Friday Facts #448 - Tuning platforms
Space platform physics overhauled to use mass-based drag instead of width, alongside a complete rework of asteroid damage mechanics to improve predictability and design variety.
Key Changes
- 1Space platform drag is now calculated based on mass rather than width, enabling wider ship designs.
- 2Asteroid damage is now determined by asteroid health and is independent of relative speed.
- 3Damage to stationary platforms from asteroids reduced by over 90% to protect docked ships.
- 4Space platform hub health and resistances buffed to prevent medium asteroid one-shots.
- 5Medium asteroid damage to moving platforms reduced from 3200 to 2000.
- 6New drag formula (weight / 200) ^ 0.8 rewards compact, high-quality builds.
- 7Shooting asteroids now directly reduces the impact damage they deal to platforms.
- 8Thruster stacking exploit nerfed as a result of the new physics calculations.
All Changes
🚀Space Platforms(6)
- changeSpace platform: Drag calculation now uses total mass (weight) instead of platform width to determine top speed.
- changeSpace platform: Updated drag formula to (weight / 200) ^ 0.8, where 200 represents the mass of one foundation tile.
- buffSpace platform hub: Increased health and resistances for the hub to prevent medium asteroids from destroying it in a single hit.
- buffSpace platform: Wider platforms and small starter ships now achieve higher top speeds due to better thrust-to-mass potential.
- nerfSpace platform: The 'thruster stacking' exploit, which allowed hyper-unrealistic speeds, has been significantly nerfed by the new physics formula.
- buffSpace platform: Reduced asteroid damage to stationary platforms by 90% in v2.1.13, with a further reduction in v2.1.21.
⚙️Physics & Mechanics(6)
- changeAsteroids: Damage dealt to platforms is now based on asteroid health and is independent of relative speed.
- changeAsteroids: Asteroids no longer slow down when dealing damage to platforms; they are destroyed only when HP reaches zero.
- buffAsteroids: Partially damaging an asteroid before collision now proportionally reduces the damage it deals to the platform.
- nerfMedium Asteroids: Medium asteroid damage to moving platforms reduced from 3200 to 2000.
- buffMedium Asteroids: Medium asteroid damage to stationary platforms reduced from 320 to 100.
- nerfHuge Asteroids: Increased damage dealt to platforms to match 2.0 levels, discouraging players from tanking hits to reach the edge.
👥Community(1)
- newBiter Battles: Spotlight on the 'Biter Battles' competitive mode, featuring 24/7 casual servers, ranked leagues, and seasonal tournaments.
Summary
Space Platform Physics Rework
The fundamental calculation for space platform acceleration and top speed has been redesigned. Previously, a platform's width was the primary factor for drag, which incentivized extremely narrow "pencil ship" designs and punished wider builds. The new formula in version 2.1.21 replaces width with Mass as the primary drag component, using the expression (weight / 200) ^ 0.8. This change rewards compact designs, makes wider ships more viable by allowing more thrusters, and effectively nerfs the "thruster stacking" exploit.
Asteroid Damage & Balancing
Asteroid combat has been reworked to be more predictable. Damage is now tied directly to an asteroid's remaining health rather than its relative speed. Asteroids no longer slow down upon impact but are destroyed once their hitpoints reach zero. To prevent platforms from being destroyed while in orbit, stationary platforms now receive significantly less damage from impacts. Additionally, the Space Platform Hub received health and resistance buffs to prevent one-shots from medium-sized asteroids.