How Does Rate Work? - Possible Bug

[StarAdder]

In-game, the stats for the UEF T3 Spearhead says it has:
Damage: 2400
Rate: 10 (DPS 240)
It fires 3 missiles, which each do 800 damage.
But where does this Rate come from? How is it measured?
While testing it out on the default +0 speed, using a Spearhead attacking ground on one spot, the time between the first missile of each salvo coming out was about 15 seconds. The time between the first and final missile of each salvo coming out as about 2 seconds. I don't see where the Rate of 10 comes from. If the correct Rate is 15 seconds, then the listed DPS of 240 would be incorrect.

Similarly, with the UEF T2 Klink Hammer stationary artillery, FAF lists its Rate as 20, but timing it at +0 speed shows it actually fires about every 24 seconds, not every 20 seconds. As above, if the true Rate of the Klink Hammer is about 24, not 20, then its listed DPS would be incorrect as well.

The UEF T1 point defense says it has a Rate of 0.33, and it does indeed fire about 3 times every second.

I don't know if this is a bug, or if Rate is defined in a peculiar manner. Please tell me if this is a bug, if the information inside FAF is incorrect, or how Rate works.

[Franck83]

It's because Supcom weapon system is a bit more complex. The best way to understand is by looking at the units blueprints.

Rate of fire is easier to calculate on direct fire weapons. But you have other parameters as reload timers, Weapon.ProjectilesPerOnFire, salvo size for missiles... It means that rate of fire is not only linked to 1 projectile.

[StarAdder]

That's why I mentioned how the time for a full salvo to fire from the Spearhead was only about 2 seconds. That plus the stated Rate of 10 doesn't get close to the 15 seconds you can measure in-game. So, if the stated Rate of 10 is correct, how exactly are all those factors you mentioned collated to get 10?

[Franck83]

This is all the bp data about the weapon :

Code: Select all

Weapon = {
        {
            AboveWaterTargetsOnly = true,
            AnimationReload = '/units/xel0306/xel0306_aload.sca',
            Audio = {
                Fire = Sound {
                    Bank = 'XEL_Weapons',
                    Cue = 'XEL0306_Missile_Cruise',
                    LodCutoff = 'Weapon_LodCutoff',
                },
            },
            BallisticArc = 'RULEUBA_None',
            CollideFriendly = false,
            CountedProjectile = false,
            Damage = 800,
            DamageFriendly = true,
            DamageRadius = 0.5,
            DamageType = 'Normal',
            DisplayName = 'Long Range Cruise Missile',
            FireTargetLayerCapsTable = {
                Land = 'Land|Water|Seabed',
                Water = 'Land|Water|Seabed',
            },
            FiringTolerance = 5,
            Label = 'MissileWeapon',
            MaxRadius = 80,
            MinRadius = 5,
            MuzzleChargeDelay = 1,
            MuzzleSalvoDelay = 0,
            MuzzleSalvoSize = 1,
            MuzzleVelocity = 3,
            ProjectileId = '/projectiles/TIFMissileCruise05/TIFMissileCruise05_proj.bp',
            ProjectileLifetime = 20,
            ProjectilesPerOnFire = 3,
            RackBones = {
                {
                    HideMuzzle = true,
                    MuzzleBones = {
                        'Projectile_01',
                        'Projectile_02',
                        'Projectile_03',
                    },
                    RackBone = 'B05_Launcher',
                },
            },
            RackRecoilDistance = 0,
            RackReloadTimeout = 10,
            RackSalvoChargeTime = 0,
            RackSalvoReloadTime = 10,

            # must be set to 1/RateOfFire to work
            RackSalvoSize = 1,
            RackSlavedToTurret = false,
            RangeCategory = 'UWRC_IndirectFire',
            RateOfFire = 0.1,
            RenderFireClock = true,
            SlavedToBody = true,
            TargetCheckInterval = 2,
            TargetPriorities = {
                'SPECIALHIGHPRI',
                'STRUCTURE DEFENSE',
                'TECH3 MOBILE',
                'TECH2 MOBILE',
                'TECH1 MOBILE',
                'SPECIALLOWPRI',
                'ALLUNITS',
            },
            TargetRestrictDisallow = 'UNTARGETABLE',
            TrackingRadius = 1.15,
            Turreted = false,
            WeaponCategory = 'Missile',
            WeaponRepackTimeout = 1,
            WeaponUnpackAnimation = '/units/xel0306/xel0306_aopen.sca',
            WeaponUnpackAnimationRate = 1,
            WeaponUnpacks = true,
        },

You re right. It's seems that's the DPS is not accurate. At min, you need 10 + charge delay. In game i measured 12-13s. Maybe you need reload 10 s + 3 muzzles * 1 s charge then fire so delay = 13 s.

and so true DPS is 2400/13 = 185

It's not a bug but a wrong in game information.

[StarAdder]

Is there a place where the exact meanings of all those variables in the unit blueprint are laid out? I'm guessing there isn't, since that would clear this issue up.