WIPs[]
Finished collecting the range values on all weapons, spells and items. These were collected based on extensive testing on a sacrificial Bat at Dryfield, Back Street, relocating it's X, Y and Z positions to get the best results possible (4 bytes per location, plus loop-around? Oh boy... that was NOT easy to track down) Given it's small profile and ability to stay in one position, it was possible to work down to the byte value the distance between Aya and the target, giving me some fairly accurate numbers for the range of each possible attack. This also includes an update on the various attenuation penalties on all weapons. Those need to be updated, ESPECIALLY the M93R.
- Need to convert the range values from a byte to 'feet', since that is what the GPS uses (meters in Japan). May as well keep it consistent.
- The Motion Detector included with Tactical Armor and Combat Armor covers 50ft., twice the distance of the GPS; The byte value is +/- a couple points, twice that of the GPS range.
- The 'range' provided within the game is entirely inconsistent with the real in-game ranges of various weapons (They are a lot closer together than it may seem). It's almost like someone made up random numbers and put them in, it is that inconsistent.
Also, we should get a "Status Effects" page, sometime, covering all the ailments and buffs in the various games.
Update[]
This is getting a LOT uglier than I expected. I can calculate ranges, diameter and radii in both the byte values and feet, no problem. The problem is some of numbers turn out to be rather... excessive.
The feet conversion is based on an excerpt about the GPS.
The Motion Detector shows moving objects in a 25' radius.
-- As stated in Shooting Gallery, Level 3.
Fine. I calculated a range of 3648 for the GPS and 7296 for Combat Armor / Tactical Armor (Which is why I say it is 50 ft, it's twice the value of the GPS). The problem is based on the data provided, this implies Aya is something like 15 feet tall for the range in feet to work.
Pyrokinesis range varies quite a bit, but both the length and radius of the spell diagram is useless for helping me. Both are grossly incorrect in determining what the true in-game measurements should be.
- The target radius greatly exceeds the radius provided by the spell (by a good couple hundred points, if not more) and it's hard to get a consistent number; it seems like the further back you are, the better the radius is, until it cuts off.
- Lv.2 spell range is a good couple thousand points higher than the diagram states.
Combustion is a better one to work with; the diameter distance between Aya and the target practice Bat (drawn on the screen) matches up with the byte values, give or take a couple points, peanuts in comparison to Pyrokinesis. If I go by Aya's model height and compare it to to the Combustion Lv.1 diameter (I did adjust her model position after so her feet were lined up with the spell diagram base), I get a diameter of 8.72 feet*. If I go by the GPS measurements stated in-game, I would get 23.2 feet. If you go by her model, her level 1 spell is 3 1/2 times wider than her when active. I can safely say the spell animations and graphics do not come close to anything near that size. Plasma Lv.1 I get 12.35 feet, which compared to the Combustion makes the diagram slightly larger than the actual radius of the spell, but still within reason. (It's also worth noting that dome-shape of Plamsa make it more effective against ground targets).
* Based on a site saying her height is 5'2". Even if she was taller, the difference is not enough for the discrepancy.
That is a massive difference and it leaves in a bit of a conundrum in which values should I use. No wonder this sort of stuff was not included in the game's details...