weapon types to have the same behaviour and be able to, for example, shoot thru an allied 180° shield.

AI firing restrictions due to allies being in the way is very excessive at the moment and implementing something as small as this would actually help quite a lot on some ship setups.
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: bananana on November 18, 2020, 02:18:43 AM
Quote from: Arcagnello on November 18, 2020, 02:02:16 AM
I would say it's an intended feature considering you're shooting from the inside out of the shield and not directly into it.
as someone who's making a faction mod centered around using inner shield as main blocking surface, i strongly disagree with that sentiment. it either blocks both ways, or doesn't block both ways, at which point it stops being a shield and becomes a pretty hologram.
furthermore, it is inconsistent. projectiles and missiles are blocked by inner shield.
so i'd like to know for sure in which way this inconsistency will be solved and whether i should abandon the whole idea entirely and do something more productive with my time
Spoiler
(https://i.imgur.com/VwfSGby.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/Sy3Ksut.png)
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Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: pairedeciseaux on November 18, 2020, 10:41:10 AM
A small inconsistency. My guess on the way it works is (I could very well be wrong!)

(it's probably more complicated than that for projectiles, because fast projectiles could in theory "bypass" shield between two frames and directly hit ship if using a naive pure area collision detection)

In my opinion it would feel more natural to have all projectiles (own, allies, enemies) go through from inside shield to outside, as we have now with own weapon's projectiles going through own shield.

passwalker, if you don't get an answer here, maybe try in the Modding section of the forum, especially the following thread where a lot of creative/exotic Q&A happens: https://fractalsoftworks.com/forum/index.php?topic=5061.0
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: Alex on November 18, 2020, 12:10:34 PM
Ah - this is something of a bug, but it's a tricky one to fix, and given that its impact is generally low, it's a low-priority one. I can't honestly see taking the time for this (and it would unfortunately take a fair bit of time) over doing something else more high-value unless somehow this became a big issue for something in vanilla.

... which, of course, leaves you in a lurch with what you're doing - my apologies!


(Judging from your screenshot, btw, it looks like you might have shields inside the bounds of the hull? If that's correct, that could cause other collision-related problems as well.)
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: Schwartz on November 18, 2020, 12:30:27 PM
Leave it up to modders to find every limit case for game mechanics and build a thing around it. ;D
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: SafariJohn on November 18, 2020, 02:57:55 PM
That is an awesome shield, passwalker. Sad that it is bugged.
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: bananana on November 18, 2020, 05:06:06 PM
Quote from: SafariJohn on November 18, 2020, 02:57:55 PM
That is an awesome shield, passwalker. Sad that it is bugged.
it's not bugged if i say that's a feature.
Quote from: Alex on November 18, 2020, 12:10:34 PM
... which, of course, leaves you in a lurch with what you're doing - my apologies!
nah, not really, everything is just as planned
just wanted a clarification about whether this is going to change and how, so i can plan ahead accordingly
i mean, if you'd have said that you're going to make projectiles ignore inner shield too - well, then i'd have some problems.
Title: Re: shield flanking damage
Post by: Alex on November 18, 2020, 05:29:35 PM
I admire your pioneering spirit and can-do attitude :D