Fire rate upgrade prevents alternate blaster fire (BUG)

[UpperKEES]

Since the latest patch blasters alternate their fire into various directions when the creeper is just as close. This is very useful, because a blaster used to fire only up and left, as described here. When you apply the +15% fire rate upgrade however, a blaster only fires up, down and left.



In the case of attached testmap the survivors stay alive without the fire rate upgrade, but the pods on the right will die in 20 seconds with the upgrade!

[Fisherck]

That is funny, I wonder why that is happening? It can certainly be detrimental.

[UpperKEES]

I assume the direction the blaster fires is determined by the frame count. Something like:

Frame 1 modulo 4 = 1 (up)
Frame 2 modulo 4 = 2 (down)
Frame 3 modulo 4 = 3 (right)
Frame 4 modulo 4 = 0 (left)
Frame 5 modulo 4 = 1 (up)
Frame 6 modulo 4 = 2 (down)
Frame 7 modulo 4 = 3 (right)
Frame 8 modulo 4 = 0 (left)
Etcetera.

Without the upgrade the blaster fires every 7^th frame:
Frame 7 modulo 4 = 3 (right)
Frame 14 modulo 4 = 2 (down)
Frame 21 modulo 4 = 1 (up)
Frame 28 modulo 4 = 0 (left)
Frame 35 modulo 4 = 3 (right)

With the upgrade the blaster fires every 6^th frame:
Frame 6 modulo 4 = 2 (down)
Frame 12 modulo 4 = 0 (left)
Frame 18 modulo 4 = 2 (down)
Frame 24 modulo 4 = 0 (left)
Frame 30 modulo 4 = 2 (down)
Frame 36 modulo 4 = 0 (left)

It probably works a little differently, because it does fire into 3 directions instead of only 2 (most likely due to the 32 frame subrhythm), but you get the idea. When you observe the testmap blaster firing you'll notice that its pattern changes. Sometimes it fires twice into the same direction before alternating.

[Grauniad]

You are correct that the direction is determined by the frame - the algorithm is more or less as you describe. However, I cannot recreate the specific occurrence of the issue you describe. If I run your sample map, the blaster does fire in all directions. I suspect there is something that we're both missing that would cause that.

[UpperKEES]

Thanks for the addition! :)

I just retested and found what caused the difference: when I first test without the upgrade and select the upgrade later on, the blaster indeed keeps firing in every direction (although the pattern changes). When I select the upgrade immediately at the start of the map (at the moment the opening text is being displayed), the blaster doesn't fire to the right. Apparently the starting frame also matters....

[Colin]

fascinating. I tried it as well, and here is what I found.

when the game started I noticed the first pattern the blaster fired (restarted and tested multiple times)

LEFT-DOWN-UP-RIGHT repeat

Also, when you start the game (when I start the game) and I purchase the 15% fire upgrade before letting blaster even start firing, it only first left down and up in a pattern that is about 12 shots long, and after a little while the lower right blaster dies.

I also noticed the results change when you activate the 15% faster firing rate.

if the blaster JUST fired LEFT when you buy the upgrade it doesn't EVER fire RIGHT again thus your survival pod dies.
if the blaster JUST fired UP it also dies,
but if you buy the upgrade JUST after it fired RIGHT or DOWN it fires in ALL directions.  :o

*Leonard Nimoy voice* Fascinating. . .

anyone else find the same results as me?  ::)

[UpperKEES]

Heheh! ;D Nice to see some more 'researchers' here with a similar fascination for game mechanics. :)

I was just going to write down the sequences to see if I could determine the patterns, but you beat me to it. Thanks!

I think it's up to Virgil now if he wants to make another slight modification. I know a final patch will be released soon, so maybe this seemingly random behaviour can be excluded as well. (I hate randomness! ;))

[Colin]

lol KEES, sorry to steal your thunder, come chat tho?  :D

[UpperKEES]

No worries, I should be doing something else anyway.... just too addictive.... :P