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Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 2:02 pm
by David-CZ
I noticed that some units have a different indicator despite having the same damage type. For example Tacs and Scouts have both piercing damage but while Scouts have a brighter bullet with darker edge Tacs have a darker bullet and brighter edge, much like melee and power melee units do.

The question is why?

Re: Range Squad Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 2:03 pm
by Orkfaeller
The ones with the outlines are supposed to be like especially good against infantry.

Re: Range Squad Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 2:27 pm
by David-CZ
Ah, I see. Thanks for the info.

Re: Range Squad Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 2:30 pm
by Ace of Swords
I honestly don't know, perhaps it was just for variety though I have to say relic put them randomly most of the time like the autarch with the halberd having the heavy melee icon, the T3 LA with the power melee one and I think nobs with their default weapon also had the power melee icon.

Image

Re: Range Squad Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 3:14 pm
by Bahamut
the RA corrosive devourer having the anti all ranged icon is wrong

catachan and shotgun scout having the AoE rings for their attack is also wrong

Re: Range Squad Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 3:15 pm
by Helios
There has been some standardization since retail. The bolder more highlighted looking icons usually mean more damage than most units. Either that or it means plasma damage but that I think comes from the + icon. At least in the case of Tacticals. I think there still needs to be more universality to the icons.

Re: Range Squad Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 3:20 pm
by Barrogh
Would be a decent idea to fix these little things if it's still needed, and probably base them on prevalent damage type unit deals, if opportunity presents itself.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 4:17 pm
by Dark Riku
Bahamut wrote:the RA corrosive devourer having the anti all ranged icon is wrong
Why is this wrong? Don't forget the ability it grants.

Bahamut wrote:catachan and shotgun scout having the AoE rings for their attack is also wrong
That never struck me as odd.
The shotgunblasts affect a big area and so does the old reliable.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 4:35 pm
by Torpid
I think Bahamut would prefer for it not to take into account abilities and merely refer to the units passive damage type. Otherwise severe complications arise such as needing to add the AoE indicator there on the force commander/TM with bionics/LC with LBE or needing to add the suppression icon to rapers because they can suppress on demand.

Whether or not the capabilities of units via their abilities should be included in the icons is a matter of debate, but surely either way whatever is chosen there needs to be continuity.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 4:36 pm
by BaptismByLoli
But IIRC shotguns deal damge to more than 1 model if the squad is close enough so technically it does have some AoE damage

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Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 5:21 pm
by Arbit
Corrosive devourer passively increases damage to vehicles by 50%, so it does ~13 dps to vehicles. With rear armor hits it deals significant AV and I think qualifies as an anti-all weapon. More importantly, it allows you to see that he has AV capability at a glance i.e. without having to click on him and check his wargear loadout, because there is no (major?) visual change when he equips the wargear.

I don't think you need the AOE indicator on something like the FC because he always has the ability to battlecry. It's not like you're going to forget about that just because he doesn't have the AOE marker; even new players are going to pick up that very quickly. I do think the TM needs an indicator for bionics even if it's just the little plus sign, because again you shouldn't have to click on him to know what he has equipped.

The most important purpose the unit decorator can serve is to quickly convey information at a glance. That might mean bending the rules of whether abilities should be included or not occasionally but I think that is OK. For instance scouts do NOT do AOE damage (check the codex!!!) but using the AOE indicator is fine because they have the shotgun blast ability and it is a clear way to show scouts have the shotgun upgrade without having to squint at the individual models to see if they're holding shotguns or not, and people think of shotguns as AOEish even though they're technically not in this game except for the KNob's.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 5:26 pm
by Torpid
I think that's a fair enough assessment of things Arbit :)

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 5:26 pm
by BaptismByLoli
My mistake :p
Apologies for not referring to the Codex first

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Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 11:13 pm
by Bahamut
That Torpid Gamer wrote:I think Bahamut would prefer for it not to take into account abilities and merely refer to the units passive damage type. Otherwise severe complications arise such as needing to add the AoE indicator there on the force commander/TM with bionics/LC with LBE or needing to add the suppression icon to rapers because they can suppress on demand.

Whether or not the capabilities of units via their abilities should be included in the icons is a matter of debate, but surely either way whatever is chosen there needs to be continuity.


Exactly. Kinetic blast from rangers also does KB in an area, but they dont have an AoE decorator. Librarian has smite, but no AoE decorator, melee tics got doomblast, both SS and purifiers got AoE abilities, Merciless strike from ASM, kamikaze stormboy, you get the picture

Alot of people (including me and toilalee) is/was under the impression that both shotgun scouts and catachans did splash damage on every attack with their shotguns which they don't

Same with the RA corrosive devourer, it works the exact same way as veng rounds for devas, it does regular plasma damage and no especial AV unless you activate the ability. So why AT devs got the + icon and the RA gets the anti all icon? If we wanna go with weird logics then every squad with plasma weapons should get the AA icon

Just FYI, without the ability, the RA has as much AV with the devourer as 2 GM squads with plasma guns

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Mon 07 Apr, 2014 11:27 pm
by Vapor
The corrosive devourer gets the anti-all icon because of its ability. The icon is there to let you know that the RA is now capable of significantly damaging your vehicles. Since the ability directly affects the RA's weapon I think the anti-all icon is justified.

It's not an exact science but I don't think it should be. The codex is there for that. The idea of the icons is to allow players to identify threats easily.

Also scouts/catas blast has a huge AoE compared to kinetic shot so I think it makes sense that they get some sort of AoE/grenade icon.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Tue 08 Apr, 2014 7:26 am
by lolzarz
Also, in the case of scouts, we need some quick way to recognize which ones have shotguns and which ones have bolters. They are quite different, to say the least.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Tue 08 Apr, 2014 1:45 pm
by FiSH
EDIT: Responded completely out of context, please ignore. My bad.

Original Message:
lolzarz wrote:Also, in the case of scouts, we need some quick way to recognize which ones have shotguns and which ones have bolters.

Once you upgrade to shotguns, all models get shotguns (even the Sergeant), and the squad gets the AOE indicator. It's very easy to tell.

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Tue 08 Apr, 2014 1:46 pm
by Dark Riku
FiSH wrote:
lolzarz wrote:Also, in the case of scouts, we need some quick way to recognize which ones have shotguns and which ones have bolters.

Once you upgrade to shotguns, all models get shotguns (even the Sergeant), and the squad gets the AOE indicator. It's very easy to tell.
Exactly.. It's easy to tell because of the indicator :D That's the point...

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Tue 08 Apr, 2014 1:58 pm
by Bahamut
and how that logic fits into catachans?

Re: Damage Type Indicator

Posted: Tue 08 Apr, 2014 3:28 pm
by Ace of Swords
Bahamut wrote:and how that logic fits into catachans?


Because catas have alot of AoE abilities, smoke, the grenade launcher,shotgun blast.