A few questions

[geggis]

• What pilot tools function when you leave the helm? If any?
• If a Lumberjack shot hits the top of a Mobula does that damage the balloon? Would the AoE breach the surface of the deck?
• How do incendiary rounds work? I know they increase the chance to ignite but how many stacks does that ignition make? How effective are they with each gun?
• What's the point of AoE on an explosive weapon if it's purely for hitting the bare hull health? I'm presuming this is for when components are shattered and the explosive damage hitting those components is transferred to the hull with all the appropriate damage multipliers? I have no idea.

Thanks in advance!

[Captain Smollett]

1) Chute vent, hydrogen, drogue chute and ramming bumpers all have effects that last a few seconds meaning they'll still be active for a bit if you leave the helm.

2)Yes so far as I know

3)1 stack on direct impact (not AOE) for weapons that don't have ignition stacks already.  I believe it will increase the likelyhood of those that do.  I'll leave the second part of this question for someone else as I've never used it for much more than reduced arming time and mine launchers.

4) You don't do double damage with a shot if you hit a broken component, broken components are just another part of the overall hull hitbox.  AOE on explosives serve 3 purposes: The primary reason for AOE is to still give you some damage to an unarmored hull if you accidentally shoot a component, which is very easy to do against a ship like a Junker; secondly, the AOE is the damage that gets dropped on flak cannons when they're within arm time and serve as a way of balancing long range explosive finishers; thirdly, explosive weapons deal a respectable amount of damage to engines and guns, the aoe of the explosions, especially from guns like the mortar, will frequently damage or finish off components giving a considerable benefit in combat.

[HamsterIV]

3) Each gun has a base ignition chance per hit value. Some guns it is 0% like the Gatling gun. Some guns it is 100% like the flare gun. Incendiary increases the ignition % chance per hit. So using incendiary on the Gatling gun would mean some of the bullets will now apply 1 stack of fire. Most explosive weapons have a 30% (I think) chance of adding a fire stack on hit/AOE. Using incendiary bumps that up to 40%.

The flamethrower spits out a dozen or so particles per second. Each particle has a small percentage chance of starting a fire but there are so many particles that you are guaranteed to start a few. Incendiary flame throwers start more fires because it increases each particle's fire starting ability.

Incendiary works best on weapons that have a high rate of fire. Gatling guns, banshees, and flame throwers are ideal candidates. The flare gun is not since it already has a 100% chace of ignition. As Smollett said, most people use incendiary for its secondary effect of reducing muzzle speed.

Fire is not that big of a threat to a well trained crew unless you are going all in with fire like the cake clan. One weapon putting out occasional fire damage is not a threat. 3 weapons putting out a constant stream of fire is a threat.

[geggis]

Thanks Smollett and Hamster! Yes, I tend to roll heavy with fire but was never quite sure whether incendiary was a good ammo choice given its drawbacks (rate of fire mainly, while greased reduces muzzle speed as well as increases clip and RoF). Is there anywhere where I can find the chance to ignite percentages? I don't recall them in Wilson's notes.

[DMaximus]

As a sometimes thing, I also like incendiary on the carronades. You get a lot of spread and a lot of small fires. It ends up being very annoying for the other team.

[Devinstater]

3) Each gun has a base ignition chance per hit value. Some guns it is 0% like the Gatling gun. Some guns it is 100% like the flare gun. Incendiary increases the ignition % chance per hit. So using incendiary on the Gatling gun would mean some of the bullets will now apply 1 stack of fire. Most explosive weapons have a 30% (I think) chance of adding a fire stack on hit/AOE. Using incendiary bumps that up to 40%.

The flamethrower spits out a dozen or so particles per second. Each particle has a small percentage chance of starting a fire but there are so many particles that you are guaranteed to start a few. Incendiary flame throwers start more fires because it increases each particle's fire starting ability.

Incendiary works best on weapons that have a high rate of fire. Gatling guns, banshees, and flame throwers are ideal candidates. The flare gun is not since it already has a 100% chace of ignition. As Smollett said, most people use incendiary for its secondary effect of reducing muzzle speed.

Fire is not that big of a threat to a well trained crew unless you are going all in with fire like the cake clan. One weapon putting out occasional fire damage is not a threat. 3 weapons putting out a constant stream of fire is a threat.

The tooltip says nothing about reducing muzzle speed. Why would this be beneficial?

[Captain Smollett]

Guns with arming times like flak cannons, hades and lumberjack lose effectiveness within a certain proximity (around 200M give or take 50M for the guns) due to arming timers. 

If the shot moves slower it will take longer to arrive at target and arm at closer ranges.

[Echoez]

Guns with arming times like flak cannons, hades and lumberjack lose effectiveness within a certain proximity (around 200M give or take 50M for the guns) due to arming timers. 

If the shot moves slower it will take longer to arrive at target and arm at closer ranges.

I think we should mention the fact that it doesn't have to do with arming range but more with the arming time as well for better understanding.

The projectile simply 'arms' after some set timer, so making it travel slower, will activate that arming timer to close distances.

Exact default arming ranges for now are:

225m for the light Flak

300m for the heavy Flak

300m for the Lumberjack (not sure why it says 220 in game, it's still 300 like in 1.2 isn't it?)

150m for the Hades

[N-Sunderland]

Heavy flak is 240, lumberjack is an outrageously low 220.

[Echoez]

Heavy flak is 240, lumberjack is an outrageously low 220.

Weird, I'm certain the Heavy Flak's arming was officialy raised to 300 after the monstrous damage buff it got.

Lumberjack was 300 in 1.2 and there was no patch note that said it got changed?..

[Captain Smollett]

As far as I know, LJ's arming time has been that as long as its had an arming time.

Light flak used to have a 300M arming time, heavy flaks arming time has been unchanged for a while as well.

[Echoez]

Eric seriously needs to stop messing up with the in game description and the release sheets then cause I'm honestly confused, LJ arming time was stated as 300 meters prior t0 1.3 and now HF is stated as 300 in game.

[James T. Kirk]

Just gonna pop my head in real quick in relation to incendiary rounds.

For a weapon like the flamer or Banshee, Greased is usually a better option.

Not only do you get more ammo, but it doesn't travel slower, and it shoots faster.

This helps the flamer because instead of raising ignition chance, you raise the amount of particles per second.

Not only are the Banshee and Hades more satisfying to use with Greased, but, once again, you're getting more ammo faster, so one shot missed is more forgiving.

In practice, use greased for weapons already notorious for starting fires, and incendiary to give a hot surprise on guns that normally wouldn't start them.

[Goldenglade]

for the record the lumberjack won't hit the balloon if it strikes the top deck if you're not in AoE range.

[Spud Nick]

Is burst ammo a good Idea in the carronades and flaks and if so why?