Purpose
This article attempts to articulate an evolutionary path for improved bombardment in Freeciv.
Current Bombardment in Freeciv
Currently, Bombarding has these limits:
- range: 1 tile
- bombarder loses all moves
- bombard strength same as standard attack strength
- fortified status always lost when bombarding
- every unit on bombarded tile is exposed to the bombard
Variable controls by ruleset on bombardment
Currently, the ONLY ruleset control over bombardment is bombard_rate:
- bombard_rate # of combat_rounds of bombardment
Possible New Variables to Evolve Bombardment in Freeciv:
Legend for this chart:
- variable_name
- functional description of variable
- examples
- functional description of variable
Chart of possible new bombard variables:
- bombard_extra_range
- the EXTRA distance that the unit can bombard
- 0: adjacent; 1: range=2; 2:r=3; etc.
- the EXTRA distance that the unit can bombard
- bombard_range_rate_mod
- adjustment to bombard_rate with each tile distance
- -1: one less combat_round @ r=2; two less @ r=3; etc.
- adjustment to bombard_rate with each tile distance
- bombard_atk_mod
- adjustment to attack strength when bombarding
- -50: A4 units bombard @ A2
- 50: A4 units bombard @ A6
- adjustment to attack strength when bombarding
- bombard_atk_range_mod
- adjustment to attack strength with each tile distance
- -25 = A4 units bombard @ A3 if r=2; A2 if r==3; etc.
- adjustment to attack strength with each tile distance
- bombard_move_cost
- move points expended by a bombard action
- 0: uses all moves
- 1: uses 1 move
- 2: uses 2 moves; etc
- move points expended by a bombard action
- bombard_stay_fortified
- bombarding units can stay fortified while bombarding?
- 0: lose fortified state
- 1: unit remains fortified while bombarding
- bombarding units can stay fortified while bombarding?
- bombard_fortifed_def_mod
- defense bonus for fortified targets exposed to this type of bombardment
- 0: none
- 50: fortified units gain an extra 50% bonus when bombarded by this unit
- 100: fortified units are immune to this type of bombard
- defense bonus for fortified targets exposed to this type of bombardment
- bombard_primary_targets
- maximum number of primary bombard targets exposed to the attack
- 1: only one unit in the stack is a primary bombard target
- 3: up to 3 units in the stack will be primary bombard targets
- maximum number of primary bombard targets exposed to the attack
- bombard_primary_kills
- max number of primary targets who can die from bombardment
- 0: none
- 1: maximum of only one death can occur from bombardment
- 2: maximum of two deaths can occur from bombardment
- max number of primary targets who can die from bombardment
- bombard_collateral_targets
- the number of "collateral targets" or secondary bombard targets exposed to "scatter damage"
- 0: only primary targets are bombarded
- 3: up to 3 more units exposed to collateral damage
- the number of "collateral targets" or secondary bombard targets exposed to "scatter damage"
- bombard_collateral_kills
- max number of collateral targets who can die from bombardment
- 0: none
- 1: only one collateral target can die from "scatter damage"
- 2: only two collateral targets can die from "scatter damage", etc.
- max number of collateral targets who can die from bombardment
- bombard_collateral_rate_reduce
- the reduction in combat_rounds that "collateral units" are exposed to
- 0: collateral targets exposed to same combat_rounds as primary targets
- 1: collateral targets exposed to (bombard_rate-1) combat_rounds
- 2: collateral targets exposed to (bombard_rate-2) combat_rounds, etc.
- the reduction in combat_rounds that "collateral units" are exposed to
- bombard_collateral_atk_mod
- adjustment to attack strength (percent chance to hit collateral targets)
- -50 = if primary strength is A4, attack strength on collateral targets is A2
- 50 = if primary strength is A6, attack strength on collateral targets is A9
- adjustment to attack strength (percent chance to hit collateral targets)
Examples:
- Fortified Riflemen doing ranged attacks on other fortified Riflemen are only half as effective as on unfortified Riflemen. Nevertheless, Riflemen have special ability to remain fortified while doing it:
- bombard_fortified_def_mod = 50
- bombard_stay_fortified = 1
- Precision fire-bomb strike: high chance to kill one target, with broad but weak collateral damage:
- bombard_primary_targets = 1
- bombard_primary_kills = 1
- bombard_rate = 1000
- bombard_collateral_targets = 999
- bombard_collateral_kills = 0
- bombard_collateral_rate_reduce = 999
- bombard_collateral_atk_mod = 50
- Archers can't do ranged attacks on fortified foot soldiers:
- bombard_fortified_def_mod = 100
- Anti-Aircraft Artillery can pinpoint only one unit in a stack of Fighters, can damage but won't kill it, and can remain fortified:
- bombard_primary_targets = 1
- bombmard_primary_kills = 0
- bombard_collateral_targets = 0
- bombard_stay_fortified = 1
- Battleship can bombard and seriously weaken one unit at a time in a city, with some low chance of collateral damage to two other units; and can make TWO of these bombard attacks per turn:
- bombard_primary_targets = 1
- bombard_primary_kills = 0
- bombard_rate = 20
- bombard_collateral_targets = 2
- bombard_collateral_kills = 0
- bombard_collateral_rate_reduce = 19
- bombard_move_cost = 6