Combat System Blog

[Hamilton]

Perhaps this is better suited in being at the website than in the forums.  Then again, for those who do participate in the forums, you would have a more advance knowledge than those who just surf sites.  So I have decided to start up a blog here in the forums about the Combat System.

If there are comments, feedback, concerns, please feel free to start up a thread and address which post Title or quote the item.

[Hamilton]

For all intent and purposes for the initial release, the Combat System is essentially a spreadsheet type of program that is operated by a database to support massive number of users during run-time (which is what most MMO's are).  Though the Combat System is not programmed as a spreadsheet (for example there will be Loop commands), it would act very similar to one.

The Combat System is to handle Avatars and Vehicles separately.  Avatar combat is to follow the HERO System, while Vehicular combat is handled differently.  To reason for this is to provide some survivability and role-playing to characters.  If avatars were to use the same system as vehicles, then characters would die out-right with chances of escape being between Slim and None, and Slim just left town.  For now, only vehicular combat will be provided.

The Combat System is to follow modern tank warfare, but with game-like rules added in to provide survivability and reduce the chances of the First Kill Shot Percentage from being used.  This system favors having large caliber weapons over many small weapons.  The goal is to penetrate the armor of which large caliber weapons can do.  Armor although ablative does have resistance.  This is prevent having hordes of Machine Guns in reducing armor to nothing. 

Dice:
The system uses mostly an averaging of three sets of percentile dice to form a Bell Curve.  Most die rolls used are actually an averaging of die rolls.

[Hamilton]

Below is the typical process of how engagements are conducted.  I use "typical" as there are number of possibilities or situations.  For example, fighting in a city will be much more different than fighting on an open plain.

Order of Engagement:
0 - Energy Management
For the most part, this is automated with the player having little to do with it.  This is for the initial start and players can choose to keep it simple.  Later on, players will be given the ability to manage energy as they see fit (more power to Screen 5 and disable the PBC on the right arm).

1 - Sensor Operations
Before combat is conducted, players will be attempting to detect the enemy and getting that Lock-On.  While at the same time, players may be attempting to prevent detection and using Electronic Warfare.

2 - Missile Engagement
Missiles tend to have the best range and therefore most likely to be fired before Direct Weapons (Cannons) are used.  Missiles may be fired in two ways, with a Lock-On or as a Snap-Fire.  Snap-Firing missiles basically firing your missiles blindly and hoping that they will find the target and engage.  Missiles with a Lock-On will have a very high chance of hitting the target.
With missiles in the air, players can counter missile attacks with three methods:
1 - Missile Interceptors (Missile against Missile)
2 - Missile Countermeasures (ECM, Chaff, Flares, Smoke, etc)
3 - Missile Point Defenses (Cannons against Missiles)

3 - Cannon Engagement
Once the missiles are expended (assumed anyways) and the range has closed to under 4 kilometers, Cannons now come into play.  Dueling at long ranges (3 to 4km) is unlikely to provide effective results due to the reduction of penetrating capabilities from range.  Long range duels are unlikely of penetrating or damaging armor, but can still cause Shock Damage.  As the range is reduced, the lethality of Cannons increases.

4 - Close Engagement
"These are the times that tries men's souls."
Close engagement has a high level of lethality due to firing weapons at point blank ranges or the use of melee weapons/attacks.  While melee attacks are limited due to their range, their damage capability is often nasty.

5 - Damage Control
After the damage is resolved from an attack, a player has the ability to conduct damage control measures.  This includes jury-rigging to some systems, resetting, disabling potential explosive systems and jettisoning ammo.

6 - Assess the Situation
After executing an attack or sustaining an Attack, the player will need to evaluate the situation and determine the next course of actions.

[Hamilton]

Defining the Terms as by Us:

Turn Based: All players take turns or all turns are made at the same time with playing plotting their turns.  In this style of system, characters are at a paused state until their turn is executed.  This has an act and pause effect.

Timed Based: The actions of players are regulated by a clock, either globally, individually or both.  A global clock system implies a Turn Based System without the effect of a Pause or stopping in action.  Individual clocking system, means that the timer begins and ends based on when the player executes an action.

Twitched Based: Referred to as Real-Time, in which when a player makes an action, all systems in the network are updated near instantaneously.  Twitch Based systems tend to use flight paths of attacks as well to determine if the attack actually hit or not based on the collision of the attack and the target's model.


The Combat System is considered to be a Timed Based System (Individually) to mirror the Near-Real Time environment of modern naval warfare...

WAIT, Naval Warfare for Ground Units?!

Well Yes.  Mechs are being treated as Walking Battleships in how they fight, which does provide longer lasting fights than with modern armored warfare.  Near-Real Time means that there is a delay for all systems and that timing is not be done under 1 second.  Sensors may have a 4 second refresh rate, which would seem like the client is suffering from some bad lag, but that is how the real world works with modern radar systems.

Sorry, back on track...
By saying Timed Based, this is to say that actions are going to have timer, this is similar to how Warm-Ups, Execution and Cool-Downs are used in most MMO's.  It is very possible to use multiple actions at the same time without the need to wait for "cool-downs" to finish.  Such uses of Warm-Ups and Cool-downs can be used for weapons.  For example, a 400mm Auto-Cannon will have a long reload time, perhaps up to 30 seconds.  With this example, the Reload time functions the same as a Cool-Down.  While the 400mm is reloading, the pilot can switch over to use the twin 120mm's.

Some weapons have longer firing times than others, this is the case with High Rapid firing systems.

Movement is unaffected by timing, other than for acceleration and deceleration.

The timing of actions is based on the character and not by a global clock.  Thus there is no such thing as all players fire at the time and take damage at the same time effect.  Unless of course all players synchronized their watches and made the their attacks at the same second.

[Hamilton]

There are many different Mechs out there, but you will only be using one at any one time. While a Mech can be of any Combat Tonnage Rating of 5 to over 500 tons, there will be different models series even of the same tonnage. Along with each Series having its own variants.

With a number of possible differences, there are some common traits that exist for all designs for the purposes of Combat.

When it comes to Weapon Systems, there are up to 8 Weapon Slots available for use. A Weapon Slot is defined as, any number (actually up to 99 maximum, of why you would need more than 99 weapons per slot is beyond me) of identical weapons located at the same section (Main Body, Left Arm, Head, etc). The only exception to this is the Missile Launcher. Missile Launchers are considered to be a Weapon Slot each, thus 8 Missile Launchers is the maximum (having no other weapons). However, there is no limitation to the number of missile per launcher (well up to 99 missiles actually). The maximum number of weapons possible is 792, be it in guns or missiles.

All weapons within a Weapon Slot are considered linked and therefore will fire all at the same time. Keep in mind that Weapon Slots are not the same as Fire Control System (FCS) Links. FCS Links allow for multiple Weapon Slots to fire at the same time.

Examples of Weapon Slot Configurations:
Backfang Example
Weapon Slot 1: 150mm Auto-Cannon located in the Main Body
Weapon Slot 2: 88mm Rotary Auto-Cannon mounted in the Left Arm.
Weapon Slot 3: 88mm Rotary Auto-Cannon mounted in the Right Arm.
Weapon Slot 4: 30mm Rotary Auto-Cannon mounted in Turret 1 (Forward)
Weapon Slot 5: 30mm Rotary Auto-Cannon mounted in Turret 2 (Rear)
Weapon Slot 6: Hard Point 1 (Typically reserved for a Missile Launcher)
Weapon Slot 7: Hard Point 2 (Typically reserved for a Missile Launcher)
Weapon Slot 8: Two 10 Caliber Pulse Lasers mounted in the Main Body (Dedicated for Missile Defense)

Devastator Example
Weapon Slot 1: Large Caliber PBC mounted in the Right Arm
Weapon Slot 2: 40mm Auto-Cannon mounted in the Right Arm
Weapon Slot 3: Large Caliber PBC mounted in the Left Arm
Weapon Slot 4: 40mm Auto-Cannon mounted in the Left Arm
Weapon Slot 5: MRM 12-pack Missile Pod mounted in the Main Body
Weapon Slot 6: MRM 12-pack Missile Pod mounted in the Main Body
Weapon Slot 7: Four Medium Caliber PBCs mounted in the Main Body