Advanced mechanics

[Petrucci]

HELP DEVS! Advanced mechanics

Hi everybody! I'm tried searching for similar thread but couldn't find any. I've got inspiration to open advanced mech thread in same thread in DotA. Back on playdota.com that was the place where programmers/guys familiar with Dota mechanics and common folks gather to share knowledge about game.
My idea is to create same community here. Thus I invite all paradoxians mastermind to help us petitioners in founding answers to our questions.

I will have the honor to ask the first question:
Artillery deals 50% damage when in second row. Will combat ability increase of 10% increase damage dealt from second row to 60% (50+10%) or 55 (50+ 50/10)?
Also does artillery combat ability have any function in sieges?

 

[Hakuromatsu]

For the second question, no, artillery combat ability has no effect. Only the number of regiments relative to fort level (with a free bonus for just having one regiment).

 

[Petrucci]

It would be nice if someone could run test and tell us results.

 

[Petrucci]

I talked with guy who made EVE mod and he said that no one beside devs could know it for sure because it hidden from view.
So devs please answer prayers.

 

[Pugman]

PI doesn't really know how their combat system works. Here's their methodology in designing combat mechanics:

1) Dev drops acid
2) 12 hours later the design is one an MIT engineer couldn't figure out

Here's the resulting combat strategy: A) Use way more troops than the enemy or B) Play Brandenburg

Advanced mechanics thread opened, advanced mechanic thread closed.

 

[Petrucci]

Hahaha I would rep you if there is such option on this forum

 

[Petrucci]

Come on you devs!

 

[Ceranai]

C) Use fewer troops and hope that a tech advantage, a discipline advantage, a combat ability advantage etc makes the difference.
D) Fight a land war in Russia, lose all troops.

 

[dnlnn]

Wow, good question, an obscure mechanic that players do Not fully understand. Ooh Wiz, its like the múltiple terrain feature, why dont you simplify this one too?

 

[Petrucci]

C. O. Y. D!

 

[Targor]

You have to formulars which you'll need to look at here, from the wiki:
casualties = base casualties * attacking unit strength * attacking unit modifier * (100% + attacking unit Combat Ability) * attacking unit Discipline / defending unit Tactics
morale damage = base casualties * 0.01 / 6 * attacking unit strength * attacking unit maximum morale * (100% + attacking unit Combat Ability) * attacking unit Discipline / defending unit Tactics

I'm not sure why the Wiki says the article is considered accurate for the current version for the game, because since 1.6 discipline also works defensive which is not reflected in these formulars.

So you basically have to options, either the 50% are treated as a unit modifier, then it would be *0,5*1,1 (with 10% combat ability) so the bonus would only be 55%, in that case they would not define morale damage. Or they're also treated as a Unit Combat Ability Modifier, then the 10% would be aplied fully.

 

[ChildeR]

I'm not sure why the Wiki says the article is considered accurate for the current version for the game, because since 1.6 discipline also works defensive which is not reflected in these formulars.

Because in 1.8 the defensive effect discipline was rolled into the tactics number. Hover over tactics in the military tab and you'll see.

 

[Targor]

Ah okay, interesting, thanks!

 

[Petrucci]

You have to formulars which you'll need to look at here, from the wiki:
casualties = base casualties * attacking unit strength * attacking unit modifier * (100% + attacking unit Combat Ability) * attacking unit Discipline / defending unit Tactics
morale damage = base casualties * 0.01 / 6 * attacking unit strength * attacking unit maximum morale * (100% + attacking unit Combat Ability) * attacking unit Discipline / defending unit Tactics

I'm not sure why the Wiki says the article is considered accurate for the current version for the game, because since 1.6 discipline also works defensive which is not reflected in these formulars.

So you basically have to options, either the 50% are treated as a unit modifier, then it would be *0,5*1,1 (with 10% combat ability) so the bonus would only be 55%, in that case they would not define morale damage. Or they're also treated as a Unit Combat Ability Modifier, then the 10% would be aplied fully.

Is there any test mod created where I can check this things? I mean if those 10% are fully applied, then taking quality and economic-offensive policy will make cannons do 80% from second row, which is godlike.

 

[Targor]

Not that I know of, also I'm not sure how one would do this. Maybe write a Mod where the own infantry/Cavallery doesn't make any damage (take away their pips) and then just attack a normal army and see how much damage they get from your artillery (since Cav/Inf don't do any)

 

[Sorenzo]

I'm 99% sure the artillery malus for being in the second row is not considered -50% artillery combat ability. Thus, the 10% modifier is multiplicative and will only add +5%.

My evidence is simply that if it were otherwise, and 2nd row artillery had -50% combat ability, it would almost certainly be stated somewhere, which it isn't.

The rarity of artillery combat ability modifiers does suggest that it's better than that, but artillery is pretty good to begin with.

It's a good question, though, since it makes a big difference between taking Quality or some other idea group.

I do kind of have a question. Has anyone noticed that sometimes, you can colonize provinces through your colonial nations, and sometimes you can't? I created a colonial nation in Louisianna through Canada, but found it fairly arbitrary which provinces I could colonize and which I couldn't. They were all inland provinces bordering a colonial nation (some might have bordered a colonial nation bordering a colonial nation, e.i. bordering Louisianna, which bordered Canada.)

This problem occurred several other locations, though. Occasionally I'd recall or lose a colonist in a colony and be unable to re-send him.

I also have another question. Is it possible to predict what idea groups your colonial nations will take? Can you influence it by appointing, say, diplomat candidates for governor if you want them to go for exploration? I've noticed that almost all my CN's have the exact same ideas. Are they assigned a list when created, or something?

 

[Petrucci]

I asked modder to check this out and try to create those conditions. I hope he will do so and that Targor idea works. It would be amazing if they are fully applied!

 

[Petrucci]

He said he don't know how to do it. Do you guys by any chance know somebody who can?

 

[Petrucci]

Asked on User mods subforum. Luckily some modder will know how to determine it.

 

[Junuxx]

One mechanic I still haven't figured out is map spread. In some games as a Western tech nation, knowledge of Asia up to India and sometimes China spreads to you in 1544 or 1594, ie 100/150 years after game start. In other games this never seems to happen. Nobody seems to know why.