EMP mechanics

[CTH2004]

So, how exactly do EMP pulses travel in a ship? Is there a way to make sure the EMP goes in one direction easier, and then have surge protectors

And, what exactly happens when an EMP pulse hits a surge protector?

Thanks!

Edit: when EMP travels, can it branch into multiple paths? And anyone know where I can find the math behind its traveling, so I can mathematically optimize my ship?

[Dunhill]

Blocks have EMP susceptibility. It's a measure of how much of the EMP's strength can be used on that block. Thrusters have 20%, so you'd need an EMP 5 times stronger than the thruster's hp to kill it. Surge protectors have high health, very high EMP reduction and 100% susceptibility. That means if the EMP chooses to attack them, they can take all of it and take 20 times less damage than other EMP vulnerable blocks.

When an EMP enters a block, it can't exit from the same face it entered. Though not useful in practice, in testing it shows that the EMP takes the path of least resistance and attacks vulnerable blocks along it. This is used to channel the EMP into surge protectors.

A lot of craft have a heavy armor shell. Heavy armor is the only armor block that's a perfect conductor. This heavy armor shell will attract any nearby EMP hits to whatever EMP vulnerable components are touching it. Those components are strategically surge protectors.

[The man, the myth, the leg]

to put it simply EMP will try to do the highest damage it can
meaning it will try to go to blocks with high EMP vulnerabiility through the path of least resistance.
but it will also go to less suceptible blocks if there is a really good path there and it will go though a more resistant path if there is a really juicy target at the end as long as that means doing the most damage

air gaps provide 100% resistance so EMP will not go through them


as smoke mentioned you can funnel EMP where you want with surge protectors

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Blocks have EMP susceptibility. It's a measure of how much of the EMP's strength can be used on that block. Thrusters have 20%, so you'd need an EMP 5 times stronger than the thruster's hp to kill it. Surge protectors have high health, very high EMP reduction and 100% susceptibility. That means if the EMP chooses to attack them, they can take all of it and take 20 times less damage than other EMP vulnerable blocks.

Makes sense. I saw mentioned aomewhere that surge protectors can lead to other damage, how’s that? If the surge protectors destroyed does it have a major negative, or what?

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

When an EMP enters a block, it can't exit from the same face it entered. Though not useful in practice, in testing it shows that the EMP takes the path of least resistance and attacks vulnerable blocks along it. This is used to channel the EMP into surge protectors.

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

air gaps provide 100% resistance so EMP will not go through them

as smoke mentioned you can funnel EMP where you want with surge protectors

Hmm… I wonder if combining those together you could make almost perfect EMP protection… air gaps to seperate most areas, the only connections being surge protectors, to another layer, same thing… that means only a few paths into the inside of the ship, and each with multiple surge protectors!

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

A lot of craft have a heavy armor shell. Heavy armor is the only armor block that's a perfect conductor. This heavy armor shell will attract any nearby EMP hits to whatever EMP vulnerable components are touching it. Those components are strategically surge protectors.

Makes sense. I did see on the wiki that EMP’s damage heavy armour, but I’m pretty sure that’s outdated (:

And, combining that with air gaps…

Also, I noticed rubber has the highest reduction. What ive started doing is haveing my computers in rubber rooms, connected via rubber stilts to the main ship. Nearby (ish) I have a heavey armour and surge protector channel.

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

to put it simply EMP will try to do the highest damage it can
meaning it will try to go to blocks with high EMP vulnerabiility through the path of least resistance.
but it will also go to less suceptible blocks if there is a really good path there and it will go though a more resistant path if there is a really juicy target at the end as long as that means doing the most damage

Ah, so it tries to optimize damage by factoring resistance (so “like 100-resistance/ damage = chance of useage”, meaning more resistance makes it less likely, but more possible damage in that spot is more likely). Also, do you know how it determines at what point to do that? Do you know the algorithm for it? If not, where could I find it?

Also, come to think of it, can EMP take multiple paths? (Basically, branch out)?

[The man, the myth, the leg]

There is a much more detailed explanation of EMP in the official FTD discord
Its in the help knowledgebase tab

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

There is a much more detailed explanation of EMP in the official FTD discord
Its in the help knowledgebase tab

Great. Thanks! (When at my desktop will figure out which server to leave so I can join FTD…)

Also, do you have any advice for my questions about heat/ drag and vehicle profiles

[The man, the myth, the leg]

dont really know that much about heat other than that engines, firing weapons, shields, blocks at the front(the ones that cause drag) and i think also AI stuff cause heat

and that heat targeting in genral kinda sucks. missile heat targeting is very inconsistent. AI targeting will usually just snipe exhaust and go for front of ships instead of going for important stuff like target clusters does

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

dont really know that much about heat other than that engines, firing weapons, shields, blocks at the front(the ones that cause drag) and i think also AI stuff cause heat

and that heat targeting in genral kinda sucks. missile heat targeting is very inconsistent. AI targeting will usually just snipe exhaust instead of goind for important stuff like target clusters does

Fair enough, still the profile questions, also every little detection bit helps, even if it’s effectively nothing!

[The man, the myth, the leg]

i usually just dont bother putting much effort into my ship profiles
i put in engines, AI, turrets(or at least the empty cans that the turret will later fit into) and build the hull around that, making sure that there is enough armor all around

[The man, the myth, the leg]

again-best to ask that in the official discord
Most of the veterans and devs hang out there

[Dunhill]

Originally posted by CTH2004:

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Blocks have EMP susceptibility. It's a measure of how much of the EMP's strength can be used on that block. Thrusters have 20%, so you'd need an EMP 5 times stronger than the thruster's hp to kill it. Surge protectors have high health, very high EMP reduction and 100% susceptibility. That means if the EMP chooses to attack them, they can take all of it and take 20 times less damage than other EMP vulnerable blocks.

Makes sense. I saw mentioned aomewhere that surge protectors can lead to other damage, how’s that? If the surge protectors destroyed does it have a major negative, or what?

Hmm… I wonder if combining those together you could make almost perfect EMP protection… air gaps to seperate most areas, the only connections being surge protectors, to another layer, same thing… that means only a few paths into the inside of the ship, and each with multiple surge protectors!


Makes sense. I did see on the wiki that EMP’s damage heavy armour, but I’m pretty sure that’s outdated (:

And, combining that with air gaps…

Also, I noticed rubber has the highest reduction. What ive started doing is haveing my computers in rubber rooms, connected via rubber stilts to the main ship. Nearby (ish) I have a heavey armour and surge protector channel.


Ah, so it tries to optimize damage by factoring resistance (so “like 100-resistance/ damage = chance of useage”, meaning more resistance makes it less likely, but more possible damage in that spot is more likely). Also, do you know how it determines at what point to do that? Do you know the algorithm for it? If not, where could I find it?

Also, come to think of it, can EMP take multiple paths? (Basically, branch out)?

They can redirect the EMP towards something important, but the chances of that are pretty slim.

Surge protectors will get destroyed eventually, and there must be a contact point. You can't have big uninterrupted layer of air.

That used to be the case in the past, back when heavy armor had a hexagonal texture. Insulation is probably what rubber is used for the most.

EMP can't branch out.

[Dunhill]

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

again-best to ask that in the official discord
Most of the veterans and devs hang out there

And don't post picture of cigarettes in the food channel. It will get you banned

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

again-best to ask that in the official discord
Most of the veterans and devs hang out there

Just did! That combined with this has helped quite a lot! (This thread answered most of my EMP questions. Now, how do I mark 2 comments as the answer?)

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

They can redirect the EMP towards something important, but the chances of that are pretty slim.

Great!

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Surge protectors will get destroyed eventually

I know. I was asking if something happens besides it getting destroyed, such ans the protector releasing ann EMP upon destruction

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

and there must be a contact point. you can't have big uninterrupted layer of air.

I know that. I was saying have all the contact points be surge protectors (:

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

That used to be the case in the past, back when heavy armor had a hexagonal texture.

great! Guess that means the wikis quite out of date…

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Insulation is probably what rubber is used for the most.

Makes sense. It also apparently is the best at absorbing radar and sonar, so it might be good to coat certain vehicles with some, if not all, rubber!

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

EMP can't branch out.

Good to know! Not sure if that’s going to be good or bad for my ships and weapons, but…

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

again-best to ask that in the official discord
Most of the veterans and devs hang out there

And don't post picture of cigarettes in the food channel. It will get you banned

Umm… why would one do that?

[Dunhill]

Originally posted by CTH2004:

Originally posted by The man, the myth, the leg:

again-best to ask that in the official discord
Most of the veterans and devs hang out there

Just did! That combined with this has helped quite a lot! (This thread answered most of my EMP questions. Now, how do I mark 2 comments as the answer?)

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

They can redirect the EMP towards something important, but the chances of that are pretty slim.

Great!

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Surge protectors will get destroyed eventually

I know. I was asking if something happens besides it getting destroyed, such ans the protector releasing ann EMP upon destruction

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

and there must be a contact point. you can't have big uninterrupted layer of air.

I know that. I was saying have all the contact points be surge protectors (:

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

That used to be the case in the past, back when heavy armor had a hexagonal texture.

great! Guess that means the wikis quite out of date…

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Insulation is probably what rubber is used for the most.

Makes sense. It also apparently is the best at absorbing radar and sonar, so it might be good to coat certain vehicles with some, if not all, rubber!

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

EMP can't branch out.

Good to know! Not sure if that’s going to be good or bad for my ships and weapons, but…

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

And don't post picture of cigarettes in the food channel. It will get you banned

Umm… why would one do that?

All I can think of is quoting both comments and then marking your own as the answer.

Nah, they just fall off like every other block upon destruction. They're damn expensive though

Well, they'll eventually get destroyed and the layer will fall off

It is very out of date and incomplete. It's still serviceable for a lot of things, but be wary.

It's very good. If most of the EMP followed the path of least resistance (instead of all), surge protectors would only absorb most of the damage, and the chances are the remainder would be strong enough to kill weak components like AI stuff.

My name is Smoke of cigarette. You live and you learn.

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Originally posted by CTH2004:

Just did! That combined with this has helped quite a lot! (This thread answered most of my EMP questions. Now, how do I mark 2 comments as the answer?)


Great!


I know. I was asking if something happens besides it getting destroyed, such ans the protector releasing ann EMP upon destruction


I know that. I was saying have all the contact points be surge protectors (:

great! Guess that means the wikis quite out of date…


Makes sense. It also apparently is the best at absorbing radar and sonar, so it might be good to coat certain vehicles with some, if not all, rubber!


Good to know! Not sure if that’s going to be good or bad for my ships and weapons, but…




Umm… why would one do that?

All I can think of is quoting both comments and then marking your own as the answer.

you can't mark your comment as an answer, or I would do that (:

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Nah, they just fall off like every other block upon destruction. They're damn expensive though

good

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

Well, they'll eventually get destroyed and the layer will fall off

true. That's why you have multiple pillars of surge protectors, and lots of repair bots... I think they can also repair non-destroyed things?

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

It is very out of date and incomplete. It's still serviceable for a lot of things, but be wary.[/url]
yeah, kinda what I meant (:

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

It's very good. If most of the EMP followed the path of least resistance (instead of all), surge protectors would only absorb most of the damage, and the chances are the remainder would be strong enough to kill weak components like AI stuff.

I didin't mean the "path of least resistance" part, that is obviously good. I meant the "doesn't branch out" part. Probally good for making stuff, but could lead to some interesting things...

Originally posted by Smoke of D'van:

My name is Smoke of cigarette. You live and you learn.

fair enough. Hindsight's 20-20, eh?