12 replies to this topic

[Postumus]

Based on the dev posts in command chair and the patch notes, I was led to believe that the cockpit shake and impact from all autocannons except AC20 was supposed to be significantly reduced in this patch. However, after being on the receiving end of AC/2 fire several times, I have not noticed any difference - being hit by more than a single autocannon makes aiming extremely hard, while significantly obscuring vision with the explosions and smoke generated. Is this a bug, or were the impact/shake just not reduced very much at all? I notice that with the other autocannons, shake is minimal.

[Asatruer]

Paul Inouye, on 29 November 2012 - 11:26 AM, said:

Screen Shake on Weapon Impact Update:

Numbers have been set. Moving into our pre-release builds today or tomorrow. Once approved by QA/Testing, we will push this into the live servers. Again, what is happening is that the AC20 will still rock you pretty hard, the 10,5,2's not so much. The Gauss sits somewhere between the AC20 and the AC10 and all missiles are at about the same level as an AC2 (which is pretty small movement).

The artists will also be reducing the smokescreen effect when you start getting peppered by numerous projectiles (ACs Missiles etc.)

Again, this is all just FYI for now. I will give you an exact date for the patch when I find out.

So, no exact date on this yet, but the next post dealing with ACs is a little more time specific

Paul Inouye, on 05 December 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

As I said I would keep you up to date... going into test today... possibly live next patch...

1) AutoCannon projectile speeds increasing. AC/20 ~ 900m/s. AC/LBX10 ~ 1100m/s. AC/UAC/5 ~1300m/s.
2) PPC and ERPPC projectile speeds increasing to 2000m/s (AC/2 speed).

I've also looked into doing some tweaks with the NARC and TAG systems. So far I'm planning on increasing the time that a NARC beacon lasts from 15 seconds to 20 seconds. TAG range will be boosted from 450m to 750m.

These changes will go through testing and if it feels right, you'll see them next patch.

[Postumus]

From the last patch notes, under the gameplay section:

* Auto-cannon projectile impacts have been reduced with the only exception being the AC/20.

And the second post you quoted deals with projectile speeds, not impact/shake. According to the patch notes, AC/2 should have had reduced shake since the patch, but I'm not seeing it.

[MustrumRidcully]

The itemstats.xml still has all Auto-Cannons at a 1.0 Impulse. I am not sure if that is a change from before or not, but it would imply they still all have the same - or that the itemstats.xml is no longer relevant (so far, it always has been, even though the server is authorative here - editing it in your client doesn't change anything actually. It's a bit redundant). The Gauss Rifle change is reflected in the file, so ... I dunno.

[Dracol]

Postumus, on 05 December 2012 - 06:37 PM, said:

..., after being on the receiving end of AC/2 fire several times, I have not noticed any difference - being hit by more than a single autocannon makes aiming extremely hard, while significantly obscuring vision with the explosions and smoke generated. Is this a bug, or were the impact/shake just not reduced very much at all? I notice that with the other autocannons, shake is minimal.

Smoke and such were not modified.

I faced off against a 4xac/2 phract yesterday and noticed there was barely any shaking going on. Smoke, yes. Shaking, no.

[locilocisu]

Seems like there might be a bug with the shake code. I've experience both when getting hit by AC2s barely shakes me, and also one time when I was spectating, an awesome getting hit by it turned into an earthquake simulator.

Might be worth taking a look into.

[Thomas Dziegielewski]

The new screenshake code was only finished nov 29th. It should go live Dec 18th then. We may have reduced the values a little but they are not in any way correct right now. Sorry for the confusion.

As I've stated before the new equation will be SCREENSHAKE = impulse * damage.

[Postumus]

I appreciate the prompt response, I thought something was up.

[MustrumRidcully]

Thomas Dziegielewski, on 06 December 2012 - 11:44 AM, said:

The new screenshake code was only finished nov 29th. It should go live Dec 18th then. We may have reduced the values a little but they are in way correct right now. Sorry for the confusion.

As I've stated before the new equation will be SCREENSHAKE = impulse * damage.

Ah, okay. The formula seems reasonable, though it may depend on the endpoints.

Though If we were to go all technical/scientific:
Energy: E = 1/2 * m * v²
Impulse: p = m * v
E = 1/2 p * v
p = 2 * E/v

So if energy is proportional to damage, the impulse should lower get lower the higher the velocity of the projectile and higher the higher the damage...

[Thomas Dziegielewski]

Thontor, on 07 December 2012 - 07:27 AM, said:

Would be awesome if you could factor in the tonnage of the mech getting hit in there somehow. I'm sure that would be a little more complicated though. Doesn't make sends that a 100 ton mech gets shaken around as easily as a 25 ton mech.

You are right and I like this and not complicated at all.

[elsie]

It gets more complicated when you're getting hit by 2 AC/2s, 1 UAC/5, 3 AC/20s, and a Gauss simultaneously (obviously from different mechs - just lucky timing). But then, I'm not a stickler and would settle for whatever causes the most shake at the time.


elsie

[elsie]

Thontor, on 07 December 2012 - 11:17 AM, said:

That's an interesting point, maybe Thomas could chime in again.


He mentioned the shake being impulse*damage.. But does that take into account multiple simultaneous hits? Will 4 group fired AC/2s hitting for 8 damage each volley shake your screen harder than if they were fired 1 or two at a time?

Will getting hit by 4 AC/5s fired simultaneously shake the screen as much as a hit by 1 AC/20?

If so, what if they are from two different mechs that happen to hit you at the same time?

If I were coding it, I would go with whatever single item within a specific time period (whatever the tick in the game is) would cause the most shake, simply to keep it simple and keep the load off the server (it wouldn't have to calculate total impulse and send it to the client, just take the highest single value). I don't think I would feel I've lost much by not having my 8xAC/20 do a Hollywood shotgun knockback. B-)


elsie

[Kobura]

Having it simply apply each single one at the instant of strike might be easier, with no additive function or carryover, to make it simpler. That way it'd only apply (or rather, you'd only perceive) the single worst shakeup.