On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 08:07:23AM +0100, Niclas Fredriksson wrote:
> I probably didn't understand your explanation but it seemed to me the 
> change makes it more difficult to deal ship explosion damage to the base 
> when ogging. If it's more difficult to damage with explosions then there 
> will be less of an advantage of being aggressive and trying to close the 
> distance to the enemy.
> 
> But if I misunderstood your explanation, how do you mean this change 
> should "*entirely* change base ogging"?

Okay, my mistake.  I shall try to explain better.

The reason it changed base ogging is that the explosion damage arrives
sooner than it used to.  This matters only when there is a significant
difference in momentum between the base and the ogger.

In the prior code, the best damage was achieved by timing the explosion
to arrive in the vicinity of the base 400ms after the explosion begins.

In the current code, this best time is 80ms after the explosion begins.

For ogging pilots, especially the new ones, they will have learned to
deliver their explosion sooner.

Also, for base pilots with good reaction time (under 400ms plus lag), it
was possible in the prior code to react to manage the explosion damage;
by either pressor, tractor, steering, or shield changes.  Moving out of
the near field of the explosion reduces the damage applied.

In the current code, there is insufficient time to react.

For base pilots, they will have learned to concentrate on managing the
situation leading up to the explosion and no longer managing the
situation after the explosion.

I think that the coding error makes it more easy to deal ship explosion
damage to the base when ogging, since an explosion is uncontrolled once
it starts, whereas previously the defender could exert some control over
the explosion by moving.

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.linux.org.au/