Civilian Buildings Block Weapon's Fire

[Deantwo]

It is possible to clip buildings into each other in the new building system. This is kinda of a feature, even if I think it is silly. But it has a big issue when it comes to blocking line of sight or projectiles.

For example, if you place a military building so it is surrounded by civilian buildings, or even inside civilian buildings. You can make it impossible for weapons to hit the target unless you are at that possible one exact angle to hit it, if there even is such an angle.

On that note I have even seen one farm building blueprint that seems to just block all missiles fired at buildings around it.

Code:

Farm
Weltreich
Blueprint: 3067507 10kFarm
Architect: Racer FMXFM

This is essentially the exact same issue is with the Underground Buildings Exploits, but a lot worse since civilian buildings can't even be blown away with explosives.

Suggestion: A civilian building that has had its health reduced to 0 should stop physically blocking movement and projectiles. The AI should also ignore civilian buildings when doing line of sight checks to see if they can hit a military target.

[jakbruce2012]

There's a very easy fix to this too. Damage to a protected civillian building, should instead apply damage to the nearest military construct.

[Deantwo]

There's a very easy fix to this too.  Damage to a protected civillian building, should instead apply damage to the nearest military construct.

Seems like a weird solution. As long as the AI is changed to worry less about civilian casualties, and ruined civilian buildings don't block projectiles, it shouldn't matter if you have to demolish a civilian building first.

There is no advantage to having your tiny military buildings hidden inside a massive armored civilian verse just having a massive armored military building. Assuming changes I mentioned.

I wonder if there should just be a morale penalty for having military buildings inside a city. That would lead to more interesting bases too.

[jakbruce2012]

A moralle penalty would not stop it. Not unless is was like -1000. Remember, high breeding rates at 10k+ pop.

The only ways to fix it is to somehow divert damage to the military building, or to allow projectiles to hit them.

[martianant]

wouldn't the easy fix be making it so building sites cannot overlap? Right now it's just that the centers cannot overlap, meaning you can overlap buildings to a great extent. You can have multiple mine buildings on top of each over. Preventing that would also fix this issue wouldn't it?

[Deantwo]

wouldn't the easy fix be making it so building sites cannot overlap?

Not really, you could just place tall civilian building all around a tiny military building.

I know Weltreich is using this exploit to great effect.

[Vectorus]

I've noticed and even made use of this on occasion.

The obvious solution is for buildings in the "scaffold" state not to have any obstruction - either because they've been damaged or because they're not yet built That would also help fix the numberless times I've placed a building on top of where I'm standing, accidentally, and been unable to escape even though nothing physically exists there yet. It would also prevent you from building indestructible city walls with very little health, which nevertheless stop anyone from physically getting into your city.

The overlap rules are already quite restrictive, I'm very against making them any more so.

[Deantwo]

The obvious solution is for buildings in the "scaffold" state not to have any obstruction - either because they've been damaged or because they're not yet built

Also do it for buildings under construction? Not a bad idea.
It would however be harder to know if you are standing somewhere that is about to become blocked while you are doing construction, verse not being able to move into an area at all to become stuck upon completion. Unless construction is changed to not be able to finish if blocked, which also might not be a bad idea.

Also how would we destroy a building that is under construction? Currently a building that is under construction has no health and is instantly destroyed if hit. This is a nice feature, both to get rid of enemy construction and your own.

[jakbruce2012]

Perhaps building health should be based on % complete, and only take hits on the site pad until complete and the scaffold is replaced with physical walls?

I too agree with making scaffolds no-collide.

[Deantwo]

Perhaps building health should be based on % complete,

Why though? I like the fact that you need to defend a mega structure.