Rule of thumb for holding back the creeper?

[cooky713]

Has anyone done any testing that puts an upper bound on the amount of firepower to hold back the total emitter amount on the map? As in, if you work out the total emitted creeper per second, you coud then work out the max damage each weapon can do to the creeper each second?

Also, can I confirm that emitter data is linear - that is an emitter that puts out 50 creeper at an interval of 0.5 is that same as one that puts out 100 every second?

[Flabort]

Actually, an emitter doesn't work like that, despite what you'd think.
In my (limited) experience, at "t" time, the emitter sets the amount of creeper under it to "n" creeper. By the time t passes, the amount of creeper under the emitter will be less than n, so it adds creeper up to n. However, it does not add n unless there was nothing under it before.

So at t1, the start of the game, it puts n. So about 80% of the creeper under the emitter flows outwards, and at t2, it adds 80% of n creeper to its tile. Now, there's more creeper around it, so less flows away. Only 60% flows away. Etcetera, with less precise data because it's all guesswork.

So no, amt50interval0.5 is NOT the same as amt100interval1. The longer delay in the bigger emitter means that more flows away each increase, so it can add more each time, meaning it emits more. Also, the amt is the maximum height that the emitter can raise the creeper to. If you leave both alone for a while, the amt100 emitter will be a much tougher ocean to blast your way through.

However, I am not sure of what a graph of the output of emitters might look like.

[Grauniad]

Add to that that concentrated creeper is sometimes easier to control/destroy than once it has spread out. Each weapon has a radius and a maximum amount of damage it can cause. So if the creeper is outside that radius, it won't get damaged in a shot.

[cooky713]

Ok,

So emitters values where value+ground level <= 10 can theoretically be walled off (I say theoretically because I'm not at home and can't test it).

Hmm, so targetting the small volume high frequency emitters is not as important as the high value low frequency ones (all other things being equal.

So I guess as long as you are sufficiently far from emitters, the amount of creeper heading towards you will reach a steady state and can be controlled - and the closer you are to the emitters the greater the amount of creeper you need to destroy each second will be.

Cheers

[Clean0nion]

Actually, an emitter doesn't work like that, despite what you'd think.
In my (limited) experience, at "t" time, the emitter sets the amount of creeper under it to "n" creeper. By the time t passes, the amount of creeper under the emitter will be less than n, so it adds creeper up to n. However, it does not add n unless there was nothing under it before.

So at t1, the start of the game, it puts n. So about 80% of the creeper under the emitter flows outwards, and at t2, it adds 80% of n creeper to its tile. Now, there's more creeper around it, so less flows away. Only 60% flows away. Etcetera, with less precise data because it's all guesswork.

So no, amt50interval0.5 is NOT the same as amt100interval1. The longer delay in the bigger emitter means that more flows away each increase, so it can add more each time, meaning it emits more. Also, the amt is the maximum height that the emitter can raise the creeper to. If you leave both alone for a while, the amt100 emitter will be a much tougher ocean to blast your way through.

However, I am not sure of what a graph of the output of emitters might look like.

To my understanding: a 100:30 emitter, as described (30 frames is 1 second), sets the amount of creeper on its cell to 100. The CRPL command is SetCreeperNoLower, meaning that it sets the creeper level but if it's already higher, it won't lower it.
Then it waits 30 frames (or 1 second in unpaused unspeeded time), and sets the creeper again. So it will add more each time than, say, a 100:10 emitter, because more can flow away in one second than in a third of a second.
However! The 100:10 emitter will be emitting more than the 100:30 emitter! Sure, it will add less each time it emits, but the key point is that the 100:10 emitter emits more frequently. So in the long run, it is emitting more.
So either way, a 50:15 emitter as described in your post is unlikely to be emitting more than either of the 100:x emitters, but that would change depending on the level of creeper around any of the emitters.

Ok,
1. So emitters values where value+ground level <= 10 can theoretically be walled off (I say theoretically because I'm not at home and can't test it.)
2. Hmm, so targetting the small volume high frequency emitters is not as important as the high value low frequency ones (all other things being equal.)
3. So I guess as long as you are sufficiently far from emitters, the amount of creeper heading towards you will reach a steady state and can be controlled - and the closer you are to the emitters the greater the amount of creeper you need to destroy each second will be.
Cheers

1. Yes
2. Entirely personal preference - or the preference of the map maker! A smaller emitter, let's say a 5:30 emitter on level 4 terrain, will never emit creeper over level 8 terrain. So you can terp a wall around it.
But that's unlikely to be the most useful thing to do, unless there is an inhibitor that you can get to very quickly. Otherwise, it would be more useful to nullify the emitter and use its power zone for something. A bertha, say. Or a reactor if you're low on energy.
3. Yes. Unless you choose to control it using shields, as they don't destroy any creeper.

You've endured Clean0nion for 400 forum posts!

[pawel345]

One can hold back almost any amount of creeper just using a bunch of PC and mortars. As long as the amount is in the ranges <300~400 you can hold it back with regular weaponry only(upgraded). Generally it's easier if the creeper comes form one direction only. For example a PC can easily contain creeper coming from a 3 cells wide bridge even if the creeper depth is ~10, but can have big problems creating an opening in a flooded pool 1,5 deep.