Topic: David, Taldren, anyone. What is the effect of EM

[Mantis]

I understand that Erratic Maneuver reduces the chance to hit, but is there actually a real number involved (like 30%)? Or does it follow some chart / equation based on ship size? I believe ship size is its own modifier also. Does anyone know any details of how that works besides bigger ships are easier to hit?  

[Pestalence]

Chances to hit are computed by :

range to target

angular velocity to target (lower number means better chance to hit... higher number means more likely to miss)

Target size

target speed

target helm officer skill

target computer level

your computer level

your tactical officer skill level

your ops officer skill level

type of weapon you have

if your scan is on

eratic manuvering of target

and maybe some more modifiers are involved....


 all these things determine hit % and damage applied ...

hope that this helps...
 

[Mantis]

I did not realize that having your Scan on made a difference. Although I am interested in all the effects, what I am really interested in is the effect Erratic Manuvering has by itself, such as was given for AV. If memory serves me, for AV it was a 1 for 1 deduction (ie. AV of 5 = -5%) with a maximum penalty of -35%. It would also be great if we were given the effects of the individual components (we already have some).  

[MagnumMan]

Are you talking about SFC2 or SFC3?  They are radically different.  Actually nobody really knows the formula for SFC3 except Taldren.  There are tons of people who can tell you what the SFC2 rules are.

[Mantis]

Unfortunately I am referring to SFC3. I am hoping the David or some other kind sole in the know will let us in on some of the voodoo.  

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't suppose it visually changes your AV

It would make sense if it did

[TarMinyatur]

Experimental data suggests that SFC3's EM reduces your chance to be hit by about 30% to 35% and degrades your own weapons accuracy by a similar magnitude. Unfortunately, SFC3's EM is totally invisible on the HUD. (The AV reading does not include EM effects.) The only way to detect EM is to note a visible "wiggle" in the target's flight path. SFC3's EM does not cost anything energetically and can be reactivated every 1/4 turn or so, making it a formidable defensive manuever with almost no drawbacks (other than a reduction in manueverability while activated).

Pestalence, neither your Computer Level nor OPS officer directly affect accuracy.

These things reduce accuracy:
AV (up to -35% max)
EM (roughly -30%  to -35%)
Range
Tactical Officer skill (or lack thereof)
Targeting Subsystems--based on Tactical Officer's skill level (Legendary 0.95 modifier, Raw recruit 0.75 modifier)
Target's Security Officer (Raw recruit has very little reduction, Legendary has a substantial reduction)

Ship Size increases accuracy. It is a true bonus in that it is added to the base hit%. In a Quantum accuracy study, a size 70 object was struck about 30% more than a size 20 object (66% vs 96%) with all other factors remaining constant.

I don't know how Nebulae or other terrain effect accuracy.
Tractor beams negate AV but probably don't negate EM.


 

[Pestalence]

Quote:


Pestalence, neither your Computer Level nor OPS officer directly affect accuracy.
   

Ops officer.... find weakness in target or targeted system

Computer level... increases sensor range for targeting subsystems at a distance.. they help determine chance to hit on subsystems... and as such, need to be considered...

I for one like subtargeting an Impulse drive at range 49 with Quantum proxie torps..... sometimes I actually hit enemy with shields down.. or coming out of cloak....

 

[TarMinyatur]

The OPS's "Find Weakness" skill modifies damage if the weapon hits, it does not alter accuracy in any way.

Level : Damage multiplier
1: 0.9
2: 1
3: 1.05
4: 1.1
5: 1.2
6: 1.3

Experiments have shown that the Computer Level does not affect accuracy as either a bonus or penalty to hit. Sensor range is another issue....that's why I said "directly".  

[Kyoshi]

Aside the described defensive modifier EM adds when being used... what are the negative effects?

Does a ship using EM also hit less often too or are there no such disadvantages (except the known restrictions to tractors, mines and transporters)?

Btw, i realy realy regret, that we remaining fans and players of this game have to gather all this very important numbers, formulas and datas by time wasting experiments by ourself, never beeing sure, if the things are correctly observed. Keeping these game internals secret from the fanbase, does not make this game more interesting, neither it does create a myth around the game mechanics. Only result seems to be, that the game is reduced to a action title where reflexes are more important then tactics. I wonder, why they are hiding these infos from us. A pity...  

[TarMinyatur]

Quote:
Does a ship using EM also hit less often too or are there no such disadvantages (except the known restrictions to tractors, mines and transporters)?
 

Yes. It works both ways. The quick changes in your ship's flight path degrade your weapons' accuracy too. In SFC2/SFB this was treated as +4 points of ECM that was granted to all targets of an erratically moving vessel. However, ECCM could mitigate or eliminate up to 6 points of the self-imposed and enemy EM penalty total (4+4=8 ECM). In SFC3 there's no way to do this since the ECM/ECCM warfare of SFC1-2 was apparently considered a complicated board game relic that was too quaint for this sophisticated game and was scrapped. A ship that uses EM in SFC3 enjoys a ~33% or so reduction in its chance to be hit that cannot be countered other than with a tractor beam (perhaps). The use of EM degrades the turning rate of a vessel by some significant amount (which makes sense)...though this has not been quantified by anyone publically, AFAIK.

Note that the EM penalty in SFC3 may be attenuated. If an object uses EM while at range 50 or so the affect of its zig-zagging might provide only a small measure of protection. However, zig-zagging at a range of 5, for example, might provide more relative benefits since the rate of change in the attack angle is greater at close range than long range. It's like trying to keep an X-wing in your crosshairs at 1,000 meters vs 10,000 meters in your Tie fighter...although SFC3's AV already seems to represent that aspect. Perhaps SFB's Erratic Manuevers don't belong in SFC3.  

[Mantis]

I understand that Erratic Maneuver reduces the chance to hit, but is there actually a real number involved (like 30%)? Or does it follow some chart / equation based on ship size? I believe ship size is its own modifier also. Does anyone know any details of how that works besides bigger ships are easier to hit?  

[Pestalence]

Chances to hit are computed by :

range to target

angular velocity to target (lower number means better chance to hit... higher number means more likely to miss)

Target size

target speed

target helm officer skill

target computer level

your computer level

your tactical officer skill level

your ops officer skill level

type of weapon you have

if your scan is on

eratic manuvering of target

and maybe some more modifiers are involved....


 all these things determine hit % and damage applied ...

hope that this helps...
 

[Mantis]

I did not realize that having your Scan on made a difference. Although I am interested in all the effects, what I am really interested in is the effect Erratic Manuvering has by itself, such as was given for AV. If memory serves me, for AV it was a 1 for 1 deduction (ie. AV of 5 = -5%) with a maximum penalty of -35%. It would also be great if we were given the effects of the individual components (we already have some).  

[MagnumMan]

Are you talking about SFC2 or SFC3?  They are radically different.  Actually nobody really knows the formula for SFC3 except Taldren.  There are tons of people who can tell you what the SFC2 rules are.

[Mantis]

Unfortunately I am referring to SFC3. I am hoping the David or some other kind sole in the know will let us in on some of the voodoo.  

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't suppose it visually changes your AV

It would make sense if it did

[TarMinyatur]

Experimental data suggests that SFC3's EM reduces your chance to be hit by about 30% to 35% and degrades your own weapons accuracy by a similar magnitude. Unfortunately, SFC3's EM is totally invisible on the HUD. (The AV reading does not include EM effects.) The only way to detect EM is to note a visible "wiggle" in the target's flight path. SFC3's EM does not cost anything energetically and can be reactivated every 1/4 turn or so, making it a formidable defensive manuever with almost no drawbacks (other than a reduction in manueverability while activated).

Pestalence, neither your Computer Level nor OPS officer directly affect accuracy.

These things reduce accuracy:
AV (up to -35% max)
EM (roughly -30%  to -35%)
Range
Tactical Officer skill (or lack thereof)
Targeting Subsystems--based on Tactical Officer's skill level (Legendary 0.95 modifier, Raw recruit 0.75 modifier)
Target's Security Officer (Raw recruit has very little reduction, Legendary has a substantial reduction)

Ship Size increases accuracy. It is a true bonus in that it is added to the base hit%. In a Quantum accuracy study, a size 70 object was struck about 30% more than a size 20 object (66% vs 96%) with all other factors remaining constant.

I don't know how Nebulae or other terrain effect accuracy.
Tractor beams negate AV but probably don't negate EM.


 

[Pestalence]

Quote:


Pestalence, neither your Computer Level nor OPS officer directly affect accuracy.
   

Ops officer.... find weakness in target or targeted system

Computer level... increases sensor range for targeting subsystems at a distance.. they help determine chance to hit on subsystems... and as such, need to be considered...

I for one like subtargeting an Impulse drive at range 49 with Quantum proxie torps..... sometimes I actually hit enemy with shields down.. or coming out of cloak....

 

[TarMinyatur]

The OPS's "Find Weakness" skill modifies damage if the weapon hits, it does not alter accuracy in any way.

Level : Damage multiplier
1: 0.9
2: 1
3: 1.05
4: 1.1
5: 1.2
6: 1.3

Experiments have shown that the Computer Level does not affect accuracy as either a bonus or penalty to hit. Sensor range is another issue....that's why I said "directly".