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Explosion Guide and Resources

Toshiro

Toshiro

Inactive Member
Submission Type: Guide for calculating and tabling/graphing explosive weapon damage
Submission URL: https://wiki.stararmy.com/doku.php?id=wip:explosion_guide_and_resources

Faction: Setting-wide
FM Approved Yet? No, likely needs @Wes
Faction requires art? Not for this

For Reviewers:
Contains Unapproved Sub-Articles? No
Contains New art? Yes
Previously Submitted? No

Notes: This guide allows an explosive weapon to not just be created with one tier, but to have a full mapping of its destructive power as its shockwave travels from the epicenter (maximum damage Tier) to its maximum distance (Tier 0) and every Tier in between. As such, it also allows the easy mapping of an explosion's effects more completely, making explosive weapons more readily employed and understood. A weapon with even a small maximum Tier of DR thus has a whole spectrum of DR below it to work through before the shockwave finally peters out...and this lets us map exactly how it works.

Requesting @Fred to provide input, as a presumption about DRv3 is made to make a rule of thumb to allow this to work smoothly. Also has notable amounts of math and geometry to explain the logic, though comprehending the math and geometry is not necessary to actually use the system.
 
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I agree, this is just one more obstacle keeping us from what we're here for. If this was optional, I'd be ok with it. Mandatory? No-go.
 
Hmm..perhaps it should be an option for submissions instead of mandatory, if this many people desire as such... Not closed to the idea. Its use for players and GMs is optional from the get-go.

I know I'd like to employ this in my stuff.
 
I feel like maybe it's worth pointing something out that really confuses me. The fact people keep acting as if it's mandatory? Why tho?

Explosion Guide and Resources

It's just like everything else on SARP. You use it as a guide/starting point, but you're not bound to it. There's no definitive "it must act like this" available. There's no way Toshiro could account for all forms of situations and make it presentable without the article being like 400 pages long.

My only issue with it, because it IS a guide, is that it could be simplified with pictures (probably) versus graphs/tables. Like I still don't read/know the guides for things like the Starship Speeds because to me, it's supposed to be as simple as "this accelerates slow, this does it fast". Something like this could easily be down showing a person/object being hit and then expanding rings of different colors/shades/marked sections to showcase the reach of the shockwave/force.

Might help you out, Toshibro. Just my two cents.
 
I, for one, wholeheartedly support this, as it provides GMs with an optional means of easily calculating* things like collateral damage and shockwave propagation in a realistic fashion. My suggestion would be to move the mathematical section down below the practical section and make a separate page for the blank graphs in order to reduce the overall length of the page.

Also - thanks for including the table I whipped up! :D

*True story: I was able to create the aforementioned table (for the EL-Z8-1a Adrast-Type Heavy Torpedo) at around 3am this morning using nothing but a calculator and this submission.
 
Legix said:
I feel like maybe it's worth pointing something out that really confuses me. The fact people keep acting as if it's mandatory? Why tho?

Explosion Guide and Resources
Click to expand...
Because if approved, it adds a new layer to submissions.

DRv3 is a guide. We still require submitters to adhere to it and work within it.

This would go the same way. Toshiro alludes to that.

Submitters would have one more calculation. Unless it's made completely optional, in which case it's fine. Just means that players or GMs who want the stat will need to run it themselves.
 
Indeed I did allude to that, but I'm willing to make it completely optional if that is preferred.

Edit: Changed order of sections, made fully optional even for submitters. I want the option, not to twist peoples' arms.
 
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Toshiro said:
"Because of the Inverse-Square Law, and the way barriers hint at Tier damage scaling, we can determine that every doubling of distance reduces the shockwave by two DR."
Click to expand...
Better.

Also, I vote for optional.
 
Alright, I've heavily edited and simplified the article further. Still entirely optional. It should be a lot more digestible now.
 
I'm not sure this is really necessary, and I think it goes against having streamlined, easy rules that help enable a fun experience that doesn't feel like work.

However, it could be still used in the following ways:
  • As an article for GMs and players who are into crunch (in the same way Derran's ancient starship combat article is on the wiki even though it's not a SARP rule set)
  • As an advanced optional tool for the GMs who are into crunch.
 
Yeah, I'm honestly not sure how to parse this. I'm willing to have it be as an optional thing, and there seemed to be favor in doing so, but then it just languished. Thoughts @Wes on how to go forward? Ame said I could post even though it was put here.
 
I'm not sure who would use this but if you want to have it as an article that's clearly not a rule, I guess it won't hurt.
 
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