The Shield Problem(s)

[JeromeGrasdyke]

Would it be possible for you to settle an argument between me and Musashi and tell us weather shields should be having their defence value halved by AP missile fire?

AP (armour-piercing) was a flag intended to model high-momentum weapons like 2H axes and heavy crossbow bolts, which are by their nature more capable of punching through armour than something with only armstrength behind it, like an ungrounded spear or longsword. So in general, yes, AP should indeed halve the shield defence values.

But ultimately this is an argument along the lines of "how long is a piece of string". The reality is a sliding scale which incorporates the difference in vector momentum between the impacting weapon and the armour it's impacting on, the relative hardness of same and the area of impact. Modelling that would make a game which is fantastically hard to balance and likely tough for players to grasp as well.

You could argue that some shield types should not be affected by AP - toughened layered hide shields with wood backing perhaps, or massive heater shields - but equally you could argue that shields should deteriorate over time... both of those effects are not modelled by the game, and instead we assume a standard shield quality which which adds a level bonus, but can be penetrated by massive weapons - your standard lighweight, wooden shield with some metal covering.

Maybe you would like shields to subtract def in melee, but it doesn't change the fact that it's bugged. A CA programmer posted in this thread agreeing they are bugged and giving a suggestion on the best workaround for it. SHIELDS ARE BUGGED!

Just to clarify: I said it looks like a bug, and that it was being investigated. Only the guys in Oz who are working on it can categorically and officially state that it *was* a bug. And if i sound a little cranky saying that, it's because I am recovering from the tooth-extraction-from-hell...