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Extremor
Extremor
Join Date 05/2006
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Shield Mitigation and Strike Craft

August 4, 2009 10:09:21 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

A question came to my mind by thinking about the vasari phase missiles:

As we know phase missiles offer a chance to bypass shields and mitigation. Since Strike Craft does not have shields but only hull, the question is:

Do Strike Craft have this mitigation percentage like any other ship and if so, do phase missiles bypass it? And if so, does it add up by the same rule (as far as I know that would be 1% every 10 points of damage starting at a base of 15%).

I ask because: Besides Assailants the Vasari Flak frigate, fighters and bombers are using phase missiles. Since enemy strike craft is the favourite target for flak and fighters I was wondering if the phase missiles on flak and fighters have any effect at all.

If the mitigation for SC exists and increases by the same rule, it would never reach a reasonable amount before the SC is destroyed. Example: Vasari bomber with 140 points and 5 Armor (toughest SC in sins) takes 175 damage before it is destroyed. If mitigation increases 1% for every 10 damage and starts at 15% it would reach "only" 32% before the bomber dies. For an advent fighter (40 hull, 1 armor) it would only increase from 15% to 19% before the fighter dies.

So any insight about the usefullness of phase missiles on (especially) flak and fighters is appreciated.

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Raging Amish
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #1 August 4, 2009 10:14:14 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

This is something that I'm not 100% sure on, and I'll explain why.

My gut feeling is fighters have only health and thus no shields and thus no mitigation. I'm pretty sure phase missiles don't get a big bonus against strikecraft BUT vasari flak gets something else. They get an area of effect attack. Bugged on the Assailant, but relatively useful on the flak. 

The reason I'm not 100% sure is if you go into the entity files for the game, you'll see a mitigation factor for strikecraft, but I don't get why it's there. Not sure what I'm seeing, because I didn't think strikecraft had any type of mitigation.

Unfortunately, you have to wait until tier 6 with the last two upgrades in the phase missile tree to see any dps changes against fighters. The phase missiles do +10%/+20% damage total with the upgrades.

What this does do however is make Vasari flak better in combat with other ships outside of strikecraft. Not the end all be all, but effective enough to be respected.

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Annatar11
Join Date 11/2006
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Reply #2 August 4, 2009 10:34:12 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Mitigation only applies to entities with shields. Buildings have no shields, and they have no mitigation. Strike craft are the same way.

The reason I'm not 100% sure is if you go into the entity files for the game, you'll see a mitigation factor for strikecraft, but I don't get why it's there. Not sure what I'm seeing, because I didn't think strikecraft had any type of mitigation.

That line is needed because the engine expects a specific structure of the entity files, thus every entity lists a mitigation entry.

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Extremor
Extremor
Join Date 05/2006
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Reply #3 August 4, 2009 10:42:40 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Thanks and  karma to both of you.

 

But your explanations lead to the fact that phase missiles at least for fighters and flaks are not as good as it could be because the primary targets are simply not affected by that effect. I understand that it still works against other targets (e.g. LRFs) but at least for flak probable pulse guns would be more effective because of the early damage updates.

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Raging Amish
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #4 August 4, 2009 10:54:02 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

See, this is where the variety of the races comes into play. Upgrading phase missiles doesn't help flak, this is true. Charged Missils ( I think that's the name), it's a tier 4 upgrade, gives Vasari flak an area of affect attack against strikecraft, which is quite handy against the fighter swarms.

If you were to rate strikecraft, Vasari would be the worst at fighter vs. fighter. This is true. But Vasari fighters are the best at destroying non-strikecraft targets.

Oh, and the flak vs. fighter counter is one of the strongest in the game. Saying the Vasari have the worst flak for killing fighters is kinda like a group of corvette owners telling a camaro owner that his car sucks.

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Valkya
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #5 August 4, 2009 12:43:07 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Raging Amish,
reply 4
Upgrading phase missiles doesn't help flak, this is true.

 

Whoa just a second.  Flaks aren't *only* for killing strike craft.   The phase missiles come in quite handy for defeating those scout rushers/illum spammers among other things.  Also gotta put in it perspective here.  Flak pwn fighters regardless of type.  Fighters are so weak phase missiles or no they go down like a Saigon whore to flaks.

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