Time Management, An analysis of tactical combat Options

[bovine_cannibal]

Before I aftershock, I've played tactical games to varying extents, from Fallout Tactics to Aftermath to Jagged Alliance 2, Disgaea, etc. A short while ago, during my 2:00 A.M. Aftershock session, I realized how much of my play was influenced by these previous games. Since the manual does not list the length of time it takes to perform basic actions, I've been operating under several false assumptions, aided by the fact that the game rarely describes the marginal cost of actions. For example, I was surprised to learn that turning 45 degrees seems to take the same amount of time as turning 180 degrees, and some unexpected risks with the watch command.

Abbreviations,
S:s (stance stand)
S:c (' ' crouch)
S:p (' ' prone)
M:r (Move run)
M:w(' ' walk)
M:c (' ' crawl)

Disclaimer:
For the purpose of clarity, I'm going to paraphrase the manual:
There are three movement modes: crawl, walk and run.
There are three stances: prone, crouch, and stand.
While they use the same buttons, respectively, they are distinctly different entities. I've previously made the mistake of treating crouch as another name for walk. That is a grievous error. To keep this clear, Stances are distinctly different from Movement modes. It can cost you unexpected additional time. In this topic, I will not treat them as interchangeable, although I might normally be free in their use.

Methodology: For each action I was examining, I made certain to start from a wait or watch position, depending on the situation. The time count read zero, or 0.1 for switching to burst. I also made certain to test the end of an action by pressing wait. In certain stances and move modes, the cost of an action+wait is significantly different from just the action. I.E. moving from a crouch stance and not toggling the move mode will mean your trooper will first take 1 second to get out of the stance before moving, and after reaching the destination will take an unmentioned second to go back into crouch (if you give no other orders. It will be included if you end with the wait command. If you instead just add another waypoint when his plan runs out, he'll keep walking without interuption). I did this testing with the starting four characters, so I didn't have the chance to test faster characters, or a variety of equipment.

First, I'll point out the disadvantages of always ending a move in watch. From my studies, it seems that a soldier has to lower his/her/its weapon before turning in place. So, if the enemy is outside that 45 degree arc (this # is a guess) in front, then it'll take twice as long to get his gun pointed than if he was stopped in the watch mode. Hence, watch mode is best used when use precisely know the threat axis, or are facing more fragile but deadly enemies that force you to use every second. Early on, taking down a ret in one shotgun blast is plausible. Or, as they call them in one of the early american dialogues, "potheads". Damn hippie aliens and their 'gateway' drugs.

Second, it seems a crouched character cannot precisely turn in place due to the game mechanics. If you don't toggle any stances or move modes, they take a second to get in walk mode, a second to turn, and another second to get back in a crouch. For comparison, it doesn't seem as if prone or standing characters have that unnecessary overhead. From a wait-stand to wait-stand or wait-prone to a wait-prone, they only take 1 second to turn in place. Whether this is an oversight by the programmers, or an actual design choice, I'm uncertain. Still, it is worth noting that turning and returning to a crouch will take 3 times as long as doing the same thing with S:stand or S:prone. If you include the time taken to bring your gun to bear from a watch position, 4 vs. 2 seconds. In other words, shotgun cyborgs with multiple unknown threat axis in CQ should rarely S:crouch, though M:walk is perfectly fine. Of course, if you know where the enemy is, are attempting stealth, or need to use cover, it has its uses.

This brings me to my third point, any turn-in-place takes the same amount of time. That is, a 45 degree turn takes just as long as a 180 degree turn. This is significantly different from what I remember of changing facing in Silent Storm and Fallout Tactics. It's not as different from Disgaea... but I digress.

The fourth point, you can turn faster than that, but only in a turn-through move. Characters can shave time using a turn-through-move. For example, a S:s/M:r Speed average character can reverse direction in 0.6 seconds by taking a half-step backwards. That 0.4 seconds may not be world shaking, but it is good to know. I'm used to characters having to turn in place before turning around, but this system makes a certain amount of real world sense. I can certainly turn around faster if I don't keep my feet in the exact same location.

Finally, I haven't done a thorough study of everything. I've been to busy discovering Veteran mode.

Onto the data, some of it obvious if you're paying attention, some of it not.
Changing Stances:
-Very consistent, S:c to S:p is the same as S:p to S:c.
-Must go through crouch to reach prone
S:standing to S:crouch takes one second.
S:crouch to S:prone takes two seconds.
S:standing to S:prone takes three seconds.

Wait versus watch
-0.5 seconds to switch from one to the other
-cannot turn with your weapon ready to fire (watch mode).

Turning in place
- 1 second no matter the magnitude of the turn.
- If you're in a movement mode, there is no excess time spent.
- If you're in S:crouch, time must taken to leave that stance before turning.
- S:prone and S:run correspond to M:c and M:w&r, respectively.
- S:crouch does not have any corresponding movement mode, though defaults to walk.
- Turning while prone is tricky to interpret due to the change of the facing symbol.
*Assuming you are reversing direction
*Think of it as a body-circle(large round) and head-circle(small, pointy)
*if you change facing over the head circle it takes one second.
*This results in the body being in the same place, the head opposite.
*if you change facing over the body circle, it may take 0.7 seconds
*result of the head and body switching places.

Changing equipment (right from characters perspective)
-If you want to remove equipment from a characters left hand, it must go through their right hand first. Perhaps different if ambidextrous. Apparently these soldiers are so clumsy they can't put their left hand on their belt.
- This means a seemingly simple action such as taking a medpack out of your left hand and putting it away will take twice as long as taking it out of your right hand.
-Swapping the contents of your left and right hand (either through inventory, or 'use' button) takes 0.5 seconds.
-Putting something into your belt takes 0.7 seconds.
-Putting something into your backpack takes 0.9 seconds.
-I believe directly swapping something from your right hand with an object in your inventory takes no extra time. That is, swapping that las pistol with a med pack will still take 0.7 seconds.
-swapping left and right, then swapping right with medpack will result in a time of 1.1 seconds. Apparently the display rounds numbers that the engine does not.

Thats it for the moment.

[bovine_cannibal]

Eh, I missed this thread
http://forum.ufo-aftermath.com/index.php?showtopic=1993

Hope somebody finds some of my post useful. Numbers won't influence tactics, and 0.4 seconds is not that significant, but shaving off 2 two whole seconds to shoot that dangerous reticulan/muckstar or throw an incendiary/acid grenade can make a difference. I was prompted to do this by comments that some people always end in watch. If you're in a situation where a half second can make a difference (mostly the more fragile opponents), 4 seconds to turn around and shoot out of a crouch can be a problem. And if you're like me, and prefer to have a manual with all the little numbers up front, this can be considered a small addendum.

EDIT: DEC 10th.

If I get requests (ideas, which I'm short of), I'll be glad to dig into other facets of this subject (such as aiming, whether short range skill affects shotgun speed, as in Aftermath) , and perhaps take up another subjects (I've been trying to think of a way to formulize the affects of stance on visibility, among other things). Alternatively, tell me you want a simplified, refined, summarized, etc. version and politely describe the problem, in brief, and I'll do so. If necessary, I'll actually plan and post a reorganized version of the above post. I didn't put much thought into structure, and clarity, I mostly grouped some of my notes, and wrote my observations in the order they came to me.

There are three types of players. There are those who
Use the numbers to calculate the best plan of action.
Look at the numbers [perhaps only once] in order to understand the system (me)
Those who intuitively understand the system without numbers.
Of course this changes depending on the game. Some reward number crunching more than others. But I find the SAS combat surprisingly tense, much more so then Aftermath, which tended to have tedious lulls between bouts of Deathbellows and concentrated rocket fire. (I hated clearing a base of transgenants. Ugh... Hunting in every corner for a flapper. And sometime it took forever just to find anyone to shoot at, let alone the last one). In my regular play, I didn't consider my basics at all, and it hurt my gameplay. I'm not talking about optimization, I'm talking about deathtraps such as the morelman and the phosphorous grenade.

It needn't be complicated, or a lengthy process, or even need to be kept always in mind. Once its made clear, it becomes more intuitive. And if there is a need, I can even be brief and to the point. I've got the skills for that, its just not the way I naturally think. In other words, for me, lazy typing is "running my mouth off" instead of "short, and to the point". I've made the offer, but I'll assume there's no complaints, since I haven't heard any yet. In this forum at least.

End Edit

[Carl Sheppards]

My suggestion is to read carefully this thread on time. It will SIGNIFICANTLY simplify your life in combat. Time is you.

[Avenger]

Good work looking into this bovine cannibal.

I've added a link to this thread in my guide thread to make it easier for people wanting advice to find.

[Yur_Ko]

-Swapping the contents of your left and right hand (either through inventory, or 'use' button) takes 0.5 seconds.
-Putting something into your belt takes 0.7 seconds.
-Putting something into your backpack takes 0.9 seconds.
-I believe directly swapping something from your right hand with an object in your inventory takes no extra time. That is, swapping that las pistol with a med pack will still take 0.7 seconds.
-swapping left and right, then swapping right with medpack will result in a time of 1.1 seconds. Apparently the display rounds numbers that the engine does not.

You forgot to add that putting anything you have in hands on the ground takes 1.1 !!!! That is longer than putting it into your backpack (not to mention your belt)!

Still not sure how this corresponds with reality... for me it's juist a bug.