Arc measurement?

[Oteefo]

Is Arc the measurement all the way across your field of fire...or is it just the value from the center to one edge?

 

that is....is my "Slug Gun" (16 degree arc / -5.00% per degree) losing 80% accuracy at the edge of the circle or 40%?

Edited December 10, 2013 by Oteefo

[Mallorik]

The arc is the circle in your hud, inner ring is missile, outer is guns. The changes to the arc % just affects the size of the circle.

 

I don't fly gunships but on fighters the -% per degree usually applies to tracking which is the angle and speed your target is moving relative to your ship. Like if your guns have a 1% per degree tracking penalty and your target is in a 3 degree turn you have a 3% accuracy penalty.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Mallorik

[Dustotepp]

It is from the center to the edge.

[Dustotepp]

The arc is the circle in your hud, inner ring is missile, outer is guns. The changes to the arc % just affects the size of the circle.

 

I don't fly gunships but on fighters the -% per degree usually applies to tracking which is the angle and speed your target is moving relative to your ship. Like if your guns have a 1% per degree tracking penalty and your target is in a 3 degree turn you have a 3% accuracy penalty.

 

This is inaccurate.

 

The tracking penalty is applied for every degree your targeting reticle is off from the line directly in front of your ship. If your target is directly in front of you, there is no tracking penalty. If your target is at the edge of your arc of fire, you have the full tracking penalty (and probably cannot hit them.)

[Nemarus]

I think the point of the question is so that you can understand just how severe the tracking penalty is, right?

 

If the number listed for our firing arc is the total diameter, then that means at the edge of it we are suffering a penalty for being at (arc-size / 2) degrees from center.

 

If the number listed for our firing arc is the radius of the circle, then that means at the edge of it we are suffering a penalty for being at (arc-size) degrees from center.

 

In the latter case, the accuracy penalty we are suffering for aiming at the edge of the firing arc is twice as severe.

 

Without knowing which is the true meaning of the arc-size measurement, it's hard for us to actually determine how accurate we can be at the edge of the arc.

[Mallorik]

This is inaccurate.

 

The tracking penalty is applied for every degree your targeting reticle is off from the line directly in front of your ship. If your target is directly in front of you, there is no tracking penalty. If your target is at the edge of your arc of fire, you have the full tracking penalty (and probably cannot hit them.)

 

ahh ok, so its tracking of the turreted guns.

[Oteefo]

I think the point of the question is so that you can understand just how severe the tracking penalty is, right?

 

If the number listed for our firing arc is the total diameter, then that means at the edge of it we are suffering a penalty for being at (arc-size / 2) degrees from center.

 

If the number listed for our firing arc is the radius of the circle, then that means at the edge of it we are suffering a penalty for being at (arc-size) degrees from center.

 

In the latter case, the accuracy penalty we are suffering for aiming at the edge of the firing arc is twice as severe.

 

Without knowing which is the true meaning of the arc-size measurement, it's hard for us to actually determine how accurate we can be at the edge of the arc.

 

Yup....thanks for the reply....and that is the question......

 

I guess I'll have to watch and see if it looks like I miss about half the time or nearly all the time at the edges.....though, sometimes gunning turrets, I'm dead on and seem to miss somehow? (i.e.: no damage shows...)

[Sharee]

Is Arc the measurement all the way across your field of fire...or is it just the value from the center to one edge?

 

The tracking penalty applies for every degree that your guns are facing away from the point directly in the middle of the circle.

 

Therefore it seems logical that if it says 'weapon firing arc is X degrees' it means X is the amount of degrees your weapon can turn away from the center and still shoot.

 

So if a heavy laser has a firing arc of 20 degrees, and suffers 2% tracking penalty for each degree, then shooting a ship at the edge of your firing arc circle carries a 40% to-hit penalty.

 

That's my understanding how it works.

[Nemarus]

The tracking penalty applies for every degree that your guns are facing away from the point directly in the middle of the circle.

 

Therefore it seems logical that if it says 'weapon firing arc is X degrees' it means X is the amount of degrees your weapon can turn away from the center and still shoot.

 

So if a heavy laser has a firing arc of 20 degrees, and suffers 2% tracking penalty for each degree, then shooting a ship at the edge of your firing arc circle carries a 40% to-hit penalty.

 

That's my understanding how it works.

 

Except an "arc" tends to refer to an entire "slice of pie" so to speak, which in 3 dimension space, from our cockpit's point of view, would be the entire circle (looking out from the center of the pie).

 

Hopefully Chris will reply to this!

[Dustotepp]

Imagine that your ship sits in the middle of a sphere. Your firing arc is the portion of that sphere that your weapons can target. In a 3d space, it is a cone extending out from the front point of the ship.

 

Here is a star trek picture that gives a 2d example. http://theenginescannaetakeit.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/weapon-arcs.jpg

 

I am certain the tracking penalty applies from the center out to the edge. It is somewhat hard to figure out how many degrees off of center the firing arc is actually made up of though due to not having a cockpit view. That being said, I think that rapid fire lasers cover a 60 degree spread, not a 30 degree one. So I think it is measured from the center out as well.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Dustotepp