Projectile Velocity vs. Range Table

[Red Harvest]

The projectile velocity determines the maximum possible range of a unit firing at a target. It is also determines how flat or curved the trajectory is for a given range. This is not the same as the range found in the units file. In all cases, the theoretical range is greater than the range allowed for targeting. However, when a unit is moving away it can still be hit beyond the "targeting range." For various reasons, some of you might want to modify velocities to reduce this excess range (which can be quite substantial.)

The RTW projectile calcs seem to adhere to the basic vacuum trajectory model from physics. With that in mind, for same elevation missile unit to target, the following velocities can produce the following maximum ranges at a 45 degree firing angle. I have marked ones currently used by the program in bold for comparison.

Velocity____Max Range
(m/s)______(m)

15_________23
20_________41
25_________64 Used for Pila range of 35, heads range 40
30_________92 Used for Javelins with range of 50
35________125
40________163
45________207
48________235 Used for Arrows with range of 120 or 170
50________255
55________309
60________367 Used for Slingers with range of 80 stone or 120 bullets, plus ballista, onagers
65________431
70________500
80________653
90________827 Scorpions with range of 250

Note: flaming ammo gets the same velocity as non-flaming at the moment (very questionable in the case of arrows.)

[Benny Moore]

This is very interesting! So there is a realistic physics simulation behind this, and it's only the targeting range that's screwed up? Or am I not getting this?

[CBR]

So max range is about velocity^2/10


Qvintvs: Range is not really screwed up. That some missile weapons has higher velocity, then they need, is just to make some trajectories more flat than others. It was the same in STW/MTW really.


CBR

[Puzz3D]

Archers in STW/MTW used a trajectory much closer to 45 degrees at their open fire range than they do in RTW. The argument put forth by LongJohn for this high trajectory at something much less than the realistic maximum range was that it helped simulate a larger scale battle. I believe that movement speed, fatigue rate, range, reload rate and combat speed should all be selected according to a consistent scale which allows the battles to play out in a somewhat realistic fashion. This was done more rigorously in STW/MTW than in RTW. You can see the lack of consistent time scale in RTW when units move rapidly to engage in combat and then go into a kind of slow motion when the individual men are fighing.

[Benny Moore]

What I mean by screwed up is the sort of thing he just described. Most units have far too little range, and the proportions are all screwed up as well. Ballistas should fire the farthest, then scorpions, and then onagers and archers should just about tie. Slingers should be fairly close to the archers.

[CBR]

Well yes RTW generally is screwed up But I think the higher velocity is needed when units can move so fast as they do and that would mean trajectory is more flat than STW/MTW


CBR