Another question about plasteel armor

Started by noname_hero, November 16, 2018, 06:21:57 PM

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noname_hero

So, I'm a newbie and still learning the game, which means I'm trying to come up with ideas, and one I've decided to try to bounce off the forumites today is that of plasteel plate armor. I did find the idea using the search function but I haven't noticed my own question about this answered, so I hope I'm not reopening a shut case.

The way I read the rules, a combination of devilstrand duster + flak vest gives a pawn better protection for the torso but less protection for arms and legs, while the plasteel plate armor means say twice the torso damage but half arms/legs damage from an AR or other sharp weapons. The plasteel plate armor is a tiny bit better against blunt damage and somewhat better against heat, but my pawns don't face those damage types very often.

I do realize the plasteel armor costs waaaay more, but I'm trying to ignore that consideration here. I guess that even with its higher durability, the plasteel armor might cost say twice what the duster+vest combo does, but I don't know what price tag to put onto my pawns and therefore how cost-efficient the idea is.

The thing I am wondering about now is, is it better to have a better protected torso and more vulnerable extremities, or a more balanced level of protection?

Or is there something I'm missing about the rules for damage?

fecalfrown

You're right, its not very cost effective, but would be better at protecting all body parts.

Hover over the armor stat and read how the rules of armor penetration work. You also have to realize that the armor penetration for each individual piece of clothing is rolled separately. This means that stacking clothes isn't as effective as you think. (For example a 40% inner layer, 140% vest, and 20% outer layer don't add up to 200% armor. The chance for any damage to hit you is rolled separately against each. ie a weapon with 40% armor penetration completely negates the inner and outer layers, and reduces the vest to 100%).


ashaffee

Torso breaks colonist dies. Feet/hands break the colonist can keep fighting. I'd say early on protect all things and later on the vitals because hands and feet are replaceable.

noname_hero

Quote from: fecalfrown on November 16, 2018, 06:45:44 PM
You're right, its not very cost effective, but would be better at protecting all body parts.

Hover over the armor stat and read how the rules of armor penetration work. You also have to realize that the armor penetration for each individual piece of clothing is rolled separately. This means that stacking clothes isn't as effective as you think. (For example a 40% inner layer, 140% vest, and 20% outer layer don't add up to 200% armor. The chance for any damage to hit you is rolled separately against each. ie a weapon with 40% armor penetration completely negates the inner and outer layers, and reduces the vest to 100%).

Thanks for the brief overview of the armor mechanics. I already knew this when I asked here, but I can tell why you expected I might not, plus I'm glad it works the way I expected it to.

What I'm not sure about is the consequences of this mechanic. Yes, I can put together a few more numbers. Good plasteel plate, which is the one piece I've manufactured, has 105.8% armor vs. sharp, resulting in about 90% chance of at least halving AR or SMG damage when coupled with a devilstrand shirt. Given how low-damage AR hits are, even a fully penetrating hit shouldn't instakill a pawn. I can see some weapons can sometimes fully penetrate even a flak vest, so even a flak vest only provides relative security. But I lack the game experience to know the tactical consequences.

Is it better to give my pawns weaker armor that covers more, hoping they'll remain combat-capable for longer thanks to less wounded extremities, accepting higher probability of lethal hits when they get unlucky? Even a fully penetrating sniper rifle hit is not enough to destroy a torso or a neck and kill a pawn in one hit unless it also hits something vital, is it? Will the vest-equipped pawns fall out of combat sooner due to wounded legs and hands, even if they're more likely to survive their wounds once treated, or is their staying power equal/better  than that of those in plasteel plates?

Suppose the plasteel plates do increase average staying power. Every pawn that falls out of combat weakens the firepower of the group as whole, so while better chances of individual survival make sense when I can count on winning the fight, better staying power might help me win fights I would otherwise lose thanks to me having higher damage output for longer.

Oh, and how do I factor in the fact that giving a plasteel plates to a melee pawn with a shiled belt makes the pawn more resistant to blunt weapons?

Yes, even I can tell I'm overthinking this, so I'll stop.

Has anyone ever tested the idea, or is plasteel too expensive/important to bother with this?

ashaffee

Every time my pawns get injured I pull 1 back at a time and heal them. I have an outpost hospital. I know that if my pawn has a arm injury they are lower priority because they won't die, vitals get first priority.  With my current strategy vitals protection is more important.

noname_hero

I too would like to be able to pull pawns out of the line every time they're hurt. But there are times when I can't, like today, when pirate transport pods crashed through the roof of my dining room, or when an infestation appeared next to my orbital trade beacon.

Sometimes I need my pawns to stand and fight.

ashaffee

Another thing to note about devil strand is the heat resistance. This can mean the difference between a standing pawn and a downed pawn during a raid if even 1 person is able to burn them. So in this case I see huge benefit for this material. For torso protection and burn protection. Benefits for protecting legs and arms seem to hold less value for me.