How Alien Armor Negation Works

Terminotaur

<div class="IPBDescription">Rawr</div> First of all, let me say again how the armor system is supposed to work and how it works on the marines. The tables in the manual for armor absorption tell how much damage is distributed to armor from the damage taken. The tables go like this:
Lev 0 30%
Lev 1 40%
Lev 2 50%
Lev 3 60%

All damage distributed to armor is halved. The rest of the damage is distributed fully to the health. Just for illustration let's calculate a skulk bite against a level 0 armor marine with 100/50. A skulk's bite does 75 damage. The distribution to armor is 30%.

Damage to Health = 70% * 75 = 52.5
Damage to Armor = (30% * 75) / 2 = 11.25
Health & Armor Left = 47.5/38.75

Your health/armor in the hud is just the rounded version of your actual health and armor.
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However, before any of these calculations, aliens actually negate some damage. First of all, they negate some damage, then they distribute between the armor and health with the proper formula. The negation tables (which don't apply to marines) go something like this:
Lev 0 0%
Lev 1 10%
Lev 2 20%
Lev 3 30%

Let's do an example. A level 3 carapace fade with 200/150 gets hit with a full blast from a shotgun. If all pellets, hit, the damage is 160.
Damage to Health = (40% * 160) * 70% = 44.8
Damage to Armor = ((60% * 160)/2) * 70% = 33.6
Health & Armor Left = 155.2/116.4
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Well, how does this affect gameplay? Let's calculate the total possible damage a level 0 carapace fade and a level 3 carapace fade can absorb.

Let's start with level 0. With a level 0 carapace fade with 200/125, his armor does not run out before his health.
Total actual damage taken before armor is destroyed = (125 * 2 / 30%) = 833.33
Damage to health if 833.33 total damage is caused = (833.33 * 70%) = 583.33
Therefore, the total amount of possible damage the fade will take if he isn't healed and such is:
Damage Absorbance of Level 0 Fade = 200 / 70% = 285.71

Now, for a level 3 with 200/150. His armor runs out simultaneously with his health.
Total actual damage taken before armor is destroyed = (150 * 2 / 60%) / 70% = 714.29
Damage to health if 714.29 total damage is caused = (714.29 * 40%) * 70% = 200
If the armor runs out at the same time or after the health, then the armor is practically extra health.
Damage Absorbance of Level 3 Fade = (200 + 150*2) / 70% = 714.29

714.29 versus 285.71. You take 2 and a half times more damage if you opt for level 3 carapace instead of sticking around with level 0. To test this out I shot a fade with an lmg. 29 bullets exactly to down a level 0 and 72 exactly to down a level 3. I don't know about you, but you wouldn't NEED redemption or regeneration if you could take that much more bullets. If you calculate it out, it seems a lot more reasonable if aliens didn't have armor negation at all and I believe this is a bug. It also makes redemption and regeneration a bit more viable. Defensive upgrades shouldn't progress significantly with each level since it's pretty easy to get 3 defensive chambers if you can survive the marine rush.

Skulk
Level 0 = 90
Level 3 = 185.71 // Skulk Level 3 Armor might have some wierd armor absorption properties since ingame its 21 lmg shots...
Level 3 w/o Negation = 130

Gorge
Level 0 = 142.86
Level 3 = 357.14
Level 3 w/o Negation = 250

Lerk
Level 0 = 85.71
Level 3 = 214.29
Level 3 w/o Negation = 150

Fade
Level 0 = 285.71
Level 3 = 714.29
Level 3 w/o Negation = 500

Onos
Level 0 = 714.29
Level 3 = 1285.71
Level 3 w/o Negation = 900

Note: Aliens with level 3 carapace and 0 armor still negate 30% of damage. Same with the other carapace levels.

FunkTheMonk

oooh look at all the pritty numbers

wlibaers

In that case, and considering alines don't really have bolt-on armor but it's part of their bodies, why not just have armor as a resistance to bullets (constant), and health as the only thing going down?

Spetz

Nice round up of the armour model. Good job.

Question

Which kinda explains the ridiculous amount of damage fades look like they are taking,cause the bullets that hit simply isnt enough.