Capture by crew death

[General Khael]

In the VCR I remember the days where ships would change hands (often
multiple times) due to crew being killed off and replaced by a crew
member of the race that last fired upon it. As I understand it that
had to change... but how does is work now. I've simmed some and many
ships just seem to get pummeled to death when there crew should be
long gone. I've even simmed 0 crew aboard the ship to be captured as
well as only 1 crewmen. Often it takes many hits before the ship is
'dead in space' which I assume means that the crew is officially dead
(gone from 0 to 0?)and even after that it takes at least a few more
salvos before the attacking ship will cease fire, often killing it in
the process, even with 'do not attack disabled.' So after combat will
this ship, if it survives change sides?

[Phaidros]

I'd attribute the current low probability of capture via crew death to
the damage formulas with their different multipliers.

Some refinement and slight revision of these formulas would be very
appreciated. The hull damage formula is IMHO a bit too strong compared
to the others.

The same formulas are the reason why some weapons are still not quite
useful. I repeatedly tried to justify to myself equipping a ship with
some rarely used large weapons. However, looking at the formulas my
conclusion was always that it would be a stupid and even suicidal move
to do it. On the other hand I think the photon torp is just too good
as a weapon.

Phaidros

[Phaidros]

I think you found a bug. Simulating with Diplomat even a ship with
almost no crew gets destroyed and not captured. Currently there seems
no capture check with the number of crew alive.

Phaidros

[Magik]

Post by Phaidros
I think you found a bug. Simulating with Diplomat even a ship with
almost no crew gets destroyed and not captured. Currently there seems
no capture check with the number of crew alive.
Phaidros

Every 10 combat ticks, the check is made. Any crewless ship that
isn't about to be destroyed that has an enemy or friendly ship within
100 clicks is applicable. The closest is checked first. Friendly
(owner) ships will reinforce the ship's crew level by half the crew
size of the crewless ship or half the crew size of the reinforcing
ship, whichever is less. Feds will send over Scotty to start
conducting repairs if there isn't a Scotty already there and if there
is an available HG on the reinforcing ship.

In the case of an enemy ship being closer, it has to thave over 20
crew to start off with. It also has to be able to overtake the enemy
ship's crew + troops + guard in an abbreviated boarding action. Feds
will send over Scotty to start conducting repairs if there is a spare
HG on board.

Magik

[Phaidros]

Post by Phaidros
I think you found a bug. Simulating with Diplomat even a ship with
almost no crew gets destroyed and not captured. Currently there seems
no capture check with the number of crew alive.
Phaidros

Every 10 combat ticks, the check is made.  Any crewless ship that
isn't about to be destroyed that has an enemy or friendly ship within
100 clicks is applicable.  The closest is checked first.   Friendly
(owner) ships will reinforce the ship's crew level by half the crew
size of the crewless ship or half the crew size of the reinforcing
ship, whichever is less.  Feds will send over Scotty to start
conducting repairs if there isn't a Scotty already there and if there
is an available HG on the reinforcing ship.
In the case of an enemy ship being closer, it has to thave over 20
crew to start off with.  It also has to be able to overtake the enemy
ship's crew + troops + guard in an abbreviated boarding action.  Feds
will send over Scotty to start conducting repairs if there is a spare
HG on board.
Magik

Could it have something to do with this distance check? I assume
that's what you mean by "within 100 clicks".
Unless you set a standoff range below 100 the attacking ships won't
cross that threshold very often during a vcr.

However, it tried even that - ok, only one 3 sims, but nevertheless:
the ship with 10 crew, no shield, no armour, got destroyed by a ship
fitted with disruptor cannons and disruptors. The attacking ship had
10 HGs. Only two ships were in the vcr.

Phaidros

[General Khael]

Doesn't appeat to be working... just simmed two privateers... one with
a Meteor with only one disruptor and a disruptor cannon, full crew and
2000 HG, the other priv with a bloodfang, meteor, and BR4. All three
of player 2's ships had only 1 crew, crappy shields, no HG. All ships
were set to go to standoff range of 0. If the first meteor was set
not to attack disabled than the fight would go on until all three crap
ships were disabled. If set to attack disabled all three crap ships
would be pelted from up close until destroyed (quite some time after
being dead in space within close close close range for any boarding
actions.)
GK

[GFM GToeroe]

Post by General Khael
Doesn't appeat to be working... just simmed two privateers... one with
a Meteor with only one disruptor and a disruptor cannon, full crew and
2000 HG, the other priv with a bloodfang, meteor, and BR4. All three
of player 2's ships had only 1 crew, crappy shields, no HG. All ships
were set to go to standoff range of 0. If the first meteor was set
not to attack disabled than the fight would go on until all three crap
ships were disabled. If set to attack disabled all three crap ships
would be pelted from up close until destroyed (quite some time after
being dead in space within close close close range for any boarding
actions.)
GK

Confirmed. I just gave a Intrumentality 1 crew, no shields, a bit
armor. A Law Dog had 1 DC and was set to be at point blank all the
time. The Intru was destroyed.

Gabor

[General Khael]

Post by GFM GToeroe

Post by General Khael
Doesn't appeat to be working... just simmed two privateers... one with
a Meteor with only one disruptor and a disruptor cannon, full crew and
2000 HG, the other priv with a bloodfang, meteor, and BR4. All three
of player 2's ships had only 1 crew, crappy shields, no HG. All ships
were set to go to standoff range of 0. If the first meteor was set
not to attack disabled than the fight would go on until all three crap
ships were disabled. If set to attack disabled all three crap ships
would be pelted from up close until destroyed (quite some time after
being dead in space within close close close range for any boarding
actions.)
GK

Confirmed. I just gave a Intrumentality 1 crew, no shields, a bit
armor. A Law Dog had 1 DC and was set to be at point blank all the
time. The Intru was destroyed.
Gabor

Assault pods seem to have a problem also... with 200 assault pods
with 1k crew/troops/hg and the three aforementioned crap ships. It
actually only took until tic 145ish to take over the br4 but the other
ships were vulnerable for about 2k tics when they finally left under
the banner of their original owner.

[Phaidros]

It actually only took until tic 145ish to take over the br4 but the other

ships were vulnerable for about 2k tics when they finally left under
the banner of their original owner.

It might have something to do with the target list of an assault pod.
I suspect it's restricted to one item only and never gets updated
during a vcr. If the assault pods had all the br4 on their target
list, the other assault pods went idle after the capture of that ship.

Gabor, any comments on that?

Phaidros

[General Khael]

Post by General Khael

It actually only took until tic 145ish to take over the br4 but the other

ships were vulnerable for about 2k tics when they finally left under
the banner of their original owner.
It might have something to do with the target list of an assault pod.
I suspect it's restricted to one item only and never gets updated
during a vcr. If the assault pods had all the br4 on their target
list, the other assault pods went idle after the capture of that ship.
Gabor, any comments on that?
Phaidros

Nope the pods swarmed all three from the get-go in close to equal
numbers. All ships had pods @ point blank pretty much constantly.