squishy exploding power sources in battlescape

[moriarty]

has anybody ever wondered why the UFO power sources sometimes destroy most of the UFO during the crash, but if you shoot them with plasma they simply break?

well I do. so I suggest an optional game mechanic: squishy power sources. UFO Power Sources in the battlescape should have a chance of exploding when receiving damage. I guess the chances would have to be adjusted for different types of ammo:

lowest probability     stun - incendiary - AP - laser - HE - plasma - alien grenade - Blaster Bomb      highest probability

I put the Alien Grenade and Blaster Bomb as a separate type of damage at the high end of the scale because even though both do HE damage for in-game purposes, my Sci-Fi-logic tells me that an Elerium-based explosion should trigger some kind of resonance.


oh, and because of my post in this thread, if anybody likes the idea enough to make it a commit for an optional mechanic, please include the possibility for "explosion damage strength adjusted by amount of Elerium"

[winterheart]

Power sources didn't explodes? I thought they should be (https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Explosions#UFO_Power_Sources). Maybe it's only on OXC?

[moriarty]

no, they don't explode during battlescape battles. see here, where it states clearly "Note that PSs (Power Sources) destroyed during play do not detonate."

they explode before the battle, causing initial damage to the UFO. crashed UFOs don't take damage from the impact (another thing I would like to see changed...), but their power sources explode with a certain probability.

[winterheart]

Ah, I thought they explodable, and always tried avoid to hit them...

[Volutar]

Yes you tried to avoid to hit them and you succeded at not blowing them. But really, avoiding grenade explosions near them is real thing. Because you wont explode PS, but destroy elerium patch... Elerium can be easily destroyed by any explosion.

[Sharp]

Maybe because the UFO isn't flying so it doesn't explode because it's off?

[AMX]

Maybe because the UFO isn't flying so it doesn't explode because it's off?

That's what I've been thinking, too.
Remember, Elerium "generates anti-matter power when bombarded with certain particles."
So damaging a running PS causes an uncontrolled release of antimatter => kerBOOM!
But a shut-down PS is mostly harmless.

[54x]

That's what I've been thinking, too.
Remember, Elerium "generates anti-matter power when bombarded with certain particles."
So damaging a running PS causes an uncontrolled release of antimatter => kerBOOM!
But a shut-down PS is mostly harmless.

Emphasis added.

[SeanEBlog]

This would make supple ship smash and grab missions more interesting...

[moriarty]

exactly. also, it would make breaching small UFOs more interesting - the medium scout in particular, where the power source is in direct line-of-fire when shooting into the UFO. you can use it to your advantage (kill all aliens inside with one shot), but your loot would be extremely reduced.

[54x]

It would also be nice to have some middle ground between always getting multiples and fifty elerium or shooting down the craft to the point where the engines die and getting nothing at all.