Need a new Range Based Accuracy mod

[The Reaver of Darkness]

The current Range Based Accuracy mod is highly flawed, in my opinion worse than the original system even after you adjust the accuracy of the weapons to compensate for its differences.

Problems with the mod:
1.) different shot types have different effective ranges. They should have the same effective range. There is already a difference in their listed accuracy. If you give them a shorter effective range, you should give them all the same accuracy.
2.) accuracy diminishes additively, that is, it goes straight to zero on a linear equation. An enemy too far away cannot be hit, except by a lucky "miss" which is extremely unlikely at significant ranges.
3.) there is no increase to accuracy from being closer. I could argue that this is even more important than having accuracy decrease from more range. Through playing many times, I always felt that the accuracy ratings for each shot type on any given weapon were about right for shooting a target a fair distance away. I rarely made shots from so far that it seemed odd for a snap shot to hit. MUCH more commonly, I would see a soldier unload an entire magazine of misses at point-blank range just because the accuracy for auto-shot said 15% chance to hit. Range Based Accuracy does nothing to fix this.

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We need a new mod which will set a specific distance as "standard distance" which all base accuracy values will be set for. A target at half the distance should have double the chance to be hit, while a target at double the distance should have half the chance to be hit. I vote the standard distance should be 20 squares. The hit formula would be:

(UA * SM) / (TD / SD)

In which:
UA = Unit Accuracy
SM = Shot Modifier
TD = Target Distance
SD = Standard Distance

If your veteran butterfingers Joe Miss-a-lot has 38 firing accuracy and is using a weapon with a measly auto-shot accuracy of 25%, then his chance to hit a target 2 squares away will be:
(0.38 * 0.25) / (2 / 20)
0.095 / 0.1 = 0.95
He'd have a 95% chance to hit the target. Now I know it's pretty difficult to fail to hit a target that close even with this cumbersome weapon, but Joe Miss-a-lot is capable of doing it...in one out of twenty shots.

[yrizoud]

2) is not necessarily a bad idea for a game system. Distance as additive protection means you have the choice of "safely" moving your troops within enemy's  line-of-sight, as long as the distance is too high for the enemy's weapon.

I have one critic with your proposal, it's that it gets back an issue of the original (non-range-based) system : A skilled soldier overcomes any weapon's limitation. A rookie with a rifle "plays" exactly like a marksman with a pistol, the two soldiers are as likely to hit at every distance. I'd prefer a system which keeps the roles of short-range and long-range weapons, no matter how skilled the soldier. (ex: a sniper rifle should help reach targets at extreme ranges, it should not help inaccurate soldiers hit things at short and intermediate ranges)

[LeBashar]

The is already some mod which try to mod the game like the equal term mod or the mine. It's not exactly what you want because it is only one ruleset.

Fo example you want a autorifle able to hit at close range ? so give it a 95% chance to hit in auto mode, and a 5 square max auto range with a 20 dropoff. The result should be something which hit everything at close range, and nearly nothing farter.

For me you also forgot the main thing which make difference between weapon : their power decrease with the distance, and not only the accuracy. In fact, the main difference between a pistol and a rifle is that.

[redv]

We need a new mod which will set a specific distance as "standard distance" which all base accuracy values will be set for. A target at half the distance should have double the chance to be hit, while a target at double the distance should have half the chance to be hit. I vote the standard distance should be 20 squares.

You cannot to make a mod based on ruleset. Need a code support.
But the code of range based accuracy was removed from OpenXcom. Latest branch is: https://github.com/redv/OpenXcom/tree/rigth_shot_chance_view

Advantages:
1. probability to hit decreases by distance as you written above;
2. taken into account clouds of smoke on line of sight;
3. taken into account a light or shade on target;
4. if unit kneeled, then hit him more difficult;
5. somethin else, i dont remember now:)

[Dioxine]

Not sure if geometrically decreasing/increasing accurracy is any better erm, accurate than a flat system. The issue of point-blank shots is already adressed by the trajectories (even if you miss, being 2-3 tiles away means you still hit as the bullet collides with the 3-d shape of the object). If anything, we could think about the trajectories being less random (45-degree-off shots shouldn't REALLY happen), so you will more often hit from point-blank even when the dice roll a miss (miss = failed to pick an optimal trajectory) .

[The Reaver of Darkness]

Fo example you want a autorifle able to hit at close range ? so give it a 95% chance to hit in auto mode, and a 5 square max auto range with a 20 dropoff. The result should be something which hit everything at close range, and nearly nothing farter.

For me you also forgot the main thing which make difference between weapon : their power decrease with the distance, and not only the accuracy. In fact, the main difference between a pistol and a rifle is that.

I was thinking of that but the problem, then, is that the weapon lists a high accuracy for auto shots, and that is deceiving.

I'm not opposed to making weapon shots drop off in power over range, but I wouldn't bother because it seems like the ranges we're dealing with aren't enough to make much of a difference. I also don't want to nerf pistols any further. On the contrary, I think their use could become much more popular if there were greater penalties for using a two-hand weapon with the off-hand in use. I say it should not only make your shots less accurate, but they should cost more time units, and you should only be even capable of firing the weapon that way with a high enough strength attribute relative to the weapon's weight. Nobody should be able to single-hand fire an auto-cannon without powered armor that boosts their strength. THEN pistols would suddenly be worth using.

Not sure if geometrically decreasing/increasing accurracy is any better erm, accurate than a flat system. The issue of point-blank shots is already adressed by the trajectories (even if you miss, being 2-3 tiles away means you still hit as the bullet collides with the 3-d shape of the object). If anything, we could think about the trajectories being less random (45-degree-off shots shouldn't REALLY happen), so you will more often hit from point-blank even when the dice roll a miss (miss = failed to pick an optimal trajectory) .

I think closing the shot group would fix the problem entirely and even allow the current range-based accuracy mod to sew up the whole thing perfectly. I'd say sniper rifles are only allowing a soldier with poor accuracy to hit at close range at the cost of more time units, but someone could go a step further and make a mod that decreases accuracy at close range with certain cumbersome weapons. Just don't do like Firaxis' X-Com: Enemy Unknown and make sniper rifles unable to hit with an aimed shot at 10 squares distance.

[LeBashar]

As always I totally agree with Dioxine.

I was thinking of that but the problem, then, is that the weapon lists a high accuracy for auto shots, and that is deceiving.

You talking about the ufopedia ? It's just cosmetic to change this. I think it's far more annoying to have no information about the effect of range on accuracy
If you change entries to add information about this, the problem disappear as you will be able to see what are the good use range for each weapons and each shot mode.

Nobody should be able to single-hand fire an auto-cannon without powered armor that boosts their strength.

lol, Nobody should be able to do, even with two hand. And anyway, accurate shot with pistol often need two hands. (or said differently : use two hand with a pistol should give a accuracy bonus also, no ? )

But for differenciate pistol you can else choose to give them more power than rifle, but huge accuracy losse with range. This should make them useful in close combat. I have try this in my mod by giving the same alloy ammo to all firearms (rifle and pistol only, not autocannon or sniper rifle).

[The Reaver of Darkness]

I would go for making pistols increase accuracy a bit with a free hand, and they can be differentiated from rifles by the higher time unit cost of shooting a rifle with one hand. Pistol may be more accurate in two hands but it has the same fire rate in one hand and no other penalties.

In X-Com: Apocalypse, weapons have ranges. They can't shoot past this range. It doesn't come into play very often but if you try to use a Megapol Lawpistol, for instance, at long range, you may have trouble getting the rounds all the way to the target. Two-hand weapons have longer range, especially sniper weapons.

[NoelBuddy]

Set custom ranges how you like then put a note of it in the UFOpedia entry's main text.  Something like "The laser pistol is extremely accurate, but aiming suffers at longer ranges due to it's size."

[The Reaver of Darkness]

Is there a way to reduce the miss angle?